Main Event Right Hand of the Magic God

[Yun Lee]

View attachment 3363

"Oh no, this is so sad..." Severa hung her head, but internally, she was grinning from ear to ear.

View attachment 3362

Joke's on you, sister. All my loved ones are just fine!

View attachment 3365

Libra shut his eyes, clearly disturbed by what he saw before him. The second he had lost the tip to Marian, this had been what he'd seen in his mind. To have it physically manifest itself...it was like something out of a nightmare. Stay strong, Libra, stay strong...just wait for your opening...this can be fixed. It can be!

@Ver @Jeremi​

 

[Crow]

Ben would be able to successfully find the Ultimate Nullifier, locked in a glass case, until he'd taken it out without a hitch. As he did so, Ollerus went ahead and took it for himself, looking over it as though he intended to use it himself. After all, after his small monologue, it didn't seem like he particularly trusted anyone else with it.

"I guess Othinus was right after all. In a world gone crazy, those dragged into it are bound to fall into the same madness as well," Ollerus only grunted in response to Will, not even looking at her as he continued examining the device. "If this was supposed to be the Coalition's greatest weapon in case of emergency, let's just hope that--" He began, before it happened again, his sentence -- as well as Max's search for other items of interest within the vault -- was abruptly cut short.

The end of everything.

---

"Take care of what you say, child. Take heed of your friend here, how his silence speaks volumes," Othinus said to Severa, and with that, finally stabbed Gungnir into the ground, its tip glowing brightly before the air as far as everyone could see shattered.

Once again, everything went white. And then everything went black.

---

When everyone came to, the world as they knew it had shifted once again.

It was still Knowhere, but like before, it was different. Battered and torn, destroyed utterly, as though a catastrophe had happened here. Broken machinery, debris littered all over the corridors, and open for everyone to see as they were once again forced together into the same space, though among the group, Ollerus was missing, and with him, so was the Ultimate Nullifier. Where he was, no one could say.

To the side, anyone could see that the place was littered with corpses. Some were buried under debris, others were impaled into the wall, and others were simply sprawled across the ground, their faces permanently contorted into that of anguish.

Within the destroyed Knowhere, Othinus continued to gloat, leaning against Gungnir, still planted in the ground.

"This is the reality that you might associate most with the end of the multiverse. Catastrophe. Disaster. Devastation. All brought on because you failed," she said, beginning to walk around the entire group in a circle as she pulled the spear out.

"Can you hear it? The cries of those you've forsaken? These are the fruits of your labors as you can perceive them. The inevitable end for those who would walk against fate. This is the natural price to pay to stand against a god."

"What...? E-Everyone's...?"

"Everyone. Think of your loved ones, and know that this is the fate I gave them."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"Alright, Ollerus, it's time to give this baby an Up-"

But then, everything seemed to fade to black, fade to white, enter a new scene.

"SHIT!"

"Ugh..." Grandpa Max rises from his fallen position.

"Grandpa!"

With that, Ben turns to look at Othinus angrily, then turns away with his eyes closed.

He refused to believe in such a fate, a fate like the one Othinus suggested. Such a fate could be altered.

The next face that he looked at Othinus with was unexpected - a smile.

"You really like to make a point - you win, we lose. But are we really the only people to show it to a bajillion times? No matter how many different ways you do it, at some point we'll be desensitized and the only despair you'll give us is the despair of boredom."

@Ver @Jeremi @York @Kaykay @Lucky @Alex Azure @etcetcetc​

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

"More of XLR8'ing our way to- wait, why are we doing this?"

U. Big Chill shrugs, before turning around and seeing Schala perform her move. He could see her feelings, and he figured that...

"Schala! Don't die for the friends and allies that still stand, live for them! Now come with us! I don't intend to leave anyone behind!"

He fires his cold flames to merge with the latter two attacks Schala had aimed at Othinus, The created cold flames absorbed the heat from the frosty blast, causing it to go below Absolute Zero - the supposed limit of cold - before merging with the flames that followed, turning those blue, edging on white.

He then creates a wall of ice to block Othinus from Schala, buying her, and everyone else in general, the slightest seconds of time.

"Now I'm ready to roll!"

He then further proceeds deeper towards the vaults, phasing into the ground and following the group...

@Ver @York @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Everybody​

"I don't really like hearing that from you for some reason," Leivinia muttered as Touma basically just said exactly what she'd intended to say about herself. The fact being a hero of justice was never her mindset to begin with aside, Othinus didn't really seem any weaker. Their own abilities were effortlessly blown aside, and even someone as powerful as Fiamma was crushed in an instant. Fairy spell or not, their opponent truly was a Magic God.

So she decided to move. Joining Ollerus and the others as they ran for the vault, she planned to help find this "Ultimate Nullifier" which would hopefully put Othinus down.

@Ver @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"A railgun? Don't be so crude," Ollerus commented as Mason conjured his mini-gun. As they eventually reached the vaults, unguarded and desolate, he stared down at the imposing vault door, narrowing his eyes.

"Hliðskjálf."

Suddenly, the vault doors easily shot open, as though it were no significant struggle for him to break through. Without missing a beat, he ran in and began looking around for the Ultimate Nullifier, scanning through each exhibit. "I can't say if Fiamma of the Right's Fairy spell was quite effective. At best, it would have destroyed her internal organs instantly, with her forcefully transforming into a fairy being the second best case scenario, but right now, it doesn't seem like any scenario is in our favor at the moment," he continued speaking to Mason as he searched through the vaults hurriedly, as he was sure he alerted the rest of the Coalition to their activities.

"At this point, all things considered, I'm not sure whether the immorality of this party -- the supposed best of the best for the multiverse -- is a gift or a curse right now. You people are quite unruly, but I guess that's why we had two betrayals, but to put down the Coalition leaders at the drop of a hat... Even if the circumstances are tilted now, I've got a bad taste in my mouth now, I really must say" he said through his irritation, not that one could blame him in their predicament.

---

Meanwhile, as those who stayed back to slow down the advancing Magic God, biding her time on purpose on a whim, she only reacted in a lackadaisical manner, echoing her previous sentiment that she'd said before. "These fights are such a pain. But I suppose at least now, I can see some appeal in it."

KRASH!

As Macy's weapon hit Othinus in the face, the weapon easily shattered like it had been hit against the hardest material possible, with no negative consequence to the Magic God herself, who only scoffed lightly. "A mace. How cute."

Despite Schala's and Ben's efforts, Othinus was indeed hardly perturbed by the attacks, unaffected by the dark magic or the cold flames. Whatever the intended effects of Fiamma's spell was, it seemed that they weren't presently slowing her down at all. At least, at this moment. She only kept going, the tip of Gungnir beginning to glow as though charging up.

