---

Banha first reacted by attempting to blow up the Kakuja arm as best he could with his remaining explosives. Sure, it stopped it but he'd notice only portions were gone and red steam came out of the wounds. They quickly regenerated as it seemed like this member was a lot more resilient than her Kagune. At least he was disillusioned enough to quickly revert to a new weapon, as it became clear the projectiles wouldn't last super long with such a beast. The Owl grinned, seeing that plasma-like blade reminded her so much of the Quinque used by Kishou Arima to sever her Kakuja arm. The difference was that Arima used Quinque material enhanced with lighting and immense skill. This toy seemed strong, but no Arima.

But just to be on the unfair side, she'd purposely relax her RC cells on her Kakuja blade she had just regenerated to make it softer and easier to slice. Immediately, she'd attack Banha as they were already in close distance, purposely making it so that even if he'd just block, her blade could just be cut clean. She was gauging the blade's cutting power while purposely letting her blade regenerate exponentially faster than she normally did to attack immediately after as a surprise recovery. She wouldn't be able to so, however, as Ruiko didn't hesitate anymore.

"Haha! Bad move su- Wait what?"

Surprised, Eto would only see a flash before she'd be completely disintegrated right before their eyes. Eto would be instantly warped into the same plaza as Cyano, her Kakuja form dismissed but still wearing her dark red robe an many of her bandages still visible. It was the first time the female ghoul discovered this wonderful place. In a sense she was hoping to die in this battle just to discover this place, but she didn't expect what Ruiko release. Evidently this would interesting the Ethereal if it were around.

"Soooo, this is dead land?! Holy moly! I need to take a picture! If I can ... Just ... Find my ... Camera ... Aw crud I left it in th- Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

This behemoth of a man appeared and the goofy Eto was clearly caught off guard by his imposing being. It wasn't that he was big or ugly or just ... Intimidating. No, she was rather surprised, heck even intimidated by just how SHADY this weirdo was. If Eto was a little more of an anime girl, she would scream out that he's a pervert because why the hell not? She stared at it, her Kakugan on her right eye still activated to keep her Ghoulish nature clear.

"This guy ... He's so damn shady! Ugh! All this secret plan talking sounds super rapey. What is this, Cyano?! I thought we were friends."

The little ghoul kept an eye on the hulking being as she didn't seem to like him from the getgo. Nonetheless, if he knew her books she would still gladly sign an autograph because she was just a great person like that. Well, at least when she wasn't eating people in her penthouse or on the roof of a skyscraper while spewing maddening nonsense. Good times.

---

---

With Nathaniel pulling out his little army, the Ethereal waited a moment before having the Reishi city melt back into the shadows of the death Sydney. The whole area would have instantly reverted to its own, ruined self with no traces of reishi in the area. At least this individual wasn't completely deluded in his power trip, knowing full well he held no ground alone in Arcadia. He then went on to exhibit his various ... Minions. The Ethereal's powerful brain could easily stockpile all the information while scrutinizing the Magician's being. He seemed rather human, at least the psionic power of the alien didn't detect anything abnormal other than some artifacts on his body. The beings that stuck around next to him were quite particular, however. Definitely not human, though Nathaniel would come to explain that anyway.

With R-By's response through thought, the Ethereal judged that this individual wasn't that much of a threat here and now. Especially when he made himself as exposed as he is. Then again, snakes ran rampant around here.

'Unnecessary. Keep your assets. They'll be of use in other circumstances.'

While the Magician certainly displayed his worth, he also presented 'proof' of his word and loyalty. He spoke of an oath, and how such honesty was paramount to his culture. An absurd concept to such an almost completely unfeeling species as the Ethereals. Unconvinced but also not an expert in the field of magic, the overlord refrained from making rushed conclusions and left R-By, a connaisseur of such arts, handle the technicalities while the Ethereal registered most of it to review in a more peaceful time. Detecting possible flaws was an easy task for something with such an overly powerful mind power.

"It appears you two may have a better understanding of each other ass your particular set of skills and origins correlate at first glance. However."

The alien did take note of the capabilities of these imps, how they could be barely detectable and make keen spies against the opposing forces. An intriguing selling point if it were for Biollante, Muffet and Keith within their ranks. Covert operatives were already quite rampant, an addition would certainly be welcomed, but not an urgency. It didn't help that the Faceless from the ADVENT forces under the Über Ethereal were capable of rather extreme forms of mimicry of other beings.

"We are not in dire need of infiltration units. Muffet would judge your competence in that sense, regardless. It is unfortunate that your capabilities end at the basic ability to invoke the force of external beings. Or perhaps you, Magician, are hiding other things."

The alien turned its back on the stranger, proof of how confident it was of its position of power toward him. And slowly it advanced toward the shadows it came from with R-By, though the Muton Elites stuck around to assist the executive whom the alien appeared to be leaving behind. Though before levitating over the darkness created by the ruined building nearby.

"We leave the first judgement to you, R-By. If he is adequate, he may take part in Eto's Banquet. We will have impromptu guests, however, so we strongly suggest you make sure your intuition does not deceive you."

With that order given to R-By, the Ethereal vanished in the shadows, only to appear in its command center within the pocket dimension. The reason it left so early was mother because of the message it received concerning its commander, Eto. Apparently these 'guests' managed to not only kill her, but also the second Head Commander Muffet and Cyano. Knowing what this entailed in the Rivard Universe, the Ethereal wasn't anxious because of their downfall but rather the tool used by the Imperium to wipe them out so fast. It prepared to enter the scene, unsure as to what it would discover once there.

