The red light slowly faded. The lines that had traced up the walls during the ritual receded towards the center of the room, twisting inwards until the hit the circle around a pair of heavily booted feet.

Zuriel couldn't contain her wild grin. Yes... her dream now would come true. She'd escaped her rotten universe, left it to fade away. It had deserved nothing less. Her sister had completely betrayed her and had been left behind as well, though the girl knew it was likely that Charmeine was still trying to figure out a way to stop her. But it didn't matter. Nothing about that world mattered. Not even Charmeine, who had once seemed like the single shining beacon of light and hope in her life, mattered.

Zuriel grin widened. Nothing mattered at all except her goal. There was no way any other universe was any better then her own, was there? So it didn't matter how many would be sacrificed. The only hope for anyone would be in her goal. A new universe, a utopia that would stand above everything else as a resplendent paradise where no-one would ever suffer, there would only be happiness. No more pain or sadness, only joy.

Even if she had to walk over the bodies of the dead and broken to achieve her goal, nothing would stop her. And so she had stretched out her grasp, across hundreds of universe, to rake in anyone who held potential. Who would do whatever it took to achieve their goal.

And so, as her candidates materialized, pulled from whatever they were doing to be brought it a dark room, decorated with black and white lace and furniture, they would be greeted with the sight of a golden-eyed, grey-skinned girl. She seemed tall, but the thickness of her boots probably elevated her from rather short to more imposing. The sword she held in one hand, however, seemed to radiate power. Just as her expression showed manic intensity.

"I know you must all have questions," she said, immediately, "And I'll answer whatever you want! But first, would you like to join me in creating the perfect world, for all of us and everyone?!"

If that didn't convince them, she had plenty of other offers to make.

The bright blue light that illuminated the room began to die down, the magic circle providing the light fading from view under the young woman's feet. The waving ofher hair and dress settled down as well, as the power that emanated from her circle disappeared. She had just concluded the summoning ritual to bring forth allies that would assist her in the upcoming battles.

It pained her to think of what had to be done. To have to drag innocent people into this conflict... it was because Charmeine had been unable to stop Zuriel herself. Because she was too weak to do anything but watch and beg while her beloved sister tore apart their so-called "rotten" world...

Charmeine shook her head fiercely. She'd resolved to do whatever it took to stop Zuriel. If all she did was hide away, then the summoned heroes would probably have been besieged eventually, attacked with no warning. At least this way, other worlds could be defended.

And so, the pretty little lady stood straight, waiting for the summoned recruits to appear. They'd probably be a tad disorientated from the abrupt summoning, and have countless questions to ask. Brought to a location that could best be described as "pink, soft and decidedly unusual", as the walls were, well... pink, and looked soft to the touch. Same for the floor, really, minus an out-of-place square, obsidian-like tile in the centre of the room.

Charmeine clapped her hands, setting aside her inner troubles and giving the arrivals a bnright smile, "welcome, everyone! Thanks for coming here today! My name is Charmeine, and... well, I kind of need some help, if you're willing to listen?"

Saber had been, moments ago, walking with Rin and Shirou, and eating a piece of taiyaki. The sweet-flavored treat was rather delicious, and she had asked Rin for money in order to purchase it. Now she had been taken... somewhere else entirely. Everything was soft, and pink, and there were others around her, others she didn't recognize. She'd been taken away from Rin and Shirou so quickly, what must they have thought? She felt frustration and concern for the safety of her Master and former Master, but a the same time this girl was requesting help. If her cause was just, well... as a knight there would be little question of her response. Besides, could she not return quickly if the girl's needs were fulfilled quickly?

However, at the moment, she hardly looked like a knight. Dressed in a simple shirt and skirt with leggings, she had been called here quite abruptly and had no real chance to call her armor, or anything much else. And what's more, she was surrounded by so many strange individuals, like she'd never seen before. Who were these people? What were they? ... No matter. There was a more important matter to focus upon. The girl's request.

Saber stepped forward, her taiyaki still in one hand.

"Before I can pledge myself to your cause, I must know what it is," she requested.

---

Miku...

Hibiki's first thoughts had been of Miku, and her family, before anything else. she'd been taken away so fast, but it was the first thing she thought of regardless. She had to make sure they'd be safe, didn't she? That was the most important thing that occurred to her immediately. Now, however, she found herself in a crowd of people unlike any others she had seen before in many cases. It was something else that she felt a little overwhelmed by, and for a few moments all she could do is rub the back of her head and laugh nervously, her mind rather muddled. However, when the short girl who had called them there spoke up, asking for help, Hibiki stepped up.

She didn't look like anyone bad, at least... and if she truly needed help, she had to offer it! Helping people was important, too! Besides, as long as she helped this girl, maybe she could get back home quickly, too! The blonde girl's expression shifted to one full of determination. That was right!

"If you need help, there's no way I can ignore it!" she said as she stepped forward, "But... we'll go home quickly afterwards, right?"

Hibiki's determination faded into a little nervous laugh afterwards. But she did want to get back to Miku...

"Damn that blue rat!" The scientist cursed, as the indicators on his newest creation were beeping red. The vast perspective of outer space was present to him, in all of its beauty. But his eyes were fixated in just one thing. Resplandescent emerald green of the mystical artifact, which steadily but surely was getting away from his grasp. He was done for. His plan was thwarthed.