"Tell me, what would you find more painful? The thought of everyone you've ever cared for hating you, cursing you for everything you've done to them? Or the thought that you couldn't save any of them, unable to protect them from their untimely fates that await them?" She asked, as though making a threat. Or rather, a promise.

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"Both of them are pretty great if they mean I never have to deal with YOU again." Despite her quip, though, the question did give Severa pause. Mother, Macy, Touma...those were probably the three people who she was closest to here. What would be worse? Both options were...actually really terrifying, when she thought about it.

Libra, meanwhile, refused to answer her. If they had already been turned on by those they cared about, then...he knew what was coming next. What Othinus' next game was going to be. And as hard as the first was...this was going to be infinately worse. All he could really do at this point was wait and see how worse.

@Ver @Lucky @Takumi @Alex Azure @Crow @York​

Ultimate Big Chill phased back onto ground level, in the vault.

"Please don't tell me they're still with with- no, I have to focus, I have to hurry back to them, too. I'm worried, but this is a team effort..."

He had great worries, but he knew it was neccessary now - neccessary to buy some time, but time was limited.

If Ultimate Big Chill, after a quick sweep and flying around, found the Ultimate Nullifier, he would use his intangibility to phase it out of its enclosure. He knew where its prior enclosure in the original universe was, so he would look there first.

"Hmmm... there seems to be all kinds of other tech here. Maybe they'll do a good part after Othinus gets hit by this Nullifier you speak of," Grandpa Max suggests.

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky@Everybody​

Rita Hanson

" And the fact that of those two betrayals, one of them is still out there and that's been bothering me. Phil hasn't appeared, even after Max came back. I don't know- I feel like we are being played in some way and I don't know why. Why is she letting us get this dangerous weapon? Something isn't adding up.. and I'm not sure it's going to be good."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Everybody

Grandpa Max ponders as he speaks to Rita.

"If what you're saying is correct, do you think he has it, and that this search is futile?"

Max decides to raid the vaults of its other technologies that weren't the Nullifier.

"These are pretty dangerous items, but so is the Nullifier. We're gonna need these to par with it. Let's see what poisons there are to pick..."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

Rita Hanson

Rita tapped her chin and thought about it for a moment.

" I don't know if she would trust him with it, but more importantly, even if we find it, how do we know she can't just snap her fingers and then it's gone? It just seems like she want- you know, we have been on what she has been telling us and what we have been told, that I didn't consider something. What is the Magic God real reason for destroying the multiverse? If she wanted peace, she would have just made everything how she wanted it. Why try to break us if she can simply wipe us from existance? Maybe I'm just overthinking this too much."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Everybody

"I have doubts that she would destroy the weapon on whim. When she took the bird and replaced him, she acquired his weaknesses too - specifically, his hubris," Grandpa Max suggests, "we could all use that to our advantage."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

"Don't go putting labels on someone you don't know. Nobody here knows me. I'd kill the entire Multiverse, because I know this is the hell Othinus created for us. So for now, as far as mercy and 'heroisim' are concerned, I don't have time for any of that."

Will tried to find items or weapons that could assist them in fighitng Othinus, but so far she found nothing. She didn't know what they were looking for, or if any of this crap would work against a Goddess that recreated the multiverse in her own image.

"Whatever it is, we need to find SOMETHING. Ben and the others could be in danger..."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Ver @York @Minerva @Lucky

Ben would be able to successfully find the Ultimate Nullifier, locked in a glass case, until he'd taken it out without a hitch. As he did so, Ollerus went ahead and took it for himself, looking over it as though he intended to use it himself. After all, after his small monologue, it didn't seem like he particularly trusted anyone else with it.

"I guess Othinus was right after all. In a world gone crazy, those dragged into it are bound to fall into the same madness as well," Ollerus only grunted in response to Will, not even looking at her as he continued examining the device. "If this was supposed to be the Coalition's greatest weapon in case of emergency, let's just hope that--" He began, before it happened again, his sentence -- as well as Max's search for other items of interest within the vault -- was abruptly cut short.

The end of everything.

---

"Take care of what you say, child. Take heed of your friend here, how his silence speaks volumes," Othinus said to Severa, and with that, finally stabbed Gungnir into the ground, its tip glowing brightly before the air as far as everyone could see shattered.

Once again, everything went white. And then everything went black.

---

When everyone came to, the world as they knew it had shifted once again.

It was still Knowhere, but like before, it was different. Battered and torn, destroyed utterly, as though a catastrophe had happened here. Broken machinery, debris littered all over the corridors, and open for everyone to see as they were once again forced together into the same space, though among the group, Ollerus was missing, and with him, so was the Ultimate Nullifier. Where he was, no one could say.

To the side, anyone could see that the place was littered with corpses. Some were buried under debris, others were impaled into the wall, and others were simply sprawled across the ground, their faces permanently contorted into that of anguish.

Within the destroyed Knowhere, Othinus continued to gloat, leaning against Gungnir, still planted in the ground.

"This is the reality that you might associate most with the end of the multiverse. Catastrophe. Disaster. Devastation. All brought on because you failed," she said, beginning to walk around the entire group in a circle as she pulled the spear out.

"Can you hear it? The cries of those you've forsaken? These are the fruits of your labors as you can perceive them. The inevitable end for those who would walk against fate. This is the natural price to pay to stand against a god."

"What...? E-Everyone's...?"

"Everyone. Think of your loved ones, and know that this is the fate I gave them."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"Tch...that's pretty sad," Jolyne said in a matter of fact tone as she looked around at the destruction. "So what did we do? Turn left when we should've turned right? Left the oven on? You can't leave a girl in suspense like this."

"You really need someone that you can confide in you know?" Ermes replied not mad or anything at Othinus, but the sadness in her voice was evident. "You got all this power and every time you just do it alone."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

View attachment 3363

"Oh no, this is so sad..." Severa hung her head, but internally, she was grinning from ear to ear.

View attachment 3362

Joke's on you, sister. All my loved ones are just fine!

View attachment 3365

Libra shut his eyes, clearly disturbed by what he saw before him. The second he had lost the tip to Marian, this had been what he'd seen in his mind. To have it physically manifest itself...it was like something out of a nightmare. Stay strong, Libra, stay strong...just wait for your opening...this can be fixed. It can be!

@Ver @Jeremi​

"Alright, Ollerus, it's time to give this baby an Up-"

But then, everything seemed to fade to black, fade to white, enter a new scene.

"SHIT!"

