MULTI_MEDIA_MAN

World of Light: the Endless Now

Edelgard von Hresvelg

Skyworld

Level 1 Edelgard (6/10) -> (9/10)

Word count: 1,928 words

As Roxas battled Beloved, Edelgard used her overwhelming strength to annihilate each Corrupted that dared face her. Compassions tried to buzzsaw their way through the ranks, but they found themselves parried by Swords and blocked by Shields, while Bows and Staffs buffeted them with arrows and magic. Ayfids were, ironically, the greatest threat, as the angelic attackers had to focus their efforts on preventing the Compassions and other Corrupted from carving through their ranks, leaving the flying magic-users the room they needed to attack from afar. When they could, Featherbows took aim at the flying Corrupted, but this was not as often as they needed.

As Edelgard struck down another Corrupted angel that challenged her, she felt a blade slash across her face, leaving a cut in its wake that a Featherstaff quickly healed. A Sycophant rose from its ambush, having caught the Empress off guard. It quickly launched a series of slashes aimed at her joints and head, looking to take advantage of any possible weak spots her armor had. It was hardly enough to leave more than superficial damage, though she found herself having a hard time actually closing the distance the Sycophant kept creating to strike it. In so chaotic a melee, that shouldn’t have been possible, but the Corrupted assassin was acrobatic enough to duck and weave around and through its surroundings.

It was when the Sycophant leapt forward to strike again that Edelgard found her opportunity. She hefted Aymr, bashing the haft of the ax against the Corrupted’s arm. Her shield crashed into its face next, knocking it back and into a Feathersword which whirled on the Sycophant, carving a deep gash into its back before an arrow sprouted from its side, finishing the monster off. ”Thank you.” Edelgard offered, as Roxas crashed into the ground next to her and rolled to his feet. As his Curaga washed over the assembled angelic forces, Edelagrd smiled at the Nobody. ”Thank you, as well.”

With Roxas back in the melee, Edelgard took his place fighting Beloved. The golem was clearly on its last legs, with Roxas having dealt an incredible amount of damage in a short amount of time. Between his fast attacks and easy access to Beloved’s weakest points, Edelgard didn’t feel too overshadowed by the Nobody’s success, but a twinge of jealousy did burn in her for the relative ease with which Roxas had done what he did. If that was magic she could learn? It would help negate her greatest weakness!

Stepping forward and disregarding that line of though, Edelgard bellowed out a war cry to challenge beloved, who ran forward and used its momentum to unleash a truly devastating overhead slash. Even Edelgard felt her bones aching as she barely blocked the blow, her shield ringing from the impact. Undaunted, she stepped forward and swung Aymr into Beloved’s already-damaged leg, the cracked limb finally buckling under the barrage of blows. While it didn’t shatter completely, this last impact sent deep cracks running across the leg’s length, and Beloved found himself bowed once more. Instead of climbing its back to gain access to its Corruption cluster, Edelgard crashed Aymr onto Beloved’s skull from the front, her Crests glowing from the effort as Beloved went from kneeling to completely prone. Imperiously, Edelgard climbed onto Beloved’s back from its shoulder, hefting Aymr with another war cry.

”FOR LADY PALUTENA!” She roared, as Aymr struck Beloved’s most vulnerable point, destroying the Corrupt Champion finally. She watched as Roxas helped her angels clean up the last of the Corrupted forces, a Featherstaff having left the battle to heal her up. Taking the Spirit left behind by beloved, Edelgard frowned at it. ”The relic of a difficult foe. I wonder what might be gained from you?” Storing the Spirit for now, Edelgard joined the others as Palutena’s forces gathered in the Great Hall.

The corpse of Legion, more specifically the gargantuan eye that its head had become, disgusted Edelgard so greatly that she had to look away, lest the bile tickling the back of her throat spill forth. She kept it out of her direct line of sight as she fought the Corrupted, though she found that doing so made her less effective a combatant. What a horrific thing to unleash upon the world. It was no wonder that Lady Palutena wanted it, and these abominations, destroyed. Thankfully, it was not long before the very same Goddess acted, her voice ringing out in the great hall. A moment later, the hall shook as its ceiling began to collapse inwards, huge chunks of masonry crashing onto the Corrupted forces, crushing many of them as the heavenly army rallied, with Uriel and Nathaniel taking the fight directly to the source of their woes, destroying the dreadful disc and freeing them from its effects. The Corrupted that remained fell in moments, and finally, all was calm. The angels cheered, and Edelgard felt the joy of victory sweep through her, her own hand rising in triumph.

Unfortunately, their revelry was short-lived. Celia returned with Ortho to both congratulate them and remind them that this was only one part of their efforts. Sighing, Edelgard boarded the majestic Griffin, bidding Roxas join her. As they rose, they saw what had demoralized the other angels, the massive Corrupted ship-weapons approaching them, albeit slowly. ”While I am ready for more battle, the Black Eagles did suffer some casualties, and not all of them are in perfect fighting shape.” She reported to Roxas and the other Lieutenants and Captains, frowning.

Their despair, also, was short-lived, as Lady Palutena directly intervened in the battle once more, summoning a Dream Blossom to light the sky for them. A wave of cheering exploded amongst the angels once more, and Edelgard smiled. This was why she respected Lady Palutena so deeply, why she fought so fiercely for her. She cared. She oversaw the battle from afar, but rather than handing down orders dispassionately, she bided her time and her power to utilize it where it made the greatest difference, trusting her followers to handle the smallest of details.

Ortho took off with his passengers, charging into the Corrupted lines like a missile himself, charging directly at a Kinship. Edelgard understood immediately what he planned, and turned her head to warn Roxas. ”He means to have me board a Kinship! You are free to join, or remain on his back, but when the ship is scuttled, he will be returning to pick me up!” True to what she said, Ortho was taking them directly into the path of one of the Kinships, from which arrows and missiles were launched aplenty. Ortho’s immense size and front-facing armor meant most of these arrows pinged off him without so much as a blink, but he had to be careful to dodge the missiles, even as he swiped at the ones he passed with talon and wing. It was far from a smooth ride, but at least it was quick: within two minutes of takeoff, Ortho passed over one of the Kinships, giving Roxas and Edelgard time to drop down.

