Main Event Right Hand of the Magic God

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

Rita finally understood why Othinus had let them take the device now. She knew that it couldn't defeat her. " That's what I suspected," she said, looking over at the others. Rita paused when she heard the word ideal world and the pieces fell into place for her, but she didn't say anything in case she was wrong.


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

 

[Ver]

"Severa..." Touma could only utter, wondering how she could maintain her composure at a time like this, before something strange happened.

Suddenly, Othinus stopped and began to cough out of nowhere. Her knees faltered and she clumsily fell against the wall, her palm hitting the side as she coughed violently, even vomiting some degree of blood, shockingly enough. Even she was surprised at this, as though indicated from the shocked expression on her face and her one visible eye.

"W-What...?! I don't understand...!"

"Was... Was that the Ultimate Nullifier's power? Or was it...?"

"Fiamma of the Right...! This can't be..." She grunted, clutching her chest as though she could feel internal damage afflicting her body. Even with the full power of a Magic God at her side, it seemed that even she had her share of vulnerabilities, delayed as the effects might be if it was true that this was purely the power of Fiamma's spell, rather than any result of the Ultimate Nullifier. But one couldn't exactly be sure.

With a hateful glare toward everyone, gritting her teeth tightly, Othinus took a step back, for once not saying anything more. With a sharp whoosh, she suddenly disappeared from sight, as though feeling the need to flee to recover from whatever had suddenly afflicted her, leaving the group by themselves without a word.

"W-Where did she go?!" Touma exclaimed, looking around, still aghast at what he'd seen, but all the same, he was reinvigorated by the thought that even as a Magic God, she'd been able to be wounded. There was hope, after all! Remembering that Fiamma of the Right and Ollerus were gone, Touma sighed, musing on how aside from Leivinia, he was the only one here who had any knowledge of Othinus, being from her world, and if there was one thing he had observed from her...

"Jeez... Wherever she is, I think we should at least try and look around Knowhere," Touma suggested, as though taking the initiative to make the decision for the group, even though, admittedly, he had little experience with leadership -- even Leivinia probably would have been better for this -- but he had to press on. It might have been more for his own sake at this point, but he needed to do this.

Pointing to a barely functioning map of the station, conveniently placed on the wall, flickering on and off as though it had sustained damage before they came here, Touma pursed his lips. "... I don't know what we'll find, but... It's worth a shot for something else to get past her, right?"

To that end, it seemed that there were three areas that were worth looking into, highlighted by the young man's fingers.

"I'll look into the Command Center myself, and you guys can follow, but... How about this? Maybe some of you guys could also look at the Med Bay and the Member's Quarters? Maybe... Just maybe, there's some people who are still alive!" Touma exclaimed, eagerly clenching his fist as he was rejuvenated, "If Othinus wanted to keep some of them just on the edge of life... then at the very least, they're still alive, right?! Let's go!" He exclaimed.

With the options laid out to everyone, it was time to move once more.

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

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

Rita headed off to the Med Bay. It seemed like a good place to start.

@Atomic Knight @Med Bay

 

[Yun Lee]

As she had the rest of this adventure, Severa stuck close to Touma. "Command center, huh? Is that, like, the throne room, or is there a bunch of that science stuff in there, too?"

@Ver

---

"I will go to the med bay, myself," Libra said. After all, being a member of The Mind, he was familiar with it. Though Othinus had disappeared now, this was a good chance to try something, anything, to get an advantage. There was still hope, even now...and he would take it!

@Atomic Knight @Lucky​

 

[Hahli Nuva]

"Severa..." Touma could only utter, wondering how she could maintain her composure at a time like this, before something strange happened.

Suddenly, Othinus stopped and began to cough out of nowhere. Her knees faltered and she clumsily fell against the wall, her palm hitting the side as she coughed violently, even vomiting some degree of blood, shockingly enough. Even she was surprised at this, as though indicated from the shocked expression on her face and her one visible eye.

