Main Event Right Hand of the Magic God

[Lucky]

Phil Connors and Rita Hanson

" It's funny, you would think that I felt afraid of that, but when you deal with a psychopath who played God with multiple lives in a dark place, it just doesn't seem to have the same effect as you would think. I don't see it that one, sometimes all you need is one person to make things feel less lonely. You would think I would agree, but I don't anymore. If living a day for as long as I have, I realized that we can know people if we just try. If we try to make conversations, you can learn about the hopes, their dreams and their fears, their dogs named Stephen. A perfect world would still be a lonely world because without conflict, then we lose what makes us so fundamentally human," he said.

Rita saw some of the mechanisms and she waited before she would pull one, seeing what Max's tinkering had done.

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission

 

[Jeremi]

"Ah, so you noticed the pattern I was counting in. An observant eye you have. Shame it will have to be snuffed out if you continue to oppose me like this," Pucci said to Phil, calmly keeping his arms folded behind his back, "Because the only number that can be divided by a prime number, besides itself, is 1, it can be said that such numbers are the loneliest of all. To that effect, such numbers are just like humans, wouldn't you agree? We live our whole lives hoping to truly understand one another, but at the end of the day, the only one we can truly believe in, the only one we can really know, is ourselves. Wouldn't you wish as well for a perfect world where such conflicts no longer existed?"

Of course, before that question could be answered, the group had already made a beeline for him. As Severa said, it seemed as though they intended to skip past the morality of their actions and beliefs and head straight for the offensive.

To that end, Pucci obliged, summoning his grotesque Stand, C-Moon, just as before. As Leivinia rendered him unable to retreat and keep his distance, Pucci found himself forced to directly engage those coming after him, dashing out of the way of Macy's electric shot, before his C-Moon grabbed Severa's weapon safely before it could stab the man himself. The Stand raised its arm, ready to put the girl down, and thrust its free hand forward, but suddenly, Russia, who had accompanied the group silently, pushed Severa out of the way, taking C-Moon's hit instead! What happened was a grotesque display, as the moment C-Moon's fist hit Russia in the chest, the effected area contorted and twisted itself inside, before the man collapsed, instantly dying, as C-Moon had caused his very heart to turn inside out.

With a menacing glare, he kept his gaze directed at the group, attempting to move out of the range of Leivinia's blasts. "It is useless. In just a matter of moments, C-Moon will evolve into the ultimate Stand as DIO has promised it would! When I attain that state of ascension, you will not even be able to regret your death!"

Meanwhile, as Max searched around the station for any machines of note, he would be able to spot mechanisms on each side of the chamber, labeled as producers of artificial gravity for the station core. What to do with them?

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Lucky @Kaykay @Mission​

"Good grief, who knew a man of the cloth could be so creepy?" Jolyne replied as Stone Free emerged behind her. "The only regret I'm having is letting you and your little witch run around for as long as you have, but that ends know. Prepare yourself Enrico Pucci!" As Jolyne charged the arms of Stone Free unraveled into string and as she got close enough Jolyne cracked the strings back like a whip to try and hurt Pucci.

Ermes meanwhile charged as well ready to give the priest a good punch in the face, and perhaps leave a sticker behind for good measure.

@Ver
@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Lucky @Kaykay @Mission

 

[Ver]

"What a farce. The clashing values and desires of humans has always proven to be their downfall! Even here and now, I seek to change the multiverse for its betterment, while you seek, vainly, to keep it as it is, hoping day after day that the next moment will be better than the last, too afraid to grasp the power waiting to shape the world as one sees fit!" Pucci passionately exclaimed in response to Phil, almost seeming to effortlessly balance between the ideological and physical struggles he was juggling (unfortunately for Leivinia's sensibilities).

Meanwhile, as the first machine was set to zero gravity from there, courtesy of Max, everyone in the station core would suddenly begin to feel just a bit lighter. It was easy to describe on paper what would happen with lighter gravity, but to actually feel it be taken away was something entirely. To feel the force that bound someone to the ground they stood upon lighten, the security of knowing that they'd always land back on the ground for every jump they might have made, and so on... It was a bit jarring to say the least. At least, for Touma, who found himself only able to stay back and watch in awe at the spectacle before him, along with 10032, Ollerus, and Fiamma of the Right.

From there, Pucci gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, struggling to maintain his footing within the new environment. Still, this new development was something that could prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how he and his enemies decided to adjust to the gradual disappearance of gravity in the chamber.

To that end, the priest continued to do his best to evade Leivinia's attacks, only for Jolyne's string whip to snap into the man with enough force to send him flying into a platform one level up due in part to the decreased gravity. Pucci was barely able to recover in time to grab on to the metal railing on said balcony, easing himself onto the new level. Intending to adapt to the difference in gravity to his advantage, even if it might have hindered C-Moon's abilities, Pucci began to run up the stairs of the platforms, as though seeming to attempt a hasty retreat suddenly!

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

 

[Jeremi]

"What a farce. The clashing values and desires of humans has always proven to be their downfall! Even here and now, I seek to change the multiverse for its betterment, while you seek, vainly, to keep it as it is, hoping day after day that the next moment will be better than the last, too afraid to grasp the power waiting to shape the world as one sees fit!" Pucci passionately exclaimed in response to Phil, almost seeming to effortlessly balance between the ideological and physical struggles he was juggling (unfortunately for Leivinia's sensibilities).

Meanwhile, as the first machine was set to zero gravity from there, courtesy of Max, everyone in the station core would suddenly begin to feel just a bit lighter. It was easy to describe on paper what would happen with lighter gravity, but to actually feel it be taken away was something entirely. To feel the force that bound someone to the ground they stood upon lighten, the security of knowing that they'd always land back on the ground for every jump they might have made, and so on... It was a bit jarring to say the least. At least, for Touma, who found himself only able to stay back and watch in awe at the spectacle before him, along with 10032, Ollerus, and Fiamma of the Right.

From there, Pucci gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, struggling to maintain his footing within the new environment. Still, this new development was something that could prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how he and his enemies decided to adjust to the gradual disappearance of gravity in the chamber.

To that end, the priest continued to do his best to evade Leivinia's attacks, only for Jolyne's string whip to snap into the man with enough force to send him flying into a platform one level up due in part to the decreased gravity. Pucci was barely able to recover in time to grab on to the metal railing on said balcony, easing himself onto the new level. Intending to adapt to the difference in gravity to his advantage, even if it might have hindered C-Moon's abilities, Pucci began to run up the stairs of the platforms, as though seeming to attempt a hasty retreat suddenly!

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

"Son of a bitch is trying to run!" Ermes shouted as her and Jolyne went after in hot pursuit after Pucci up the stairs using the lowered gravity to their advantage.

"If we get him now there's on less bastard to worry about!"
@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission

 

[Crow]

"What a farce. The clashing values and desires of humans has always proven to be their downfall! Even here and now, I seek to change the multiverse for its betterment, while you seek, vainly, to keep it as it is, hoping day after day that the next moment will be better than the last, too afraid to grasp the power waiting to shape the world as one sees fit!" Pucci passionately exclaimed in response to Phil, almost seeming to effortlessly balance between the ideological and physical struggles he was juggling (unfortunately for Leivinia's sensibilities).

Meanwhile, as the first machine was set to zero gravity from there, courtesy of Max, everyone in the station core would suddenly begin to feel just a bit lighter. It was easy to describe on paper what would happen with lighter gravity, but to actually feel it be taken away was something entirely. To feel the force that bound someone to the ground they stood upon lighten, the security of knowing that they'd always land back on the ground for every jump they might have made, and so on... It was a bit jarring to say the least. At least, for Touma, who found himself only able to stay back and watch in awe at the spectacle before him, along with 10032, Ollerus, and Fiamma of the Right.

From there, Pucci gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, struggling to maintain his footing within the new environment. Still, this new development was something that could prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how he and his enemies decided to adjust to the gradual disappearance of gravity in the chamber.

To that end, the priest continued to do his best to evade Leivinia's attacks, only for Jolyne's string whip to snap into the man with enough force to send him flying into a platform one level up due in part to the decreased gravity. Pucci was barely able to recover in time to grab on to the metal railing on said balcony, easing himself onto the new level. Intending to adapt to the difference in gravity to his advantage, even if it might have hindered C-Moon's abilities, Pucci began to run up the stairs of the platforms, as though seeming to attempt a hasty retreat suddenly!

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

"I'm going to feel as sick as all of you by the end of this, so please bear with it! Rita! Follow my lead! Phil, man a third one and do the same! All fighters on deck get ready!"

Grandpa Max sets the next producer's Gravity to 0G, expecting Rita & Phil to follow.

"Good thing I got some of these back in the Coalition Base, and good thing Ben helped me modify them to be a bit more mobile."

Grandpa Max hands everyone still in the main room metallic spheres. He himself held one in his hand as he splits it, allowing it to assume its shape - a jetpack of sorts?

"Useful in 0G environments like these," he says, wearing it and preparing to chase after Pucci with the others at great speeds. "Now we have the advantage, full speed ahead, everyone. Someone hand these to Jolyne & her pal over there. At least one of you has to stay here to man all four gravity producers while I give the commands '0G' or 'maximum gravity' via commlink, your part will be important in disorienting Father Pucci so that we can get an advantage, and so he doesn't adapt to gravity."

Also, do we have any healers on deck to heal us from any nausea?"

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Save your words. Talk is cheap. War is the only life you should take heed in," the squad leader said to Jordshan.

However, whatever she was planning was for nothing, as he along with the rest of his squad packed in the corridor were ultimately swept away by the spectacle of everyone's combined powers. Whatever the Mandalorians' line of thinking were from wherever Revan had recruited them, it would remain a mystery, but it seemed that now was hardly the time to try to reason with them anyway.

With the room cleared out, if there was any doubt on where to go from there, a powerful rumbling could be felt through the air, as though a powerful presence had made itself known throughout the nearby corridors. Without a doubt, Jiren was nearby, and if he was already this deep into the vaults of Knowhere, then that meant he was just that close to acquiring what the Revanchist needed. There was no time to waste.

"Good job, but you're far from done. Keep moving, and you should be able to catch up with Jiren and whoever he's working with!" Doppo exclaimed over the communications link.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere​

As the Mandalorians arrived to stop the group, Mason was prepared to go all out. He held his hands by his hips. A large mass of energy gathered in his hands, forming into the shape of a minigun.

Unfortunately for him, creating such a large and complex object took quite a bit of time. Before he could fire a single bullet, the enemies before them had been cleared out.

Not wanting to waste the effort he put in, he still dragged it along as the group moved forward.​

As the group continued closer toward their target, they found themselves accosted by another group of armed soldiers, though these seemed far different from the Mandalorians, clad head-to-toe in high-tech weaponry and gadgets.

"Those are... Exodus soldiers!" Makoto exclaimed. "They work for the Revanchist!"

Though it seemed they might pose a threat for a moment, it seemed the Exodus soldiers were actually fleeing from someone. A female cry could be heard as a girl with red hair came crashing down into the group of soldiers.

With great force and adeptness, the woman twirled her spear around her, tossing the soldiers away. For any that still could get up, they were felled by magic lightning bolts conjured by the woman.

"Ah, Eleanor, you're okay!" Sorey said happily.

Eleanor Hume, one of the last surviving Exorcists, smoothed her skirt with her hand and politely bowed to Sorey. "Shepherd Sorey, I am glad to see you unharmed. I had a feeling you'd return to base, considering the situation." She then looked at Kyoko. "Commander, there is a source of immeasurable power lurking not far from here. Would you like me to lead the way?"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere ​

View attachment 3280
"I'd trust you to lead the way, Eleanor. Fellow redhead can't go wrong. You might want to do it spear first though. I think I know what's ahead."
​

As the group pressed forward, picking up the Exorcist Branch member known as Eleanor along the way, eventually reaching the site of the vaults, they caught sight of fellow Coalition member Gwen Stacy, the lone heroine up against Jiren. As one could imagine, she wasn't faring so well by herself; it seemed as though even just one more hit would be able to topple her over. As everyone came into sight, the masked girl turned toward everyone, a mild wave of relief washing over her, though even as she was, she wondered if they'd be enough for Jiren.

"Took you guys long enough! I could really use another pair of hands here!" She exclaimed, leaping into the air and clinging to the walls once again as she attempted to maintain Jiren's attention, not that that was exactly a good idea to begin with for her.

Behind Jiren, in front of the group, it could also be observed that the vault door had already been opened; to that end, that could only have meant that the Marian woman that Jiren allied herself with was already inside.

At this moment, you had two choices to make then. Take on Jiren or head inside the vault.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere​

"JIIIIIREEEEEEN!"

A giant suit, heavy, hulking suit of empty armour that belonged to NRG was tossed at Jiren, however, it missed and was headed for the open doors of the vault, ready to bonk Marian in the head!