@Lmpkio@Flamelord@Savato@Mtntopview

Light - Arcadia 2

So Light was right, and Shockwave had finished the portal thing. At least, besides the targeting bit which didn't surprise her. "If it works and all you need is targeting or whatever, then its probably due to your lack of insight on how dimensional travel works." Light said, pulling out her hole. While she really couldn't give much of a detailed explanation or visual demonstration as to how it all worked, she hoped her limited knowledge would be of use.

Pulling out some oversized glasses and donning a teacher's outfit, Light used her hole as a floppy ruler. "I'm sure you know how normal travel works in the same universe, the same concept kinda works in the multiverse except for two things." Light began, speaking matter of fact, which was odd for her to do. "One. A universe is in a 'snowglobe' if that makes sense, IE while mostly infinite, its 'isolated' to itself. Second, the Void. Making a connection needs to be able to 'pierce' the snowglobe, and then make a tunnel through the Void, or pure entropy. Sometimes worlds make connections to other worlds on their own, sometimes you need a very powerful object and energy to create a tunnel through the Void, and sometimes you just live in the Void." Light continued, stepping in and out of her hole, but this really didn't do much to show what she meant.

"You have the energy and piercing needed from the sound of things, but you lack the ability to direct it, which is caused by the Void. But since terminals are a thing, you could use them to send your 'target' marker to search out a location in that world, then use whatever terminals in the world that links to and so on and so on til you get your destination, like a big spiderweb. Otherwise you just gotta chance your portal piercing through the Void and going somewhere you want it to go." Light concluded, sighing as she took off all the stuff she was wearing.

"Man, telling people actual knowledge is tiring. I'd much rather play a game instead." Light said, sighing again. "If you wanna test this, I'll gladly go on through. If I get stuck in the Void, thats fine. Thats my home anyway." Light said with a smile.

R-By nodded upon the Ethereal's opinion of bringing his own army forth. The alien was right that they would be more useful at a later day, keeping them out of the enemy's knowledge, if this man was one, would also benefit them greatly.

Afterwards, the alien decided to take an early leave and leave the rest on R-By's hands.

"I understand, Ethereal." The demihuman mesh bowed down as the Ethereal left him and the Magician to their own devises.

R-By turned yet again, his glare somewhat intense. The Ethereal served to mitigate his human instincts, but with the alien gone, the glare in his eye could no longer be hidden.

However, he was quick to take a deep breath and relax again, his eye turning calm again. His glares were a little bit of what was left of him as a human.

"Forgive me, that was a short impulse. It shall not happen again. Certainly, my own personal impression of you is that of a... somewhat trustworthy teenager. However, I used to be an Illusionist, before coming here. It was my specialty to lie and deceive the eye and perceptions. As such, I have a similar take on everyone who is a human. I take it that they too are liars and deceivers, as I used to be not long ago."

He extended both hands to his sides, as if to make himself a target.

"My judgement deems that I shall not trust you unless you give me a proof of you power, human Magician. If you seek to get into the Dark Outliners, then do go ahead and attack me with all the might you can muster. Even if I end up dead, you can consider it your win." R-By said.

He just hoped that Nathaniel would not hesitate about it, however, judging from what he had seen before, that would most definitely not be a problem.

---

@Savato@SgtEasy

@Gummi Bunnies@Lmpkio@Mr_pink@Flamelord@Archmage MC@Nightknight

Kula Alexandrite and Sula Sapphire
World: Arcadia-02

Not too far from Ryu and the rest, a rapier and a giant axe fell from the sky. And not too long after they fell, the owners of both weapons came by too. Kula, owner of the rapier, landed graciously on the top of the sword's handle. As for Sula, the axe's wielder, he fell and sat on the weapon's handle, with a bored face. Both looked at each other while opening their eyes. "Glad we were able to encounter each other so soon. I was really worried with you after I felt your aura...", Kula said, smiling calmly. "You weren't the only one. I didn't knew what to do once you jumped in that portal and Flanoir's machine went crazy. I had to come or I would die drowned in worries...", Sula replied, smiling as well. They jumped off the handles and grabbed their weapons back. Kula put Crystal Reverie back on the scabbard as Sula just carried Oblivion behind him.

"We were teleported by those bracelets, but this place is clearly not Mobius. Maybe it is another place that we do not know?", Kula spoke, while looking around. Clearly, they had not idea of where they landed. As they looked, Kula noticed the group, not so far from them. "Oh, look! More people are here. They might be lost, just like us two. I suppose we should go and-", he spoke, but was interrupted by Sula's firm grasp on his hand. "I don't think that we should. I don't trust those guys. Especially because they have a... monster girl... or whatever the hell that is with them...", Sula said. But Kula squeezed his grasp, at a sign of showing his belief. "Please, Sula. We do not have other options. Talking with them might be prudent for now, would you not agree?", he asked. Sula, not resisting, shoke his head a little and smiled back at Kula. "Alright. But let's be careful, OK? If anything happens, leave the fight with me.", he said. His little brother agreed and then both walked towards the rest.

@Savato @GrafRoy Zeppeli

---

Nathaniel bowed to his opponent, merging with Bartimaeus almost immediately as every single one of his most trusted summons reared up for destroying the Mage in front of him. Duros growled and howled, basically creating a mini desert around the area. If Rb-y noticed, sand would begin to form in his nose but immediately fell out when he exhaled. Sonya, being ever predicable, prepped fireballs in her hands. Jannilius formed and shifted back into a Mutalisk, large claws snapping together and forming detonation spells on the tips of his claws. Ramuthra reared and roared, the earth cracked, pillars of lava and fire began to sprout from the ground, the water crashed into the sea walls, lightning striking very near to where Rb-y stood. But none touched him.