"Ugh..." Grandpa Max rises from his fallen position.

"Grandpa!"

With that, Ben turns to look at Othinus angrily, then turns away with his eyes closed.

He refused to believe in such a fate, a fate like the one Othinus suggested. Such a fate could be altered.

The next face that he looked at Othinus with was unexpected - a smile.

"You really like to make a point - you win, we lose. But are we really the only people to show it to a bajillion times? No matter how many different ways you do it, at some point we'll be desensitized and the only despair you'll give us is the despair of boredom."

@Ver @Jeremi @York @Kaykay @Lucky @Alex Azure @etcetcetc​

Schala Zeal
@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @Ver @Minerva @Lucky
@Everybody

Schala shook her head, seeming intent on attempting to hold Othinus at bay.

"I'll do what I must... ... To give you the time you need. Now go... While you still have the chance..." She said, managing a smile despite the situation.

It was strange; just a moment ago, she was gritting her teeth as she planted her feet, bracing herself for her inevitable end... But seeing Othinus break through her and Ben's attack like it was nothing, she felt an eerie sense of calmness wash over her as she responded to the question Othinus posed.

"If it means they'll live on... I'd rather them hate me... Spurn me for something I've done... ... But in the end... You won't even let me... Let us... Have that, will you?" She asked, a chilling tone creeping into her voice as she stared down Othinus... Almost as if daring her to do what she was anticipating she was going to.

Sure enough, Othinus brought down her spear... And with that, this reality was no more... Replaced with one of desolation... And death.

Knowhere was no more... With everything it once stood for gone.

Though it wasn't the void, it might as well be; it was the culmination of all that could have gone wrong... But... Schala was no stranger to a scene like this... Not anymore.

It was like a recurring nightmare... Over and over, she would dream of what might happen if she failed to protect those that she still could... The home that she still had, even with her place in her homeworld gone.

Everything she cared for, everything she fought for... Scattered to the winds.

But yet... Despite how many times she had been haunted by visions like this... Now that she was here... Experiencing it in person... There was something... Different about it.

Unlike in her nightmares, she didn't just feel sorrow and guilt about her failures... ... No... Something else stirred within her, a burning feeling that refused to die, even in a moment as bleak as this.

And then it hit her, an epiphany as she stared at Othinus' spear... Gugnir.

"I thought it... Strange, at first. I'm living my nightmares... Yet... I am not crushed by my sorrows... Nor buried in my guilt... ... But... Now I realize why my feelings differ; it's you Othinus. Our future... No... The future of this multiverse... Is no longer in the hands of the Coalition, nor the Revanchist. It's in yours."

Schala sighed, closing her eyes as she crossed her legs, sitting down... As if meditating. It didn't look like she intended to fight Othinus, at least not when it came to a contest of power. No... This time, she seemed to be fighting a different battle; one of the mind... So to speak.

"In the end... It was not the future that refused to change... It was you... That refused to let it change."

At this point, Schala was indifferent to what might happen next; whether Othinus would throw them into a new reality... Or if she would just kill her outright, it made no difference to her now.

In that previous reality, one where they had become enemies to the Coalition, they had a fighting chance... A way to 'win', so to speak, but here... They've already lost from the very beginning, but not of their own volition... After all, they weren't the ones who possessed the Gugnir.​

 

[Hahli Nuva]

Wil was really getting tired of this. Othinus was simply toying with them, trying to force them to break and give in to madness.

But the funny thing about losing everything you held dear was that once you lost it, reliving the moment over and over never compared to the first time. Will refused to give the brat what she wanted. That little pint sized skank was only feared and inher position because she held the artifacts giving her those powers. Had she not had them at all, Will guessed things would be a lot different.

She also noticed that someof her former friends were missing. A tragedy to be sure, but in this new 'multiverse' she wouldn't have time to grieve. No doubt Othinus was crafting some crazy stipulations for the teamand gloating about it inside her head.

"You're the very definition of a coward, Othinus. All that power and you still act like a child."

@York @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Ver @Minerva @Lucky @EVERYBODY

 

[Takumi]

Ben would be able to successfully find the Ultimate Nullifier, locked in a glass case, until he'd taken it out without a hitch. As he did so, Ollerus went ahead and took it for himself, looking over it as though he intended to use it himself. After all, after his small monologue, it didn't seem like he particularly trusted anyone else with it.

"I guess Othinus was right after all. In a world gone crazy, those dragged into it are bound to fall into the same madness as well," Ollerus only grunted in response to Will, not even looking at her as he continued examining the device. "If this was supposed to be the Coalition's greatest weapon in case of emergency, let's just hope that--" He began, before it happened again, his sentence -- as well as Max's search for other items of interest within the vault -- was abruptly cut short.

The end of everything.

---

"Take care of what you say, child. Take heed of your friend here, how his silence speaks volumes," Othinus said to Severa, and with that, finally stabbed Gungnir into the ground, its tip glowing brightly before the air as far as everyone could see shattered.

Once again, everything went white. And then everything went black.

---

When everyone came to, the world as they knew it had shifted once again.

It was still Knowhere, but like before, it was different. Battered and torn, destroyed utterly, as though a catastrophe had happened here. Broken machinery, debris littered all over the corridors, and open for everyone to see as they were once again forced together into the same space, though among the group, Ollerus was missing, and with him, so was the Ultimate Nullifier. Where he was, no one could say.

To the side, anyone could see that the place was littered with corpses. Some were buried under debris, others were impaled into the wall, and others were simply sprawled across the ground, their faces permanently contorted into that of anguish.

Within the destroyed Knowhere, Othinus continued to gloat, leaning against Gungnir, still planted in the ground.

"This is the reality that you might associate most with the end of the multiverse. Catastrophe. Disaster. Devastation. All brought on because you failed," she said, beginning to walk around the entire group in a circle as she pulled the spear out.

"Can you hear it? The cries of those you've forsaken? These are the fruits of your labors as you can perceive them. The inevitable end for those who would walk against fate. This is the natural price to pay to stand against a god."

"What...? E-Everyone's...?"

"Everyone. Think of your loved ones, and know that this is the fate I gave them."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

Of all of the things Chise had seen on her life, this was stil pretty messed up. Taking a step back momentarily, surprised, she had to look away with a shaky breath for a moment.

Ruth stayed close to Chise, not sure what to say, if there was anything to really say at all.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Others

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

❝ So this is next on your list, right? Showing us this? ❞ Willard bore a stern face once they were shown the remains of a destroyed Knowhere. These whims felt similar to how the malevolent Witches of the Metaworld would toy with those unfortunate enough to be on their Gameboard. But this was different, that actual stakes were being messed around with. If they had to endure all of this, then that was the most that he could do at this moment.