"W-What...?! I don't understand...!"

"Was... Was that the Ultimate Nullifier's power? Or was it...?"

"Fiamma of the Right...! This can't be..." She grunted, clutching her chest as though she could feel internal damage afflicting her body. Even with the full power of a Magic God at her side, it seemed that even she had her share of vulnerabilities, delayed as the effects might be if it was true that this was purely the power of Fiamma's spell, rather than any result of the Ultimate Nullifier. But one couldn't exactly be sure.

With a hateful glare toward everyone, gritting her teeth tightly, Othinus took a step back, for once not saying anything more. With a sharp whoosh, she suddenly disappeared from sight, as though feeling the need to flee to recover from whatever had suddenly afflicted her, leaving the group by themselves without a word.

"W-Where did she go?!" Touma exclaimed, looking around, still aghast at what he'd seen, but all the same, he was reinvigorated by the thought that even as a Magic God, she'd been able to be wounded. There was hope, after all! Remembering that Fiamma of the Right and Ollerus were gone, Touma sighed, musing on how aside from Leivinia, he was the only one here who had any knowledge of Othinus, being from her world, and if there was one thing he had observed from her...

"Jeez... Wherever she is, I think we should at least try and look around Knowhere," Touma suggested, as though taking the initiative to make the decision for the group, even though, admittedly, he had little experience with leadership -- even Leivinia probably would have been better for this -- but he had to press on. It might have been more for his own sake at this point, but he needed to do this.

Pointing to a barely functioning map of the station, conveniently placed on the wall, flickering on and off as though it had sustained damage before they came here, Touma pursed his lips. "... I don't know what we'll find, but... It's worth a shot for something else to get past her, right?"

To that end, it seemed that there were three areas that were worth looking into, highlighted by the young man's fingers.

"I'll look into the Command Center myself, and you guys can follow, but... How about this? Maybe some of you guys could also look at the Med Bay and the Member's Quarters? Maybe... Just maybe, there's some people who are still alive!" Touma exclaimed, eagerly clenching his fist as he was rejuvenated, "If Othinus wanted to keep some of them just on the edge of life... then at the very least, they're still alive, right?! Let's go!" He exclaimed.

With the options laid out to everyone, it was time to move once more.

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

Will chose to follow Touma to the Command Center. Othinus probably didn't expect to have to deal with her current condition just then, which meant that there had to be some information or secrets left.

"The boy certainly knows how to take charge."

"He never asked for it. His other friends died right in front of him. If anything, I'm suprised he isn't a sobbing wreck right now."

"And what of you, Will? I know you're hiding it."

"I don't have time to cry, Xing Jin. We have a mission to complete."

"I know that. I'm just worried about your mental state."

"I said I'm fine!"

"....."

@Ver @CommandCenter

 

[Crunch]

"Severa..." Touma could only utter, wondering how she could maintain her composure at a time like this, before something strange happened.

Suddenly, Othinus stopped and began to cough out of nowhere. Her knees faltered and she clumsily fell against the wall, her palm hitting the side as she coughed violently, even vomiting some degree of blood, shockingly enough. Even she was surprised at this, as though indicated from the shocked expression on her face and her one visible eye.

"W-What...?! I don't understand...!"

"Was... Was that the Ultimate Nullifier's power? Or was it...?"

"Fiamma of the Right...! This can't be..." She grunted, clutching her chest as though she could feel internal damage afflicting her body. Even with the full power of a Magic God at her side, it seemed that even she had her share of vulnerabilities, delayed as the effects might be if it was true that this was purely the power of Fiamma's spell, rather than any result of the Ultimate Nullifier. But one couldn't exactly be sure.

With a hateful glare toward everyone, gritting her teeth tightly, Othinus took a step back, for once not saying anything more. With a sharp whoosh, she suddenly disappeared from sight, as though feeling the need to flee to recover from whatever had suddenly afflicted her, leaving the group by themselves without a word.