When NRG realised what he did, he simply shouted to her, "sorry, my bad! Are you OK? I kind of can't tend to you now, a bit too radioactive! Don't want to give you cancer, which is kind of worse than a concussion."

When Jiren would turn to the source of who threw it, he would see this.

"So, vhere vere ve? Ah yes, zis. Vell Jiren, you know vat zey say, esto es el fin!"

Now unrestrained by his hulking suit, NRG was much stronger and faster. He began to charge an attack.

"As long as I, Ben Tennyson, hold ze position zat you once held, ze seat zat you once put your butt on, it is my duty to aid Toppo in bringing you back... and hopefully not, but if need be, vorse."

NRG, after charging his attack, fires a heavy stream of radioactive energy at Jiren. This stream, as previously explained, was significantly stronger than anything he threw at the Mandalorians.

"Director Kirigiri, friends, spider person, everyone, you all might vant to step away from the radiation, it's goingk to get real intense here! Some of you need to head into ze vault."

Since NRG's suit was in the Vault, those who entered it could wear it for impervious defense!

@Ver @York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere​

View attachment 3282
"Uhh... yeah, Ben, not that I don't want to fight the superpowered final boss level alien, but I think you're on Jiren duty. Plus, I've had enough radiation for one lifetime back in the Games with Maria. So good luck, but I'm going to the vault."
​

"Gyaaaah! What the fuck?! Fucking fuck!" The young woman yelped while deep inside the vault, Ben's armor barely missing her and going over her head. The worst that had happened to her was that she had a good scare, but other than that, she came out unscathed. It seemed that whatever was happening outside, a lot of it was happening. Of course, that only made the situation more pressing.

As Libra, Schala, and whoever else ventured into the vault, they'd find a certain bespectacled young woman with braided silver hair and tanned skin, sporting nothing more than overalls. Digging around like a hyper gofer, the girl searched around before settling her gaze on the others who had followed her inside, flashing a toothy, cocky grin at them as she held up what looked like an axe made out of pure gold over her shoulder.

View attachment 3281

"Oh, are you a part of the welcoming committee? 'Cause you're a bit late for that," the woman known as Marian Slingeneyer said, hopping over through the exhibits of the vault, perched on pedestals and protected by reinforced glass, in hopes of finding what she was looking for.

It didn't seem like she had any immediate drive to fight, but considering the weapon she held, who knew what was going to happen if she was left by herself like this?

@Yun Lee @York

@Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere ​

View attachment 3285
"Listen, ma'am, it has been a long day. It has been a long day and I've barely seen any of the action. I've missed fight after fight, barely landed any shots, and got exploded by a serial killer. The one shot I took didn't even make the guy flinch. Being a bit too late has been my modus operandi today, and I'd consider this being on time. I feel like I've been a minute late to every single event today. So, without further delay, let me introduce the real welcoming committee..."

The minigun in his hands whirred to life, its barrels spinning rapidly.

"... at a much more timely speed of 2,000 rounds per minute."

The minigun released a spray of energy bullets, aiming directly at Marian Slingeneyer.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Ah, so you noticed the pattern I was counting in. An observant eye you have. Shame it will have to be snuffed out if you continue to oppose me like this," Pucci said to Phil, calmly keeping his arms folded behind his back, "Because the only number that can be divided by a prime number, besides itself, is 1, it can be said that such numbers are the loneliest of all. To that effect, such numbers are just like humans, wouldn't you agree? We live our whole lives hoping to truly understand one another, but at the end of the day, the only one we can truly believe in, the only one we can really know, is ourselves. Wouldn't you wish as well for a perfect world where such conflicts no longer existed?"

Of course, before that question could be answered, the group had already made a beeline for him. As Severa said, it seemed as though they intended to skip past the morality of their actions and beliefs and head straight for the offensive.

To that end, Pucci obliged, summoning his grotesque Stand, C-Moon, just as before. As Leivinia rendered him unable to retreat and keep his distance, Pucci found himself forced to directly engage those coming after him, dashing out of the way of Macy's electric shot, before his C-Moon grabbed Severa's weapon safely before it could stab the man himself. The Stand raised its arm, ready to put the girl down, and thrust its free hand forward, but suddenly, Russia, who had accompanied the group silently, pushed Severa out of the way, taking C-Moon's hit instead! What happened was a grotesque display, as the moment C-Moon's fist hit Russia in the chest, the effected area contorted and twisted itself inside, before the man collapsed, instantly dying, as C-Moon had caused his very heart to turn inside out.

With a menacing glare, he kept his gaze directed at the group, attempting to move out of the range of Leivinia's blasts. "It is useless. In just a matter of moments, C-Moon will evolve into the ultimate Stand as DIO has promised it would! When I attain that state of ascension, you will not even be able to regret your death!"

Meanwhile, as Max searched around the station for any machines of note, he would be able to spot mechanisms on each side of the chamber, labeled as producers of artificial gravity for the station core. What to do with them?

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Lucky @Kaykay @Mission​

"!!!!"

Severa could only watch in horror as Russia took the fate that would have been hers. Hand instinctively flying to her own chest, she regarded Pucci and C-Moon with both horror and disgust. "You...you FREAK!!!! Is that what you did to those girls?! Oh, GODS!"

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Lucky @Kaykay @Mission​

"Worry about something like that afterwards! Don't let him evolve!"

Leivinia shouted at Severa as she kept up her assault. The loss of one of their ranks was unfortunate, but there was nothing they could do about it now. She wanted to avoid a war of philosophy occuring again, so they had to move quick. If this fight went anything like the last, Leivinia realized she had little chance of landing a significant attack on Pucci by herself. At least, without him reaching her and turning her inside out.

Without being able to work with the knowledge base she used to deal with magic, there wasn't much for her to work with other than the brute force and versatility of her magic. And quite frankly, working with the mechanics of science would probably be better left to that old man.

Her role here, then, would be to simply distract or even cut down the man before them.

The symbolic weapon in her hands changed forms. This time, it took the form of a sword. As Pucci moved to avoid one of her explosions, she brought it down. A sword of wind appeared, slicing everything in its path as the air itself became her weapon. Cornering him between a column of sharp air and fierce explosions of Telesma, Leivinia sought to either end him there or buy time for another attack!

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Lucky @Kaykay @Mission​

Macy quickly rushed to Russia's side. She placed her glowing hand upon the man's chest. However, just as with the Misakas before, she could do nothing as death had already claimed him. Tears threatened to return to her eyes. She rose quicker than she did before.

View attachment 3288
"I said no more deaths. D-dang it... Pucci... You... Augh!"

Macy let out a cry of exasparation. She pointed her Thunder Rod towards Pucci, but found Leivinia already rushing towards him. She tried to run to Leivinia's side, but kept nearly tripping due to her shoes. Although they held one inch heels quite stylish for fashion, even a robot's agility found it difficult to maintain proper running form in them. Yet, to her surprise, she found herself not falling to the ground as she tripped. Rather, her momentum carried her forwards as she floated through the air.
​

"What a farce. The clashing values and desires of humans has always proven to be their downfall! Even here and now, I seek to change the multiverse for its betterment, while you seek, vainly, to keep it as it is, hoping day after day that the next moment will be better than the last, too afraid to grasp the power waiting to shape the world as one sees fit!" Pucci passionately exclaimed in response to Phil, almost seeming to effortlessly balance between the ideological and physical struggles he was juggling (unfortunately for Leivinia's sensibilities).

Meanwhile, as the first machine was set to zero gravity from there, courtesy of Max, everyone in the station core would suddenly begin to feel just a bit lighter. It was easy to describe on paper what would happen with lighter gravity, but to actually feel it be taken away was something entirely. To feel the force that bound someone to the ground they stood upon lighten, the security of knowing that they'd always land back on the ground for every jump they might have made, and so on... It was a bit jarring to say the least. At least, for Touma, who found himself only able to stay back and watch in awe at the spectacle before him, along with 10032, Ollerus, and Fiamma of the Right.

From there, Pucci gritted his teeth and clicked his tongue, struggling to maintain his footing within the new environment. Still, this new development was something that could prove to be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on how he and his enemies decided to adjust to the gradual disappearance of gravity in the chamber.

To that end, the priest continued to do his best to evade Leivinia's attacks, only for Jolyne's string whip to snap into the man with enough force to send him flying into a platform one level up due in part to the decreased gravity. Pucci was barely able to recover in time to grab on to the metal railing on said balcony, easing himself onto the new level. Intending to adapt to the difference in gravity to his advantage, even if it might have hindered C-Moon's abilities, Pucci began to run up the stairs of the platforms, as though seeming to attempt a hasty retreat suddenly!

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

"I'm going to feel as sick as all of you by the end of this, so please bear with it! Rita! Follow my lead! Phil, man a third one and do the same! All fighters on deck get ready!"

Grandpa Max sets the next producer's Gravity to 0G, expecting Rita & Phil to follow.

"Good thing I got some of these back in the Coalition Base, and good thing Ben helped me modify them to be a bit more mobile."

Grandpa Max hands everyone still in the main room metallic spheres. He himself held one in his hand as he splits it, allowing it to assume its shape - a jetpack of sorts?

"Useful in 0G environments like these," he says, wearing it and preparing to chase after Pucci with the others at great speeds. "Now we have the advantage, full speed ahead, everyone. Someone hand these to Jolyne & her pal over there. At least one of you has to stay here to man all four gravity producers while I give the commands '0G' or 'maximum gravity' via commlink, your part will be important in disorienting Father Pucci so that we can get an advantage, and so he doesn't adapt to gravity."

Also, do we have any healers on deck to heal us from any nausea?"

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

"Son of a bitch is trying to run!" Ermes shouted as her and Jolyne went after in hot pursuit after Pucci up the stairs using the lowered gravity to their advantage.

"If we get him now there's on less bastard to worry about!"
@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission

Picking up one of the jetpacks as she floats by, she puts away her Thunder Rod in her purse. She nodded towards Max, affirming her understanding of the plan.

View attachment 3289
"Need healing? Can do! As for somebody staying back here... I nominate Phil!"

Macy flew, quite literally with the jetpack, up the stairs along with Jolyne and Ermes. Both of Macy's hands were glowing now, providing a stream of healing energy towards those around her.

@Ver @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Crow @Kaykay @Mission​

 

[Sark]

"Oh? Look at that, an insect who wants to talk to me like an equal," the squad leader spoke haughtily to Jordshan, "You don't get it, do you? Typical. People like you always think so linearly, thinking that circumstances are the same across the multiverse. What a farce the sum of your misgivings must be, especially if you dare oppose Revan," he went on, aggressively firing his blaster at her.

"To not even consider that perhaps such strength would be what Mandalorians like us precisely respect about him, or to not even consider the differences between each world... Feh! You're nothing but a hapless fool, not even worth carrying this on with!" He taunted as the fight between the two parties raged on, their numbers steadily but still slowly going down as the group raged forward.

From over the communications as the battle raged on and the group broke through, Doppo's voice could be heard.

"You're getting closer to their positions! You'll need to hurry; one of our operatives is up against Jiren, and from the looks of her vital signs, she won't be able to last for much longer by herself! Come on! Just one more push forward!" He cried out.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere

---

Pow!

Unable to get around Jiren's pure speed, even without Spider-Sense equipped, Gwen was helpless to protect herself from the powerful barrage of punches headed her way. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had certainly bitten off more than she could chew with the former hero of justice, the mere force of his knee to her gut able to send her crashing into the wall and creating a decently sized hole through it.

Half-watching the spectacle while the other half of her attention remained on trying to open the seemingly impenetrable vault, after a finalized click sound, an impish grin appeared on Marian's features as the barrier finally began opening up, the massive structure groaning mechanically. As it opened, Marian furrowed her brow, crossing her arms to herself. "Man... I wonder if I coulda just asked Jiren to punch through it or something... Damn. Oh, well. What's done is done!"

With that, she hopped inside the area behind the vault, and began looking for what she needed from there.

Meanwhile, Gwen, already wounded to a slightly crippling degree, forced herself to get back up, her movements slowed already as she tightly grabbed her arm in pain.

View attachment 3277

"I... I can't! I'll keep you here as long as I can! If I turned my head while the multiverse as I know it is about to die away, then what kind of person would I be?!" Gwen replied to the prospect of surrender, shaking her head as she rejected the notion, before going for a last ditch effort of an assault against Jiren, firing more webbing balls at him, running around and attempting to circle around him!

@Cromartous

Jiren rolled his body from side to side at an astounding speed, letting the orbs of web fluid slip past his afterimage and onto the walls around him. From within his Sonic-Sway, Jiren slowly folded his arms, let his Ki do the work for him while his mind slipped back onto autopilot.

"You disappoint me" He muttered from within his meditative state "I was hoping for so much more...pathetic"

In heartbeat he returned to his assault, crouching below Gwen's strikes and rewarding her efforts with a mighty spin kick followed be a charged elbow to her presumably airborne body

"Perhaps I expected too much from the coalition's finest..."