❝ Did I actually... fail? ❞ After all this time, Dlanor finally spoke, her usual tone of voice being absent. Much like putting a tool like her into a different use, she had no idea how to go about this. Her original task since the beginning was to stop Othinus, but now, that task had no meaning. She didn't stop her from doing all of this. She didn't have anyone to follow. ❝ Failure... it feels empty. I don't understand why. ❞

@Ver @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @Hahli Nuva @Takumi @Everybody​

 

[Crunch]

"Tch...that's pretty sad," Jolyne said in a matter of fact tone as she looked around at the destruction. "So what did we do? Turn left when we should've turned right? Left the oven on? You can't leave a girl in suspense like this."

"You really need someone that you can confide in you know?" Ermes replied not mad or anything at Othinus, but the sadness in her voice was evident. "You got all this power and every time you just do it alone."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

​

Ben would be able to successfully find the Ultimate Nullifier, locked in a glass case, until he'd taken it out without a hitch. As he did so, Ollerus went ahead and took it for himself, looking over it as though he intended to use it himself. After all, after his small monologue, it didn't seem like he particularly trusted anyone else with it.

"I guess Othinus was right after all. In a world gone crazy, those dragged into it are bound to fall into the same madness as well," Ollerus only grunted in response to Will, not even looking at her as he continued examining the device. "If this was supposed to be the Coalition's greatest weapon in case of emergency, let's just hope that--" He began, before it happened again, his sentence -- as well as Max's search for other items of interest within the vault -- was abruptly cut short.

The end of everything.

---

"Take care of what you say, child. Take heed of your friend here, how his silence speaks volumes," Othinus said to Severa, and with that, finally stabbed Gungnir into the ground, its tip glowing brightly before the air as far as everyone could see shattered.

Once again, everything went white. And then everything went black.

---

When everyone came to, the world as they knew it had shifted once again.

It was still Knowhere, but like before, it was different. Battered and torn, destroyed utterly, as though a catastrophe had happened here. Broken machinery, debris littered all over the corridors, and open for everyone to see as they were once again forced together into the same space, though among the group, Ollerus was missing, and with him, so was the Ultimate Nullifier. Where he was, no one could say.

To the side, anyone could see that the place was littered with corpses. Some were buried under debris, others were impaled into the wall, and others were simply sprawled across the ground, their faces permanently contorted into that of anguish.

Within the destroyed Knowhere, Othinus continued to gloat, leaning against Gungnir, still planted in the ground.

"This is the reality that you might associate most with the end of the multiverse. Catastrophe. Disaster. Devastation. All brought on because you failed," she said, beginning to walk around the entire group in a circle as she pulled the spear out.

"Can you hear it? The cries of those you've forsaken? These are the fruits of your labors as you can perceive them. The inevitable end for those who would walk against fate. This is the natural price to pay to stand against a god."

"What...? E-Everyone's...?"

"Everyone. Think of your loved ones, and know that this is the fate I gave them."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"...Good grief, it's like night and day between you two sometimes," Jotaro said exasperatedly, standing alongside his daughter and casting a long gaze across the field of destruction that Othinus laid before him. Jotaro Kujo shook his head, looking up at Othinus and gesturing to the rubble and corpses with a bored, disinterested tone. Even if his body language communicated a subtle anger boiling beneath his skin.

"I've already been through this whole thing before, Othinus. If Scarecrow's fear gas in Gotham didn't do anything, what makes you think it'll have any effect on me?"

The man raised a finger from his pocket. " You really don't understand how to threaten someone, do you? That only gives me more of an excuse to keep defying you. No guilt, no remorse, no despair. It's all just fuel for a fire. As if I didn't have any reason to kick your ass before... well, now you're just digging a hole for yourself. And besides, I still have loved ones alive. You can't pull this garbage if the job isn't even done yet," Jotaro spoke proudly, looking to his daughter. His face appeared more vulnerable, but in turn, more human. "I guess you're right, Jolyne... I have been talking too much, huh? I've had enough of this bitch. Let's finish this already."

"Hold it!"

Giorno stood up after kneeling next to one of the crushed corpses, moving to block Jotaro's advance on Othinus as he looked up at the goddess herself. Though she hadn't revealed the main kicker of her psychological warfare, the shaken expression on Giorno's face could tell her that it worked... only for a few seconds, that is.

"I doubt you're going to end this battle so easily after Fiamma's gambit. His sacrifice..." Giorno paused, looking down at his free hand for a moment of respite. With a deep breath and nod to himself, he clenched it tightly once more, looking back up at Othinus with reignited resolve.

"His sacrifice only proved that you aren't immortal, which evens the playing field. That means this game can only end when one side dies. Your attempts at fostering despair and crushing our wills are... useless. Useless, useless, useless. Honestly, I've had enough of these party tricks. If this is truly a game, then..."

"How much longer do you think you can hold out until the final round?"

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

​

 

[Ver]

"Perhaps that is the case," Othinus said to Ben, unperturbed by his change of tone, "But not all humans are created equal. You should ask Giorno Giovanna yourself. He, who subjected his own enemy to an endless loop of continuous death for three years. The poor man had gone completely insane by the time DIO had freed him, fueled only by hatred and malevolent intent," she said, calling Giorno out practically as she gestured briefly toward him.

"But would that not be a sad thing for you? To become numb to the suffering of those you've cared for? How would poor Gwen feel if she saw you and your dear grandfather like this, jaded and mindless, lost to this cycle?" Othinus continued, seeming to display intimate knowledge of Ben's home and the people there, before going on with the others.

To Giorno, she lightly smirked. "Ah, but you've yet to see the final stage. Something... truly unexpected. Something that will surely, beyond doubt, break you so thoroughly, that even when I return the Arrow to you, Giorno Giovanna, you will not be able to will yourself to use it. Pain is something anyone to give to anyone, but consider... something you've never been able to give to the people you care about," she said, as though promising more and more to come.

Schala's and Will's words similarly drew a droll response from her as she continued talking. "Yes, quite an amusing thought, isn't it? Now that the multiverse is under my control, it is of no consequence at all for me to manipulate it as I want. Once I've thoroughly punished you all for daring to oppose me, only then will I leave you to rot for all eternity before I move on with my plans. But do go on with that defiance. I'd kill to see your faces twist into pure, hateful, killing intent. Kill someone like... Matthew, or Irma, or anyone else. My, my. The choices are limitless, aren't they?" Othinus taunted Will, seeming to go for the same tactic as she did with Ben. But she wasn't done yet.