"W-Where did she go?!" Touma exclaimed, looking around, still aghast at what he'd seen, but all the same, he was reinvigorated by the thought that even as a Magic God, she'd been able to be wounded. There was hope, after all! Remembering that Fiamma of the Right and Ollerus were gone, Touma sighed, musing on how aside from Leivinia, he was the only one here who had any knowledge of Othinus, being from her world, and if there was one thing he had observed from her...

"Jeez... Wherever she is, I think we should at least try and look around Knowhere," Touma suggested, as though taking the initiative to make the decision for the group, even though, admittedly, he had little experience with leadership -- even Leivinia probably would have been better for this -- but he had to press on. It might have been more for his own sake at this point, but he needed to do this.

Pointing to a barely functioning map of the station, conveniently placed on the wall, flickering on and off as though it had sustained damage before they came here, Touma pursed his lips. "... I don't know what we'll find, but... It's worth a shot for something else to get past her, right?"

To that end, it seemed that there were three areas that were worth looking into, highlighted by the young man's fingers.

"I'll look into the Command Center myself, and you guys can follow, but... How about this? Maybe some of you guys could also look at the Med Bay and the Member's Quarters? Maybe... Just maybe, there's some people who are still alive!" Touma exclaimed, eagerly clenching his fist as he was rejuvenated, "If Othinus wanted to keep some of them just on the edge of life... then at the very least, they're still alive, right?! Let's go!" He exclaimed.

With the options laid out to everyone, it was time to move once more.

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

Giorno Giovanna watched the Magic God crumble to pieces, when just minutes ago she was floating in the air and haughtily speaking over the don as if he she had a finger on every trigger. After everything she said and did, seeing Othinus fall to the ground and scramble away like a frightened, wounded animal would make any normal person dance for joy. However, the boy who once held the Arrow clutched his chest, as if imbuing himself with the same fire that he had before all of this.

No more hesitation. The final round is approaching... I can't stop and gloat now. I'd be no better than my father at that point. Yes, mow I remember who I am... I, Giorno Giovanna, have a dream! I must 'act' to achieve that!

He moved with seething purpose, taking to Touma's side and pointing to the hallway leading to the Command Center.

"We have no time to waste, then. Fiamma and Ollerus put faith in us to exact their will after their deaths... if we don't act now, we may never have an opening like this again. No hesitation, no detours, no second thoughts!" Giorno loudly proclaimed to the group, hoping to spark some confidence and conviction with their weary hearts. The young don looked to Touma and nodded, "Let's move quickly, Touma!"

"Let's move."

Jotaro joined Touma and Giorno, looking expectantly to Jolyne and Ermes as he did. What Jolyne had said minutes ago - that he and her mother were still alive after all - didn't go unnoticed by her father, who stood tall among the group with renewed energy and pride. He seemed like less of a prick when he didn't have any energy, unfortunately.

"We have an advantage now - temporary as it may be, if we can get one punch in, then that means we're winning. Nothing pisses off a god more than reminding them of their mortality."

"You talk like you've foughten gods before."

"Well, I'm expanding my horizons today. It's a pain in my ass, but the multiverse is at stake."

"...Can't believe I just said something like that."

"It isn't anything we aren't used to by now. Our own world is still quite bizarre, you know... but the Joestars still come out on top at the end of the day, right?"

"...Heh, right."

@Ver @Yun Lee @Command Center​

 

[Atomic Knight]

The Med Bay on Knowhere was an advanced facility that saw not only Coalition members, but also the myriad of other groups and people stationed there. With Knowhere largely known as a scientific station, the Med Bay was nearly unmatched as a medical facility in terms of technology. Normally, it was a marvel, but now it looked completely gutted and a shell of its former self.

The Med Bay of this new world order looked almost unrecognizable with debris. A battle had evidently taken place here, as evidenced by scattered weaponry and pools of blood. There were no visible bodies to be found peculiarly enough, though the smell of death hung thickly in the air. Broken machines and lights periodically whirred to life, setting off flash and sparks, but nothing seemed to work. The direct transport to the Avalon medical facility was broken as well.