Edelgard’s landing was unmistakable, and though a small contingent of the Black Eagles had come with her, the rest stayed with Ortho, taking the battle to the skies and cutting down hordes of angels while their leader and her guard dealt with the strategic assets. Edelgard glared menacingly at the Corrupted that turned to face her, some dropping their bows and drawing knives and short swords with which to fight in close quarters. Her Featherswords darted out to take down the archers that kept their focus outwards, while Edelgard charged forth to cut down the ones who had taken to defending the ship.

As the weaker Corrupted dissolved into ash, Edelgard collecting their Spirits, the pair of Corrupted angels that helmed the ship strode forth, greatswords at the ready. Edelgard cursed, knowing her weakness against their arms, but she was not deterred. Aymr was no mere ax: it was a representation of her power, her lineage, her struggles. And she was not alone, as her Featherswords made short work of the corrupted archers, though the sheer numbers meant that they would not be able to rejoin her until this battle was well underway.

These angels had clearly been of somewhat higher rank than many she had faced before, as Edelgard found that they took more than a blow or two to fell, unlike some of the others she had faced before. That proved troublesome, though Edelgard’s constitution was nowhere near frail enough to be overwhelmed by two simple foes, swordbearers or not. She held them at bay with her shield, even as their repeated blows sent shockwaves of force through her arm, before taking her opportunity to strike. The Corrupted angel she chose avoided her first swing, though Edelgard followed up with a shoulder check into a shield bash which sent the angel reeling. She crashed Aymr onto it with an overhead swing, wincing in pain as the other Corrupted took the opportunity to attack her exposed back. Still, her plate kept the wound from being more than a nuisance, and she repeated her overhead swing to destroy the corrupted angel before turning to its fellow, who started to advance before an angelic sword exploded through its chest, leaving it to dissolve into ash as a Feathersword saluted Edelgard, gesturing to the rest of the ship. “Lady Edelgard, the ship is cleared. We are free to destroy it and move on.”

”Very well. Send for Ortho, and we shall scuttle this ship before we do so. We must prevent the massive ship from reaching Skyworld.” Nodding at the command, the Feathersword flew off, almost immediately spotting the regal divine beast and making a beeline for him.

Once Ortho returned and Edelgard was onboard with Roxas once more, they made their way towards the figure of Worship, with the Black Eagles taking the front to deal with the smaller Corrupted that protected the missile-ship. While her angels did their duty, Ortho took Edelgard and Roxas close enough to attack. Edelgard stashed Aymr, instead gathering her short axes to throw at the ship. As Midna and her angels pulled back after dealing a crippling blow, Ortho pulled them around the other side of the monstrous ship, another smaller face exposing itself to attack.

The angelic griffin lashed out with its talons before fully opening his wings to duck backwards away from an attack, and Edelgard threw an axe into the face, following up with a fireball for good measure. As Ortho moved back in, the cherubic face opened to reveal a disgusting three-pronged maw, which Edelgard swung at with her held short ax a few times, and Ortho clawed at with his talons once more. As the maw slammed shut on Ortho’s wing, trapping him, Edelgard’s Gleaming eyes blazed with fury. She summoned Aymr once more from her inventory, grabbing hold of the Corrupted flesh with one hand and carving into it with her weapon, sawing as if her weapon were a carpenter’s tool, and not a twisted facsimile of a Hero’s Relic.

Taking a chunk of flesh from the Corrupted maw, Edelgard had given Ortho enough room to free his wing, though it was visibly damaged. As they backed away to let another group attack, Edelgard gently ran her hand through Ortho’s feathers as she chanted her healing spell, focusing the magic on Ortho’s wounded wing. ”The others will have to do the rest. Let us deal with the small fry before continuing to Citronpool Harbor.”

World of Light: the Endless Now

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Meridi-At-Han

Lvl 8 Zenkichi - (5/80) -> Lvl 8 (6/80) (+1 Pending)

Word count: 692 words

Rayna and Avmar’s arrival was timed just as Zenkichi’s revolvers clicked dry, and he decided to try out a new weapon: Konoe’s Hero’s Sword. The beam sword was heavier than it looked, though not as heavy as his usual weaponry. He pushed forward, calling out to the pair he vaguely recognized: ”Focus the legs! If you get it down to the ground, I can finish it off!” He vaguely recognized the monster rider from around the city, though they’d never gotten the chance to sit down and talk while she was hanging out with Primrose. Maybe after this, they’d all grab a much-needed drink!

As the crocodilian monster continued her rampage, Zenkichi, Rayna, and Avmar dodged, ducked, dipped, dove, and dodged their way away from punches, kicks, and tail swipes. Zenkichi found himself bearing the brunt of the damage, as Rayna and her Velocidrome were much faster, but that was alright. Finally, after the 180 seconds (minus a bit due to a few buffs) passed, Zenkichi felt more than saw Sandalphon’s halo appear above his head as he received Sigil Released, shedding a faint light. He whooped with excitement, jumping forward and slashing at Lizzie with newfound confidence. As he slashed at her leg, he used Tyrael’s Smite ability, summoning a pillar of fire on her left leg, that also left behind a small energy field that Rayna and Avmar took no time taking advantage off, getting a quick speed boost that let them dash around and land a vicious jumping bite attack on Lizzie’s calf, forcing the monster down as blood oozed out of the wound.

Meanwhile, Zenkichi let himself get hit by Lizzie’s tail, grabbing hold of the appendage even as he was dragged along the ground. He pulled himself onto her tail and grunted, running up it as Lizzie stopped to balance herself and stabbing the Hero Sword into her tail, dragging it up with him. The crocodilian shrieked angrily, shaking back and forth to try and dislodge him, but Zenkichi wrapped his legs around her tail like he was a cowboy trying to stay on a bucking stallion. While she bucked and struggled to get him off, Zenkichi stabbed the Hero Sword into her flesh as a handhold, putting his all into staying on as the superheated blade carved deeper and deeper into reptilian flesh.