And he had yet to survive a reentry with a mecha savaged by the blue hedgehog, now turned in a golden comet of fury.

It wasn't Eggman's best day to be honest. Just like many others. You almost were suceeding at the game of World Domination, and some kind of searingly-cute fast and vindictive blue critter ruined your day. Maybe he should have considering teaching instead of this.

But, his gaze was momentarily averted, as something... else was in the cockpit. Squinting, he was taken aback by the suddeness of it all "Strange, I don't remember this mecha having a space-time anomal-GAAACK!"

The next thing he saw as a dark room. "Nor I do remember a dark room. Hm." The rotund, almost spherical bald man with the foggy glasses and enormous, bushy moustache fell on his prominent butt, due to the sudden transfer, taking a second to adjust his glasses as his sight got used to his surroundings.

Where am I, exactly? Where's my trusted Egg Mobile? And more important, where is that damn BLUE RAT WITH THE MASTER EMERALD? Eggman mentally asked, as he took no small amount of time at looking, and inspecting his surroundings.

Well he wasn't alone. There were others. Of all sizes, types and whatever species they all were.

"Hm." He added as he got up, and begun to pace. There was one figure in the center of the room, who got his attention for the briefest of moments, going around a spiel about joining her in world domination.

Little girl wants to dominate the world. Sounds a little... too odd. And somehow familiar. Eggman twirled his moustache as he let the female go on with her spiel. It wasn't rude to interrupt, and she wasn't a blue hedgehog, so that had many points in Eggman's book.

"Interesting..." He mused as she ended her speech. "...but I'll have to decline. I am busy in other projects, miss. Like working on a new line of extra-sized driving seats, egg-recipe books and of course, my own world domination schemes. Which, I think that would be pretty incompatible at this point, granted that you want to create a perfect world, possibly ruled by yourself..."

He coughed, as his moustache twitched. "Although I must say, that space-time transition was certainly interesting. Was it the power of that mystical sword, or your own? Quite fascinating." He added as he walked some more around, a hand in his back.

"Oh, and forgive my bluntness, miss, but I might suggest employing a different recruiting formula. I mean, I don't think people would accept such a deal blindly." Eggman added, before trailing off to examine the room, mumbling things like "fascinating", "I should take notes from this", and "I should kill that hedgehog".

(Cue this song)

"I'm Tenkuuji Takeru. I was attacked and killed by a Ganma on my 18th birthday. In order to restore my life, I must gather 15 heroic Eyecons as Kamen Rider Ghost. After obtaining Newton with the help of a police officer, I now have 4 Eyecons. I need 11 more, and I have 88 days left."

Takeru had finished the internal thought summing up what course of action he needed to do. He was sitting inside his father's old study, a mixture of a cave with some metallic tables and chairs. Having checked off Newton in his book of heroes, he flipped through the pages, wondering what the next Eyecon might be.

"Hmm... The Brothers Grimm might be interesting... What kind of powers would they have though? Rewriting reality?" Takeru leaned back in his chair. "If that's the case..." However, he leaned back so much that he fell over. At this time, he vanished.

At this time, Akari, his childhood friend, walked in, only to see the fallen over chair.

"Eh? Takeru?" Akari asked as she looked around. Onari, Takeru's father figure, also entered.

"What happened? I heard something fall. Is Lord Takeru okay?" He asked. Akari, however, still looked around before pulling an invention of hers from a while back, a spray that would expose invisible ghosts. She shot out a mist, though once the mist faded, they couldn't see anyone. Akari blinked. She was sure Takeru was in here...

Of course, Onari was the first to snap.

"TAKERU! WHERE ARE YOU!?" He shouted as he ran around the cave-like area, checking every nook and cranny he can to find Takeru.

---

Takeru, however, ended up somewhere else. He dropped onto the ground and landed on his arse.

"Ow..." He muttered before he got up. Takeru looked around, unsure where he was. A beautiful woman stood in front of him, requesting for help and then...

"If you need help, there's no way I can ignore it!"

No... That can't be...

He looked over, thinking it was his trollish spirt advisor, Yurusen. It wasn't her, thankfully. Otherwise the woman would have looked more like a ghost. However, he had often wondered what Yurusen's true form would be... If Yurusen was human, to be exact. And this girl, Hibiki, seemed to fit a pretty good mental image of how he imagined a human Yurusen to be.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be staring at school girls. He simply nodded. Hibiki has said exactly what he wanted to say. He was confident in grabbing the other Eyecons within his 88 days, so he wasn't too worried about doing this adventure.

---

Alain looked over the city. His fists gripped as he recalled Takeru telling him off about how 'human lives have value'. Like he would understand how his world worked...

He wondered if anyone would understand how perfect the Ganma World was...

Then he was wisked away. He was now in a dark room. A girl had inquired the Ganma of creating a perfect world for not just him or her, but for all of them. He stepped forward.

"If I fight for you, would your perfect world also benefit my kind as well?" He asked.

The constant crises that Academy City seemed to be in recently did not faze the No.7 Level 5 esper, who continued to face the coming days with a confident grin on his face. While Gunha wasn't officially a part of Judgement, he did occasionally pop around here and there like a certain Railgun and resolve incidents himself. Though it occasionally seemed like he wasn't a welcome appearance for either side more often than not, none of that sort of thing really mattered to him. After all, if neither side had the guts to tell it to his face, then they didn't have the right to have him stop, right? And it wasn't as if he was doing anything illegal; quite the opposite, actually.