The world seemed dead here.

Though, some life remained.

There was movement inside the facility. Someone or something was moving low behind a counter. It knocked a metal tray off a counter and froze, seemingly scared.

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Med Bay​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

" Hey, it's okay. We're not here to hurt you," Rita said, cautiously approaching the counter and looking down carefully to see who or what had caused that noise.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Med Bay

 

[Yun Lee]

This was the stuff of nightmares. To see the beautiful facility he had been so used to every day reduced to this? Othinus' "games" were starting to feel far more real. As Rita spoke, Libra forced his attention away from the destruction, and on whatever was in here. "It is as she says," he said, readying his staff. "We want to help you. If you're hurting, I can heal you."

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @MedBay​

 

[Crow]

Oooh, now she's done it.

"Get your hands off my cousin, you mons-"

"Ben, don't fall for her taunts. Even if she does, we'll fix all this."

Many things went down after that.​

The Med Bay on Knowhere was an advanced facility that saw not only Coalition members, but also the myriad of other groups and people stationed there. With Knowhere largely known as a scientific station, the Med Bay was nearly unmatched as a medical facility in terms of technology. Normally, it was a marvel, but now it looked completely gutted and a shell of its former self.

The Med Bay of this new world order looked almost unrecognizable with debris. A battle had evidently taken place here, as evidenced by scattered weaponry and pools of blood. There were no visible bodies to be found peculiarly enough, though the smell of death hung thickly in the air. Broken machines and lights periodically whirred to life, setting off flash and sparks, but nothing seemed to work. The direct transport to the Avalon medical facility was broken as well.

The world seemed dead here.

Though, some life remained.

There was movement inside the facility. Someone or something was moving low behind a counter. It knocked a metal tray off a counter and froze, seemingly scared.

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Med Bay​

Rita Hanson

" Hey, it's okay. We're not here to hurt you," Rita said, cautiously approaching the counter and looking down carefully to see who or what had caused that noise.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Med Bay

"Rita, do you think it's..."

Max trails, preparing to help with lifting debris if needed.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Lucky @Crow @MedBay
​

---

Ben followed Giorno, Touma & the like to the Command Centre. He had his Omnitrix on dial, in case anything happened.

@Ver @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @CommandCentre​

 

[Macy Moretti]

"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​

"You may think my strength is waning, but you're..."

BOOM!

View attachment 3369
"...absolutely right. Chekhov be damned. That's kinda disheartening."
​

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.

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

View attachment 3370
"But Severa's right! We can keep moving on! Show us your worst! We'll... We'll handle it!"

View attachment 3371
"What's even the point? We're playing a game we can't win. At this point, the best thing we can hope for is death. Maybe if we're lucky, Hades or whoever it is will be kind enough to put us in Elysium."
​

"Severa..." Touma could only utter, wondering how she could maintain her composure at a time like this, before something strange happened.

Suddenly, Othinus stopped and began to cough out of nowhere. Her knees faltered and she clumsily fell against the wall, her palm hitting the side as she coughed violently, even vomiting some degree of blood, shockingly enough. Even she was surprised at this, as though indicated from the shocked expression on her face and her one visible eye.

"W-What...?! I don't understand...!"

"Was... Was that the Ultimate Nullifier's power? Or was it...?"

"Fiamma of the Right...! This can't be..." She grunted, clutching her chest as though she could feel internal damage afflicting her body. Even with the full power of a Magic God at her side, it seemed that even she had her share of vulnerabilities, delayed as the effects might be if it was true that this was purely the power of Fiamma's spell, rather than any result of the Ultimate Nullifier. But one couldn't exactly be sure.

With a hateful glare toward everyone, gritting her teeth tightly, Othinus took a step back, for once not saying anything more. With a sharp whoosh, she suddenly disappeared from sight, as though feeling the need to flee to recover from whatever had suddenly afflicted her, leaving the group by themselves without a word.