Kayna and Avmar did not let this opportunity go to waste, as Lizzie’s wild, desperate thrashing made sure they were far from her highest priority. The pair charged forward to attack, with Rayna leaping off her Velocidrome to slash at Lizzie’s face with her sword, carving a line in her face and drawing even more blood. The crocodile monster roared again in pain, while Avmar slashed at her legs, jumping up to grab hold of her exposed belly with his jaws, ripping and tearing at scales while Sun Guards and assorted monster hunters piled on their own attacks, now confident they wouldn’t meet the same fate some of the more fragile defenders had before now.

Another brutal bite to her leg caused Lizzie to falter, stumbling and crashing into the ground. The defenders cheered and rushed forward, Rattler bolts and blasts of energy flying into the massive creature. Zenkichi pulled himself to his feet and dismissed the Hero Sword, resummoning the massive Greatsword that he had begun the battle with. Hefting the blade high, he let out a mighty yell as he crashed it down into Lizzie’s head, monstrous size proving the key to inordinate exsanguination.

With a torrent of blood, Lizzie’s destruction came to an end, and Zenkichi let out a sigh. ”Well, that’s disgusting.” Nonetheless, he stooped to collect the Spirit left by the invader, before turning to the others. ”Go help deal with that last one! I’m going to check on the carnival.” Having no real authority beyond possibly being the strongest there, Zenkichi’s rallying cry only inspired a hurried reassignment of priority, rather than a heroic ride of Big Damn Heroes, but it was enough to make some room for him to rush down to the carnival grounds to catch the beginning of Grimm’s fight with the mysterious necromancer.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Geralt of Rivia

Mafia Town

Lvl 14 Geralt (22/140) -> Lvl 14 (24/140) (+2 pending)

Word count: 915 words

Geralt didn’t participate much in the ensuing conversations, using his snagged pons to pay for a meal of Black & White Snapper sushi. The news about Consuls 𝙸 and V was welcome, even if it was somewhat minimal. The news about Limsa, on the other hand…made Geralt sigh. “Damn. Knowing what we know now, it was inevitable, but…damn. He sighed, shaking his head. “Consuls. Keep making things worse here.” Between the constant attacks, and the loss of their military leader, Limsa might not last much longer. Unfortunately, the Seekers had bigger fish to fry in the Consuls and Guardians.

Juri’s idea of fighting them was bold, but rash. Geralt didn’t pipe in and say as much, digging ravenously into his sushi instead, but the others didn’t hop on board, so he figured they’d most likely go after the potential Guardian next.

As he was musing on this, 𝙸’s ship appeared on the horizon, resulting in the customers of Bancho Sushi congregating on the balcony railing to see what was going on. When Nadia blurted out that she saw a Flame Clock, Geralt sighed before speeding his eating. He wasn’t missing dinner, Consul or no.

He’d just finished his sushi as the announcer finished his spiel, and he stood with a frown on his face. “That was actually good. I’d have liked to enjoy it.” Now thoroughly annoyed by the incursion, Geralt left the restaurant just behind the others, leaving Junior and Rika inside as the Koopa armed his Abyssal sister. As the other Seekers darted off, he stepped out of Bancho Sushi. Geralt drew his sword with a dismissive sneer, walking towards a group of fighters that had just landed and were looking for a fight.

“Come get it, whoresons.” He snarled as he drew the Sign of Quen, the protective shield shimmering to life around him. Three on one was hardly a fair fight, but Geralt didn’t care to make it fair for the invading enemies. He sidestepped the first punch, bringing his sword up and across the man’s chest, spinning to launch him away with a kick as he pivoted his stabilizing foot to turn towards the woman charging at him in a Bull Rush, turning her momentum against her by crashing the pommel of his sword into her face, knocking her legs out from under her. As she was sent sprawling, Geralt turned towards the third, larger man who seemed to have much more patience.

The bulky fighter stalked forward, muscles bulging and glistening with sweat, a vicious sneer on his face. Before he got too close, he let out a bellowing roar, which gave himself and his allies health regen. Then he ran forward, spinning around to dodge Geralt’s sword with surprising speed, before launching into an Omega Uppercut that knocked Geralt on his back, Quen broken in a single hit.

Groaning, the Witcher pushed himself back to his feet as the three fighters, now healing from the roar, advanced. Changing tactics, he transformed into his Ardor Blossom Identity, tossing a pair of fireballs at the advancing wrestlers. The big guy took the hit without complaint, while the woman ducked beneath it and ran at him. Geralt backpedalled, throwing more blasts of fire to build up energy. When the first male fighter got close, Geralt lashed out with his claws, blocking a high kick with his forearm as he raked the man’s face. He groaned, backing up to give his female partner room to Bull Rush Geralt, but all three enemies found themselves tripped up by Ground Shaker, the energy explosions finishing off the first man.

Charging up a group of fireballs, Geralt launched them at the two remaining enemies, setting both ablaze. His follow-up fireballs caused a chaining burst of flame that finished off the woman, but the larger man seemed only lightly perturbed. He bellowed again, re-upping his health regen, before charging at Geralt.

This time, Geralt returned to his natural Identity, sidestepping and counter-attacking with Aard to shake the fighter’s balance, before unleashing a rapid series of sword slashes to draw blood. Even bloody and battered, though, this fighter was unrelenting, and he launched another omega Uppercut that caught Geralt on the way back, though it was only a glancing blow. “Getting tired of you.” He sighed, putting his sword away and summoning Tartaglia’s Hydro Blades. His slashes came even faster, and the onslaught proved too much to handle for the muscular invader, who fell silently, a defiant glare on his face.

Geralt grabbed the Spirits from the three, stashing them in one of his pouches at about the same time Junior and Rika left Bancho Sushi. He heard Rika say they should go after the Consul’s ship, and despite his misgivings earlier, Geralt decided he’d have to go along. If not to inconvenience the Consuls, at least to make sure Bowser didn’t come back to an empty nest. “I’ll go with you.” He told the pair, making a running leap onto Rika’s White Whale, and stopping to heal himself with First Aid in the process. “If you need a quick heal as well, I’ll take care of that, but it’s less useful in combat. Takes a second or two to use, which is fine if you can take the attention off me, but that isn’t always possible. I also have a few more powerful offensive spells, but one takes even longer.” Best to make sure they knew exactly what he could do before they started the fight.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Edelgard von Hresvelg

Level 1 Edelgard (4/10) -> (6/10)

Word count: 863 words

As they traded blows, both Edelgard and Beloved felt the damage their foe was dealing. For Beloved, each strike was little more than a chip in its marble form, but Edelgard had allies healing her, greatly slowing Beloved’s progress in defeating her. Roaring with corrupted fury, it leaned down and grabbed the Flame Emperor bodily, lifting her up and squeezing her. Edelgard let out a cry of pain even as her Featherstaffs poured on the healing, but the few that could take their attention away from the featherswords holding off Corrupted reinforcements could not take away all of the damage.