As the group pressed forward, picking up the Exorcist Branch member known as Eleanor along the way, eventually reaching the site of the vaults, they caught sight of fellow Coalition member Gwen Stacy, the lone heroine up against Jiren. As one could imagine, she wasn't faring so well by herself; it seemed as though even just one more hit would be able to topple her over. As everyone came into sight, the masked girl turned toward everyone, a mild wave of relief washing over her, though even as she was, she wondered if they'd be enough for Jiren.

"Took you guys long enough! I could really use another pair of hands here!" She exclaimed, leaping into the air and clinging to the walls once again as she attempted to maintain Jiren's attention, not that that was exactly a good idea to begin with for her.

Behind Jiren, in front of the group, it could also be observed that the vault door had already been opened; to that end, that could only have meant that the Marian woman that Jiren allied herself with was already inside.

At this moment, you had two choices to make then. Take on Jiren or head inside the vault.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere

"Go on. Bring your allies. Let there be an audience for your demise..."

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous
@Knowhere

Schala nodded, though... A wry smile crossed her face as she spoke, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I hope you won't blame me for trying to save him..." She said quietly.

Seeing the destructive powers being flung at the invading forces, Schala hesitated, before she concentrated... Building up arcane energy within her. She aimed for a quick, but devastating attack, designed to disable the invading forces, allowing her to move forwards to find Jiren as soon as possible.

"May you find peace..." She muttered under her breath, followed by a string of ancient, arcane words.

With that, she unleashed a devastating coupel of attacka, blasting as much of the invading force as she could muster with a deadly combination of ice, then fire magic... Forming the 'Antipode Bomb' technique she had developed during her time at the coalition. The combined elements created an explosion of dark magic, in an effort to not only cripple enemy numbers, but to scatter them to the best of her ability.

"I won't blame you, child, but I pray that I won't need to bury you either" Toppo tightened his jaw "No matter what happens, no matter what Jiren tries to convince you of or how certain you are of his passivity, do not let your guard down. Not even for a moment" To think Toppo had once been in awe of his friend's power... but now, the closer he got to it, the more he grew to dream it... to resent it...

"Before he would head into the vault, Libra called out to Gwen. "Miss, do you require healing? I can help you, if you would like!" Once he did, though, he would take on that vault. They needed to stop whoever was in there before they got that spear!

@Ver @York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi@Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva@Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere

"You disrespect your new Gods with your cowardice!" Jiren cried, unleashing a flurry of energy spear from his fingers to hazard the path to the door. With two fingers raised, he detonated his own blasphemous Justice Flash, desperate to slow down their entry into the vault. Even with all the might he possessed, he was still limited by the confines of time; the more fighters he had to deal with, the less time Marian would have to conclude her business in the vault. It was time to stop holding back.

"JIIIIIREEEEEEN!"

A giant suit, heavy, hulking suit of empty armour that belonged to NRG was tossed at Jiren, however, it missed and was headed for the open doors of the vault, ready to bonk Marian in the head!

When NRG realised what he did, he simply shouted to her, "sorry, my bad! Are you OK? I kind of can't tend to you now, a bit too radioactive! Don't want to give you cancer, which is kind of worse than a concussion."

When Jiren would turn to the source of who threw it, he would see this.

"So, vhere vere ve? Ah yes, zis. Vell Jiren, you know vat zey say, esto es el fin!"

Now unrestrained by his hulking suit, NRG was much stronger and faster. He began to charge an attack.

"As long as I, Ben Tennyson, hold ze position zat you once held, ze seat zat you once put your butt on, it is my duty to aid Toppo in bringing you back... and hopefully not, but if need be, vorse."

NRG, after charging his attack, fires a heavy stream of radioactive energy at Jiren. This stream, as previously explained, was significantly stronger than anything he threw at the Mandalorians.

"Director Kirigiri, friends, spider person, everyone, you all might vant to step away from the radiation, it's goingk to get real intense here! Some of you need to head into ze vault."

Since NRG's suit was in the Vault, those who entered it could wear it for impervious defense!

@Ver @York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere

From a stance of relaxed stoicism, Jiren fingers sliced through the radiation burst, the stream of flame parting before him. The burning streams of shrapnel burned deep into his skin, bringing an almost unknown stiffness to his jaw. That boy... that insolent boy from the mess hall had dared to strike against him. Another wave of anger washing over him. The boy needed to be punished. He deserved to be punished. Yet his supposed dependence on Marian's survival was holding him back from the fight he wanted, the fight he deserved. Fate spoke out against his desires yet again. He would have to end things quickly/


The sensation, it had taught him one thing; Playtime had long since ended. With the caliber of power Ben was utilizing, he had no choice but to cut loose. In the blink of an eye, Jiren found Ki erupting from every fiber of his being, engulfing his perimeter in a sea of flame not seen since the Plagues of Egypt. As small specks of energy leaped from his torso to add to his aura, Jiren forced his body into a state of recovery for his recent scratches. And in his full power state, the damage had been reduced to the significance of a simple scratch.

"I am not strange to fire, Ben" Jiren growled "And this heat... will be your downfall"

In a flash of crimson and grey, Jiren charged towards Ben, becoming a blazing meteor of Ki as he raged towards his fellow alien. He vanished in a flash meter moments before making contact, snapping out of sight in a flicker of ash before reappearing behind his foe and wrapping his arms tightly around him. He would have wanted to squeeze the life out of him from there, but his punishment would come soon enough, riding hand in hand with the Horsemen of the New World. Instead, he deadlocked his arms in a meditative stance and launched him and his opponent back onto terra firma in flash of light. The fall and the force would have been enough to crush lesser men... but neither he nor Ben were lesser men.

"I showed your Grandfather decency last time we fought, boy. I let him live. I would be so kind to the two of you next time. Your intrusion will cost you both of your lives"

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous
@Knowhere

Schala was happy to see more company awaiting them, aside from the countless enemies they were practically bulldozing through.

However, she couldn't stick around very long for the reunion, seeing the kind of threat that awaited them... Though, she paused for a moment outside the vault, looking over the others.

"This might be a diversion. I'll help hold Jiren off... The rest of you, get inside that vault!" She shouted.

At first, her hands fumbled for the blades she still had with her, before she thought better, raising her hands as she contemplated the approach, waiting for Jiren to make the first move, like before.

"Jiren... Who's side are you really on?" She asked, her voice eerily calm as she stood beside Ben to face him.

It didn't seem like she was bothered by the potential risk radiation poisoning just by staying near his present form. In fact, it looked like she wasn't bothered by anything at the moment, perhaps too focused on what was likely going to be an incoming battle...

"Who's side am I on?"

Jiren charged forward in a flicker, seeking to black a white boot between Schala's ribs. The girl was not like the others. She wasn't a fool. She hadn't been indoctrinated into the Coalition's fold. Perhaps she too could see the light, given time. Perhaps, when his paradise came, she could find it in herself to embrace the Gray... To that end, he would lower his power mere milliseconds before the strike, lessening his blow to a strength in which she would be thrown back with relatively little harm.... in comparison to the damage a fully powered strike could do.

"I am on the side of Life. I stand with the cure to heal mankind from its self inflicted wounds: strength. Strength of body. Strength of character. Strength of soul. Strength. Forgives. All. It shall allow the world to be reborn, to create world where all are equal. Where none oppress. Where there is not hate or false 'love' for evil to birth from. Where all can be liberated under the watchful eye of true benevolent gods! I stand with that world!"



​

 

[Crow]

Jiren rolled his body from side to side at an astounding speed, letting the orbs of web fluid slip past his afterimage and onto the walls around him. From within his Sonic-Sway, Jiren slowly folded his arms, let his Ki do the work for him while his mind slipped back onto autopilot.

"You disappoint me" He muttered from within his meditative state "I was hoping for so much more...pathetic"

In heartbeat he returned to his assault, crouching below Gwen's strikes and rewarding her efforts with a mighty spin kick followed be a charged elbow to her presumably airborne body

"Perhaps I expected too much from the coalition's finest..."


"Go on. Bring your allies. Let there be an audience for your demise..."

"I won't blame you, child, but I pray that I won't need to bury you either" Toppo tightened his jaw "No matter what happens, no matter what Jiren tries to convince you of or how certain you are of his passivity, do not let your guard down. Not even for a moment" To think Toppo had once been in awe of his friend's power... but now, the closer he got to it, the more he grew to dream it... to resent it...

"You disrespect your new Gods with your cowardice!" Jiren cried, unleashing a flurry of energy spear from his fingers to hazard the path to the door. With two fingers raised, he detonated his own blasphemous Justice Flash, desperate to slow down their entry into the vault. Even with all the might he possessed, he was still limited by the confines of time; the more fighters he had to deal with, the less time Marian would have to conclude her business in the vault. It was time to stop holding back.


From a stance of relaxed stoicism, Jiren fingers sliced through the radiation burst, the stream of flame parting before him. The burning streams of shrapnel burned deep into his skin, bringing an almost unknown stiffness to his jaw. That boy... that insolent boy from the mess hall had dared to strike against him. Another wave of anger washing over him. The boy needed to be punished. He deserved to be punished. Yet his supposed dependence on Marian's survival was holding him back from the fight he wanted, the fight he deserved. Fate spoke out against his desires yet again. He would have to end things quickly/


The sensation, it had taught him one thing; Playtime had long since ended. With the caliber of power Ben was utilizing, he had no choice but to cut loose. In the blink of an eye, Jiren found Ki erupting from every fiber of his being, engulfing his perimeter in a sea of flame not seen since the Plagues of Egypt. As small specks of energy leaped from his torso to add to his aura, Jiren forced his body into a state of recovery for his recent scratches. And in his full power state, the damage had been reduced to the significance of a simple scratch.

"I am not strange to fire, Ben" Jiren growled "And this heat... will be your downfall"

In a flash of crimson and grey, Jiren charged towards Ben, becoming a blazing meteor of Ki as he raged towards his fellow alien. He vanished in a flash meter moments before making contact, snapping out of sight in a flicker of ash before reappearing behind his foe and wrapping his arms tightly around him. He would have wanted to squeeze the life out of him from there, but his punishment would come soon enough, riding hand in hand with the Horsemen of the New World. Instead, he deadlocked his arms in a meditative stance and launched him and his opponent back onto terra firma in flash of light. The fall and the force would have been enough to crush lesser men... but neither he nor Ben were lesser men.

"I showed your Grandfather decency last time we fought, boy. I let him live. I would be so kind to the two of you next time. Your intrusion will cost you both of your lives"

"Who's side am I on?"

Jiren charged forward in a flicker, seeking to black a white boot between Schala's ribs. The girl was not like the others. She wasn't a fool. She hadn't been indoctrinated into the Coalition's fold. Perhaps she too could see the light, given time. Perhaps, when his paradise came, she could find it in herself to embrace the Gray... To that end, he would lower his power mere milliseconds before the strike, lessening his blow to a strength in which she would be thrown back with relatively little harm.... in comparison to the damage a fully powered strike could do.

"I am on the side of Life. I stand with rest, with peace, with freedom. I stand with the best of the mortal spirit... all that will save humanity from its destructive, sick self... You see what I see... Yet you will stand alongside the viruses that started the outbreak... Why?"

​

NRG flew with haste to protect Libra and Mason before Jiren's Justice Flash could hit them, quite literally consuming the attacks.

"Itadakimasu? Bon appetit? Vait, no, zat's before I eat it."

NRG shook his head, "I vill not allow you to hurt my allies. Libra and Mason have been through quite a bit with me, I'll have you know. Don't think I vill have too much of a heart to let zat slide, Jiren. And most importantly."

When Jiren deadlocked him and tossed him about, he simply exclaimed, "you can touch NRG, like zat? Your power... it is zat extreme... AAAAAHH..."

Before a full, complete fall could be achieved, NRG superheated his entire body, releasing an explosive force boosted by the absorbed Justice Flash earlier to bolster the fall and (attempt to) blow Jiren off, but it seemed that either way, Jiren's foot was now aimed for Schala!

As NRG hovered above, feeling weakened, he tried to run for Schala, but before he could, Jiren had kicked her away, and the Omnitrix emblem on his belt area began to beep. In a flash of green light, he was Ben Tennyson, the human once more.

"Schala no!"

With that, he raised his hands, creating arrows made of pure pink mana. These arrows turned from energy to matter - pressurised mystical water to be precise - as they were launched at Jiren, aimed for his face!

"How do you like that trick? Learned it from a little lady earlier today. You can go ahead and try to beat me up, but no one hurts my grandpa, and most importantly - no one hurts the ideals he's taught me. I will show you that you are the one who's being infected by the disease known as Othinus and her lackies, one way or another!

It's hero time!"

Ben smacks his watch down as he begins his transformation. His posture became shorter and his spine extended into a tail, as if devolving into a monkey. His muscles were now more dense, and his hair grew, altered into something else...