That wasn't on most days, though. In the end, he was still a student of Academy City, and given how today was the start of the weekend for him, Gunha quickly took to relaxing the only way he knew how: wandering the streets aimlessly, a cold sports drink in hand as he remained on the lookout for anything interesting.

Imagine his surprise, then, when the interesting thing found him instead. From walking around the city to a weird pink room... Well, it felt as if something was up. Well, if the girl asking for help didn't give it away yet, at least.

With a slow glance around the room as he took a sip of his beverage, Gunha took in the appearances of the various people standing around awkwardly. Most still seemed to be in a bit of shock, which was understandable. But that sort of action was gutless--especially the blonde girl's statement. It was obvious, wasn't it? Whatever the heck the problem was, they'd be gutless to even think about not accepting!
...
Unless the girl had less-than-savory intentions. In that case, he'd take her on himself. Lying to people was so much more gutless than hesitating at something like this. Tucking away his sports drink in his back pocket, Gunha crossed his arms and stood dramatically, his legs split and his cape seemingly fluttering in the air (regardless of the lack of wind in the room).

"Sogiita Gunha, at your service!" the young man shouted, a grin plastered on his face as a few explosions blew up from behind him, sending colored smoke rising into the air from their locations. "It takes guts to bow your head and ask for help, so c'mon, let's hear it! Whaddya want us to do?"

He could worry about going back to Academy City later... But the higher ups in the city would probably not be having much fun with his absence. Whatever, those guys were pretty gutless anyhow.

---

A bitter smile crossed the Anguished One's face as he watched the Shining One and his allies move on to a world unbound by the Akashic Record. Given who he was, there was no way he could follow them to that new world, so here he would remain, in this void left by the absence of humanity. The being beside him, Miyako Hotsuin, seemed to have a similarly bitter expression. Though it had only been a few days for her (and a few weeks for him), the Shining One and his friends had overcome the Administrator and found themselves a new future. For the continuation of humanity, at least, he could be grateful; for all he had given them would not be for naught, with the death of Canopus, it was only a matter of time before he, too, would disappear. With the hope that the new world would prosper, the Anguished One closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to come.
...
And yet, it never did.

The sensation of solid ground beneath his feet took the Anguished One by surprise, and he immediately opened his eyes and took a cautionary glance around. There were many beings gathered around in the room, none of which he had seen before. This fact... it was disorienting and, to be quite frank, went against everything he had known. As far as he knew, everything in existence should have been wiped out. So then, why--?

"But first, would you like to join me in creating the perfect world, for all of us and everyone?!"

At those words, the Anguished One's mouth turned into a tight-lipped frown. A perfect world... He already knew that such a world had come to fruition, though he could never truly see it for himself. But this girl... It wouldn't have been an understatement to say that she seemed to have been broken by all standard conventions. Though he saw the highs and lows of humanity (especially during the Shining One's fight against the Septentriones), there had been no such insanity as was present in this child. Her eyes seemed to give off an aura of despair, which he disapproved of greatly. As a rather portly egg-shaped man began to ramble on his own, the Anguished One began to process the events that had transpired over the last few minutes.

If this girl speaks of the concept of 'new universes' and has brought be here, then there are many conclusions to draw. First and foremost, the world of the Shining One and his friends--the universe that I originate from--is not the sole existence in the grander scheme of things. Furthermore, the fact that I, of all people, was brought here, means that she has enough power to overcome the system within which my own universe was built from. Creating a new universe also requires an amount of energy unable to be naturally obtained in any given state of the world, which means that...

There are still greater things that may threaten their new peaceful lives.

Though no change of expression was present on his face, the Anguished One was, internally, quite distressed. There was no doubt that this girl could send another wave of invaders to that new world, and the Shining One and his friends might be none the wiser. For now, at least, he could afford to play along; to steer them away from the world he would now play the unnamed protector of. As far as he knew, it was more productive to not be blackmailed (was that what humans had called it?) than it was to take incentives. So he would act accordingly; sate this mad child's desire while neither acting nor remaining still. Above all else, he could act as a test for humanity elsewhere: to see if they could withstand the threat that now faced them. It wasn't as if the job was new to him, but he would have to remain secretive about it all.

"I do not believe we are in a position to argue," the Anguished One stated, his face neutral as he faced the man criticizing the one who was likely behind this entire ordeal. "Would we not be better off if we heard an explanation first?"

Information was what he lacked, and so it was what he would seek.

Harry stood on the rain slick streets of Chicago. Mab had come to me with a job and, typical for one of the Fae, been frustratingly short on details. Something was missing and she wanted it found, quickly. He gripped his staff and mustered his will, preparing top open a Way. The last of the frost that had come with Mabs arrival was slowly melting.

"Apartum"

A tear opened in front of him, the white of winter and a dark sky on the other side not looking very inviting given his rain drenched state although with the Winter Mantle it wouldn't bother him a whole lot. Harry stepped through and was given a quick blast of cold before being pulled away to somewhere that was decidedly not a part of Winter.