She appeared to Libra's and Severa's side, a soft whisper in her voice now. "How about Robin? To mangle him up, to give him cause to beg for mercy... or even Cordelia, right there?"

... to Dlanor. "Or dear Erika?"

... to Chise. "Or Elias?"

... to Mason and Macy. "Or Leon?"

... to Leivinia and Touma. "Or Patricia and Lessar?"

... to Jotaro and Giorno. "Or Koichi Hirose and Guido Mista?"

"How could you know--?!"

"I know."

Everyone's names. Everyone's faces. She knew them all.

She was the true god of the multiverse now, after all.

Ermes seemed to be the only one whose words affected Othinus at all, her pity drawing ire from her while everyone else's scorn only served to amuse her.

"Are you pitying me, human? How unsightly. I should destroy you where you are... but that would be a mercy, wouldn't it? Perhaps I should present your sister to you instead."

As she spoke, the group might have noticed some debris behind her beginning to rumble and stir on its own, as though there was something -- or someone -- underneath, waiting to rise, and Othinus either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, who could tell what was going to happen from here? If Fiamma's spell was somehow able to affect her in some capacity...

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Yun Lee]

"Uhhhhh, newsflash! I already lost my mom ONCE, okay? And she's right here, next to me, so you can't even scare me!" Severa was not having this. Really, who did this little brat think she was?

...oh, right. The God of the Multiverse.

Though, as Othinus monologued, Libra would take the opportunity to use his gravity abilities to raise the rubble up from behind her. Could this be a saving grace...?

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Jeremi]

"...Good grief, it's like night and day between you two sometimes," Jotaro said exasperatedly, standing alongside his daughter and casting a long gaze across the field of destruction that Othinus laid before him. Jotaro Kujo shook his head, looking up at Othinus and gesturing to the rubble and corpses with a bored, disinterested tone. Even if his body language communicated a subtle anger boiling beneath his skin.

"I've already been through this whole thing before, Othinus. If Scarecrow's fear gas in Gotham didn't do anything, what makes you think it'll have any effect on me?"

The man raised a finger from his pocket. " You really don't understand how to threaten someone, do you? That only gives me more of an excuse to keep defying you. No guilt, no remorse, no despair. It's all just fuel for a fire. As if I didn't have any reason to kick your ass before... well, now you're just digging a hole for yourself. And besides, I still have loved ones alive. You can't pull this garbage if the job isn't even done yet," Jotaro spoke proudly, looking to his daughter. His face appeared more vulnerable, but in turn, more human. "I guess you're right, Jolyne... I have been talking too much, huh? I've had enough of this bitch. Let's finish this already."

"Hold it!"

Giorno stood up after kneeling next to one of the crushed corpses, moving to block Jotaro's advance on Othinus as he looked up at the goddess herself. Though she hadn't revealed the main kicker of her psychological warfare, the shaken expression on Giorno's face could tell her that it worked... only for a few seconds, that is.

"I doubt you're going to end this battle so easily after Fiamma's gambit. His sacrifice..." Giorno paused, looking down at his free hand for a moment of respite. With a deep breath and nod to himself, he clenched it tightly once more, looking back up at Othinus with reignited resolve.

"His sacrifice only proved that you aren't immortal, which evens the playing field. That means this game can only end when one side dies. Your attempts at fostering despair and crushing our wills are... useless. Useless, useless, useless. Honestly, I've had enough of these party tricks. If this is truly a game, then..."

"How much longer do you think you can hold out until the final round?"

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

​

"Hey, a lot of dead people is pretty sad, dad," She replied to Jotaro. "Besides...I don't see mom here so...and your dead ass either." Was that Jolyne showing some affection towards her father? Everything's possible. It was a brand new multiverse after all.

Meanwhile Ermes would respond to Giorno's musings towards Othinus. "If this was a game we should like play Monopoly or something. Yo! Othinus! You've ever played Monopoly before? It's pretty fun!"

The remarks about her sister seemed to hit Ermes, if she was anything like the others in this universe she wasn't sure if she could bare it. Even so she tried to put up a brave front as she continued. "Sounds like you're kind of deflecting though...or maybe you haven't really thought about it much."

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

Rita looked over at her and then at the rubble and wondered what happened if she would aim for it. She tried to carefully move her water elemental out and aim at the rock to see if it would do anything. Hopefully, the others would notice what she was doing and distract Othinus.

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Everybody

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

❝ Erika... ❞ Dlanor spoke that name once, as if testing whether or not she could say it, ❝ She would be scolding me now for this failure. For her own Furniture to live beyond their Witch, that itself is a failure. ❞

Before she could say anything else, she yelped in surprise as Willard grabbed her by the shoulders.

❝ Christ, I'm pretty sure Erika would be scolding you right now for acting all vulnerable. Get a hold of yourself. Othinus is only trying to wear down on your resolve. ❞

❝ I don't understand. ❞

Willard made a tired breath, he should've known that Dlanor would fall apart if she didn't have a set goal in mind. If that were the case, he had to work up a new goal for her before she completely loses herself.

❝ Fine, how about this, Dlanor? Continue living. Survive for Erika. You should know that if she was here right now, she'll be upset that her best Furniture let herself be soiled like this. ❞ Addressing her with a new objective, Willard didn't see much change in Dlanor's expression, but she went completely silent. Hopefully she was processing those words. The last thing they needed was for someone to be broken this easily.

Waiting for Dlanor to say anything, Willard shot a side-eyed glance over the moving rubble for a moment. He had no idea what that was all about, but he hoped that it would be something good.

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Takumi]

"Perhaps that is the case," Othinus said to Ben, unperturbed by his change of tone, "But not all humans are created equal. You should ask Giorno Giovanna yourself. He, who subjected his own enemy to an endless loop of continuous death for three years. The poor man had gone completely insane by the time DIO had freed him, fueled only by hatred and malevolent intent," she said, calling Giorno out practically as she gestured briefly toward him.

"But would that not be a sad thing for you? To become numb to the suffering of those you've cared for? How would poor Gwen feel if she saw you and your dear grandfather like this, jaded and mindless, lost to this cycle?" Othinus continued, seeming to display intimate knowledge of Ben's home and the people there, before going on with the others.

To Giorno, she lightly smirked. "Ah, but you've yet to see the final stage. Something... truly unexpected. Something that will surely, beyond doubt, break you so thoroughly, that even when I return the Arrow to you, Giorno Giovanna, you will not be able to will yourself to use it. Pain is something anyone to give to anyone, but consider... something you've never been able to give to the people you care about," she said, as though promising more and more to come.