The face that he bore... even the voice he spoke with... it was deja vu for Jiren...

"P'cool, huh? Well, I'm not that a big fan of exposition, so let's skip to the part where I go full-force."

The form, 'P'cool' as oddly named, began to glow with a golden aura as his hair too, became a shining gold, sparking with sheer energy.

"This is called 'Super Saiyan 2'. It's no 3, but fine by me."

P'cool assumes a combat stance which seemed more reliant on palms than fists. He begins to charge forward with a palm strike that would unleash a powerful shockwave! To counterattack Jiren, he would repeatedly exchange such blows, with equally powerful palm strikes as his first!

"You say you're on the side of Life, so why do you believe it's better to destroy all life to start afresh than to nurture the life that still exists? We all make mistakes, Jiren. Mistakes may accumulate into destructiveness, but they're there to help us learn from them - right from wrong. Every mortal in the cosmos is about learning and being nurtured, be it by role models and stuff. A world where people are born perfect, born the same 'idealized' way and expected to act the way they were since they are born - that's just... wrong... Humanity relies on diversity, Jiren! Humanity relies on growth! This growth, this diversity, it's what differentiates the Ben Tennyson seven years ago that just got his first Omnitrix, and the Ben Tennyson of today, and I won't let you take it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

 

[Sark]

NRG flew with haste to protect Libra and Mason before Jiren's Justice Flash could hit them, quite literally consuming the attacks.

"Itadakimasu? Bon appetit? Vait, no, zat's before I eat it."

NRG shook his head, "I vill not allow you to hurt my allies. Libra and Mason have been through quite a bit with me, I'll have you know. Don't think I vill have too much of a heart to let zat slide, Jiren. And most importantly."

When Jiren deadlocked him and tossed him about, he simply exclaimed, "you can touch NRG, like zat? Your power... it is zat extreme... AAAAAHH..."

Before a full, complete fall could be achieved, NRG superheated his entire body, releasing an explosive force boosted by the absorbed Justice Flash earlier to bolster the fall and (attempt to) blow Jiren off, but it seemed that either way, Jiren's foot was now aimed for Schala!
​

"Thank you for returning my Ki"

Jiren muttered, letting the Justice Flash flow back into him and his growing aura. The fractions of NRG's stolen energy had shielded him from much for the rest. As the remaining force of the blast forced Jiren away from his prey by mere meters, Jiren allowed himself to flash back into the fray in another flicker of light, striking NRG with a kick to the torso strong enough to propel him towards Schala and continue his assault on her.

"You think you can defeat me with an attack like that? Fight harder! Show me your true strength!"
​

"Schala no!"

With that, he raised his hands, creating arrows made of pure pink mana. These arrows turned from energy to matter - pressurised mystical water to be precise - as they were launched at Jiren, aimed for his face!

"How do you like that trick? Learned it from a little lady earlier today. You can go ahead and try to beat me up, but no one hurts my grandpa, and most importantly - no one hurts the ideals he's taught me. I will show you that you are the one who's being infected by the disease known as Othinus and her lackies, one way or another!​

"This trust you share... This false misguided justice... It will be your downfall just as much as my heat... Just you wait..."

Jiren sensed Ben's energies rise and hall from one moment to the next, regressing from his radioactive form back into his mortal body. No, he was no mortal... he was mystical? He sensed the energies of a Kai flicker mere moments before his barrage... interesting...

With a kiai shout, Jiren unleashed a wall of pure, wind-like ki from his throat, holding the Mana blades in their place. The attack was strong, yet crude and untrained. It appeared as if he lacked the might of a Kai after all...

"Go on! Talk till you're blue! Your words will not sway me! Not this time, Evildoer!"​

It's hero time!"

Ben smacks his watch down as he begins his transformation. His posture became shorter and his spine extended into a tail, as if devolving into a monkey. His muscles were now more dense, and his hair grew, altered into something else...

The face that he bore... even the voice he spoke with... it was deja vu for Jiren...

"P'cool, huh? Well, I'm not that a big fan of exposition, so let's skip to the part where I go full-force."

The form, 'P'cool' as oddly named, began to glow with a golden aura as his hair too, became a shining gold, sparking with sheer energy.

"This is called 'Super Saiyan 2'. It's no 3, but fine by me."

P'cool assumes a combat stance which seemed more reliant on palms than fists. He begins to charge forward with a palm strike that would unleash a powerful shockwave! To counterattack Jiren, he would repeatedly exchange such blows, with equally powerful palm strikes as his first!
​

"You... Bastard" Jiren growled his power spiking again. "You wear his face... YOU DARE WEAR THE FACE OF SON GOKU?" Jiren broke into a wild change, spit spraying from his gaping mouth, accompanied by wave after wave of Kiai.

He felt his anger boil over, passing the point of clarity. How dare Ben claim to the visage of Goku. How dare he take the face of one of the few men he still held in high esteem. A warrior born among mortals who had surpassed the limits even the gods believed to be possible; such a feat was more than enough to earn his respect, despite their... disagreements. Perhaps a year or two ago, the image of Son Goku might have been enough to calm him down and focus his spirits again, bringing him back to a point of balance... but not now.

Son had broken him at the Tournament. He had defeated him. He had crushed him and trampled on all he valued. Even his strength, the anchor of his spirit and the seed of his pride and dignity was turned into a source of shame under to boot of the Super Saiyan God. He had started this mess. He had been responsible for the disbanding of the Pride Warriors. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had driven him in from his homeworld as disgrace the values he once held, pushing him away from all he held dear. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had robbed him of the Super Dragon Balls and snatched away his one and only chance to bring back those he had once called family and bring about the world he dreamed of. With them, he could have avoided turning away from the Coalition. With them, he would not have been forced to turn away from Toppo. All of this- every evil he made real, every drop of blood he spilled- was on Goku's hands. Not Toppo's. Not his own.

And one day, he would make him suffer for it. He would punish him for the evils his Pride had created... but for now... he would just have to settle for his phantom.

In a flurry of consecutive strikes, Jiren formed a wall of shockwaves of his own, testing the full capacity of his own speed against P'Cool's.

Spoiler: GIF

"I have fought the true owner of that face, you thieving bastard! And when I did... We clashed at a far greater level than his! You claim his image... But you are not nearly strong enough to tap into the powers of the Super Saiyan God! Push yourself! I want to feel everything you've got!"​

"You say you're on the side of Life, so why do you believe it's better to destroy all life to start afresh than to nurture the life that still exists? We all make mistakes, Jiren. Mistakes may accumulate into destructiveness, but they're there to help us learn from them - right from wrong. Every mortal in the cosmos is about learning and being nurtured, be it by role models and stuff. A world where people are born perfect, born the same 'idealized' way and expected to act the way they were since they are born - that's just... wrong... Humanity relies on diversity, Jiren! Humanity relies on growth! This growth, this diversity, it's what differentiates the Ben Tennyson seven years ago that just got his first Omnitrix, and the Ben Tennyson of today, and I won't let you take it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"DO NOT PRESUME THAT I DO NOT KNOW PAIN" Jiren bellowed, his shockwaves increasing in strength and frequency "I HAVE SEEN IT. I HAVE FELT IT! MY MISTAKE-- MY WEAKNESS HAS COST ME MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!" Jiren's Ki seemed to strike against his limit with every word, pounding against the barriers of his strength like the skin of a drum. A shockwave even greater than those before came erupting forward in a flurry of red

"Maybe this world could come around one day..." Jiren spat "But it has long since lost the privilege of time. After all, it has stolen from itself... it no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt... It. Is. WEAK" A stream of Ki came tumbling it the tsunami of shockwaves, dancing forward in a tunnel of fire "It is blinded by passion! Deluded by false-love! Your 'growth' has become a cancer"

The speed of the shockwaves doubled and redoubled again, pockets of air scorching forwards at speeds the eye could no longer measure.

"And this rebirth IT IS THE CURE! All will be pure!!! All will be free!!!"

Spoiler: Image

"And there will be no more mistakes..."
​

 

[Crow]

"Thank you for returning my Ki"

Jiren muttered, letting the Justice Flash flow back into him and his growing aura. The fractions of NRG's stolen energy had shielded him from much for the rest. As the remaining force of the blast forced Jiren away from his prey by mere meters, Jiren allowed himself to flash back into the fray in another flicker of light, striking NRG with a kick to the torso strong enough to propel him towards Schala and continue his assault on her.

"You think you can defeat me with an attack like that? Fight harder! Show me your true strength!"
​

"This trust you share... This false misguided justice... It will be your downfall just as much as my heat... Just you wait..."

Jiren sensed Ben's energies rise and hall from one moment to the next, regressing from his radioactive form back into his mortal body. No, he was no mortal... he was mystical? He sensed the energies of a Kai flicker mere moments before his barrage... interesting...

With a kiai shout, Jiren unleashed a wall of pure, wind-like ki from his throat, holding the Mana blades in their place. The attack was strong, yet crude and untrained. It appeared as if he lacked the might of a Kai after all...

"Go on! Talk till you're blue! Your words will not sway me! Not this time, Evildoer!"​

"You... Bastard" Jiren growled his power spiking again. "You wear his face... YOU DARE WEAR THE FACE OF SON GOKU?" Jiren broke into a wild change, spit spraying from his gaping mouth, accompanied by wave after wave of Kiai.

He felt his anger boil over, passing the point of clarity. How dare Ben claim to the visage of Goku. How dare he take the face of one of the few men he still held in high esteem. A warrior born among mortals who had surpassed the limits even the gods believed to be possible; such a feat was more than enough to earn his respect, despite their... disagreements. Perhaps a year or two ago, the image of Son Goku might have been enough to calm him down and focus his spirits again, bringing him back to a point of balance... but not now.

Son had broken him at the Tournament. He had defeated him. He had crushed him and trampled on all he valued. Even his strength, the anchor of his spirit and the seed of his pride and dignity was turned into a source of shame under to boot of the Super Saiyan God. He had started this mess. He had been responsible for the disbanding of the Pride Warriors. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had driven him in from his homeworld as disgrace the values he once held, pushing him away from all he held dear. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had robbed him of the Super Dragon Balls and snatched away his one and only chance to bring back those he had once called family and bring about the world he dreamed of. With them, he could have avoided turning away from the Coalition. With them, he would not have been forced to turn away from Toppo. All of this- every evil he made real, every drop of blood he spilled- was on Goku's hands. Not Toppo's. Not his own.

And one day, he would make him suffer for it. He would punish him for the evils his Pride had created... but for now... he would just have to settle for his phantom.

In a flurry of consecutive strikes, Jiren formed a wall of shockwaves of his own, testing the full capacity of his own speed against P'Cool's.

Spoiler: GIF

"I have fought the true owner of that face, you thieving bastard! And when I did... We clashed at a far greater level than his! You claim his image... But you are not nearly strong enough to tap into the powers of the Super Saiyan God! Push yourself! I want to feel everything you've got!"​

"DO NOT PRESUME THAT I DO NOT KNOW PAIN" Jiren bellowed, his shockwaves increasing in strength and frequency "I HAVE SEEN IT. I HAVE FELT IT! MY MISTAKE-- MY WEAKNESS HAS COST ME MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!" Jiren's Ki seemed to strike against his limit with every word, pounding against the barriers of his strength like the skin of a drum. A shockwave even greater than those before came erupting forward in a flurry of red

"Maybe this world could come around one day..." Jiren spat "But it has long since lost the privilege of time. After all, it has stolen from itself... it no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt... It. Is. WEAK" A stream of Ki came tumbling it the tsunami of shockwaves, dancing forward in a tunnel of fire "It is blinded by passion! Deluded by false-love! Your 'growth' has become a cancer"

The speed of the shockwaves doubled and redoubled again, pockets of air scorching forwards at speeds the eye could no longer measure.

"And this rebirth IT IS THE CURE! All will be pure!!! All will be free!!!"

Spoiler: Image

"And there will be no more mistakes..."
​

"AAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

P'cool was knocked back by Jiren's superior shockwaves, creating a large crater on the wall.

"I really did not see this coming, to see him this mad," he turns to Schala for a bit.

"Ah, crud, the highest I can go is Super Saiyan 2. I can't just pull a 3 out of my butt for now..."

He ponders for a bit, uttering to himself, his eye shifting to his tail for a bit, "... but what if I were to stack it with my current peak power? It's risky, but I have to try..."

Memories of not too long ago flash through his head...

---

​

"Ben, not even Rath is this uncontrollable..."

"... It's like, you're not in control... like a wild animal..."
​

"Ben, you need to understand the risks of this form, especially with its power. All I can advise you to do it to use it wisely."

---

He then stands back up, ready to fight Jiren once more as he held his arm up with a palm.

"I may be no Son Goku, I may or may not be capable of even coming close to his heights, but I'm still a member of the Saiyan Race. Saiyans like me stick to our pride, be it Saiyan pride, our own individual pride... or the pride that others have placed upon us!"