His first impression was that of blinding pink, his eyes adjusting over time until he could make out the figure of a small girl. An instant later and it seemed that they were no longer alone. He looked around for a moment and decided for the time being to leave his blasting rod inside of his jacket. In his painfully extensive experience beings of evil had the good grace to at least have their lairs look the part, it was like a universal law or something. Pink was totally out.

"I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Juno-Seto

The last thing she remembered was being in a lost world. She bloomed from the Divine Seed not too long ago, called by the Eternal Keeper in order to protect that world from the void that planned to engulf it. None of it seemed to make sense, as the space she stood seemed far too different. No, it was definitely somewhere else. This wasn't the world where she battled against the maniacal flower who threatened the whole world with her power. Of course, there was something that she noticed: she wasn't alone. More people stood in the same space she stood. But the first thing that came in her mind was a name.

Ensa-Taya... yes, I was fighting her, but now she is nowhere to be seen, to be heard, to be felt. Her energy is not around anymore. Did I manage to defeat her? No, it would be too easy if it were true. After all, it was me who held into the last ropes, with the thin thread of life breaking apart.

Her thoughts dwelled like a poem in he mind, as all that covered it was the girl of black petals who almost had her killed. If anything, destiny intervened before she could die. It was the last chance for saving everything she promised to protect. And she was ready to dispose of her life to do it so. But not much time has passed and the words from the young lady who seemed to have summoned her drifted across her ears.



The servant who accompanied her floated around the girl and returned to its position. Though no sound could be heard from it, she managed to understand. After all, it was part of her energy. "I understand. So, it was she who summoned me to this world. And now, her words plead for help." She spoke to herself. No matter which was the occasion right now, she could not ignore a plead. Either because she was summoned or because it was of her own free will. Floating towards the girl, she looked at the smile she beared and knew that sadness and worries lingered behind that smile.

"Lady Charmeine, correct? I am the Elegant Empyrean, Juno-Seto. Thy pleads of help had reached me and I am honored to stand by your side. But as our ally spoke, please provide an explanation so that we can understand fully what are the happenings and what we can do to help."

---

Ensa-Taya

Where she was? What was that room? Where is the fake side of herself she was trying to destroy? Why is this world intact? Did the signs of destruction vanished? Was this the world she was or it's another different place she has yet to conquer? These questions surrounder her mind. Whatever the case might be, she was unsatisfied. Everything was going accordingly to her will. The land was in chaos, the corruption was imminent, the screams of the innocent echoed through the sky... ah, what a beautiful orchestra and she was the maestro responsible for conducting the instruments. And while remembering that, the noise who interfered into her sound came back into her mind once again. Yes, the irritant, bright, hopeful noise that was trying to make her sound go silent. But in the end, a fly who swarm an ear with its buzzing ends up killed with pesticide. That was the case... correct?

Juno-Seto... haha... I would have killed her in an instant, but this horrible light had separated us before I could finally erase that annoying existence. Once I have my sight in her, I will torture her... I will crush her hope... I will terminate that light...!! Hehehe... I will show her all of my hatred... all of it... ALL OF IT!!!

Ever the psychotical, nothing mattered to her except the domination over a world she has covered in the most beautiful dark of void. It would have been her "utopia". But something interfered. Said something soon became "someone". It stood right in front of her, with a maniac face. Its request has been launched.



She did nothing but laugh. The girl wanted to create a world. That was funny. If she had the courage enough to summon a creature of the deepest parts of the actual nothingness, why would she create instead of destroy? That was nonsensical to her. But her thoughts turned back once her servant swarmed around the swordswoman and returned with a report. "Oho... so this little twerp has summoned me to do her bidding? I, the Void Pasha, has been summoned by such a weak, frail human?! Hehe... this must be a joke...!!" she spoke, while raising her crystal and releasing lasers all around the room. None of them actually hit anyone, but she just wanted to release them. Then, her stare changed directly at the girl.

"Create, you say. You want me to create? Hahaha... presumptuous fool. I am not up for creation and yes for destruction. And even if I were to create, it would be a world where all shall fall to my dominion. For I am the Void Pasha, Ensa-Taya! I have no interest for games, let alone for foolish requests like yours! Prove me your will and then maybe I will come to accept your terms!"

By this point, Gilgamesh was used to some outside force plonking him into a different universe for no readily-apparent reason. The interdimensional rift was a temperamental little phenomenon, and an accursed thing indeed. Though something had felt quite different different about this jump. For once thing, the shift was too sudden; not to mention he didn't normally get dropped into a meeting with several zany-looking characters. What even was this?!

In onfused silence, he watched for a moment as a grey-skinned lass, carrying a sword that compelled Gilgamesh to reach out for it, spoke to them. Something something questions, well, Gilgamesh had one: Would she yield that blade to him?!

His pondering was brought to a halt when an elaborately-dressed girl fired a laser around the room, causing the proud and manly warrior to yelp in shock and dive to the ground to avoid a hit, like the true tactical genius he was. That was just rude of her! He had half a mind to tell this person off for the inconsiderate light show, but... really, there was so much to comprehend about the current situation, so it may be best to drop it for now?