Schala's and Will's words similarly drew a droll response from her as she continued talking. "Yes, quite an amusing thought, isn't it? Now that the multiverse is under my control, it is of no consequence at all for me to manipulate it as I want. Once I've thoroughly punished you all for daring to oppose me, only then will I leave you to rot for all eternity before I move on with my plans. But do go on with that defiance. I'd kill to see your faces twist into pure, hateful, killing intent. Kill someone like... Matthew, or Irma, or anyone else. My, my. The choices are limitless, aren't they?" Othinus taunted Will, seeming to go for the same tactic as she did with Ben. But she wasn't done yet.

She appeared to Libra's and Severa's side, a soft whisper in her voice now. "How about Robin? To mangle him up, to give him cause to beg for mercy... or even Cordelia, right there?"

... to Dlanor. "Or dear Erika?"

... to Chise. "Or Elias?"

... to Mason and Macy. "Or Leon?"

... to Leivinia and Touma. "Or Patricia and Lessar?"

... to Jotaro and Giorno. "Or Koichi Hirose and Guido Mista?"

"How could you know--?!"

"I know."

Everyone's names. Everyone's faces. She knew them all.

She was the true god of the multiverse now, after all.

Ermes seemed to be the only one whose words affected Othinus at all, her pity drawing ire from her while everyone else's scorn only served to amuse her.

"Are you pitying me, human? How unsightly. I should destroy you where you are... but that would be a mercy, wouldn't it? Perhaps I should present your sister to you instead."

As she spoke, the group might have noticed some debris behind her beginning to rumble and stir on its own, as though there was something -- or someone -- underneath, waiting to rise, and Othinus either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, who could tell what was going to happen from here? If Fiamma's spell was somehow able to affect her in some capacity...

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

There was a flinch, followed by-

"Don't say his name." Chise looked directly at Othinus, expression firm. Ruth stood beside the redhead in his church grim form as he glared at the Magic God.

She had noticed what Libra and Rita were trying to do, though she wasn't quite sure how to distract Othinus, but hearing his name come from her mouth gave her an opprotunity in...some way. "He'd have no reason to beg to you." She stated simply.


@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Gummi Bunnies @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

 

[Macy Moretti]

Ben would be able to successfully find the Ultimate Nullifier, locked in a glass case, until he'd taken it out without a hitch. As he did so, Ollerus went ahead and took it for himself, looking over it as though he intended to use it himself. After all, after his small monologue, it didn't seem like he particularly trusted anyone else with it.

"I guess Othinus was right after all. In a world gone crazy, those dragged into it are bound to fall into the same madness as well," Ollerus only grunted in response to Will, not even looking at her as he continued examining the device. "If this was supposed to be the Coalition's greatest weapon in case of emergency, let's just hope that--" He began, before it happened again, his sentence -- as well as Max's search for other items of interest within the vault -- was abruptly cut short.

The end of everything.

---

"Take care of what you say, child. Take heed of your friend here, how his silence speaks volumes," Othinus said to Severa, and with that, finally stabbed Gungnir into the ground, its tip glowing brightly before the air as far as everyone could see shattered.

Once again, everything went white. And then everything went black.

---

When everyone came to, the world as they knew it had shifted once again.

It was still Knowhere, but like before, it was different. Battered and torn, destroyed utterly, as though a catastrophe had happened here. Broken machinery, debris littered all over the corridors, and open for everyone to see as they were once again forced together into the same space, though among the group, Ollerus was missing, and with him, so was the Ultimate Nullifier. Where he was, no one could say.

To the side, anyone could see that the place was littered with corpses. Some were buried under debris, others were impaled into the wall, and others were simply sprawled across the ground, their faces permanently contorted into that of anguish.

Within the destroyed Knowhere, Othinus continued to gloat, leaning against Gungnir, still planted in the ground.

"This is the reality that you might associate most with the end of the multiverse. Catastrophe. Disaster. Devastation. All brought on because you failed," she said, beginning to walk around the entire group in a circle as she pulled the spear out.

"Can you hear it? The cries of those you've forsaken? These are the fruits of your labors as you can perceive them. The inevitable end for those who would walk against fate. This is the natural price to pay to stand against a god."

"What...? E-Everyone's...?"

"Everyone. Think of your loved ones, and know that this is the fate I gave them."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"Perhaps that is the case," Othinus said to Ben, unperturbed by his change of tone, "But not all humans are created equal. You should ask Giorno Giovanna yourself. He, who subjected his own enemy to an endless loop of continuous death for three years. The poor man had gone completely insane by the time DIO had freed him, fueled only by hatred and malevolent intent," she said, calling Giorno out practically as she gestured briefly toward him.

"But would that not be a sad thing for you? To become numb to the suffering of those you've cared for? How would poor Gwen feel if she saw you and your dear grandfather like this, jaded and mindless, lost to this cycle?" Othinus continued, seeming to display intimate knowledge of Ben's home and the people there, before going on with the others.

To Giorno, she lightly smirked. "Ah, but you've yet to see the final stage. Something... truly unexpected. Something that will surely, beyond doubt, break you so thoroughly, that even when I return the Arrow to you, Giorno Giovanna, you will not be able to will yourself to use it. Pain is something anyone to give to anyone, but consider... something you've never been able to give to the people you care about," she said, as though promising more and more to come.

Schala's and Will's words similarly drew a droll response from her as she continued talking. "Yes, quite an amusing thought, isn't it? Now that the multiverse is under my control, it is of no consequence at all for me to manipulate it as I want. Once I've thoroughly punished you all for daring to oppose me, only then will I leave you to rot for all eternity before I move on with my plans. But do go on with that defiance. I'd kill to see your faces twist into pure, hateful, killing intent. Kill someone like... Matthew, or Irma, or anyone else. My, my. The choices are limitless, aren't they?" Othinus taunted Will, seeming to go for the same tactic as she did with Ben. But she wasn't done yet.

She appeared to Libra's and Severa's side, a soft whisper in her voice now. "How about Robin? To mangle him up, to give him cause to beg for mercy... or even Cordelia, right there?"

... to Dlanor. "Or dear Erika?"

... to Chise. "Or Elias?"

... to Mason and Macy. "Or Leon?"

... to Leivinia and Touma. "Or Patricia and Lessar?"

... to Jotaro and Giorno. "Or Koichi Hirose and Guido Mista?"

"How could you know--?!"

"I know."

Everyone's names. Everyone's faces. She knew them all.

She was the true god of the multiverse now, after all.

Ermes seemed to be the only one whose words affected Othinus at all, her pity drawing ire from her while everyone else's scorn only served to amuse her.