He raises his hand into the air as his eyes glowed a bright pink for a short while. Jiren would note this mystical power - magic, mana - once more.

"Caelum noctis mentior!"

While the ceiling was still solid, it looked... different. It seemed to change colour to resemble the night sky. Slowly but surely, specks that could be intepreted as stars could be seen. They were actually accurate, in terms of constellations. The night sky was being replicated on the ceiling, bit by bit!

"I will soon show you the greatest power I can achieve in this transformation, but first," P'cool says, sporting a serious expression as he arm thrusts the air, sending repeated ki blasts at Jiren!

"Tell me, Jiren, tell me more about your ideal world, your New World Order! Tell me about the fates, the lives of everyone who lives in it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

 

[Sark]

"AAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

P'cool was knocked back by Jiren's superior shockwaves, creating a large crater on the wall.

"I really did not see this coming, to see him this mad," he turns to Schala for a bit.

"Ah, crud, the highest I can go is Super Saiyan 2. I can't just pull a 3 out of my butt for now..."

He ponders for a bit, uttering to himself, his eye shifting to his tail for a bit, "... but what if I were to stack it with my current peak power? It's risky, but I have to try..."

Memories of not too long ago flash through his head...

---

​

"Ben, not even Rath is this uncontrollable..."

"... It's like, you're not in control... like a wild animal..."
​

"Ben, you need to understand the risks of this form, especially with its power. All I can advise you to do it to use it wisely."

---

He then stands back up, ready to fight Jiren once more as he held his arm up with a palm.

"I may be no Son Goku, I may or may not be capable of even coming close to his heights, but I'm still a member of the Saiyan Race. Saiyans like me stick to our pride, be it Saiyan pride, our own individual pride... or the pride that others have placed upon us!"

He raises his hand into the air as his eyes glowed a bright pink for a short while. Jiren would note this mystical power - magic, mana - once more.

"Caelum noctis mentior!"

While the ceiling was still solid, it looked... different. It seemed to change colour to resemble the night sky. Slowly but surely, specks that could be intepreted as stars could be seen. They were actually accurate, in terms of constellations. The night sky was being replicated on the ceiling, bit by bit!

"I will soon show you the greatest power I can achieve in this transformation, but first," P'cool says, sporting a serious expression as he arm thrusts the air, sending repeated ki blasts at Jiren!

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"Fine" Jiren muttered. "I'm curious to see this great power." Jiren folded his arms, letting the balls of ki crack and fizzle harmlessly against his border. He let his Ki remain in its defensive state, watching and waiting for whatever show Ben sought to put on. Maybe he could find some enjoyment in the fight after all... "Show it to me then. I don't have all day"​

"Tell me, Jiren, tell me more about your ideal world, your New World Order! Tell me about the fates, the lives of everyone who lives in it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"Think of it this way..." Jiren felt a smile crawl across his lips. It was a sinister smile. A chilling smile. The kind fueled not by joy, but the kind of brutal pleasure that could churn milk "That rage you feel when you transform into a Super Saiyan. The same rage he felt when he transformed..." His mind fell back to Goku, and the blind fury of his Super Saiyan charge "You can feel it eating away at you. Pushing you to fight harder. To kill. Destroy. My world will be one that is free of such ignorant, unearned power. It will be one built upon clarity and peace. A world without conflict. A paradise. No war. No hate. A world like history has never known. Life for all. No evils. No need for the good to rise against it. The perfect balance. The World of Gray... Join me. Set yourself free. Turn away from your destructive path"




​

 

[Crow]

"Fine" Jiren muttered. "I'm curious to see this great power." Jiren folded his arms, letting the balls of ki crack and fizzle harmlessly against his border. He let his Ki remain in its defensive state, watching and waiting for whatever show Ben sought to put on. Maybe he could find some enjoyment in the fight after all... "Show it to me then. I don't have all day"​

"Think of it this way..." Jiren felt a smile crawl across his lips. It was a sinister smile. A chilling smile. The kind fueled not by joy, but the kind of brutal pleasure that could churn milk "That rage you feel when you transform into a Super Saiyan. The same rage he felt when he transformed..." His mind fell back to Goku, and the blind fury of his Super Saiyan charge "You can feel it eating away at you. Pushing you to fight harder. To kill. Destroy. My world will be one that is free of such ignorant, unearned power. It will be one built upon clarity and peace. A world without conflict. A paradise. No war. No hate. A world like history has never known. Life for all. No evils. No need for the good to rise against it. The perfect balance. The World of Gray... Join me. Set yourself free. Turn away from your destructive path"




​

A white aura glowed over a yellow one as the reptitive ki blasts got just a mere fraction more powerful.

"No, Jiren. I don't have a desire to use my power to destroy. I want to use it to protect those who can't protect themselves. My rage is towards those who bring harm, to those whom I wish to punish for bringing harm and destruction to the innocent - destroyers. I may have taken the form and DNA of a warrior race that thrives off battle, but I am still human at my core - I still have the compassion, my sympathies towards those who are harmed. Your World of Gray sounds ideal, a world that has no need for the strong to protect the weak, for no one will attack anyone, but the atrocities you will take to achieve it are not worth it in my eyes! I'd rather defend that which I have now with all my might, the freedom of those that exist today, than to commit crimes against the living, breathing mortals of the cosmos that are given no choice but to be eliminated! To me, the universes have time, the universes can change! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

The ki blasts were getting stronger, more rapid, more powerful with rage as the white and yellow auras merged as one. P'cool looked upwards, towards his completed ceiling-modifying spell.

Completed with a full moon.

"My rage... if it is to eat me away, I will instead consume it. I will show you that I am worthy of this power! If I am to be a destroyer, then that which I will destroy are those who rid the living of freedom! A destroyer who destroys destroyers, so that there will be no more destroyers!"

P'cool's body transmogrificates into a large form that began to break the ceiling, his clothes ripping and tearing apart as the Omnitrix emblem withdrew itself into his body and reappeared on his chest. This large form unleashed a feral roar at Jiren, very akin to an animal.

"RRRRRAAAAAAUUURRRGGGHHH!"

This transformation's power was significantly greater than that of Super Saiyan 2, especially with the boost from the white aura earlier. It started its attacks by firing an energy ray at Jiren, aiming to push him back significantly!

"You... real... evildoer... now... face... power... greater than... Super Saiyan... 2! RRRAAAAARRRRUUUGHHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

 

[Sark]

A white aura glowed over a yellow one as the reptitive ki blasts got just a mere fraction more powerful.

"No, Jiren. I don't have a desire to use my power to destroy. I want to use it to protect those who can't protect themselves. My rage is towards those who bring harm, to those whom I wish to punish for bringing harm and destruction to the innocent - destroyers. I may have taken the form and DNA of a warrior race that thrives off battle, but I am still human at my core - I still have the compassion, my sympathies towards those who are harmed. Your World of Gray sounds ideal, a world that has no need for the strong to protect the weak, for no one will attack anyone, but the atrocities you will take to achieve it are not worth it in my eyes! I'd rather defend that which I have now with all my might, the freedom of those that exist today, than to commit crimes against the living, breathing mortals of the cosmos that are given no choice but to be eliminated! To me, the universes have time, the universes can change! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"What is one last month of sin compared to an eternity of glory?" Jiren smiled, the weaker Ki blasts spiraling off across the corridor. "Its a sacrifice... One I'm willing to make. One you should too"

The ki blasts were getting stronger, more rapid, more powerful with rage as the white and yellow auras merged as one. P'cool looked upwards, towards his completed ceiling-modifying spell.

"Hmph" Jiren muttered as larger Ki blasts came his way. The boy was finally starting to power up. It was about time he brought his A game... Still, it wasn't nearly enough to--

Jiren felt the earth beneath his feet shift. The rapid strikes were... pushing him back? Even with his Ki shield intact, it would take a lot more than a boy of Kale's power level to manage to hold him off like this. In momentary flickers, Jiren swung his arms across his torso, waving Ki blasts left and right, returning to his stoic stance in between.

His power started to rise to match the boy's onslaught. 40% of his full power. 42%. 44%. 45%. 49%. 56%. Somehow, Ben was... pushing him, forcing him to put out more and more strength to keep up with some time as inconsequential as Super Saiyan 2? Another burst of power shielded him from the oncoming flurry, his vibrating hands forming a shield of his own design.

Something was changing inside P'Cool... His Ki was screaming. Changing. Evolving...

Completed with a full moon.

"My rage... if it is to eat me away, I will instead consume it. I will show you that I am worthy of this power! If I am to be a destroyer, then that which I will destroy are those who rid the living of freedom! A destroyer who destroys destroyers, so that there will be no more destroyers!"

P'cool's body transmogrificates into a large form that began to break the ceiling, his clothes ripping and tearing apart as the Omnitrix emblem withdrew itself into his body and reappeared on his chest. This large form unleashed a feral roar at Jiren, very akin to an animal.

"RRRRRAAAAAAUUURRRGGGHHH!"

This transformation's power was significantly greater than that of Super Saiyan 2, especially with the boost from the white aura earlier. It started its attacks by firing an energy ray at Jiren, aiming to push him back significantly!

"You... real... evildoer... now... face... power... greater than... Super Saiyan... 2! RRRAAAAARRRRUUUGHHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere

Spoiler: Im-Impossible

"Im-Impossible!"

Jiren screamed throwing his arms in front of his torso in an attempt to defend himself from the oncoming strike. Of all the beasts he had seen the boy transform into, he had never anticipated the lost form of the Super Saiyan. He had heard myths and legends through the web of time, whisperings of the true power a Saiyan could release. At the time, he had turned an ear to such sounds as preparation for his path of vengeance, but even then he had believed them to be nothing but rumors.

If a Super Saiyan was twice the power of a normal Saiyan, and Super Saiyan 2 was over 4 times the strength of a mortal... combining it with the mystic Oozaru would grant him a power equivilent to...

"Time 10... Times 25... No... You're putting out 40 times the power I anticipated!!"

Jiren let his body fly back, consumed in the light of the beast's Ki Roar, the heat of the blast burning deep into his skin. He had finally found a foe worthy of his Ultimate Power. The Clash of Ages he had been waiting for! The New World's Baptism of Fire!

And of course, it was ushered in by a Saiyan...

Slowing his kickback with a pocket of air, Jiren shot forward again, enwrapped in a whirlpool of energy. If the Great Ape was as powerful as he predicted, he would need to take every advantage he could. Somewhere, beneath the fury and muscle that made up Jiren's form, a flicker of excitement began to burn. It was time.

Jiren through his defence to the side, letting his offensive strength thrive again. A vortex of light filled the room, accompanied by a heat intense enough to shame ever NRG's radiation. Soon even the air that surrounded Jiren became to combust in white flame, unable to withstand the sudden flow of power that entered the room. The energy seemed to flow like a galaxy, orbiting its mighty grey sun and frying all unfortunate enough to enter its radius. Jiren was beginning to take things seriously.

"At last! Your true power!! Let's test your limits!"

Drawing his raging might inwards again and condensing it into a single, glowing fist, Jiren prepared and completed his strike in an instant, he glowing yellow fist mere inches away from striking the Beast across the jaw.

"Endure the might of the Powwwerrr IMPACT!"


​

 

[Crow]

"What is one last month of sin compared to an eternity of glory?" Jiren smiled, the weaker Ki blasts spiraling off across the corridor. "Its a sacrifice... One I'm willing to make. One you should too"

"Hmph" Jiren muttered as larger Ki blasts came his way. The boy was finally starting to power up. It was about time he brought his A game... Still, it wasn't nearly enough to--

Jiren felt the earth beneath his feet shift. The rapid strikes were... pushing him back? Even with his Ki shield intact, it would take a lot more than a boy of Kale's power level to manage to hold him off like this. In momentary flickers, Jiren swung his arms across his torso, waving Ki blasts left and right, returning to his stoic stance in between.

His power started to rise to match the boy's onslaught. 40% of his full power. 42%. 44%. 45%. 49%. 56%. Somehow, Ben was... pushing him, forcing him to put out more and more strength to keep up with some time as inconsequential as Super Saiyan 2? Another burst of power shielded him from the oncoming flurry, his vibrating hands forming a shield of his own design.

Something was changing inside P'Cool... His Ki was screaming. Changing. Evolving...

Spoiler: Im-Impossible

"Im-Impossible!"

Jiren screamed throwing his arms in front of his torso in an attempt to defend himself from the oncoming strike. Of all the beasts he had seen the boy transform into, he had never anticipated the lost form of the Super Saiyan. He had heard myths and legends through the web of time, whisperings of the true power a Saiyan could release. At the time, he had turned an ear to such sounds as preparation for his path of vengeance, but even then he had believed them to be nothing but rumors.

If a Super Saiyan was twice the power of a normal Saiyan, and Super Saiyan 2 was over 4 times the strength of a mortal... combining it with the mystic Oozaru would grant him a power equivilent to...