"W-Where did she go?!" Touma exclaimed, looking around, still aghast at what he'd seen, but all the same, he was reinvigorated by the thought that even as a Magic God, she'd been able to be wounded. There was hope, after all! Remembering that Fiamma of the Right and Ollerus were gone, Touma sighed, musing on how aside from Leivinia, he was the only one here who had any knowledge of Othinus, being from her world, and if there was one thing he had observed from her...

"Jeez... Wherever she is, I think we should at least try and look around Knowhere," Touma suggested, as though taking the initiative to make the decision for the group, even though, admittedly, he had little experience with leadership -- even Leivinia probably would have been better for this -- but he had to press on. It might have been more for his own sake at this point, but he needed to do this.

Pointing to a barely functioning map of the station, conveniently placed on the wall, flickering on and off as though it had sustained damage before they came here, Touma pursed his lips. "... I don't know what we'll find, but... It's worth a shot for something else to get past her, right?"

To that end, it seemed that there were three areas that were worth looking into, highlighted by the young man's fingers.

"I'll look into the Command Center myself, and you guys can follow, but... How about this? Maybe some of you guys could also look at the Med Bay and the Member's Quarters? Maybe... Just maybe, there's some people who are still alive!" Touma exclaimed, eagerly clenching his fist as he was rejuvenated, "If Othinus wanted to keep some of them just on the edge of life... then at the very least, they're still alive, right?! Let's go!" He exclaimed.

With the options laid out to everyone, it was time to move once more.

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

"Save the nihilism, Mace. We just found our hope! Fuck you, fate! Not taking me today! We gotta split up again, but we'll do fine, right?"

"Right!" Macy cheered with renewed optimism in her voice.

Mason dashed off to the Member's Quarters as fast as he could.
@Ver @Atomic Knight @Member's Quarters
​

The Med Bay on Knowhere was an advanced facility that saw not only Coalition members, but also the myriad of other groups and people stationed there. With Knowhere largely known as a scientific station, the Med Bay was nearly unmatched as a medical facility in terms of technology. Normally, it was a marvel, but now it looked completely gutted and a shell of its former self.

The Med Bay of this new world order looked almost unrecognizable with debris. A battle had evidently taken place here, as evidenced by scattered weaponry and pools of blood. There were no visible bodies to be found peculiarly enough, though the smell of death hung thickly in the air. Broken machines and lights periodically whirred to life, setting off flash and sparks, but nothing seemed to work. The direct transport to the Avalon medical facility was broken as well.

The world seemed dead here.

Though, some life remained.

There was movement inside the facility. Someone or something was moving low behind a counter. It knocked a metal tray off a counter and froze, seemingly scared.

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Med Bay​

Rita Hanson

" Hey, it's okay. We're not here to hurt you," Rita said, cautiously approaching the counter and looking down carefully to see who or what had caused that noise.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Med Bay

This was the stuff of nightmares. To see the beautiful facility he had been so used to every day reduced to this? Othinus' "games" were starting to feel far more real. As Rita spoke, Libra forced his attention away from the destruction, and on whatever was in here. "It is as she says," he said, readying his staff. "We want to help you. If you're hurting, I can heal you."

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @MedBay​

Rita, do you think it's..."

Max trails, preparing to help with lifting debris if needed.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Lucky @Crow @MedBay

Meanwhile, Macy made her way to the Med Bay alongside Rita, Max and Libra.

"It kinda stinks in here. I wish I knew how to turn my nose off," she whispered as they entered the bay.

At the sound of movement, she followed Rita closer to whatever was there. She lit the area around them with a soft blue glow in her palm.

"Me too. Plenty of healing all around. Just come out and say hi!"

Despite her kind promises, Macy was ready to capture the creature in a barrier if things turned violent.

@Atomic Knight @Alex Azure @Crow @Lucky @Yun Lee @Med Bay​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

" I don't know- I just know whoever it is scared of us," she replied, hoping that it was a person that she knew or just anyone nice. She just hoped that they didn't try to attack her for being helpful, but she was happy that Macy was here in case things got bad.