"I apologise for whatever my kind has done to you in the past. For someone to have that outlook on a species..." The Magician paused, as if he was thinking of the right word "is most unfortunate." He casted a Lighten Spell on himself, drifting upwards onto the head of Jannilius. He cancelled the spell and began a small incantation on top of a much longer one. "I am afraid that I will have to defeat you now." With three clicks of his hand, he cast three simple Detonation spells, bolts of pure green lightning that explodes on contact, vaporising most beings. This triggered a following series of attacks.

Sand began to appear in the air, under the guise of drowning Rb-y while hiding the fact that sand began to form in his ears and nose. Fireballs rained down on him, exploding in fiery explosions and sending sand everywhere. The great geysers of fire began to get fiercer and fiercer, molten lava burning the sand and at times, turning it to glass. Highly pressurised beams of water began to make the sand heavy, weighing the sound down and turning it into sludge and mud. Jannilius released his two detonation spells, larger bolts of purple energy.

Nathaniel released a shield spell, forming a white opaque dome around him. He will test this mage's powers against his summons before he will test the alien himself. To see if the Dark Outliners were as powerful as they said they were.

@Savato





Starscream kept a neutral expression as the being started it's spiel. It spoke the truth to some degree. While he had a good idea what he was up against, he didn't know the full extent of the conquerors strength. Intelligence was always something worth collecting, but there was always a cost to such thing. There was no such thing as a free Energon deposit.



The words certainly were pushing all the right buttons for him. Despite it being obvious pandering, Starscream couldn't help but enjoy praise being heaped upon him. He deserved all the glory that was due him! Of course, the news that this second faction wished to leave his own world alone was likely false. Even if they had no interest in Cybertron, it would be better to assume they did and prepare for it. He would let the bug continue it's little monologue, seeing as how it was giving away free intelligence.



He narrowed his optics at the implications that his forces were weak. The Decepticon forces were the strongest force in existence, and under his leadership they would be unstoppable! But he would entertain this little intruder, at least until it finished it's tale. Perhaps it could give him an edge over his superiors. He always did prefer having an advantage over his foe before he faced them on the field of battle.

"Very well, what is this 'table-turning' intelligence you speak of? For your sake, I hope it is profound as you make it out to be."

@Absolis@Savato@SgtEasy@Flamelord@Pirouette



The crystal shattered, and from it flowed death. The very planet seemed to shake as a wave of power emanated from it. Anger, fury beyond human comprehension pressed down on those there as their minds were overwhelmed. A scream that rocked the world itself as the labs were consumed by the purple energy, the barriers of reality shivering under the sudden pressure. A dozen failsafes triggered, a dozen failsafes failed. There was a single moment of unbearable pressure, an instant of realization as the world faded to black. Then, as if a switch had been turned, all life was instantly erased.

Minds and memories, thoughts and dreams, torn asunder and reduced to oblivion as that what made you a person was annihilated. The very life was sucked out of these beings, their timestreams cut short as their essence was erased from reality. A level of annihilation that could not be fathomed in the game of physical destruction. The death of a God, the wrath of an Emperor. It was one of the most simultaneously beautiful and terrible sights in the multiverse.

The light passed, the presence faded. Corpses dropped, their biological functions still attempting to sustain the flesh when the mind had been erased. They would live for whole minutes, their hearts still beating even in death. The labs were empty, not a single speck of dust touched by the blast, and yet every being within annihilated completely. The city was wiped out, an empty place of living corpses, children and mothers dead in droves. It was as if the apocalypse had visited, and an area at least 5000 km in diameter had been completely cleansed of life, down to the very microbes. And in the midst of this field of death stood three survivors, recovering from their fight. The sole witnesses to the cataclysm they had inadvertently caused, and the inheritors of it's toll. This was not an event easily forgotten.

R-By noticed immedietly the sand forming in his nostrils after Nathaniel's summon roared. He was pretty conscious of his body after the modifications he had made on it.

"Impressive. That was instantaneous. I couldn't see the magic sequence. His magic truly is different from my own." The magic sequences of R-By's own magic were extremely fast and usually invisible to the naked eye.

All along while Nathaniel showed off the power of his summoned beasts, R-By remained completely calm in the middle of it all. Even the roaring thunders falling right next to him seemed to have no effect in his calmness.

Heck, even the magma shooting from the ground did not make him flinch.

"I see, I see. Yes, truly magnificient." R-By extended both arms to his sides, receiving the three green detonating spells head on, and smirking after they hit.

He was scrapped, but it was nothing really serious. Fascinating.

He had seen implosions and explosions before made from magic but these were... prettier, perhaps.

Then there was sand. Again, some of it formed instantly in his ears and nose. It was uncomfortable but R-By simply ignored it. It was probably meant for a plan way bigger than he could even begin to think.

It seemed Nathaniel too relied on his brain rather than his brawn in fights. Far as R-By could assess, there were 4 incoming attacks after the first one.

So, one of these was a distraction. Either the sand to make someone react slower than they would normally, or the attacks, conjuring up to something even bigger once he they were done with.

In any other situation, R-By would've simply thrown a Light Beam at Nathaniel and be done with it, but this was a test. It would not do for Nathaniel or him to die.

R-By kneeled down and protected himself with the three golden wings sprouting from his back. He waited for the detonation spells, the waterjets and fireballs to hit his wings, and effectively stop them in place, before standing back up and turning his gaze to the man who had casted all of it.

Impressively, there was a small dent in his wings. Quite impressive.

The lava was still a problem, though, but for both of them. Lava and fire tend to be a source of light.

The Magician had prepared himself with a protecting dome. Meaning he was expecting for R-By to attack as well.

Well, with this much ligth around him, he might as well.

Beside the fact that he was starting to get crispy inside the griller that Nathaniel had made around him, and the constantly cumbersome sand forming in his ears and nose, R-By put both hands up, palms upwards and started gathering light from the pillars of lava.