----------------------

From nearer the back of the room, Yuuka Kazami chuckled, stepping forward. Folded parasol hanging from the crook of her her arm, she stepped into view of the others, the reason for her laughter unclear. Was she amused by the others' reactions, or was it from simple nervousness? Either way, the green-haired woman looked at the grey-skinned young lady with a pleasant smile, crimson eyes betraying nothing of her true thoughts.

"Frankly, I agree with the handsome gentleman over there," Yuuka nodded politely to the white haired man, "given that this woman has summoned me here - and the rest of you too, I suppose - I have to assume that her power is rather formidable~ I wouldn't want to get on her bad side, so let's peacefully play along for a bit!"

Not that Yuuka was scared of this girl in the least - there was no shortage of powerful females back home, after all. But the fact remained that Yuuka was currently in this room, meaning this girl either possessed great power, or a crippling lack of knowledge on who she invited to get-togethers. Either way, the youkai was intrigued by her offer of a 'perfect world'. Might as well hear a detail or two before deciding to punish her for wasting time, right?

IF

It was all weird, even by her standards. One moment IF ('Iffy' to her friends) had been walking down the road, headed towards Leanbox and a meeting with Lady Vert on her invitation. She was always up for that sort of thing, admiring Lady Vert as she did (to say nothing of the jealousy over certain things). With a journey just completed the chance to relax would be more than welcome, and IF had made to bring at least a few souvenirs for her friends, which she planned to distribute once she had arrived at her destination.

Then the next second she had been falling, her leg swept out from under her like she was about to fall into another cavern. Except there was no cavern, no ground. Just falling and blackness. "Wha-What!" Her cry rang through the air, echoing on and on towards the infinite expanse. Was this Arfoire's doing? Some random glitch? She didn't know. She could only hope that it ended soon.

At last she landed, IF landing in a ready stance as she looked around. It was nice that she hadn't landed on her butt, but this place was very strange. Almost like Compa's room, with lots of pink, soft material on the floor, and a strange air to it all. Looking around she saw that she wasn't the only one here, with a group of people beside her and a pink haired girl with a star decoration in her hair. Her confusion didn't vanish, but she found herself asked if she could lend an ear to some problem that this girl had.

The others seemed eager to agree as well, so she let a hand rest on her hip as she nodded. "Sure, I don't see why not," she agreed, before waiting to see what Charmeine had to say

---

Ulith

Pain.

That was what Ulith felt. Pain.

Her body had been torn, battered, assaulted not just by Mayu, but by the....things, that had emerged from that window. In the meanwhile, her mind burned with anger and rage. She had been fighting, had been winning, but Mayu had sold her out! Something that she could never forgive or forget. But there was nothing to be done about it now.

Except, to her surprise she found that she wasn't as dead as she should have been. Perhaps it had all been a ruse? that was something she wouldn't have put past the master of the White Room, even if it did look (and feel) very authentic. Bu the pain was fading away, and her consciousness returning. The fact that she still looked like her LRIG self paid credence to that, though she was already looking forward to giving Mayu a piece of her mind for that stunt.

Yet as she opened her eyes she found that she wasn't in the White Room anymore, much to her confusion. The presence of black was the main sight of that, as well as the furniture that wasn't just a bed or what have you. She wasn't the only one here as well, being joined by a man with crazy long legs as well as other individuals who looked like they had been pulled from WIXOSS. In front of them was a girl, grey skinned with an impressive sword to boot, and Ulith found her interests kindled almost immediately.

Okay, so perhaps this wasn't the White Room, wasn't Mayu, might not even be related to WIXOSS at all. But she was here, was still alive, still had power. With the question that this girl asked, it almost made her laugh. So, this girl wanted to make a utopia? She sounded almost like one of those stupid idealists who she had crushed in WIXOSS all the time. Make a utopia? There was no way that could happen.

"Sure, why not. I've got nothing better to do," she agreed with a nod, a grin coming to her features. Oh yes, she might not believe in the goal that this girl was proposing, but she could have some fun here either way.

Char breathed a sigh of relief as her summoned allies, one by one, agreed to help out. Well, with the condition that she offer an explanation, which was more than fair. Had she been given the luxury of time, she could have chosen much less haphazardly, offered a choice to everyone... it was fortunate that everyone was overall willing to assist, and Charmeine couldn't be more grateful.

With a relieved smile, she nodded at Juno-Seto's words. Clearing her throat, the small girl tried to think of the simplest, most concise way to communicate the situation without bogging everything down with needless details. They couldn't afford to waste too much time, after all...
"First of all... the reason I need your help is to stop someone. Someone... dangerous."

Charmeine's eyes flickered to the floor as she said this. It was still so painful to say out loud. Still, she had to ignore the pain, and after a brief pause, continued, "she's aiming to take the Cores of several worlds - um, those Cores are like the... hearts? Of entire worlds. If that gets taken away, well..."

Charmeine raised her arms, indicating the walls around them, "this is all that remains of my home world, and even this is only here thanks to me. I want to make sure no other world suffers the same fate."

Dropping her arms, Charmeine began to walk from one warrior to the other, her voice resolute as she finished, "I'm truly sorry to drop this kind of stuff on you all, and I'll understand if anyone wants to leave, but... honestly, I hope you'll still agree to help, ehehe..."