Beloved slammed Edelgard into the ground, hefting its ax and swinging it to summon a magical meteor swarm, which the Feathershields had almost no time to react to. A number of Featherswords and Featherstaffs died in the attack, though one quick Shield managed to reflect part of the attack with its Reflect Magic. Beloved was not deterred, however, and it lashed out with a kick to Edelgard, which she had much less time to react to.

Barely hefting her shield in time, Edelgard was nonetheless knocked off balance and exposed to a follow-up attack, which crashed her into the floor with meteoric force. Beloved roared in triumph, stepping over and past Edelgard to attack the Featherstaffs and Feathershields that had been helping her. They scattered, giving ground to warn the rearguard of the impending threat, though each knew that Edelgard would not be felled by such a blow.

True to form, she rose once more, fury blazing in her eyes as she watched Beloved swat a Feathershield away like a gnat, the angel crashing into the Citadel’s wall and slumping as it dissolved into ash. She stalked forward, pointing at the marble colossus and launching a fireball at it. The magic struck true, fire licking at Beloved’s back and earning a bellowing shriek of surprise as it turned to face Edelgard. The assembled angels took that moment to swarm Beloved, Swords taking to the air to crash into its back and head, Bows firing arrows like machine guns at its back and joints, while the Shields held back the Corrupted lines and Staffs kept the group alive, mending wounds and firing blasts of energy between bouts of healing.

The swarm of foes caused Beloved to lash out with magic once more, but this time the Shields were ready, and the Black Eagle Strike Force showed the Corrupted exactly what it meant to be lead by an Emperor. With a single cry from a Sword, the shieldbearers and melee frontliners seamlessly swapped places, the Feathershields hefting their shields and using everything they had to block as much damage as they could, while the Bows got out of dodge, flying up and away from the impacts of the meteor swarm. The Staffs stayed to heal the survivors, and Edelgard took the opportunity to strike.

Beloved’s massive frame meant that it could close distance much quicker than Edelgard, but it also meant that Edelgard had plenty of target to hit. As soon as Beloved was distracted, she lowered her shield and struck, Aymr crashing into Beloved’s heel, again and again. Her Featherbows launched fusillades of arrows into its face, while Edelgard chopped a gouge into its leg from behind. Soon, the Corrupted champion fell to its knee, giving Edelgard her chance. She dropped her shield entirely, kicking it aside so as not to let it be damaged, and she leapt onto Beloved’s back. She dug her boots into its body, finding whatever purchase she could as she used Aymr like an ice ax, pulling herself onto the Corrupted champion with a grunt. Freeing her ax, she lifted it as high as she could, and struck with all her might, slamming the blade of her False Hero’s Relic into the same spot she’d hit with a fireball earlier.

The piercing crack of marble breaking was like music to Edelgard’s ears, and she smiled as Beloved thrashed beneath her, its elbow lashing out wildly to try and knock her off. Instead of colliding with her, it met a barrier and halted. Edelgard smirked as her second Crest saved her, and before Beloved could recover, she struck again, Aymr cracking through and punching a hole in the monster’s back. Within lied an angry, glowing red pustule of corruption, and Edelgard raised her ax to strike once more, but Beloved rallied as its inevitable demise drew closer, thrashing its body wildly and bucking Edelgard from its back.

The Corrupted champion rose once more, roaring in demonic fury, and leapt backwards before launching yet another barrage of magical meteoroids at the Black Eagles. Yet again, the Shields took defensive positions, but this time the Corrupted were more ready. They slipped past the Swords, abandoning the melee they’d been locked into, and spread out, targeting the defending Shields, the dodging Bows, and the healing Staffs. The battle went from a well-organized fight to a chaotic flailing of weapons, and Edelgard found herself wading back into the fight, taking down Corrupted left and right to free up her angels. ”Do not falter, Black Eagles! This will take everything we have! For Lady Palutena!”

World of Light: the Endless Now

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Lvl 8 Zenkichi - (3/80) -> Lvl 8 (5/80) (+1 Pending)

Word count: 936 words

As Zenkichi watched the circus, letting himself be taken in by the festivities, he gasped along with the other patrons when a ball of fire exploded against the top of the tent, before beginning to consume the tent. People screamed, launching out of their seats and scrambling towards the exits, crashing into each other and shoving each other about. Zenkichi stood with a sigh, grunting as somebody shoved past him.

”Jeeze…” He muttered, squaring his shoulders and entering the crowd, using his height to see what was going on ahead of everybody. The Grimm Troupe had all but abandoned the crowd, making Zenkichi roll his eyes. Bunch of jerks… he thought as the crowd managed to escape the tent, spreading out to a new horror: a trio of massive monsters attacking the city. A giant ape, a giant werewolf, and a giant crocodile on two legs. They were acting like stereotypical monsters, destroying buildings, killing people, and generally causing mayhem.

Well, he supposed it wasn’t super surprising that the city surrounded by a bunch of big monsters got attacked by a bunch of big monsters. It still sucked, though. The crocodile-looking one was closest to the tent, so Zenkichi took off after it, Phantom Thief attire appearing on him. He drew his newly-purchased weapon, the one that looked and felt more like it was just a giant club of iron, and leapt at Lizzie. Her massive size meant that he was more like a particularly annoying squirrel in relation, but the sheer bulk of his weapon, and the force he put behind it, meant it still did some damage. In return, he got a kick to the body, which launched him back, ragdolling as he tumbled head-over-heels into a wall, crashing through it and stopping on the other side of the ruined home he was now in.

”Oooowwwwww…” He groaned, forcing himself back up. Note to self: buff before attacking giant monsters. Probably defense in this case. It didn’t do him any good to die in two hits, after all. ”Alright, here goes. Restoration protocol, activate!” He cried as he stepped out of the home, Sandalphon’s Covenant transforming from Preservation Protocol to the aforementioned Restoration. ”Now, Valjean! Rakukaja!” The familiar feeling of a major defense buff eased some of Zenkichi’s worries, and the healing light that washed over him took quite a bit of the edge off.