It would make for an especially destructive kind of beam with this much light surrounding him.

"Then, it is my turn. Let's see how you fare against this."

The ball of light that had accumulated in both of his hands continued to grow bigger by the minute, and then he simply passed it all over to his right hand, making a ball of light of about the same size as his torso.

He looked at the ball before shooting it forward in a condensed beam that, if it managed to pierce through the Magician's barrier, would be just centimeters away from taking the man's left ear.

"Regardless, you've done well. Please finish this so we can continue." R-By nodded after his attack.

Surely, there was more to his attack than he was letting on.

---

@SgtEasy

@mattmanganon@Absolis@SgtEasy@Flamelord




Anger. The Emperor could feel it, even through the dimensional barriers. The explosion of rage, and the power of a raging god. The Fulgurite had been used, and he knew that it meant the complete and utter annihilation of Conablum Labs. It also meant that they had been attacked by a force they did not believe they could handle on their own. It appeared that Cyano and her ilk were not as sensible as the Ethereal had been in their meeting, and their aggression had been their downfall. He took a moment to grieve the innocent lives that had been lost, the senseless annihilation of millions of souls. He had been hesitant to give the Fulgurite to his diplomats, and yet it appeared he had judged correctly, even if his judgement had had such cataclysmic consequences.

While Banha, Ruiko and Absolis had been fighting for his life, he had been drawing on the power of the Golden Throne, recovering. While he was not yet at full strength, his power had recovered significantly. With a gesture and a thought he activated one of the many terminals placed around his throne, guiding the power to open a gate to Conablum Labs. A wide doorway shimmered into existence, floating peacefully a couple of inches off the ground. Through it he could clearly see his trio of diplomats, surrounded by the bodies of the Outliners. They would most likely wish to return to this reality, to recover both physically and mentally from their confrontation. He touched each of their minds in turn, and he learned of all that had transpired. He gave a look at Ruiko, and nodded. "You had no choice." To say more would be pointless, understanding would come in time, regardless of what he said.

Several of the lizardfolk had already gathered, and they would march through a secondary portal. Each had been equipped with superior gear, having visited the Yakuza's tech division. Suits of high-powered armour, with bolter-like weapons in their hands. They were fearsome soldiers, albeit with a childlike attitude, and more importantly they were under the complete command of the Emperor. They would march through the empty remains of Conablum Labs, deactivating the remaining independent security systems as they secured the area. Weapons, technology and computers were taken, moved towards the several portals the Emperor had now opened and then stored in the rather expansive hallways of the Imperial Palace, an important addition to their resources. And, perhaps more importantly, information on the true nature of the Dark Outliners. He would need to look through this information, as he prepared for the inevitable meeting with the Outliners that would follow this act of war, and the battles that might come soon after.

With the aid of both the Golden Throne and the Terminals, opening up even a large number of portals cost almost no effort. As such, he was easily able to detect the mind of a human being outside of his palace. Even as Ace raised his hand to knock, the door opened by itself, the massive doors slowly swinging to the side. The Emperor took a moment to look through Ace's mind, and in that moment he learned all he needed to know about the adventurous human. He also sensed this being's nature, as one of the anomalies of fate. He possesses an intrinsic capability to alter the string of destiny, to cause the infinite random future to bend in his favour. It was a rather impressive ability, even if the human in question did not even realize he possessed it. This human would make for a useful ally. "Greetings, Ace Rimmer. I welcome you to the Imperial Palace. I suppose you have come seeking an explanation of where you are, and what has happened to you."

Protocol C activated. Initiating lockdown.

A mechanical voice rang out over the loudspeakers. As their organic colleagues dropped dead around them, they would know something was wrong. Even moreso for the ones that were simply linked to an android body, as they felt the link break as their organic body died, trapping them into the android.

At the same time, all the doors and windows, save the main entrance would be locked tight. Leaving only one enterance. Androids and turrets stood ready for anything that came in, while other security systems and androids stood ready at everything important. The lizards at these lesser areas would get items. Broken computers. Outdated gear. Antique weaponry. And Cyanos TV. But any that ended up in an important area would find a hard resistance, if not all out slaughter. More so for the front enterance. Which while publicly acceptable, was the most heavily guarded, due to the nearby teleportation room.

---

@Gummi bunnies[@matmanganon]

It wasn't long before Ika and Add reached the palace. They ended up at a door, right next to someone who seemed to be uselessly banging on the door. He was probably just a salesman or lifeguard. So she ignored him and lifted herself over the wall and into the palace, before doing the same to addm

Just as Ace raised his hand to knock at the door, the great structure opened itself. Ace was calm under the circumstances, but still cautious, reaching in his jacket, he pulled out a Browning 9mm in case this turned out to be the usual "Door slams shut behind him and suddenly, there are 40 armed and angry Nazi's with MP40's pointed at his head" situation. Entering, he heard a voice call through what he assumed to be an intercomm system. "I see my name precedes me." he replied, not lowering his weapon. Villains were usually the most courteous of people. Giving him untold praise before leaving him wrestling an Alligator on a nose-diving plane. "Are you in the same position as me? Or are you one of the looney's that slung ol' Blue and Green's love-spuds on the barby?" he called, referencing the devastation outside.

I guess the party is delayed then...

---

Despite the casualties so far, Muffet's spiders were making good progress and Muffet, herself, looked on with content. A few of her brood branched off and began crawling about that poor fellow who Cyano had beaten so easily. An easy meal but a taste that Muffet wasn't interested in that at the moment. What was more striking was the little object in Ruiko's hand. Judging by the way she was threatening, it wasn't something to take lightly, assuming it wasn't a bluff. It didn't feel like a bluff and suddenly Muffet was really reconsidering her role in playing along with Eto.