@Atomic Knight @Alex Azure @Crow @Yun Lee @Med Bay

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

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

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

❝ 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​

"...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

​

"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​

"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​

"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

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

❝ 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​

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

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.

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

"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​

"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.

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

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.

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

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

Rita Hanson

Rita finally understood why Othinus had let them take the device now. She knew that it couldn't defeat her. " That's what I suspected," she said, looking over at the others. Rita paused when she heard the word ideal world and the pieces fell into place for her, but she didn't say anything in case she was wrong.


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

"Severa..." Touma could only utter, wondering how she could maintain her composure at a time like this, before something strange happened.

Suddenly, Othinus stopped and began to cough out of nowhere. Her knees faltered and she clumsily fell against the wall, her palm hitting the side as she coughed violently, even vomiting some degree of blood, shockingly enough. Even she was surprised at this, as though indicated from the shocked expression on her face and her one visible eye.

"W-What...?! I don't understand...!"

"Was... Was that the Ultimate Nullifier's power? Or was it...?"

"Fiamma of the Right...! This can't be..." She grunted, clutching her chest as though she could feel internal damage afflicting her body. Even with the full power of a Magic God at her side, it seemed that even she had her share of vulnerabilities, delayed as the effects might be if it was true that this was purely the power of Fiamma's spell, rather than any result of the Ultimate Nullifier. But one couldn't exactly be sure.

With a hateful glare toward everyone, gritting her teeth tightly, Othinus took a step back, for once not saying anything more. With a sharp whoosh, she suddenly disappeared from sight, as though feeling the need to flee to recover from whatever had suddenly afflicted her, leaving the group by themselves without a word.

"W-Where did she go?!" Touma exclaimed, looking around, still aghast at what he'd seen, but all the same, he was reinvigorated by the thought that even as a Magic God, she'd been able to be wounded. There was hope, after all! Remembering that Fiamma of the Right and Ollerus were gone, Touma sighed, musing on how aside from Leivinia, he was the only one here who had any knowledge of Othinus, being from her world, and if there was one thing he had observed from her...

"Jeez... Wherever she is, I think we should at least try and look around Knowhere," Touma suggested, as though taking the initiative to make the decision for the group, even though, admittedly, he had little experience with leadership -- even Leivinia probably would have been better for this -- but he had to press on. It might have been more for his own sake at this point, but he needed to do this.

Pointing to a barely functioning map of the station, conveniently placed on the wall, flickering on and off as though it had sustained damage before they came here, Touma pursed his lips. "... I don't know what we'll find, but... It's worth a shot for something else to get past her, right?"

To that end, it seemed that there were three areas that were worth looking into, highlighted by the young man's fingers.

"I'll look into the Command Center myself, and you guys can follow, but... How about this? Maybe some of you guys could also look at the Med Bay and the Member's Quarters? Maybe... Just maybe, there's some people who are still alive!" Touma exclaimed, eagerly clenching his fist as he was rejuvenated, "If Othinus wanted to keep some of them just on the edge of life... then at the very least, they're still alive, right?! Let's go!" He exclaimed.

With the options laid out to everyone, it was time to move once more.

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

Schala Zeal
@Ver
@Member's Quarters

Noticing Othinus actually seemed affected by the ultimate nullifier... Schala finally stood up... Initially she had been about to ask the Magic God about her plans after she was done toying with the group, but this plan of action changed abruptly as Touma listed off the places they could go.

Now, they had a chance after all... A chance to turn all of this around.

Quickly getting up, she dashed off in the direction of the Member's Quarters without another word... It was possible there was still a few left in there, but she wouldn't know until she got there.​

 

[Atomic Knight]

The Member's Quarters were located in a similar section of Knowhere to many of the living quarters of various groups stationed there. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the quarters were buried in debris. Finding belongings or exploring member's rooms would not be possible.