Zenkichi ran in after her, pointing upwards at Valjean appeared once again. ”No holding back! One-Shot Kill!” He yelled, and Valjean obeyed, lashing out with its chains as a massive spectral bullet crashed into Lizzie, knocking her back a step. The healing that revitalized him from the Covenant felt nice, but the monster’s attention being pulled directly onto him most certainly did not. ”Uh oh…” He sighed, hefting his greatsword to try and mitigate some of the incoming damage.

Thankfully, between the obscene heft of the greatsword, and Rakukaja’s defense buff, he only found himself being pushed back by the punch, instead of launched away. A group of Sun Guard warriors ran past, using bows and a variety of anachronistically high-tech weapons to attack the monster. Huh, those were pretty cool, actually.

Returning his attention to Lizzie, Zenkichi decided to try one of his new moves. He dodged around her leg while she was distracted for a moment, and lifted the greatsword, power and flames coalescing around it as he charged. He let the flames build until they were almost impossible to see past, at which point he slammed his sword into the ground, cracking the stone and unleashing a chain of explosions around him, burning away a few of the scales on her heel.

Lizzie roared in response, reaching down to grab Zenkichi and attempt to crush him, most of the air forced from his body. He managed to gather just enough breath to utter a damage curse, however:

”Megi…dolaon!” As Lizzie squeezed tighter, practically screaming in his face to shut him up, Zenkichi smirked as a bolt of light crashed into Lizzie’s head, Megidolaon catching her off guard and causing her to drop him.

”Oooowwwwwww….that…that really freakin’ hurt…” He groaned as he staggered to his feet. Restoration Protocol had triggered too early to mitigate the damage from the fall, though it had still just about topped him up beforehand. His knees just didn’t enjoy that. A pair of Sun Guards rushed up to him, one helping him up, while the other fired what looked like an armless repeating crossbow up at the monster.

“Let’s go, sir! You’ve done enough!” The man yelled as he pulled Zenkichi up. “Duvad, we’re pulling back!” The man with the Rattler, apparently Duvad, turned back to nod, but both Zenkichi and the Sun Guard gaped in shock as the man was launched into a wall from a kick, crashing to the ground, groaning weakly. "DUVAD!!!!" He shouted, hauling Zenkichi to his feet before pulling him into a dead sprint, racing after the dying man. “No, Duvad! Stay with me!” He begged, grabbing his friend and desperately doing whatever he could to help.

Zenkichi, however, knew what to do. ”Rakukaja!” Staring directly at Duvad, the buff, followed by Sandalphon’s Restoration Protocol, washed over the man, and he gasped as his wounds were brought from imminently fatal to merely grievous, both guards looking at Zenkichi in shock. ”Get him out of here. I have a monster to fight.” He simply ordered, the Sun Guard nodding before carefully lifting Duvad and dragging him out of there.

“Sun go with you, hero. Kill that thing.” Followed Zenkichi as he ran back in, revolvers blazing at Lizzie.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Lvl 8 Zenkichi - (2/80) -> Lvl 8 (3/80) (+1 Pending)

Word count: 303 words

Entering the grounds of the carnival, Zenkichi let out a whistle. ”Wow, this place is actually pretty big. Reminds me of stuff you’d see in a movie about America or something.” He ambled around, taking in the sights, the…giant bug sights. Okay, the whole carnival was ‘manned’ by anthropomorphic bugs, which was freaky as hell to be frank. The music being played by one of the really big guys was very much what he’d have expected from a carnival, even if the…instrument itself…was not, in any way, shape, or form. He gave Brumm an appreciative nod and moved on, passing by Divine’s fortune telling booth.

Shaking his head at the prospect, he moved on by, stopping by a stall to see what kind of food they offered.

Nope, that was food for bugs, on to the next one. Thankfully, this stall had some actual food fit for human consumption, and after a few minutes’ wait, Zenkichi found himself munching on a hot dog slathered with a number of condiments that he wasn’t entirely sure even came from Earth, but nonetheless tasted pretty damn good!

And so it was that Zenkichi enjoyed his time at the carnival until the main attraction was opened to the public, and he joined the throngs of people shuffling inside, paying the token entry fee to see the carnival. The place was still giving Zenkichi the heebie-jeebies, but he had a feeling that was intentional, so it didn’t actually bother him all that much. The little ghosty dudes holding up torches was a nice touch, he thought, even if they added quite a bit to that freaky atmosphere.

As the flaming dance show began, Zenkichi found his head bopping along to the music, a smile on his face as he let go and just enjoyed himself for once.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Edelgard von Hresvelg

Level 1 Edelgard (2/10) -> (4/10)

Word count: 1,176 words

Pit’s enthusiasm earned a nod from Edelgard, while Midna’s practical explanation of her abilities earned the Twilight Princess an appreciative look. She’d heard of the new ‘Twilight Guard’, a squad of angels that utilized the spoils of fallen corrupted (though clearly, as she could see, not haphazardly) to bolster their power. ”I will be sure not to get in your way, then.” She stated, wondering just how destructive those magics that Midna wielded truly were. The servants that she could summon seemed like they could be useful, though Edelgard wondered if they were up to the same level of combat that the angelic soldiers were. Likely not, but Midna would know how best to use the resources at her disposal.

While they were talking, another young man joined them, out of breath and apologetic. ”I see. Well, Roxas, I was just introducing myself to your other companions. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, one of Lady Palutena’s Lieutenants. We were just discussing the tactical options available to us.”

Unfortunately for their ability to converse further, a shadow loomed above them, followed by the beating of gargantuan wings. This otherwise-ill portent heralded not an attack, but the arrival of a majestic and ferocious ally of all present: Ortho, the Griffin. Riding atop the elegant beast was Celia, Lady Palutena’s spymaster. Edelgard understood well the necessity of a good spymaster, but the nature of the job was fairly dark, which unsettled her some. Still, she greeted Celia and Ortho like she would any other ally of hers.