"Um... Eto, my sweet, I'd rather not be inconvenienced by experimenting with the rules here." Muffet called out to her molting companion. But the Spider's request went unanswered as a great, blinding flash took precedence. Muffet just managed one last sip from her cup before oblivion.

--

It was almost in an instant that Muffet found herself standing among her comrades in that strange world mentioned in the whole briefing process of this world. A whole lot of nothing, really. No decor, no spiders, and worst of all, no prized porcelain. "Hmph." Muffet huffed crossing all two sets of arms with the remaining set on her hips to signify her protest. "I hope that was worth it. I lost yet another set of porcelain for you, Eto." Muffet complained just in time for a large figure to join them. Muffet judged the creature with a glance. She was more mildly annoyed at the mindless spattering than anything else.

Instead of pay anymore attention to that buffoon, Muffet took a glance around. The thought of what just happened was now sinking in and Muffet felt concerned, to say the least. The Spider's vivid imagination wasn't making things better but apparently they, meaning only those three, were alright. Whatever that meant.

"Well I've had enough of the sight-seeing here. Can we move on?" Muffet sounded composed but she didn't like this anymore.

@lmpkio@thewizardguy@Absolis@Flamelord

General Starkiller seemed to like the shirts and placed an order. They were certainly impressive for what they could do, but obviously there were other ways to kill someone wearing one. Mithias didn't offer any scrutiny, for surely any battle commander would be aware of his army's weaknesses. The shirts would only be employed where appropriate.

While Starkiller negotiated credits with the scientist, Mithias' ears picked up on some conversation coming from the control room. He took it upon himself to wander back in that direction.

Words began to come clear as he got closer to Ghidorah. "...claiming to be the 'God-Emperor of Mankind', and he had all sorts of interesting things to say..."

Ghidorah's voice sounded, "...back in New York, supposably killing him. Then again, he's no average human..."

Mithias stood at the entrance of the control room. It was close enough. This is where all the interesting decisions were made, and he was very curious about what this alliance of conquerers were up against. The holographic image of Ba'al had no mind for the psychic ex-vampire to read, but Mithias could tell that Ghidorah was putting up a good front, half-truth, half-manipulation. Certainly this Ba'al creature was doing the same.

"He seems quite intent on getting rid of you and securing this world as his own... Regardless, I assumed that an Alliance such as yourself would like to treat with someone who has the resources of multiple galaxies at his disposal. He may consider himself a God-Emperor, but I have dealt with my share of evolved beings before. Dealing with this one shouldn't be as hard."

Mithias pursed his lips for some reason, he wasn't sure why. He tapped his first two fingers against one of the consoles in a meditory fashion while his subconscious whirred through some program that his awake mind was not privy to. Finally he blinked and looked up. "God-Emperor? Now isn't that a catchy title."

Something irked Mithias about any being self-centered enough to call themselves that. The look on his face made that clear. It wasn't exactly his place to speak, but since there was a lull in the conversation, he filled it with his own quiet words. "These power-drunk immortals are all the same in every universe I go to. None of them were worth the memory space for their names. If this Alliance is standing up against one of those asshats, then I will gladly participate. There is just something so satisfying about seeing an arrogant and corrupt 'god' humbly broken. Bringing them down is practically my epitaph." He folded his arms and waited to see how this conversation would go on.

[center][h1]Cyano Conablum[/center][/h1]

---

@savato@pirouette

Cyano couldn't help but feel amused at Etos reaction go agonious. Of course, even she was intimidated by agonious when they first met. And for good reason too. The imbecile hit like a meteor. Though now he was under her control, so she didn't have to worry about that.

"It's fine. Trust me. Even he has no idea what he's talking about."

As if to prove her point, agonious chimed in.

"I know my plans, and my plans are my plans! They are great plans that only I understand because they are my plans"

Cyano sighed at the idiocy before her. Well, he was strong. Yeah. That's about all he had going for him. Cyano scratched at her face, while people started appearing all over. Pretty soon this place was going to be crowded, and she wanted to get out as soon as she could.

"Agonious. Open the gate already. We're done here"

"Your plans are revealed! And they are my plans, so our plans rum the same! Now go finish my plans so that my plans mat continue!"

Agonious stepped to the side, and the gate opened. The inside of the gate would be impossible to make out, but Cyano would walk out without hesitation. And upon walking out, she would find herself in a wide street. Though it would be empty, aside from a massive amount of bodies, most of them inside buildings, only visible through street side windows. A few streets over, the sounds of a battle going on could be heard. It seems they had been placed only a short distance away. Though it would still be a decent enough walk.

---

While the Ethereal initiated the transport sequence from Arcadia's pocket dimension, to Conablum labs, it noticed that communication with Eto, Muffet and Cyano were cut, but from the entire lab as well. It was only thanks to the surveillance endeavor initiated by the Quincy that it could be informed so quickly of the situation. Once transported into the main lobby of the labs, the alien noticed just how out of hand the whole thing had went. The robotic defense system was on but every living being was on the floor, apparently lifeless despite their bodies technically functioning. They lacked any form of brain activity or prionic influence, thus the conclusion could be made that the burst of energy detected was similar to the soul destroying technology made by the Quincy. A frightful though it would be to contemplate what the Imperium could produce as a war weapon.

The next thing it noticed, in the midst of the crossfire, would be Banha and Ruiko, and around them the bodies of Eto and Muffet. Cyano was left lifeless not too far away either. Considering the rules of this universe, it wasn't bothered the slightest about this, but what brought thing to the current dilemme was what truly pushed the overlord's buttons. The sound conclusion would be that either muffet or Eto or even both had the nice idea to test out the Rivard Universe's mechanics on the guests and instead got blasted away by some secret weapon.