The King of Knights was silent as the girl made her explanation. So the worlds had... cores? A heart of some sort? And this was what had been taken away to reduce this universe to a single room... and it was one that only existed because of this girl's intervention. So they had to stop someone that was intent on erasing entire universe? That, in this way, sealed it. There was no way that Saber could reject such a plea for help, to ignore such a noble cause as protecting a myriad of different worlds. The idea of there being so many universe was a little bit overwhelming... but that was secondary to the plight that the girl had outlined. Needless to say, anyone dedicated to justice could never reject something like this. Especially given the fact that, if something was targeting entire universes, it could easily target her own...

"On my honor as a knight," Saber began, bowing her head, "I will do all that it takes in order to ensure no other universe falls."

There was no other answer that the blonde girl could possibly make to such a scenario. Someone who could erase entire universe by taking their 'cores'... Someone like that absolutely had to be stopped as quickly as possible. So no-one else would lose their home like this girl had. So no-one else would just... vanish.

---

Hibiki was distracted for a moment when she heard an explosion from behind... some guy with spikey black hair? He was like some sort of toku hero! But in the end there wasn't a lot of time to dwell on that as the small girl who had brought them here started making her explanation. For a few moments, her eyes were wide with shock. Someone dangerous, someone who was capable of erasing entire worlds...? Memories of Carol's sad, misguided goal came to her mind for a moment. The knowledge that there were other universes and someone was seeking to take their 'cores' and erase them was overwhelming, too. This just made her all the more determined to help the girl, however. She had to help, to stop more terrible things happening!

And then... there was sadness, too. Her entire universe had vanished... that was horrible. ... Even if it was a longshot, though, another question came to Hibiki's mind... she raised her hand, like she was in class.

"Is.." she paused for a moment, "Is there any way to fix your universe?!"

---

"Oh? Some of you aren't interested?" the grey-skinned girl asked, titling her head to the side for a moment. That was fine. She had planned for this. For some people to be selfish and not be willing to contribute. That was to be expected, really. But even as one girl fired off a stream of lasers, Zuriel raised one hand up.

"Do you see this?" she asked, as a small, warping shape formed in her hand. It was circular and seemed to be full of light, the surface constantly shimmering and moving. "This is the core of a world. It's like a heart! It's a huge amount of power, too, and if we get enough together... a new world can be born!"

She could hardly hide her glee at this. Yes... a new world where there was no more pain and suffering... A world of bliss for everyone who had been treated so unjustly!

"It will be a perfect world with no pain, no suffering," Zuriel said, waving her hand. The core faded away as she did did. "But if that's not enough for you... the amount of energy required for this is enormous! It'll overflow as the new world is created! And that's all energy that any one of you can use, for anything!"

She grinned widely.

"Even to create your own universes, too!"

Shovel Knight

The blue armored shovel knight was resting by his campfire as he did for many nights. Staring into the flames he recalls his last journey of trying to find his beloved shield knight. Oh how that journey ended will stay with the knight for many more to come, but for now it was time for him to lay to rest.

---

His dream was weird it felt so real yet he remembers closing his eyes and taking a rest at his campfire. He was in a room with others and there was a girl explaining something about other worlds and cores? Shovel Knight was at a loss for words he had no understanding of what was going on. Regardless though when she had asked for help he had to speak up dream or not he must help.

"My lady you have my shovel." he answered the call to arms with bravery and taking a knee like most knights do.

Juno-Seto

It was her mission all over again. Juno-Seto was already trying to protect the world she was. Not in an instant, she doubted any of Charmeine's words. Though she was, like Hibiki, worried if there was any chance to rebuild the lost world they stood right now. But somehow, she knew that there was no way for doing that. Sadness ran through her, upon knowing the truth of why she was summoned. Even if abruptly, it was a second chance and she wasn't going to lose it. Juno-Seto calmly floated towards Charmeine and landed in front of her.

"Lady Charmeine, please do not apologize. I was on the verge of failing to protect my world and your call is the second chance for me to fulfill the mission given to me. You are not alone, because I am here to help you." She said with a tender smile. Juno-Seto wasn't going to accept failures. It's the moment of now or never for her to do what's right.

---

Ensa-Taya

A world where pain and suffering would never exist. That would be a boring world. Ensa-Taya's ideals were different from Zuriel's by many miles. But something did called her attention. The fact that she could create her own world, where she could destroy and destroy nonstop. Whatever she created, she could destroy. It would be an endless loop of suffering. That was the magnum opus that Ensa-Taya desired ever since she bloomed from the Divine Seed. "... Heh... ahahaha... a world where I can destroy, demolish, disintegrate...!! I want it... I need it... I MUST HAVE IT!!" Her voice echoed across the room. With an abrupt speed, she floated and landed right near Zuriel, facing her.

"Very well. You managed to pique my interest, so I will lend my powers and cooperate with you. However, be clear that I will not follow anything except my own will. All shall fall under our dominion, Zuriel." She spoke with a malevolent grimace.

Takeru shrugged. Saving the worlds from devastation was a step up from dying in the "shocking" department, but as he eyed the other heroes, Takeru nodded.

"I'll help you too, even if it costs me my life!" Takeru said.

---

"It will be a perfect world with no pain, no suffering," Alain then raised his hand.

"You have my attention." He approached her and, as much as it pained him to do it, bowed before her. "Help me save my people, and I'll help you with your utopia." That was his offer to her.