For the Coalition members, a large lobby and common area made up the entrance, though the pristine whites present in the original architecture was battered and dulled. Not a soul was in sight, though one particular object lay in the middle of the lobby in plain view: a storage box.

@Alex Azure @York @Members' Quarters

---

The figure, whoever it was, remained frozen. Soon enough, Rita found herself face-to-face with a little girl.

"Um, y-you... what are..." The girl was kneeling on the floor, pushed up against the back of the counter. She trembled and shimmied backward from Rita. "E-Everyone's... d-d..."

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Med Bay ​

 

[Crow]

The Member's Quarters were located in a similar section of Knowhere to many of the living quarters of various groups stationed there. Unfortunately, most, if not all, of the quarters were buried in debris. Finding belongings or exploring member's rooms would not be possible.

For the Coalition members, a large lobby and common area made up the entrance, though the pristine whites present in the original architecture was battered and dulled. Not a soul was in sight, though one particular object lay in the middle of the lobby in plain view: a storage box.

@Alex Azure @York @Members' Quarters

---

The figure, whoever it was, remained frozen. Soon enough, Rita found herself face-to-face with a little girl.

"Um, y-you... what are..." The girl was kneeling on the floor, pushed up against the back of the counter. She trembled and shimmied backward from Rita. "E-Everyone's... d-d..."

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Med Bay ​

"We're trying to save everyone who isn't, such as yourself," Grandpa Max says calmly, "can you tell us your name, kiddo?

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Med Bay​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

Rita noticed that she was still frozen in place. She quickly noticed that it was a little girl and she was thankful that it was a child.

" My name is Rita Hanson. What's your name?" She asked in a very friendly tone. The last thing she wanted to was make the child panic even more and she wasn't sure what else there was to do.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow

 

[Atomic Knight]

"It's... Elle..." The little girl wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She looked down at her feet and eventually began to sob. "I've been all alone... alone for so long!" Suddenly, the girl got up and reached out to Rita. She ended up tripping over her own feet and falling into Rita. There she lingered, holding the older woman and crying.

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Med Bay ​

 

[Yun Lee]

"You're not alone now, Elle," Libra said gently, kneeling down beside Rita. He couldn't even begin to imagine how terrifying this must be for such a small child... "We're going to help you, all right? Are you hurting anywhere?"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @Crow @Alex Azure @MedBay​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

" It's nice to meet you Elle," she said and she felt terrible. It felt so weird to think that Othinus had left someone for them to find. She didn't want to upset her ask how long and allowed her to reach her. Even though she hadn't planned to hold her, she caught her and let her hug her and cry. " It's okay, let it out," she said, rubbing her back and hoping to get her to calm down.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @MedBay

 

[Crow]

"It's... Elle..." The little girl wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She looked down at her feet and eventually began to sob. "I've been all alone... alone for so long!" Suddenly, the girl got up and reached out to Rita. She ended up tripping over her own feet and falling into Rita. There she lingered, holding the older woman and crying.

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Med Bay ​

"You're not alone now, Elle," Libra said gently, kneeling down beside Rita. He couldn't even begin to imagine how terrifying this must be for such a small child... "We're going to help you, all right? Are you hurting anywhere?"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @Crow @Alex Azure @MedBay​

Rita Hanson

" It's nice to meet you Elle," she said and she felt terrible. It felt so weird to think that Othinus had left someone for them to find. She didn't want to upset her ask how long and allowed her to reach her. Even though she hadn't planned to hold her, she caught her and let her hug her and cry. " It's okay, let it out," she said, rubbing her back and hoping to get her to calm down.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @MedBay

"I guess that means you and us had something in common," Grandpa Max says with a light smile, "I am Magister Tennyson. You can call me Grandpa Max. We'll help you out. That is not only our job, but also our own obligation."

Max looks around.

"Before we leave, let's check if there's others here."

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Crow @Alex Azure @Lucky @MedBay​