"Saten Ruiko. We meet again. The same for you, Other One whom we've met. It appears your attempts at a pillage have been met with hard resistance."

Ironically, it used the Terminal crystal on its mask to form a portal on the ceiling, it was rather large and what came from it would be a squad of ten various ADVENT troopers and two mutated and fully enhanced Berserkers. Ruiko had trouble with four of them in their outdated state, now that she had a nice power boost, perhaps these would be more adequate. Of course, this time the Ethereal Mind Merged both of them, mostly to keep them in check as there was no point in rushing in battle. In truth, it didn't plan on fighting, but it was clear both of these individuals were on edge and anticipation was the best course of action.

The ADVENT troops scrambled and took down most of the lizardfolk who would have their hands full as they attempted to escape with higher quality gear. Using their Gauss weapons it wasn't too hard to have the armored minions feel the shots and stop them on their tracks. At least they weren't fighting MECs, not that it was necessary if the Ethereal talked it out correctly.

"It is of no importance what sparked this unfortunate event. It is strongly encouraged to stand down immediately."

The alien approached the two at an eerily slow pace as the two behemoths followed it at its own pace, kept completely in place thanks to its psionic influence. It had no fears, it knew perfectly well how this universe worked and consulted multiple members of the Ethereal council to test it with extraordinary reports. It released one of its grey arms out of it red clad and made its palm face upwards.

"Because if the estimations are correct. They should be arriving."

The said hand displaying the energy would then wave over the two bodies of the female executives they had 'killed', displaying quite clearly what it meant by 'they'. It didn't matter however, as the mentioned horrors now re-emerged from their ashes. The Ethereal witnessed the scene in complete disinterest.

---

---

Even with Cyano's reinsurance that things were fine, the shadiness of the guy completely disconcerted the female ghoul who had seen worse, but had a bizarre fixation with how bad he looked. While the giant man talked nonsense and Cyano dominated him, Eto gave Muffte The Stare when the spider complained about pretty much everything about the situation. She didn't like it here, her stuff broke, and Eto just kept it going until the portal formed. By then, the ghoul broke the ridiculous moment and noticed they were surrounded by people. Although they looked tasty they also smelled like ... Nerds. A massive turn off which made the silly ghoul focus on what was important for once: Scaring them kiddies.

The exit was formed and she had no reason to stick around this dreadful place anymore. If she still had her phone and camera, she'd rate it above average in some smug site, she'd visit it again to write her next book. They were out on the streets, where people were on the ground, served like a darn buffet to a ghoul like her. Her tummy seemed happy to see this, but the noises in the backgrounds deterred her pretty hard. Remembering that the two were probably still alive after the previous ordeal, they didn't have much of a choice.

"Well this is problematic. I suppose we're going to have to go a bit hardcore. Losersayswhat?"

With that childish ending, she prompted the two females she worked with to respond. Whether they did or not didn't matter, she still did it. Her body would twitch only for a second before she'd seem to be enveloped by a large amount of foul smelling flesh. Before anyone could move their focus away from the stench, two tentacles would emerge from the mass' back and forcibly grabbed the scientific sociopath and the cannibalistic arachnid by binding them with said robust tentacle. The mass of flesh then sprouted legs in which it flexed only for a second before propelling itself right at the direction of the chaos. Like a bolt of red light, is sped through the distance before crashing itself on the concrete before the entrance to the labs. Incidentally, it would be behind Ruiko Saten and Banha as they were solicited by the Ethereal on the other side.



"Mmmm, dying left me rather famished. Who would've known? Heh heh heh."

If the strong impact behind them didn't ring a bell, perhaps the red smoke of evaporated blood in the air caught the attention of the Imperium Diplomats. But even then, because Eto was such a thoughtful ghoul, she'd let her enormous Kakuja's raspy, demonic and echoing voice seep into their minds. She still had her own, typical girly voice, but it was indeed overwhelmed by this sinister filter one would only expect from a demon. If they were to turn around, they would see the grotesque behemoth that was Eto's second Kakuja. With her two buddies released, they could all see the robed monster towering over even the Berserkers with blades and spikes emerging from her back armed and ready to slaughter them. Nova on the other side could also witness the monstrosity cornering his allies.

"You should try dying. It's fun! You too E.T!"

With that morbid suggestion, the One-Eyed Owl showed its face from the red mist with the most disconcerting of grins on the abominable visage that represented full well her title of One-Eyed. Of course, she wasn't going to attack, because playtime was reaching its end. But one final scare was surely going to create amusing reactions. Though the Ethereal was not amused, at all.

---

---

It appeared as though the Decepticon was more or less seduced by the proposition. Although it seemed foolish but even a comedic traitor such as this robot could see the advantage in knowing particular element of the hand that's feeding him. Tatara's expression was hard to discern, mostly because his mouth area was completely concealed and his eyes held only an aura of intimidation. For the first time during their conversation, he male ghoul took a few steps forward toward the dwarfing transformer, his body still as stiff as ever.

"What we offer you is simple. The identity of the Alliance's leader. Added to that partial specifics on certain members of their elite section. A section that far exceeds anything you may amass here. Unless of course, you anticipate it correctly."

From Tatara's eyes, Starscream could see the man had a more sympathetic expression when putting the valuables on the table, quite a contrast to his usual expression. That that would soon revert to cold and unappreciated surprise when the intercom in his ear would send him information involving Conablum labs. He couldn't get that as fast as the Ethereal, but the ghouls who worked for him were able to gather information, albeit at a slower pace. He worried for Eto at this point, and how her recklessness may have brought some issues to their operations. Despite being very close to her, Tatara knew that behind her image as a messiah leader she also had the maddening scars of her childhood that made her behave so strangely. While not a liability, such problems could be avoided with that.