"Are you pitying me, human? How unsightly. I should destroy you where you are... but that would be a mercy, wouldn't it? Perhaps I should present your sister to you instead."

As she spoke, the group might have noticed some debris behind her beginning to rumble and stir on its own, as though there was something -- or someone -- underneath, waiting to rise, and Othinus either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, who could tell what was going to happen from here? If Fiamma's spell was somehow able to affect her in some capacity...

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

View attachment 3366
"Damn it! We were this close! We had the thing, and you had to go and do... this!"

View attachment 3367
"You think this is gonna work on me? I've seen failure before. I've seen death. I know the cost of failing is death. And I've died myself, what, like three or four times now? It's starting to lose its sting, though it still hurts like a bitch."

"Even if I had to watch Leon die again... I've done it before. Leon... Mama... Carrie... I've already thrown them away, so what else is there to lose?"

Macy stood, frozen in place. Her head turned side to side, gazing over the countless dead bodies with lifeless eyes. Light left her eyes the moment her desperate attack shattered into pieces. She was muttering to herself, repeating,

View attachment 3368
"No, not Leon... No, not Leon..."

"Mace, you alright?" Mason asked, looking back at her.

"I'm fine," she lied.
​

"Hey, a lot of dead people is pretty sad, dad," She replied to Jotaro. "Besides...I don't see mom here so...and your dead ass either." Was that Jolyne showing some affection towards her father? Everything's possible. It was a brand new multiverse after all.

Meanwhile Ermes would respond to Giorno's musings towards Othinus. "If this was a game we should like play Monopoly or something. Yo! Othinus! You've ever played Monopoly before? It's pretty fun!"

The remarks about her sister seemed to hit Ermes, if she was anything like the others in this universe she wasn't sure if she could bare it. Even so she tried to put up a brave front as she continued. "Sounds like you're kind of deflecting though...or maybe you haven't really thought about it much."

@CrunchyCHEEZIT @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody

"If we were playing Monopoly, she'd just wave her magic spear around and suddenly she would have all the money and all the properties, leaving us to wander around the board gathering debt we can't pay off."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Jeremi]

View attachment 3366
"Damn it! We were this close! We had the thing, and you had to go and do... this!"

View attachment 3367
"You think this is gonna work on me? I've seen failure before. I've seen death. I know the cost of failing is death. And I've died myself, what, like three or four times now? It's starting to lose its sting, though it still hurts like a bitch."

"Even if I had to watch Leon die again... I've done it before. Leon... Mama... Carrie... I've already thrown them away, so what else is there to lose?"

Macy stood, frozen in place. Her head turned side to side, gazing over the countless dead bodies with lifeless eyes. Light left her eyes the moment her desperate attack shattered into pieces. She was muttering to herself, repeating,

View attachment 3368
"No, not Leon... No, not Leon..."

"Mace, you alright?" Mason asked, looking back at her.

"I'm fine," she lied.
​

"If we were playing Monopoly, she'd just wave her magic spear around and suddenly she would have all the money and all the properties, leaving us to wander around the board gathering debt we can't pay off."

@Ver @Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

"So...just regular Monopoly then?" Ermes replied with out missing a beat.

 

[Hahli Nuva]

"Perhaps that is the case," Othinus said to Ben, unperturbed by his change of tone, "But not all humans are created equal. You should ask Giorno Giovanna yourself. He, who subjected his own enemy to an endless loop of continuous death for three years. The poor man had gone completely insane by the time DIO had freed him, fueled only by hatred and malevolent intent," she said, calling Giorno out practically as she gestured briefly toward him.

"But would that not be a sad thing for you? To become numb to the suffering of those you've cared for? How would poor Gwen feel if she saw you and your dear grandfather like this, jaded and mindless, lost to this cycle?" Othinus continued, seeming to display intimate knowledge of Ben's home and the people there, before going on with the others.

To Giorno, she lightly smirked. "Ah, but you've yet to see the final stage. Something... truly unexpected. Something that will surely, beyond doubt, break you so thoroughly, that even when I return the Arrow to you, Giorno Giovanna, you will not be able to will yourself to use it. Pain is something anyone to give to anyone, but consider... something you've never been able to give to the people you care about," she said, as though promising more and more to come.

Schala's and Will's words similarly drew a droll response from her as she continued talking. "Yes, quite an amusing thought, isn't it? Now that the multiverse is under my control, it is of no consequence at all for me to manipulate it as I want. Once I've thoroughly punished you all for daring to oppose me, only then will I leave you to rot for all eternity before I move on with my plans. But do go on with that defiance. I'd kill to see your faces twist into pure, hateful, killing intent. Kill someone like... Matthew, or Irma, or anyone else. My, my. The choices are limitless, aren't they?" Othinus taunted Will, seeming to go for the same tactic as she did with Ben. But she wasn't done yet.

She appeared to Libra's and Severa's side, a soft whisper in her voice now. "How about Robin? To mangle him up, to give him cause to beg for mercy... or even Cordelia, right there?"

... to Dlanor. "Or dear Erika?"

... to Chise. "Or Elias?"

... to Mason and Macy. "Or Leon?"

... to Leivinia and Touma. "Or Patricia and Lessar?"

... to Jotaro and Giorno. "Or Koichi Hirose and Guido Mista?"

"How could you know--?!"

"I know."

Everyone's names. Everyone's faces. She knew them all.

She was the true god of the multiverse now, after all.

Ermes seemed to be the only one whose words affected Othinus at all, her pity drawing ire from her while everyone else's scorn only served to amuse her.

"Are you pitying me, human? How unsightly. I should destroy you where you are... but that would be a mercy, wouldn't it? Perhaps I should present your sister to you instead."

As she spoke, the group might have noticed some debris behind her beginning to rumble and stir on its own, as though there was something -- or someone -- underneath, waiting to rise, and Othinus either didn't notice or didn't care. Either way, who could tell what was going to happen from here? If Fiamma's spell was somehow able to affect her in some capacity...

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

Will narrowed her eyes, Quintessence crackling in her palm. Xing Jin tried to calm her internally, but Will was ignoring her comments.

She was sick and tired of being sick and tired. This bitch was not going to break her, no mattter who or what she conjured up. Will stepped forwards, venom laced in every word.

"You don't have the right to speak their names, harlot. You can play all the games you want. Just know that sooner or later, you will fail. And when you do? I'll be right there. Waiting."

@Kaykay @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Ver @York @Minerva @Lucky@Everybody

 

[Kaykay]

"You, how..."

Leivinia cut herself short, gritting her teeth as Othinus had called out her sister's name. Her body shook, whether due to anger or fear, or perhaps both, even she herself couldn't tell.