”Celia, Ortho. It is good to see you two. While I am honored, I will admit to some trepidation at treating Ortho as just another beast of burden. However, if Lady Palutena wills it…and Ortho consents, I would be happy to ride such a valiant Griffin to battle.” She gently stroked Ortho’s mane, and the Griffin huffed and adjusted himself to allow Edelgard to scratch an itch, making the Empress chuckle. ”Yes, I understand.”

She was interrupted by Palutena’s message, prompting a resolute nod and step up to Ortho’s saddle. ”Then, I suppose it is time to go.” As she settled in, Edelgard noticed the Seekers begin taking off rapidly, and hummed. At least they weren’t lollygagging. As she prepared to have Ortho take off, an embarrassed voice reached Edelgard’s ears, and she turned to see Roxas looking up at her awkwardly. Chuckling, she offered her hand.

”Of course. Those of us without wings certainly have our own difficulties in this army. I would be remiss to not offer my assistance. Climb aboard.” Once Roxas was safely onboard Ortho, the pair took off. The Black Eagle Strike Force surrounded them, flying in formation as they approached the Ivory Citadel. Monstrous enemies appeared in massive quantities to attack the invading angels. The Cadet and Compassion combos gave Edelgard’s own retinue the hardest time, their quick hit-and-run tactics allowing them to get by the Strike Force’s Feathershield vanguard and attack the more vulnerable rear units. Still, the Featherswords did valuable work, parrying attacks and destroying the attackers, while the Featherstaffs kept them alive through the opening salvo. Ortho even knocked a Catchet off-course, allowing a group of Featherbows to buffet it to death with a swarm of arrows. As they fought, massive bolts of corruption began spearing through the battle lines, skewering angels and corrupted alike.

”Black Eagle Strike Force!” Edelgard yelled, her voice carrying even in the heat of the battle. ”Carry forward to the Ivory Citadel! Our goal lies ahead!” Bolstered by her command, the strike force charged into the only openings they could see: the windows and balconies of the citadel. Free from the devastation wrought by the corrupted ballistae, Edelgard and her angels took a moment to breathe. Dismounting, she addressed the Strike Force ”Alright, everybody. We have but a moment before we rejoin the battle. Make it count.” Turning to Roxas, she nodded once. ”Good luck out there. You are free to remain with the Strike Force, or seek out and join your friends as you please.”

Moving from their rallying point, the Black Eagles charged towards one of the two spires, where the corruption was the heaviest. As they moved, numerous corrupted stood in their way, forming a wall to halt the angels’ advance. Edelgard finally took to the field of battle, eyes glowing with ferocity and fury. ”Black Eagles!” She cried, hefting Aymr. CHARGE! Her voice thundered, and her platoon responded, bellowing their own rallying cries as the battle lines clashed, corrupted falling like wheat before a scythe. The angels were not without their own casualties, but the Featherstaffs did their best to keep their forces hearty.

As Edelgard cleaved her way through the enemy lines, the cries of her allies at the rear caught her attention, as a group of Sycophants appeared as if from nowhere and cut down some of their healers. ”Dammit. Swords, Shields, split to cover the rear. I will deal with their leaders.” Edelgard’s voice dripped with venom, and her crests glowed with an ethereal light as each blow she struck reinvigorated her. She was in her element here, leading a battle party and destroying the forces of evil.

Blasts of magic and the clashes of blades around her nearly deafened Edelgard to the thundering footsteps of the enemy’s commander, Beloved, but she could certainly not have missed the massive shadow that the beast cast. ”And there it is!” She called to her troops, bashing aside a vengeful spirit that attempted to strike her, and destroying it with a single swing of Aymr. ”One of their damned commanders! I will lead you to victory, to glory, to peace! Cover my rear and when the area is secured, join me in battle!” She ordered, a series of assenting cheers rising in response, while the Black Eagles redoubled their efforts to cut down the corrupted forces while Edelgard calmly walked forward to challenge Beloved alone.

The marble golem paused for a moment, as if to question a single human challenging him, a massive hulking goliath with an ax larger than her body. Then, it hefted its weapon and slammed it down onto Edelgard, pausing once more in disbelief as the woman’s hefted shield deflected its blow, though not without a significant amount of force being transferred through the weapon and hurting Edelgard. ”I’ve faced worse than you.” She retorted dismissively, Aymr slamming into Beloved’s leg, a single blow chipping its marble body. ”You are far from invincible.” Keeping as close as she could, Edelgard summoned a fireball and launched it at Beloved’s face to force it to either dodge or block, giving her time to strike yet again with her ax.

Each blow chipped just a small bit from Beloved’s leg, but she was making progress nonetheless. As the battle behind them calmed, Edelgard felt healing magic wash over her as a few Featherstaffs and Feathershields joined her, the Featherswords throwing their all into keeping back the enemy reinforcements. Hefting Aymr once more, she threw her all into fighting the marble colossus before her.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Geralt of Rivia

Mafia Town

Lvl 14 Geralt (20/140) -> Lvl 14 (22/140) (+2 pending)

Word count: 1,168 words

As Geralt made his way downtown (literally, in Mafia Town’s case), an abundance of activity at the docks caught his eye. He’d heard somebody had caused a ruckus there the previous day, and from the descriptions he’d heard, it could be no other than the abandoned royal children, Junior and Rika. They’d attacked some of the mafia that watched over the dock and took ‘their cut’ of the incoming fish, leaving the rest to the sailors that had brought them in. Good on them.

Returning his attention to the present, Geralt’s eyes narrowed when he noticed just how…professional…the unloaders were being. That wasn’t the local Mafia’s incompetence at work, and Geralt diverted his path to get closer to the docks, watching them carefully from above. The men moved smoothly and quickly, bringing their haul of shark fins into a nearby storehouse. Why only the fins, Geralt had no idea. Perhaps they were of particular medicinal value?

Stalking closer, Geralt realized that they only had one lookout, and he was watching the sea. Idiots… he thought to himself, jumping down to land on the ground level of the dock, to the side of the storehouse. He calmly walked around the side, acting every bit as if he belonged here, and turned the corner before walking in the entrance.