The ghoul focused again on starscream and cracked his neck to put his senses back in order. They couldn't discuss the elements of the deal here, not when there could be snitches anywhere. He would have to invite Starscream to the event.

"If you are interested in knowing these core facts, you may follow me to the Banquet opened by the woman who assaulted your colleague. Eto."

With that offered, the ghoul's eyes turned completely black with the male's naturally red pupils glimmering in contrast to the swallowing black. He was glaring right into Starscream's soul at this point, perhaps to put emphasis on the fact that this was serious and not some joke the transformer could take lightly or from a completely high and mighty position.

"Consider the fact that you haven't been terminated yet proof that we seek what added value you may provide us thanks to this information. You may bring a Terminal for an escape if you feel the need. However. Anything Eto, Muffet or myself deem suspicious and we'll make due without you."

Tatara held a small walkie talkie in his hand that was concealed behind the long sleeves of his large white coat. He waited for Starscream's response, though little did the coward know his input on the upcoming reveal would be of value far surpassing what he could imagine.

Saten Ruiko, Conablum Labs

While initially there had been nothing, and Ruiko had been just as ready to move on and get going, she wasn't prepared for the sudden backlash, the roaring, the howling inside her mind that tore and clawed, earning a grunt and a cry of pain. she doubled over, nearly collapsing from the strain, and it was likely that it was only the intervention of Nova himself, the sliver of his soul recognizing that the small group was affiliated with them, which kept them from being wiped out just as everyone else had been. At least, that was the assumption that one could reach about the situation on hand.

At last it ended and she could recover, looking around her eyes widened in surprise and shock, but more than that, it was more akin to horror as things came to a complete halt. Vehicles crashed or plunged from the sky without autopilot activated, people simply dropped in the streets. Nova had told her to use this thing in an emergency, but...what had she done?

Then the portal appeared hovering in the air, and she felt that familiar touch upon her mind. Obviously Nova would have known what occurred, and she was grateful for the effort. Nonetheless, she was bitter, exhausted, angered and traumatized. "This....I didn't want this," she muttered, fists clenching as her gaze fell, even as lizardmen came through to try and secure the labs. "I had no choice, but I didn't even hesitate, I just used it and, I killed them all!"

Her anger grew, her head rising even as she spat it out. "If I can do that, then how am I better than the Level 5'?!?" She had used her power without hesitation, a conscious abuse that had wiped out an entire planet. It was the egregious use that characterized the Level 5's of Academy City, and even though she knew she had no choice, it didn't make her feel good in the slightest.

As the lizardmen went in, she turned to leave. This had been a waste of time, and even though they had survived and gained the labs, it still felt like a loss.

Then things went to hell. Again. She was hardly expecting the Ethereal to reappear, now with a lot more soldiers, and she grit her teeth in annoyance as she settled into a combat stance, ready for the fight that was sure to occur. So the Labs had been aligned with the Ethereal the whole time? Well, now it made a whole lot more sense. Though it didn't explain why they had been attacked immediately upon arriving. "Self defense," she shot back. Even she wasn't dumb enough to admit her flaws and regrets to someone who seemed like less of a friend with every moment.

She looked on in confusion, frowning as she glanced about. "What are you talking about?" Yet it was explained in moments as a fire crashed in behind them, cutting them off from the portal and striking a terror into Ruiko's heart that she hadn't expected. She didn't wilt though, had been pushed to her limit and instead she lashed out with a blast of air aimed like a dome that would force everyone back, if she could manage to do so.

"Alright, nobody move," she shouted, this close to snapping. "We came here to talk, and the first thing you guys do is attack us! I tried to warn you, but you gave me no choice in using that thing because you wouldn't stop! This whole thing was a massive waste of time, I am tired, angry, and you will get the hell out of my way so me and my friends can leave, before I make you." Reckless? Yes. But she was beyond caring now.

Ahsoka Tano, Eastgate City, Arcadia-2

Walking about, Ahsoka had given up her search for the moment. She had a map, had gotten what information she could, and was now returning to find the rest of the group. She wasn't too disturbed by the presence of that one girl who had said she had answers, since the Force had indicated that something was up with her. She wouldn't trust quite so easily.

Drawing near though, she spotted a familiar group, or rather, a group with most of the people familiar. "Hello," she said to the combined group of Lapis, Abel, Purple Heart, Plutia, and Elsword. She frowned slightly in looking around, though she wasn't too concerned by it. 'I see you picked up a new companion. And where's Neptune?" It was obvious that she would need to be informed of the transformation.

@Flamelord @Savato @Absolis @Pirouette @thewizardguy

---

When the flash of light enveloped them all in a searing light, the result was almost instantaneous. The nausea was gone, replaced by a tearing, roaring howl inside of his mind. He was strong enough not to cry out in pain, only tensing a little and biting his lip as the painful headache ravaged his mind. Afterwards, he patted himself down, making sure that he was whole. Gasping for air, he closed all four of his eyes as deeply breathed in. 'That was an absolute shitfest.' He let himself have a small smile before returning back to his cool facade. No point of going out of mission mode yet.

Watching as he chaos wreaked around him, he just shrugged to himself. The damn Dominion were a bunch of crazy bastards, wiping whole solar systems and rounding up the survivors before slaughtering them or eating them. They had no mercy and he wouldn't have any for the poor folks on the planet. Blame your damnable, psychotic leadership, he would've said. Instead he looked concernedly at Ruiko. She didn't seem like the battle hardened type but seemed to hold in her trauma a bit better than most people.