This was ridiculous. Understanding what made each of them tick, who they all valued? It was a power just as frightening as destroying and recreating the world itself. Or perhaps even moreso. She wasn't quite omniscient, or Fiamma's gambit couldn't have elicited such surprise, but the Magic God was getting way too close to it.

But there was something strange about it.

"...How?"

She repeated the same question she'd just cut off, but with different intent. Her expression made it clear she was pissed, but she didn't make the jump to combat this time. Mixed in with her ire was an honest curiosity, perhaps from studying people of power as the leader of the Dawn-Colored Sunlight.

"Humans don't have intimate knowledge on how to break the mind of ant. It's way too far beneath us. We'd never put a plan into motion using all of our magic and science just to obliterate the feelings of a group of ants. Yet here a god is, trying to do such a thing to a group of humans. How can that be when you claim to be so far beyond us?"

Even the magic cabal boss who manipulated others for her own ends didn't understand. She used others, but it was because she too was human that she could understand how to do so. A god should have no need for such things. It was as if Othinus herself wanted to play at the human level, despite her god-like powers.

...

A foolish thought.

@Ver @Alex Azure @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Ver]

"The novelty of your defiance against fate is beginning to wane. I wonder just how much longer you will hold out," Othinus said to Mason, drawing more pleasure from everyone else between Dlanor, Leivinia, Will, and Chise, among others, though Ermes's response continued to only get a scowl from her. "Oh, you'll see what I intend to finally do with you soon enough. Just you wait."

To Leivinia, she folded her arms behind her back, still holding Gungnir, never leaving her hands. "Perhaps I do find humans fascinating, perhaps it is simply out of a wish to have subjects to test my powers on. Humans can't even understand ants, much less each other, after all. How can they hope to understand God herself?"

CRASH!

From the debris, Ollerus burst, letting out a wave of magical energy around his body to shoot the debris off. Leaping to his feet, the Ultimate Nullifier in his hand, he took aim and didn't hesitate, firing it at Othinus from behind!

"Your day still hasn't come, so keep waiting, Othinus!" He exclaimed, forcing Othinus to outstretch her arm and use her open palm to block the Ultimate Nullifier's beam, which she did so with ease. Even so, he kept on firing, gritting his teeth. "With Fiamma of the Right's Fairy spell and this weapon, surely you--!"

BOOM!

As Othinus nonchalantly closed her palm into a fist, Ollerus instantly exploded, and along with him, the Ultimate Nullifier. Tutting softly, she shook her head as she looked upon Ollerus's remaining ashes. "How annoying. I should have done that sooner. Now... My two greatest enemies have been taken care of, and I can take care of the rest of my business in peace," she mused, before looking back to the group.

"I suppose it is fortunate for him. He was not worth the trouble of keeping alive, nor was Fiamma of the Right, and they had no place in the ideal world anyway. Now then, shall we proceed?"

Touma sunk to his knees, gazing in horror at yet another ally felled by Othinus on a whim. "You... He... Not even that weapon could...?" The boy blubbered incomprehensibly, eyes shaking as violently as the rest of his body.

@Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody​

 

[Yun Lee]

Oh, come on! "Hey! Touma!" Severa clicked her tongue, looking down at her ally. "Don't let her get to you! Like...okay, yeah. Those were our allies, and this situation sucks, and stuff. But come on! You're giving her what she wants! Get up and keep fighting!" Uh... "It's what Ollerus would've wanted, y'know?"

"......" Libra turned pale as Ollerus was obliterated so easily, the Ultimate Nullifier along with him. It was merciless and gruesome, something he was used to seeing with Othinus now. But he also saw something else, something he wouldn't draw attention to just yet. So, it was back to playing Othinus' next game.

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[Hahli Nuva]

"The novelty of your defiance against fate is beginning to wane. I wonder just how much longer you will hold out," Othinus said to Mason, drawing more pleasure from everyone else between Dlanor, Leivinia, Will, and Chise, among others, though Ermes's response continued to only get a scowl from her. "Oh, you'll see what I intend to finally do with you soon enough. Just you wait."

To Leivinia, she folded her arms behind her back, still holding Gungnir, never leaving her hands. "Perhaps I do find humans fascinating, perhaps it is simply out of a wish to have subjects to test my powers on. Humans can't even understand ants, much less each other, after all. How can they hope to understand God herself?"

CRASH!

From the debris, Ollerus burst, letting out a wave of magical energy around his body to shoot the debris off. Leaping to his feet, the Ultimate Nullifier in his hand, he took aim and didn't hesitate, firing it at Othinus from behind!

"Your day still hasn't come, so keep waiting, Othinus!" He exclaimed, forcing Othinus to outstretch her arm and use her open palm to block the Ultimate Nullifier's beam, which she did so with ease. Even so, he kept on firing, gritting his teeth. "With Fiamma of the Right's Fairy spell and this weapon, surely you--!"

BOOM!

As Othinus nonchalantly closed her palm into a fist, Ollerus instantly exploded, and along with him, the Ultimate Nullifier. Tutting softly, she shook her head as she looked upon Ollerus's remaining ashes. "How annoying. I should have done that sooner. Now... My two greatest enemies have been taken care of, and I can take care of the rest of my business in peace," she mused, before looking back to the group.

"I suppose it is fortunate for him. He was not worth the trouble of keeping alive, nor was Fiamma of the Right, and they had no place in the ideal world anyway."

Touma sunk to his knees, gazing in horror at yet another ally felled by Othinus on a whim. "You... He... Not even that weapon could...?" The boy blubbered incomprehensibly, eyes shaking as violently as the rest of his body.

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Will growled externally. Inwards, in the deepesrt part of her soul, she was plotting.

"She just... killed him.."

"Will. Listen to me. Othinus is untouchable by all kinds of magic, even ours. It is unwise to poke a sleeping giant, as the saying goes."

"So what, we just stand by and let everyone else die again?"

"Of course not. But open defiance is liable to get yourself killed. Just like Ollerus. Please, I beg you to think things through very carefully."

"...She said she could hurt Matt or Irma or the others. I can't just watch as she does what she wants..."

"I know, Will. But listen. We can't make the same mistakes we did before. Do not underestimate her."

An exasperated sigh left Will's lips. How many more people had to die? With all this death around her, it was hard to shed tears. Othinus clearly wanted to shock everyone and cause the survivors to give in to despair and madness.

But Will's resolve was unbreakable.

No matter what this bitch did or caused, Will Vandom would not be a victim of her games.

@Ver @Kaykay @Gummi Bunnies @Jeremi @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @York @Minerva @Lucky @Everybody