Inside the storehouse was a hive of activity. The mysterious dock workers hugged the sides of the storehouse, bringing the product in as far away from the customers as they could be, keeping out of the way for whatever business was being conducted here, out of the public eye. Geralt’s eyes darted to and fro, and once he managed to catch an actual transaction taking place, he frowned. What kind of place gives you something for free, and gives you money on top of that? Gotta be something fishy going on here.

Knowing he would be caught if he didn’t play along, he joined the back of a line of people waiting to ‘purchase’ some pearls, listening carefully. “Alright, these are the pearls that you ordered, and this is your rebate.” The man running this stall said. “Count them if you like, but it’s all there. One dozen pearls, all at or above our guaranteed quality, and ninety pons back. You can’t beat our prices. One dozen pearls for 30 pons, total. You just have to pay the insurance deposit first, and when it all comes back okay, you get everything that you asked for.”

Geralt’s brow furrowed. That wasn’t an unheard of business model on the Continent, especially when it came to shipping goods to Skellige, but it was frowned upon by more honest merchants. If the ship was lost, investors would just come with bodyguards and take back their ‘deposits’ anyway. He supposed this area of the World of Light wasn’t devoid of danger, especially in the ocean, but something about this was bothering him. When the man who had just received his product passed Geralt by, something tugged at his gut. Whoever was in charge wasn’t running an honest operation, he just had to figure out what the catch was.

A few more people received their pearls and their ‘rebate’ of pons, and Geralt was near the front of the line, still thinking and trying to calmly observe his surroundings to see if he could catch anything off. The man in front of him had clearly ordered a massive haul, receiving ten dozen pearls and a bag of pons larger than he could carry. One of the workers, who had just offloaded his merchandise and was headed out to the ship to get more, was ordered to help carry the bag of pons, and when a few spilled out, Geralt was quick to act. Grabbing one of the fallen pons, he dextrously swapped it with one of his own before handing his own pon over to the worker with a nod. When the pair turned to leave, Geralt faced the man running the stall. “What’s the deposit for a dozen pearls?” The man looked at Geralt as if he were talking to an idiot.

“What, did you not hear it the half-a-dozen times I said it before you got up here? A hundred twenty pons for a dozen. Ten pons a pearl, and you get ninety pons back when the haul comes in. If the ship goes down, you’re out of luck. It hasn’t happened yet, but I have to warn you that it’s a possibility.” Geralt nodded, giving a dejected-looking shrug.

“I don’t have that kind of money on me right now, but I can try to scrounge it up, ask a friend. When will you be here next?” He asked, keeping the ruse going.

“The ship comes into port every few days. You’ll find us here, in the same spot. We can’t always be certain how the tides will go, or if the ship will fill early, so the schedule isn’t strict, but keep a careful eye out, and you’ll see us.” The man advised. “Now, if you aren’t able to make an order at this time, I do have to request that you not loiter. I have more customers to help. Good evening, sir.” He quickly transitioned to helping the next person in line, as Geralt left the storehouse, waiting until he was a good distance away before checking the pon he’d swapped.

Fake pons. Clever. Have to imagine they’re not all fake, though they’re giving far too many back for most to be real. Surprising that nobody’s caught on yet. If they have, wonder if they’re just killed or if they handle it some other way? Geralt’s musings took him to Bancho Sushi, where he had originally been heading.

Entering the restaurant, Geralt nodded when he saw that Nadia, the kids, and Juri were all there. Therion and Falcon must have been off doing their own things. He caught the tail end of Juri’s explanation of there being a giant bird nearby, and hummed. “Doubt that’s the same one we fought at Black Bay? Bird that size must move quite a bit, but ‘giant bird’ isn’t exactly descriptive or rare, I imagine.”

Shrugging, he got to his own information. “Found a counterfeiting ring. Fake pons.” To illustrate, he pulled out the fake pon he’d snatched, as well as one of his real ones. “Fake one is a little lighter, slightly different material. Smells differently, as well. They smell…wrong, somehow. Wrong the same way smoke does in fresh air. It’s not quite what we were going for, but I haven’t had quite as much time to really scope this area out. They’re at the docks right now, but aside from fraud and counterfeiting, I’m not sure if they’re up to anything truly shady. Might have to investigate further to tell, though, and they won’t be back for a few days after they go out again.”

It wasn’t a solid lead by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the only real one he’d gotten.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Geralt of Rivia, Featuring Sakura & Karin

Satisfactory -> Mafia Town

Lvl 14 Geralt (15/140) -> Lvl 14 (20/140) (+2 pending)

Word count: 4,278 words

Wednesday Morning

Having had a much happier reunion with Yen than their last (especially without the awkwardness of being female that he was half-worried he would have to deal with), Geralt was on his way to find Ciri, the Sorceress having followed him down in a Hellpod, though not without great reluctance. She still hadn’t recovered the ability to create portals, though making one to a completely unknown area would have been a difficult matter itself. Instead, the pair traveled to the outskirts of the Satisfactory, where Karin had instructed the survivors from Midgar to go.

The approach to the Satisfactory was a largely arid series of canyons and plateaus, though small rivers and oases did dot the landscape in sufficient number to make the place liveable. Small huts and stacks of logs, rudimentary clay bricks, and chunks of stone and metal surrounded the refinery, which fed ray materials not being used for construction of shelter to the main factory.

“Huh. Not even going to pretend I know what half of that’s for.” Geralt remarked, eyes wide at the massive scene before them.

“That…is…enormous!” Yennefer cried. “To think of the kind of marvels they must be able to produce with these machines! The sheer scale of output! I knew this world had some amazing things in it, Geralt, but this is…amazing.” Geralt was a little surprised by just how taken in by all this Yen was, but he took it in stride.

“It’s something, alright. Only makes sense they’d need something like this to keep a city as huge as Midgar running, I suppose. Have to make everything somewhere, and what better place than the middle of nowhere?” Geralt looked around, emphasizing the remote location of the factory, before shrugging. “Alright, nothing to it. Let’s start looking.”

It wasn’t long before they’d found somebody who had seen somebody going by Ciri’s rough description, though it had been a few hours since they had. Deciding that it might be better to just go straight to the people in charge, he described Sakura and Karin as best he could to Yen, who nodded impassively at the descriptions before raising an eyebrow. “Surrounding yourself with beautiful young women again, are we, Geralt? If I didn’t know better, I might be jealous.” She gave that sort-of laugh that she did sometimes, and Geralt smirked a little.