"Time 10... Times 25... No... You're putting out 40 times the power I anticipated!!"

Jiren let his body fly back, consumed in the light of the beast's Ki Roar, the heat of the blast burning deep into his skin. He had finally found a foe worthy of his Ultimate Power. The Clash of Ages he had been waiting for! The New World's Baptism of Fire!

And of course, it was ushered in by a Saiyan...

Slowing his kickback with a pocket of air, Jiren shot forward again, enwrapped in a whirlpool of energy. If the Great Ape was as powerful as he predicted, he would need to take every advantage he could. Somewhere, beneath the fury and muscle that made up Jiren's form, a flicker of excitement began to burn. It was time.

Jiren through his defence to the side, letting his offensive strength thrive again. A vortex of light filled the room, accompanied by a heat intense enough to shame ever NRG's radiation. Soon even the air that surrounded Jiren became to combust in white flame, unable to withstand the sudden flow of power that entered the room. The energy seemed to flow like a galaxy, orbiting its mighty grey sun and frying all unfortunate enough to enter its radius. Jiren was beginning to take things seriously.

"At last! Your true power!! Let's test your limits!"

Drawing his raging might inwards again and condensing it into a single, glowing fist, Jiren prepared and completed his strike in an instant, he glowing yellow fist mere inches away from striking the Beast across the jaw.

"Endure the might of the Powwwerrr IMPACT!"


​

The Golden Oozaru took the brunt of Jiren's Power Impact, turning his face as a cracking sound was heard and a bruise was produced. He simply adjusted his head with his palms, turning to Jiren. The giant beast wrapped his tail around Jiren, preparing to flail him about like a ragdoll. The tail seemed to gradually char from Jiren's sun-like aura, but the beast's rage and berserking mannerisms allowed it to trudge on as if there was no pain.

As he was berserking with rage and without control, he might accidentally strike allies during his assault!

"Grggghhh... GRAAARRRGGGHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

"Gyaaaah! What the fuck?! Fucking fuck!" The young woman yelped while deep inside the vault, Ben's armor barely missing her and going over her head. The worst that had happened to her was that she had a good scare, but other than that, she came out unscathed. It seemed that whatever was happening outside, a lot of it was happening. Of course, that only made the situation more pressing.

As Libra, Schala, and whoever else ventured into the vault, they'd find a certain bespectacled young woman with braided silver hair and tanned skin, sporting nothing more than overalls. Digging around like a hyper gofer, the girl searched around before settling her gaze on the others who had followed her inside, flashing a toothy, cocky grin at them as she held up what looked like an axe made out of pure gold over her shoulder.

View attachment 3281

"Oh, are you a part of the welcoming committee? 'Cause you're a bit late for that," the woman known as Marian Slingeneyer said, hopping over through the exhibits of the vault, perched on pedestals and protected by reinforced glass, in hopes of finding what she was looking for.

It didn't seem like she had any immediate drive to fight, but considering the weapon she held, who knew what was going to happen if she was left by herself like this?

@Yun Lee @York

@Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere ​

This was not good. This girl was trouble, Libra could tell, but maybe...there was a way to stop her. Keeping his eyes peeled for anything that could be used to their advantage, he would try to slow her down with talk. "Miss...why do you do this? What could working with being like DIO and Othinus possibly bring you, except your own downfall?"

@Ver @York​

As the Mandalorians arrived to stop the group, Mason was prepared to go all out. He held his hands by his hips. A large mass of energy gathered in his hands, forming into the shape of a minigun.

Unfortunately for him, creating such a large and complex object took quite a bit of time. Before he could fire a single bullet, the enemies before them had been cleared out.

Not wanting to waste the effort he put in, he still dragged it along as the group moved forward.​

View attachment 3280
"I'd trust you to lead the way, Eleanor. Fellow redhead can't go wrong. You might want to do it spear first though. I think I know what's ahead."
​

View attachment 3282
"Uhh... yeah, Ben, not that I don't want to fight the superpowered final boss level alien, but I think you're on Jiren duty. Plus, I've had enough radiation for one lifetime back in the Games with Maria. So good luck, but I'm going to the vault."
​

View attachment 3285
"Listen, ma'am, it has been a long day. It has been a long day and I've barely seen any of the action. I've missed fight after fight, barely landed any shots, and got exploded by a serial killer. The one shot I took didn't even make the guy flinch. Being a bit too late has been my modus operandi today, and I'd consider this being on time. I feel like I've been a minute late to every single event today. So, without further delay, let me introduce the real welcoming committee..."

The minigun in his hands whirred to life, its barrels spinning rapidly.

"... at a much more timely speed of 2,000 rounds per minute."

The minigun released a spray of energy bullets, aiming directly at Marian Slingeneyer.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

Jiren rolled his body from side to side at an astounding speed, letting the orbs of web fluid slip past his afterimage and onto the walls around him. From within his Sonic-Sway, Jiren slowly folded his arms, let his Ki do the work for him while his mind slipped back onto autopilot.

"You disappoint me" He muttered from within his meditative state "I was hoping for so much more...pathetic"

In heartbeat he returned to his assault, crouching below Gwen's strikes and rewarding her efforts with a mighty spin kick followed be a charged elbow to her presumably airborne body

"Perhaps I expected too much from the coalition's finest..."


"Go on. Bring your allies. Let there be an audience for your demise..."

"I won't blame you, child, but I pray that I won't need to bury you either" Toppo tightened his jaw "No matter what happens, no matter what Jiren tries to convince you of or how certain you are of his passivity, do not let your guard down. Not even for a moment" To think Toppo had once been in awe of his friend's power... but now, the closer he got to it, the more he grew to dream it... to resent it...

"You disrespect your new Gods with your cowardice!" Jiren cried, unleashing a flurry of energy spear from his fingers to hazard the path to the door. With two fingers raised, he detonated his own blasphemous Justice Flash, desperate to slow down their entry into the vault. Even with all the might he possessed, he was still limited by the confines of time; the more fighters he had to deal with, the less time Marian would have to conclude her business in the vault. It was time to stop holding back.


From a stance of relaxed stoicism, Jiren fingers sliced through the radiation burst, the stream of flame parting before him. The burning streams of shrapnel burned deep into his skin, bringing an almost unknown stiffness to his jaw. That boy... that insolent boy from the mess hall had dared to strike against him. Another wave of anger washing over him. The boy needed to be punished. He deserved to be punished. Yet his supposed dependence on Marian's survival was holding him back from the fight he wanted, the fight he deserved. Fate spoke out against his desires yet again. He would have to end things quickly/


The sensation, it had taught him one thing; Playtime had long since ended. With the caliber of power Ben was utilizing, he had no choice but to cut loose. In the blink of an eye, Jiren found Ki erupting from every fiber of his being, engulfing his perimeter in a sea of flame not seen since the Plagues of Egypt. As small specks of energy leaped from his torso to add to his aura, Jiren forced his body into a state of recovery for his recent scratches. And in his full power state, the damage had been reduced to the significance of a simple scratch.

"I am not strange to fire, Ben" Jiren growled "And this heat... will be your downfall"

In a flash of crimson and grey, Jiren charged towards Ben, becoming a blazing meteor of Ki as he raged towards his fellow alien. He vanished in a flash meter moments before making contact, snapping out of sight in a flicker of ash before reappearing behind his foe and wrapping his arms tightly around him. He would have wanted to squeeze the life out of him from there, but his punishment would come soon enough, riding hand in hand with the Horsemen of the New World. Instead, he deadlocked his arms in a meditative stance and launched him and his opponent back onto terra firma in flash of light. The fall and the force would have been enough to crush lesser men... but neither he nor Ben were lesser men.

"I showed your Grandfather decency last time we fought, boy. I let him live. I would be so kind to the two of you next time. Your intrusion will cost you both of your lives"

"Who's side am I on?"

Jiren charged forward in a flicker, seeking to black a white boot between Schala's ribs. The girl was not like the others. She wasn't a fool. She hadn't been indoctrinated into the Coalition's fold. Perhaps she too could see the light, given time. Perhaps, when his paradise came, she could find it in herself to embrace the Gray... To that end, he would lower his power mere milliseconds before the strike, lessening his blow to a strength in which she would be thrown back with relatively little harm.... in comparison to the damage a fully powered strike could do.

"I am on the side of Life. I stand with the cure to heal mankind from its self inflicted wounds: strength. Strength of body. Strength of character. Strength of soul. Strength. Forgives. All. It shall allow the world to be reborn, to create world where all are equal. Where none oppress. Where there is not hate or false 'love' for evil to birth from. Where all can be liberated under the watchful eye of true benevolent gods! I stand with that world!"



​

NRG flew with haste to protect Libra and Mason before Jiren's Justice Flash could hit them, quite literally consuming the attacks.

"Itadakimasu? Bon appetit? Vait, no, zat's before I eat it."

NRG shook his head, "I vill not allow you to hurt my allies. Libra and Mason have been through quite a bit with me, I'll have you know. Don't think I vill have too much of a heart to let zat slide, Jiren. And most importantly."

When Jiren deadlocked him and tossed him about, he simply exclaimed, "you can touch NRG, like zat? Your power... it is zat extreme... AAAAAHH..."

Before a full, complete fall could be achieved, NRG superheated his entire body, releasing an explosive force boosted by the absorbed Justice Flash earlier to bolster the fall and (attempt to) blow Jiren off, but it seemed that either way, Jiren's foot was now aimed for Schala!

As NRG hovered above, feeling weakened, he tried to run for Schala, but before he could, Jiren had kicked her away, and the Omnitrix emblem on his belt area began to beep. In a flash of green light, he was Ben Tennyson, the human once more.

"Schala no!"

With that, he raised his hands, creating arrows made of pure pink mana. These arrows turned from energy to matter - pressurised mystical water to be precise - as they were launched at Jiren, aimed for his face!

"How do you like that trick? Learned it from a little lady earlier today. You can go ahead and try to beat me up, but no one hurts my grandpa, and most importantly - no one hurts the ideals he's taught me. I will show you that you are the one who's being infected by the disease known as Othinus and her lackies, one way or another!

It's hero time!"

Ben smacks his watch down as he begins his transformation. His posture became shorter and his spine extended into a tail, as if devolving into a monkey. His muscles were now more dense, and his hair grew, altered into something else...

The face that he bore... even the voice he spoke with... it was deja vu for Jiren...

"P'cool, huh? Well, I'm not that a big fan of exposition, so let's skip to the part where I go full-force."

The form, 'P'cool' as oddly named, began to glow with a golden aura as his hair too, became a shining gold, sparking with sheer energy.

"This is called 'Super Saiyan 2'. It's no 3, but fine by me."

P'cool assumes a combat stance which seemed more reliant on palms than fists. He begins to charge forward with a palm strike that would unleash a powerful shockwave! To counterattack Jiren, he would repeatedly exchange such blows, with equally powerful palm strikes as his first!

"You say you're on the side of Life, so why do you believe it's better to destroy all life to start afresh than to nurture the life that still exists? We all make mistakes, Jiren. Mistakes may accumulate into destructiveness, but they're there to help us learn from them - right from wrong. Every mortal in the cosmos is about learning and being nurtured, be it by role models and stuff. A world where people are born perfect, born the same 'idealized' way and expected to act the way they were since they are born - that's just... wrong... Humanity relies on diversity, Jiren! Humanity relies on growth! This growth, this diversity, it's what differentiates the Ben Tennyson seven years ago that just got his first Omnitrix, and the Ben Tennyson of today, and I won't let you take it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"Thank you for returning my Ki"

Jiren muttered, letting the Justice Flash flow back into him and his growing aura. The fractions of NRG's stolen energy had shielded him from much for the rest. As the remaining force of the blast forced Jiren away from his prey by mere meters, Jiren allowed himself to flash back into the fray in another flicker of light, striking NRG with a kick to the torso strong enough to propel him towards Schala and continue his assault on her.

"You think you can defeat me with an attack like that? Fight harder! Show me your true strength!"
​

"This trust you share... This false misguided justice... It will be your downfall just as much as my heat... Just you wait..."

Jiren sensed Ben's energies rise and hall from one moment to the next, regressing from his radioactive form back into his mortal body. No, he was no mortal... he was mystical? He sensed the energies of a Kai flicker mere moments before his barrage... interesting...

With a kiai shout, Jiren unleashed a wall of pure, wind-like ki from his throat, holding the Mana blades in their place. The attack was strong, yet crude and untrained. It appeared as if he lacked the might of a Kai after all...

"Go on! Talk till you're blue! Your words will not sway me! Not this time, Evildoer!"​

"You... Bastard" Jiren growled his power spiking again. "You wear his face... YOU DARE WEAR THE FACE OF SON GOKU?" Jiren broke into a wild change, spit spraying from his gaping mouth, accompanied by wave after wave of Kiai.