Gilgamesh, still lying on the floor with arms draped over his head, stared at the light held in Zuriel's hand. It was a brilliant glow, radiating almost as dazzlingly as that nice-looking sword. So that thing could create a perfect world...?

What would be a perfect world for someone as grand and awesome as Gilgamesh? Well, the answer was simple: Home! But considering how damn impossible it was to get back there, maybe he could do the next best thing... a world crafted in his own image, where he could spar with Bartz and the other Light Warriors daily, every treasure chest would contain an Excalibur, and a specially-sealed tree of evil that was only there to be stabbed over and over. Most definitely an ideal world!

Leaping to his feet, Gilgamesh dramatically pointed at Zuriel, bellowing unnecessarily loudly, "The mighty Gilgamesh shall assist you in your endeavours! My swords are at your beck and call!"

--------------------------

Yuuka did not bother replying to Zuriel's offer. After all, her compliance was practically a given. She'd much rather observe the others, giving the flower youkai an idea of who she'd be working with. The loud and/or obviously unhinged ones were the most obvious choices for 'liability' and 'backstab waiting to happen', but what fun was a villain team without the potential for constant one-upsmanship?

Silently, the green-haired woman pondered the possibilities of creating a new world. Frankly, it wasn't something Yuuka really needed. Gensokyo, Muugenkan... that was enough for her. In this situation, the journey may prove a lot more interesting than the end goal - visiting other worlds, and potentially screwing around with existence? Malevolent or not, it was a scenario that piqued Yuuka's interest greatly.

"These quasi-dimensional furniture items are most interesting... If only I could--" Eggman pondered, eyeing up part of the walls up close. So enthralled he was with the experience, he failed to notice the screaming girl, or the laser barrage, even. He stood there, examining the piece.

Which oddly smelt like burnt egg. Or something similar. Eggman's moustached twirly, and an uncomfortable sensation ran up his spine. Fire. FIRE!

HIS BUTT WAS ON FIRE!

Apparently, he was one too tad big of a target to be missed with such a pyrotechnic show. So he flailed, and jumped and ran about, with deceptive speed and agility, one could be forgiven if he was mistaken as a beach ball. "YOW YOW, OVERHEAT!" He yelled as he jumped and flailed about, only to actually remember the lesson.Stop. Drop. And Roll. And so the circular doctor did, like a walrus frolicking in an iceberg.

"WHY YOU LITTLE..." He raised upwards, his abundant facial hair bristly and twitching with rage, as he raised his finger. "I DEMAND AN APOLOGY , NOBODY TRAMPLES DR EGG- oooh, what is that?" And just like that, the good (or bad, depending on one's point of view) doctor was pacified, as he noticed the core appear and vanish. It had the output of dozens... no, not dozens, eggzillions of chaos emeralds! That seemed a source of power to be untapped. He rubbed his hands greedily, as he blatantely ignored the rest of the loudmouth and brazen fools. Well, except that one warrior guy with the booming voice.

His bombastic style was certainly endearing. And he had swords. To chop up hedgehogs.

"Uhm, most interesting object. A core. See, miss? That's what I meant with incentives. Let's talk about business. I won't ask for much, even if I am a greedy world-dic--- I mean doctor! Doctor! I can be reasonable. For a meager fee of these cores, my services are yours! And then I shall use them to power my dream of finding all chaos emeralds, and squashing that damn Hedgehog!"

He scratched his head. "Or I could create my own utopia but naah... I have to take over that particular world. It's personal." He then clapped yes. "Ah, yes! My name is doctor Ivo Robotnik, but they call me Doctor Eggman. Pleased to make you an acquaintance." He added, with a small curtsy.

For a moment Dresden ignored everyone save for the girl that had apparently gathered them all there. If someone with the power to take each one of them from their own realities trusted them enough to ask for their help then that was good enough for him. None of them looked like much although he knew better than to trust first impressions. Given the fact that he had also just left his meeting with Mab meant that that it was very likely that he was on the right track. Coincidences where one of the Queens was involved was rare so this recent turn of event meant that he might be on the right path.

The scenario laid out sounded little different from other messes that he had been involved in. As much as he might have liked to have had Murphy or Thomas at his back, Harry had often enough gone it alone to hopefully come out in mostly one piece. He tapped the butt of his staff on the ground, investing a tiny effort of will so that it struck sparks as he did so. It might have been a shade melodramatic, but what else was magic good for?

"You have my aid, I swear it by my power."

"Hmhm. Yes, yes. I understand the situation now! Someone's doing something seriously gutless, and it's our job to stop them!" Gunha said, nodding his head in understanding before punching his fists together theatrically as a wide grin crossed his face. "Simple! So we just show those gutless cowards a taste of our fists, and the rest will solve itself, right?"

By now, the explosions had already settled down, and with nary a trace of them left, it would seem as if they hadn't appeared in the first place. But who cared? There were plenty more where those came from if he really wanted to make more, after all.

"So! Where do we start?"

Yeah... Couldn't really fight something that wasn't... There...
But hey, never stopped him before!


The array of lasers that bounced from one of the more... Deviant beings in the room was worth nothing more than a glance to the Anguished One, who simply moved his head away from one of the beams targeted at his face. Rude, this woman was. Also... Quite verily insane, possibly as much as the one proposing all of this in the first place. This wasn't particularly a meeting of paragons, now was it? The (rather foolish) self-proclaimed doctor seemed to be having some difficulty with the lasers, though. Perhaps a bit of retribution for his earlier actions?