As another portal appeared behind her, spewing out lizard after lizard, he raised an eyebrow. The reptilians weren't ready for a live combat situation, not by a long shot. They were soldiers but they had serious mental problems and didn't have enough discipline for his standards. As he felt Nova touch his mind once more, he couldn't keep himself from questioning the order. 'Nova, the reptilians may be valued cannon fodder but they are fodder all the same. They aren't ready for a live combat situation.' Sighing at no reply, he ignored the angry ramblings of his escort, mag clamping his weapons to his armour before walking towards Rivard.

Sighing at the sight of the puncture wound through his chest, Banha rushed over to apply Omni-gel to the wound, watch go as it slowly stitched the flesh. Carefully slinging the man on his shoulder, he walked towards the portal as Ruiko did the same. And then, like always, shit happened. That mysterious figure that he saw before the fight with that Apocalypse appeared before his eyes, escorted by several armed aliens. Groaning slightly, he whipped out his C-14 and pointed it at the presumable male.

One handing such a large rifle would've no doubt made him pull a muscle but in his armour, it would be fine. He slowly walked towards Ruiko with Rivard on his shoulder as he focused his attention on the mysterious figure before him. What a mistake that was as he glanced behind him when his escort screamed out. "Ah shit!" He almost let his trigger finger get ahold of him and mow down the fuckers in front of him. He had to agree with the child, this whole thing was their fault. He mag-clamped his rifle on his back before calmly reaching for a second bandolier of normal frag grenades.

Holding it up at the demonic Eto almost like a paladin would with holy scripture, he growled before giving it a heavy middle finger. "Me, enjoy dying? Ya ugly piece of varren shit! Oh I'd enjoy it if I dragged you down to hell with me, Ancestors damn you! This whole mess was you and that spider lady's fault!" He was this close to blowing this place sky high once more, thumb threateningly grazing the priming button. He didn't like swearing at ladies but this infernal she-beast was no damn lady. She was a bitch.

He spun on the spot, pointing the middle finger at every hostile in the room. "All you motherfuckers! I'll burn this whole motherfucker down! KING KONG AIN'T GOT SHIT ON ME" He had watched the old classic from human history and quite liked that line. Seemed like the perfect time to use it.

@Savato



Well, the little wretch certainly wasn't lying when he said his information would be interesting. A 'true' leader, glimpse at the largest obstacle to Starscream's rise to power. The first step to victory, would be to know who he had to fight, and this new organization was giving it away to him for practically free. Either these whelps were even more stupid than he thought they were, or it was too good to be true.



There it was. The catch he was looking for. He would need to go to his enemies stronghold to get this information. Surrounded by foes who could possibly overpower him, it would be a risk should things break down. However, something was telling him that this offer was a very big deal. He was definitely thinking that the benefit outweighed the risk. He would be allowed to plan ahead for his coup, rather than wait for an opportunity to present itself. To become proactive instead of reactive.



Well at least they provided the option for his escape. Not that it would likely be enough. If they would allow him into their den, they likely would have measures ready to take him down if need be.

"Very well, I will attend this banquet of yours. However, I will wish to be accompanied by a pair of guards." He gestured to two seekers, Thundercracker and Skywarp, his two oldest allies "I doubt you should have a problem with this."

After all, they were only two soldiers. Not enough to fend off an entire army, but enough to cover him should retreat be needed. Despite his long ties with the two he selected, he wouldn't hesitate to throw them to the wolves to save his own skin. While he would regret the loss of two trustable subordinates, he could always find more to replace them.

@Grafroy Zeppeli

---

Nathaniel merely raised one single eyebrow before furrowing them in concentration. He had enveloped himself in a dome that was reinforced by the Amulet of Samarkand, an artefact that not only protected him form magical attacks (though he was absolutely sure that it did not protect him from other magics. That Voldemort man almost killed him with that wand of his) but emitted tons of energy itself, which could be harnessed and used to make spells stronger or in this case, reinforce a magical barrier. He noted the fact that he drew power from light as the Mage gathered energy from the lava. As the beam of condensed light tried to penetrate his barriers (which it almost was), he had finished most of his incantations.

"NOW!" He shouted as Jannilius formed into a giant, fiery eagle. He dropped his shields, dodging out of the way before sending twenty detonation spells towards the Mage with reborn fury. The spirit that was under him roared, beating it's wings at the man, trying to send him tumbling back. Sonya condensed a fireball before sending a continuous beam of pure white fire. When Duros pinpointed his mouth when the Mage was talking, he began to fill it with sand, trying to make him drown from sand. The sand in his ears and nose began to multiply even more, turning into something more than an annoyance. Ramuthra roared once more, great fists of lava, rock and fire emerging from the pillars, attempting to crush the man.

But this all was a distraction of course. He did not want his demons to go full on, risking their magic levels going down. Oh no, this whole attack was just him pushing his enemy along until he was where he needed him. Still sending detonation spell after detonation spell, the feat of multiple incantations would've amazed all of the magicians back in his Earth. How he spoke in layers was all due to the Other Place

With Bartimaeus merged with him, he can seperate his essence into the first three planes of the Other Place, making him able to incant on multiple levels and then transfer the spell into the real-world. His most powerful spell, the infamous Nexus, was on the third plane and almost ready for casting. The first two and the real world was currently dedicated to casting detonation spells. Silently whispering the last curse of the Nexus, he launched it behind Rb-y, a small slither of black almost invisible amongst the chaos.

The result was instant as the spell hit the ground. A loud, belching, rumbling roar was heard, enough to deafen normal men and flatten the buildings surrounding them. A large, black, void rift began to appear, whispers of your deepest desires drilling into your skull, enticing anyone in the city to come near it (though there was currently no one apart from them). An extremely large vacuuming force would begin to pull at the Mage before him, pulling him to his doom. Just in case it wouldn't work however, Nathaniel began another incant for a Push spell to help him.