He felt his anger boil over, passing the point of clarity. How dare Ben claim to the visage of Goku. How dare he take the face of one of the few men he still held in high esteem. A warrior born among mortals who had surpassed the limits even the gods believed to be possible; such a feat was more than enough to earn his respect, despite their... disagreements. Perhaps a year or two ago, the image of Son Goku might have been enough to calm him down and focus his spirits again, bringing him back to a point of balance... but not now.

Son had broken him at the Tournament. He had defeated him. He had crushed him and trampled on all he valued. Even his strength, the anchor of his spirit and the seed of his pride and dignity was turned into a source of shame under to boot of the Super Saiyan God. He had started this mess. He had been responsible for the disbanding of the Pride Warriors. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had driven him in from his homeworld as disgrace the values he once held, pushing him away from all he held dear. Not Toppo. Not himself. Goku. It was Goku who had robbed him of the Super Dragon Balls and snatched away his one and only chance to bring back those he had once called family and bring about the world he dreamed of. With them, he could have avoided turning away from the Coalition. With them, he would not have been forced to turn away from Toppo. All of this- every evil he made real, every drop of blood he spilled- was on Goku's hands. Not Toppo's. Not his own.

And one day, he would make him suffer for it. He would punish him for the evils his Pride had created... but for now... he would just have to settle for his phantom.

In a flurry of consecutive strikes, Jiren formed a wall of shockwaves of his own, testing the full capacity of his own speed against P'Cool's.

Spoiler: GIF

"I have fought the true owner of that face, you thieving bastard! And when I did... We clashed at a far greater level than his! You claim his image... But you are not nearly strong enough to tap into the powers of the Super Saiyan God! Push yourself! I want to feel everything you've got!"​

"DO NOT PRESUME THAT I DO NOT KNOW PAIN" Jiren bellowed, his shockwaves increasing in strength and frequency "I HAVE SEEN IT. I HAVE FELT IT! MY MISTAKE-- MY WEAKNESS HAS COST ME MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER KNOW!" Jiren's Ki seemed to strike against his limit with every word, pounding against the barriers of his strength like the skin of a drum. A shockwave even greater than those before came erupting forward in a flurry of red

"Maybe this world could come around one day..." Jiren spat "But it has long since lost the privilege of time. After all, it has stolen from itself... it no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt... It. Is. WEAK" A stream of Ki came tumbling it the tsunami of shockwaves, dancing forward in a tunnel of fire "It is blinded by passion! Deluded by false-love! Your 'growth' has become a cancer"

The speed of the shockwaves doubled and redoubled again, pockets of air scorching forwards at speeds the eye could no longer measure.

"And this rebirth IT IS THE CURE! All will be pure!!! All will be free!!!"

Spoiler: Image

"And there will be no more mistakes..."
​

"AAAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

P'cool was knocked back by Jiren's superior shockwaves, creating a large crater on the wall.

"I really did not see this coming, to see him this mad," he turns to Schala for a bit.

"Ah, crud, the highest I can go is Super Saiyan 2. I can't just pull a 3 out of my butt for now..."

He ponders for a bit, uttering to himself, his eye shifting to his tail for a bit, "... but what if I were to stack it with my current peak power? It's risky, but I have to try..."

Memories of not too long ago flash through his head...

---

​

"Ben, not even Rath is this uncontrollable..."

"... It's like, you're not in control... like a wild animal..."
​

"Ben, you need to understand the risks of this form, especially with its power. All I can advise you to do it to use it wisely."

---

He then stands back up, ready to fight Jiren once more as he held his arm up with a palm.

"I may be no Son Goku, I may or may not be capable of even coming close to his heights, but I'm still a member of the Saiyan Race. Saiyans like me stick to our pride, be it Saiyan pride, our own individual pride... or the pride that others have placed upon us!"

He raises his hand into the air as his eyes glowed a bright pink for a short while. Jiren would note this mystical power - magic, mana - once more.

"Caelum noctis mentior!"

While the ceiling was still solid, it looked... different. It seemed to change colour to resemble the night sky. Slowly but surely, specks that could be intepreted as stars could be seen. They were actually accurate, in terms of constellations. The night sky was being replicated on the ceiling, bit by bit!

"I will soon show you the greatest power I can achieve in this transformation, but first," P'cool says, sporting a serious expression as he arm thrusts the air, sending repeated ki blasts at Jiren!

"Tell me, Jiren, tell me more about your ideal world, your New World Order! Tell me about the fates, the lives of everyone who lives in it!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"Fine" Jiren muttered. "I'm curious to see this great power." Jiren folded his arms, letting the balls of ki crack and fizzle harmlessly against his border. He let his Ki remain in its defensive state, watching and waiting for whatever show Ben sought to put on. Maybe he could find some enjoyment in the fight after all... "Show it to me then. I don't have all day"​

"Think of it this way..." Jiren felt a smile crawl across his lips. It was a sinister smile. A chilling smile. The kind fueled not by joy, but the kind of brutal pleasure that could churn milk "That rage you feel when you transform into a Super Saiyan. The same rage he felt when he transformed..." His mind fell back to Goku, and the blind fury of his Super Saiyan charge "You can feel it eating away at you. Pushing you to fight harder. To kill. Destroy. My world will be one that is free of such ignorant, unearned power. It will be one built upon clarity and peace. A world without conflict. A paradise. No war. No hate. A world like history has never known. Life for all. No evils. No need for the good to rise against it. The perfect balance. The World of Gray... Join me. Set yourself free. Turn away from your destructive path"




​

A white aura glowed over a yellow one as the reptitive ki blasts got just a mere fraction more powerful.

"No, Jiren. I don't have a desire to use my power to destroy. I want to use it to protect those who can't protect themselves. My rage is towards those who bring harm, to those whom I wish to punish for bringing harm and destruction to the innocent - destroyers. I may have taken the form and DNA of a warrior race that thrives off battle, but I am still human at my core - I still have the compassion, my sympathies towards those who are harmed. Your World of Gray sounds ideal, a world that has no need for the strong to protect the weak, for no one will attack anyone, but the atrocities you will take to achieve it are not worth it in my eyes! I'd rather defend that which I have now with all my might, the freedom of those that exist today, than to commit crimes against the living, breathing mortals of the cosmos that are given no choice but to be eliminated! To me, the universes have time, the universes can change! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"

The ki blasts were getting stronger, more rapid, more powerful with rage as the white and yellow auras merged as one. P'cool looked upwards, towards his completed ceiling-modifying spell.

Completed with a full moon.

"My rage... if it is to eat me away, I will instead consume it. I will show you that I am worthy of this power! If I am to be a destroyer, then that which I will destroy are those who rid the living of freedom! A destroyer who destroys destroyers, so that there will be no more destroyers!"

P'cool's body transmogrificates into a large form that began to break the ceiling, his clothes ripping and tearing apart as the Omnitrix emblem withdrew itself into his body and reappeared on his chest. This large form unleashed a feral roar at Jiren, very akin to an animal.

"RRRRRAAAAAAUUURRRGGGHHH!"

This transformation's power was significantly greater than that of Super Saiyan 2, especially with the boost from the white aura earlier. It started its attacks by firing an energy ray at Jiren, aiming to push him back significantly!

"You... real... evildoer... now... face... power... greater than... Super Saiyan... 2! RRRAAAAARRRRUUUGHHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"What is one last month of sin compared to an eternity of glory?" Jiren smiled, the weaker Ki blasts spiraling off across the corridor. "Its a sacrifice... One I'm willing to make. One you should too"

"Hmph" Jiren muttered as larger Ki blasts came his way. The boy was finally starting to power up. It was about time he brought his A game... Still, it wasn't nearly enough to--

Jiren felt the earth beneath his feet shift. The rapid strikes were... pushing him back? Even with his Ki shield intact, it would take a lot more than a boy of Kale's power level to manage to hold him off like this. In momentary flickers, Jiren swung his arms across his torso, waving Ki blasts left and right, returning to his stoic stance in between.

His power started to rise to match the boy's onslaught. 40% of his full power. 42%. 44%. 45%. 49%. 56%. Somehow, Ben was... pushing him, forcing him to put out more and more strength to keep up with some time as inconsequential as Super Saiyan 2? Another burst of power shielded him from the oncoming flurry, his vibrating hands forming a shield of his own design.

Something was changing inside P'Cool... His Ki was screaming. Changing. Evolving...

Spoiler: Im-Impossible

"Im-Impossible!"

Jiren screamed throwing his arms in front of his torso in an attempt to defend himself from the oncoming strike. Of all the beasts he had seen the boy transform into, he had never anticipated the lost form of the Super Saiyan. He had heard myths and legends through the web of time, whisperings of the true power a Saiyan could release. At the time, he had turned an ear to such sounds as preparation for his path of vengeance, but even then he had believed them to be nothing but rumors.

If a Super Saiyan was twice the power of a normal Saiyan, and Super Saiyan 2 was over 4 times the strength of a mortal... combining it with the mystic Oozaru would grant him a power equivilent to...

"Time 10... Times 25... No... You're putting out 40 times the power I anticipated!!"

Jiren let his body fly back, consumed in the light of the beast's Ki Roar, the heat of the blast burning deep into his skin. He had finally found a foe worthy of his Ultimate Power. The Clash of Ages he had been waiting for! The New World's Baptism of Fire!

And of course, it was ushered in by a Saiyan...

Slowing his kickback with a pocket of air, Jiren shot forward again, enwrapped in a whirlpool of energy. If the Great Ape was as powerful as he predicted, he would need to take every advantage he could. Somewhere, beneath the fury and muscle that made up Jiren's form, a flicker of excitement began to burn. It was time.

Jiren through his defence to the side, letting his offensive strength thrive again. A vortex of light filled the room, accompanied by a heat intense enough to shame ever NRG's radiation. Soon even the air that surrounded Jiren became to combust in white flame, unable to withstand the sudden flow of power that entered the room. The energy seemed to flow like a galaxy, orbiting its mighty grey sun and frying all unfortunate enough to enter its radius. Jiren was beginning to take things seriously.

"At last! Your true power!! Let's test your limits!"

Drawing his raging might inwards again and condensing it into a single, glowing fist, Jiren prepared and completed his strike in an instant, he glowing yellow fist mere inches away from striking the Beast across the jaw.

"Endure the might of the Powwwerrr IMPACT!"


​

The Golden Oozaru took the brunt of Jiren's Power Impact, turning his face as a cracking sound was heard and a bruise was produced. He simply adjusted his head with his palms, turning to Jiren. The giant beast wrapped his tail around Jiren, preparing to flail him about like a ragdoll. The tail seemed to gradually char from Jiren's sun-like aura, but the beast's rage and berserking mannerisms allowed it to trudge on as if there was no pain.

As he was berserking with rage and without control, he might accidentally strike allies during his assault!

"Grggghhh... GRAAARRRGGGHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous
@Knowhere

In the end, Schala, deep down... Was all but certain Jiren's stance was unlikely to change, as proven by what he said. Just before his foot made impact with her chest, sending her flying, she closed her eyes, concentrating on building up arcane energy within her body. She was about to take a gamble, partially in hopes of stalling Jiren, and also... In a way to prove a point.

For the time being, taking the hits she could from Jiren, avoiding as many others as she could, and casting the occasional cure spell. She was oddly silent through the whole ordeal, even as she watched Jiren fight it out with Ben, silently waiting for the right opportunity.

And as Jiren prepared to strike Ben, now in a beastly form... With an immense amount of power, the moment of truth came to her, once Ben was done thrashing Jiren, or in the more likely scenario that Jiren broke free, leaving her the opening she needed... An opportunity to strike without harming her allies. She summoned up all the strength in her body, and spirit she could muster, shouting out towards Jiren.

"It's true... ... So long as we lean on the crutch of power... This world... No... This multiverse's sorrow can know no true end..." She said quietly, drawing shallow but steady breaths, as if she was trying to hold something within her body.

A strong sensation of ancient, arcane power resonated within her body as she continued, a look of intense concentration on her face as she continued.

"But... Even so... During my stay with my Coalition, I found strength that even my power hungry mother could only dream of; strength that could only be achieved, as long as color remains in this world..." A melancholy smile crossed her face as she raised her hands, closing her eyes as she concentrated, no need for arcane words this time... Just... Raw... Emotion...

"Behold... The power I use to protect the multiverse... The essense of color... ..." In that moment, she no longer felt fear... Uncertainty... Doubt...

Just... An unyielding, burning feeling of determination, a passion to win... To protect the multiverse that she knew, and came to love...

"DAYBREAK!!!!" She shouted, and then... She unleashed her most powerfull attack, the pinnacle of all she had trained for during her time in the coalition.

First... Tendrils of what seemed like dark matter surroundeded Jiren's body, blanketting him in a seemingly endless void of nothingness... Where the very concept of light seemed to cease to exist, before a sudden, intense detonation of light pierced the veil of darkness, creating a devastating explosion unlike anything Schala had previously managed.