The Anguished One's simple glance, though, tightened into a glare at the mastermind's proposition. So he had been right from the start; the energy required for such an ordeal necessitated the usage of these so-called 'world cores'. He, of course, had no desire to create a world of his own; as he had asserted to himself before, that mission of his was already completed. What worried him, though, was the possible outcome of doing so. The term 'world core' and a quick energy analysis of the example object implied just that: it was the core of a world. So removing such an object, if he was correct, would lead to the destruction thereof. To watch worlds crumble under his actions... That was something he would not be able to tolerate, regardless of the circumstances. But would that be better than being executed on the spot by all these hopefuls vying for the resulting energy overload? Or even standing idly by as he watched this happen instead?
...
Granted, he had sort of done the latter in the past, but this was different. He had agency now, however minuscule it seemed, and was no longer limited by the constraints of the Administrator System. So, in the end, he was left without a choice, wasn't he? In order to protect that new world, to keep this group from ever reaching it...

"Understood. That alone is all I needed to know in regards to your goal," the Anguished One stated, quietly walking to the far end of the room so as to not come into close contact with any more... 'Warning shots' from those more inclined towards insanity. Doing so led him closer to the green-haired woman who agreed with him from earlier, which he wasn't particularly worried about. At least he could be somewhat civil with her, if only because she hadn't been either mad, brooding, or just plain childish.

"So... It seems it is once again my role to test those humans to see if they may face the trials ahead. I wonder, will there be new Shining Ones there as well? Or will they be too weak to fight the oncoming threat? I may have to release Nicaea again, if worst comes to worst..." he mused, opening up a small terminal device that he pulled out from his pocket. The device booted up in short order, revealing a female wearing a bunny outfit and a man wearing a butler suit to appear on-screen.

"Your Exellency! What may we--" the girl chirped before the Anguished One cut her off.

"Ticos, I shall explain the situation later. For now, keep a record of the events at hand. We no longer have access to the Akashic Record, so everything must be stored on hand. Do you understand?"

"Your wish is our command, sir." the man replied, bowing on screen before seemingly glancing around. "Is there anything else you request of us right now?

"Yes. Summon Alice and prepare Nicaea for public usage once more."

With a nod, both of the figures on-screen left to the sides before a small orb flitted out of the device and right in front of the Anguished One. Yes, doing this near the sides was much less conspicuous than his last position. As it did so, the area to his side silently began to materialize something--or, well, rather, someone. While the rest of the area remained in a bit of chaos, the girl took a more solid form and, in the end, simply stood there by the Anguished One...

Though she didn't stay like that for long. The girl--Alice--looked around in a bit of confusion before walking over to the green-haired woman, a curious smile on her face.

Oh dear.

"Oh, my apologies," the Anguished One said, turning towards both Alice and the source of her interest. "It seems as if this child has a bit more curiosity than usual..."

It'd be best if a fight didn't break out or something. Granted, the Shining One's specifications in her creation made her nigh-impervious to damage, but the less attention brought to him, the better.

It took him a moment to realize though, that he had said everything just loud enough for said woman to hear his earlier comments.
Was he perhaps... Unconsciously seeking allies? Well, that could possibly be the case...

IF

Pausing to listen to what their host had to say, IF frowned as the seriousness of the situation began to sink in. This was all that was left of her world? Just this room? How was something like that possible? Then again, given that she was here it probably wasn't that unbelievable. And on the heels of that her request, to stop the person who had done this and fix things, before other worlds ended up like this one.

A sigh escaped as she took it all in. "Geez, it's like a situation out of a roleplaying game or something," she noted aloud in a manner that totally wasn't treading on the fourth wall in any way at all. This was a common scenario in fictional media after all, the gathering of heroes, the grave threat to the world, that sort of thing. It all fit too well.

But that wasn't going to stop her, not when she had been called and Charmeine obviously needed their help. A bunch of the others had already agreed, from the mundane people to the more colorfully decorated ones. "Well I guess I can't turn away from something like this," she noted as she glanced around before nodding to their host. "I'll do what I can to help you out too." It looked like she was going to be on another adventure.

---

Ulith

Well well, weren't things interesting here?

Honestly a laser barrage or what have you wasn't too unusual with what she had to deal with in Selector matches, and she was able to ignore it without batting an eye. Instead she was more interested in what their hostess had to say, and how she would be convincing those more reluctant to play along with whatever she had in mind.

To her interest and a smirk, Zuriel provided. Some sort of small shimmering item appeared, one that she claimed was the core of a world with infinite power inside. It seemed more than enough to pull in those who had their doubts as well, aside from that unfortunate Robotnik fellow who got lit on fire by the lasers, but even he came around eventually. It seemed that power would ultimately be the lever that brought those involved to working with her.

Not that Ulith cared about power in the slightest. Her dreams, her desires, they could be granted without absolute power like what was being offered. No, so long as she could interact with people, she'd always have her fun.

As a result, while noting the appearance of new individuals to the events here, she nodded towards Zuriel. "Like I said, I don't have anything better to do. Where do we start?"