The layering of light magic, ontop of dark magic created a frightening chain reaction, but... It left Schala a little drained, the young woman trying to catch her breath as she waited for the dust to clear... Hoping for her attack to at least have done... Something against Jiren, and more importantly... Hoping she hadn't hit Ben, or anyone else in the fray with her attack.​

 

[Sark]

The Golden Oozaru took the brunt of Jiren's Power Impact, turning his face as a cracking sound was heard and a bruise was produced. He simply adjusted his head with his palms, turning to Jiren. The giant beast wrapped his tail around Jiren, preparing to flail him about like a ragdoll. The tail seemed to gradually char from Jiren's sun-like aura, but the beast's rage and berserking mannerisms allowed it to trudge on as if there was no pain.

As he was berserking with rage and without control, he might accidentally strike allies during his assault!

"Grggghhh... GRAAARRRGGGHHH!"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere​

"Fine" Jiren growled from within the Ape's tail "If you're going to continue to raise your Ki, that's fine... but its only fitting that I do to"

Jiren didn't need to try to escape the beast's tail; in fact, he had been placed exactly where he needed to be. The creature's tail- however strong- gained a majority of its strength from being anchored to the ground, its power backed up by the Ape's considerable weight. But without that anchor, the appendage was more of a liability than a blessing, sitting beyond the reach of both the creature's arms and legs. It was one long, yellow hands from which Jiren could launch his counter strike.

Focusing his Ki, Jiren saw through the initial disorientation the Great Ape's grapple had brought on, his vision switching from double to single through force of will alone. As the beast threw him from side to side, Jiren reached out over the barriers of its tail and took two large handfuls of flesh and fury between his fingers. They locked in place following yet another surge of power.

Ben had transformed into everything he had come to hate. Stolen Power. Unearned Strength. The uncontrollable. Strength so disgustingly misplaced it would sooner destroy its allies that its foes. In the name of victory, its had sacrificed its sense of self. It's sentience and soul in exchange for strength... the very proposition was blasphemous. He had to focus... soon it would all be no more. No more animals. Only the gray.

Summoning his strength yet again, Jiren shot upwards light a warning shot, the beast's tail and his arms still intertwined. The capture was mutual. Without the Ape's weight to back it up, any attempt to swing its tale would simply send the Saiyan swinging like a fob watch, flailing helplessly for as long as its tail held out.

"You disappoint me, Saiyan. I expected more... but your lack of foresight is just pitiful"​

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous
@Knowhere

In the end, Schala, deep down... Was all but certain Jiren's stance was unlikely to change, as proven by what he said. Just before his foot made impact with her chest, sending her flying, she closed her eyes, concentrating on building up arcane energy within her body. She was about to take a gamble, partially in hopes of stalling Jiren, and also... In a way to prove a point.

For the time being, taking the hits she could from Jiren, avoiding as many others as she could, and casting the occasional cure spell. She was oddly silent through the whole ordeal, even as she watched Jiren fight it out with Ben, silently waiting for the right opportunity.

And as Jiren prepared to strike Ben, now in a beastly form... With an immense amount of power, the moment of truth came to her, once Ben was done thrashing Jiren, or in the more likely scenario that Jiren broke free, leaving her the opening she needed... An opportunity to strike without harming her allies. She summoned up all the strength in her body, and spirit she could muster, shouting out towards Jiren.

"It's true... ... So long as we lean on the crutch of power... This world... No... This multiverse's sorrow can know no true end..." She said quietly, drawing shallow but steady breaths, as if she was trying to hold something within her body.

A strong sensation of ancient, arcane power resonated within her body as she continued, a look of intense concentration on her face as she continued.

"But... Even so... During my stay with my Coalition, I found strength that even my power hungry mother could only dream of; strength that could only be achieved, as long as color remains in this world..." A melancholy smile crossed her face as she raised her hands, closing her eyes as she concentrated, no need for arcane words this time... Just... Raw... Emotion...

"Behold... The power I use to protect the multiverse... The essense of color... ..." In that moment, she no longer felt fear... Uncertainty... Doubt...

Just... An unyielding, burning feeling of determination, a passion to win... To protect the multiverse that she knew, and came to love...

"DAYBREAK!!!!" She shouted, and then... She unleashed her most powerfull attack, the pinnacle of all she had trained for during her time in the coalition.

First... Tendrils of what seemed like dark matter surroundeded Jiren's body, blanketting him in a seemingly endless void of nothingness... Where the very concept of light seemed to cease to exist, before a sudden, intense detonation of light pierced the veil of darkness, creating a devastating explosion unlike anything Schala had previously managed.

The layering of light magic, ontop of dark magic created a frightening chain reaction, but... It left Schala a little drained, the young woman trying to catch her breath as she waited for the dust to clear... Hoping for her attack to at least have done... Something against Jiren, and more importantly... Hoping she hadn't hit Ben, or anyone else in the fray with her attack.​

Jiren felt Schala's power surge, filling her form with dark energies. His Ki sense had brought him precious seconds. Something was coming, and it was big. Preoccupied by the struggle with the beast's tail, Jiren could strike her as she prepared her onslaught; he and the Great Ape were in a grappling deadlock. From what he could gather, it still had much of its stamina remaining. Finding his way around the inevitable was going to be a challenge to say the least. It would have been almost impossible... had Jiren not been blessed with those precious seconds as Schala charged her strike.

"What good is your strength..." Jiren snarled "When you have already been defeated?" His face barely moved as he began his taunt. "As we speak, Marian was her tiny fingers wrapped around the Arrow... I am certain of it. The dominos are already falling. You can't stack them back up in time! It's already too late!"

Sensing the coming strike was reaching his climax, Jiren became a meteor of Ki, flying in a raping circle to entwine himself deeper into the Ape's tail, its weight now hanging from his shoulder like a hunters prize. He watched the tentacles creep in, their blackness eating into his aura and engulfing it in darkness like ants on fruit. On all angles, the web of darkness began to close. He couldn't flinch. He had to time things perfectly.

Moving at such speeds moments seemed to last for hours, Jiren prepared his counter. He entered a rapid spin, just as he had done during his fight at the mansion, only this time, he had a massive roaring mace lugging behind him. His sudden spin brought the Golden Great Ape spiraling in a vortex around him, striking each tentacle before they could reach his person. He felt the shock of each strike resonate through them both. The girl possessed powers he had underestimated greatly. On the planes of pure power, she could easily rival a Super Saiyan 3 in her final strike along; yet her strength was limited by her youth. She lacked the tact of many older fighters. She lacked the precision. The accuracy. She had struck him at a time in which he was he was dragging around a large, yellow meat shield, and it would be Ben who would have to face up to the consequence of her mistake.

As the final explosion came, there was no crucible in which to focus the flames, the tendrils having been caught in his Ape mace. As the surge of excess heat rushed past him, Jiren let them dance over his Ki shield. For now, he could ease of his offensive. One foe was exhausted. The other had just endured a family-sized portion of a Daybreak.

Jiren smiled.

"Your power is Impressive, Schala. You should be proud. Perhaps that strike could have killed us both... but you forget your surroundings. I doubt the Ape will take to kindly to your attack... I doubt he can distinguish friend from foe anymore..."

​

 

[Takumi]

"Save your words. Talk is cheap. War is the only life you should take heed in," the squad leader said to Jordshan.

However, whatever she was planning was for nothing, as he along with the rest of his squad packed in the corridor were ultimately swept away by the spectacle of everyone's combined powers. Whatever the Mandalorians' line of thinking were from wherever Revan had recruited them, it would remain a mystery, but it seemed that now was hardly the time to try to reason with them anyway.

With the room cleared out, if there was any doubt on where to go from there, a powerful rumbling could be felt through the air, as though a powerful presence had made itself known throughout the nearby corridors. Without a doubt, Jiren was nearby, and if he was already this deep into the vaults of Knowhere, then that meant he was just that close to acquiring what the Revanchist needed. There was no time to waste.

"Good job, but you're far from done. Keep moving, and you should be able to catch up with Jiren and whoever he's working with!" Doppo exclaimed over the communications link.

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Atomic Knight @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere​

"We won't let them win." Chise said as she moved forward, heading deeper into Knowhere in hopes of finding Jiren and helping Gwen in time. Everything the Sleigh Beggy cared about and worked to achieve was on the line after all.

As the group continued closer toward their target, they found themselves accosted by another group of armed soldiers, though these seemed far different from the Mandalorians, clad head-to-toe in high-tech weaponry and gadgets.

"Those are... Exodus soldiers!" Makoto exclaimed. "They work for the Revanchist!"

Though it seemed they might pose a threat for a moment, it seemed the Exodus soldiers were actually fleeing from someone. A female cry could be heard as a girl with red hair came crashing down into the group of soldiers.

With great force and adeptness, the woman twirled her spear around her, tossing the soldiers away. For any that still could get up, they were felled by magic lightning bolts conjured by the woman.

"Ah, Eleanor, you're okay!" Sorey said happily.

Eleanor Hume, one of the last surviving Exorcists, smoothed her skirt with her hand and politely bowed to Sorey. "Shepherd Sorey, I am glad to see you unharmed. I had a feeling you'd return to base, considering the situation." She then looked at Kyoko. "Commander, there is a source of immeasurable power lurking not far from here. Would you like me to lead the way?"

@York @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Ver @Knowhere ​

"Gyaaaah! What the fuck?! Fucking fuck!" The young woman yelped while deep inside the vault, Ben's armor barely missing her and going over her head. The worst that had happened to her was that she had a good scare, but other than that, she came out unscathed. It seemed that whatever was happening outside, a lot of it was happening. Of course, that only made the situation more pressing.

As Libra, Schala, and whoever else ventured into the vault, they'd find a certain bespectacled young woman with braided silver hair and tanned skin, sporting nothing more than overalls. Digging around like a hyper gofer, the girl searched around before settling her gaze on the others who had followed her inside, flashing a toothy, cocky grin at them as she held up what looked like an axe made out of pure gold over her shoulder.

View attachment 3281

"Oh, are you a part of the welcoming committee? 'Cause you're a bit late for that," the woman known as Marian Slingeneyer said, hopping over through the exhibits of the vault, perched on pedestals and protected by reinforced glass, in hopes of finding what she was looking for.

It didn't seem like she had any immediate drive to fight, but considering the weapon she held, who knew what was going to happen if she was left by herself like this?

@Yun Lee @York

@Crow @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Minerva @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Gummi Bunnies @Cromartous @Knowhere ​

SNAP!

"..."

Releasing large amounts of magical energy as she entered the vault with a few of the others, Chise's hairtie snapped and broke, her hair and clothing moving as if a breeze blew.

This was risky, given that Sleigh Beggy had short life spans, but with the multiverse at stake, and with at least some reassurance that she won't be too worse for wear with a healer around, she was willing to risk it to keep the tip of Gugnir safe by any means. Even if Othinus gained one half of the puzzle, Chise would fight until her last breath to make sure that the witch didn't complete it.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Donder172 @Cromartous @Minerva @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Gummi Bunnies @Knowhere @Anyone I missed

 

[Ver]

"Awh, aren't you cute? I think I'll keep you around for fun, maybe twist you into a chair! You may have a cute face, but I bet you're secretly a degenerate who's into that kinda stuff!" Marian responded to Libra with a gremlin-like smile, deliberately avoiding the questions poised her direction, it seemed.

Like it were no consequence, the dwarven girl flipped across the room, evading Mason's shots while continuing to search around the vaults, before eventually stopping in front of one certain exhibit, letting Mason's mini-gun shoot out the protective reinforced glass before she yanked the object from its pedestal, holding it up curiously with a wide grin.

View attachment 3292

"Ooh, I wonder what this does! I wonder what this button do--GYAAAAH!"

From the unsuspecting small object, a devastatingly wide and powerful beam of energy was conjured up and fired right in the direction of the group who followed Marian inside the vault. It barely missed them, instead hitting the open vault door and instantly vaporizing it into ash with just one shot. With wide eyes, the girl seemed to display a small bit of surprise at the deceptively powerful object, before grinning again all the same, looking at everyone.

"Never knew the Coalition packed a punch when it really counted! Let's have some fun!" She exclaimed, charging up another beam from the small object to fire at everyone!

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Takumi​

 

[Crow]

"You disappoint me, Saiyan. I expected more... but your lack of foresight is just pitiful"

"Ngghhh... Nggghh..."

The Golden Oozaru growls at such words. For a second, his fur shimmered a red.

"GRAAAAUUURRRGGGHHH! GRRROOOOUUUGGGHHH!"

Jiren had improvised him as a weapon against Schala, tail as the flail and body as mace. The eldreitch tentacles intertwined with the Golden Oozaru, causing him to struggle about, before being faced with a raging explosion that served to enhance his rage! In retaliation, the badly-charred Golden one charges a beam up in his mouth, this time aimed at Schala!

"RRAAAARRGGGHHH!"

@York @Cromartous @Ver @JirenFight​