“Ah, but you do know better. Besides, I’m fairly certain Sakura isn’t even yet twenty. Younger still than Ciri by a few years.” He replied. “And I’m also fairly certain she could beat me in a fight if I tried anything.” Yen paused at that, thinking.

“Even Ciri would be hard-pressed to fight you without the full brunt of her power, and that would be if she could fully control it. That girl must be quite the fighter.” She remarked, humming. “I think I should like to meet her. And this Karin is her rival in their martial arts training? My, how interesting.”

“I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of their fists or feet, that’s for sure. But let’s see if they can help finding Ciri.”

---

Karin Kanzuki, if she did say so herself, was doing a stupendous job. She was back in red, and back in a position of leadership. While of course figures like Susie were back in Midgar itself, the actual refugees of Midgar needed a leader, and Karin had stepped up. It had been one of the most rewarding challenges of her career so far. It had only been a short while but her message combined with her take-charge attitude were enough to make people consider her. And the amount of force she and Sakura together could output were demonstration enough. There were many scattered factions trying to take advantage of the people, and during the first few hours of the chaos Sakura and Karin had mostly gone around rounding folks up and battering criminals and corrupt cops alike, all while trying to form a ‘council’ of anyone who wasn’t evil. Fortunately they had a lot to choose from.

The beginning chaos had settled down, and the two had turned their attention to the Satisfactory. It was an obvious choice to get production going to begin the construction of a real town. Karin had discovered that building and crafting were much easier here than they were in the real world. Within a few days she predicted they could have an entire town of shelter built up.

Karin was up on the roof, peering down through the sunroof to the factory floor down below. ”A little to the left….My left!” Karin shouted down.

Sakura was carrying some ridiculous machine on her back, and she set it down with a thud in a grunt. Some nearby workers applauded. Sakura grinned and waved at them, and suppressed a wince as she held the small of her back, looking up to Karin.

”How did I let you put me up to this? You’re telling me the best way to get this factory going is for you to shout at us on high while we carry around heavy machinery?” Sakura complained.

”Oh, no. You’re the only one carrying around heavy machinery, Sakura.” Karin replied coyly. ”And I have to stand up here to see the whole picture!”

”Wow!”

”No, but honestly! You’re strong, aren’t you? Can’t you do it?” Karin asked.

”Of course I can do it.” Sakura said.

”After we’re done setting up, you and I can go for a first-to-one hundred.” Karin said. Sakura’s eyes lit up.

”You think we’ll have time for that?!” She clutched her fists and bounced on her heels.

”We’ll make time.” Karin replied. Then her tone became sly once again. ”Besides, it won’t take me long to thrash you one hundred bouts in a row.” Then she switched tones once again. ”Could you bring that craft bench from outside in here? Right up against the North wall should do.”

”Oh, you’re so on.” Sakura sprinted out of the room. Meanwhile, Karin grappled hooked down from the roof and began connecting the Refinery to the rest of the conveyor belts. Then she hooked back up onto the roof and began pacing from sunroof to sunroof. She had a table set up there with sketches and papers held down by various trinkets and gadgets salvaged from Midgar, most not useful.

She called down to the workers below. ”Remember: Coal, then metal! None of us will be cold tonight if my name isn’t Karin Kanzuki!” She said, which got a cheer from the collected work force. Ah, it was good to be the queen. Karin looked out upon her kingdom of ramshackle huts, tents, shacks, and pre-existing warehouses. Soon, it would be a walled utopia of the people. Not just the massive factory itself, but the space around it, too. A bastion of freedom, under her complete, benevolent control! And Sakura…could be the mascot. Tomorrow, Karin would turn her attention to getting that large crane operational. There were some engineers she knew that could help with that…

“Karin!” Geralt’s voice boomed, his hands cupped to better direct his call directly up to his ally. “It’s Geralt, from the Seekers!” He added, since his appearance had drastically changed since they’d last met. Karin’s head snapped in Geralt’s direction, her golden hair sparkling in the sun with the movement.

Heads turned at the Witcher’s loud call, a few astute observers having picked up the ‘Seeker’ part and connecting it to what Karin had said last night. Whispers and murmurs picked up throughout the crowds as people slowed to see what was happening.

”Ah! So he has returned.” Like before she seemed to take his new appearance in stride. ”With company, no less. I suppose now is as good a time as any: take five, men!” She called down to the workers. Then she leapt from the roof and rappelled down to the ground, approaching.

Once Karin had made her way closer, Geralt introduced Yen. “This is Yennefer, my wife, and a powerful sorceress where we come from. I received…information…that Ciri was in Night City when Midgar fell, and had come here with the other refugees. We were wondering if you, or somebody you’ve been working with, could help us track her down among all the people here.”

Yen nodded, for her part. “After being separated, and reunited, then separated again, we just…need to see for ourselves that she’s okay.” She was keeping her composure well, but Geralt’s many years of experience with the woman told him that she was both frustrated at the situation, and excited to see Ciri again.

Karin nodded. ”Indeed. I suspect that-” Almost like she saw it coming, she pointed behind her as Sakura shouted, setting down the craft bench with a thump and sprinting over.

”Mister Geralt! You’re back already!” She said. She ran up and gave him a big hug.

”Oh! Oh oh oh!” She pulled back and began tapping him on the shoulders. Then she glanced over at Yen, gasped, pointed at her with her mouth in the shape of an ‘o’, and hopped in place, taking a few steps back.

”Yes! Okay! Guess who I saw!” She held her hands towards them. There was no time to answer the rhetorical question, though. ”It was Cirilla-san!”

”I said I knew who she was and she knew that I would only know because you told me. And I said you were just here and were probably coming back Mister Geralt. But some guys told us about some giant scorpions. And I said she would wait here in case you come back and I can go fight them, but I knew that was dumb.” Sakura stood up straighter and lowered her eyelids, adopting an exaggerated posture of Ciri.

”‘If you think I’m just going to sit around and wait for him to show up while there’s monsters to hunt, you’re sorely mistaken.’” She said, in a surprisingly accurate impression.

”And I was like, yeah I’m really sorely mistaken, and then she took off that way!” She pointed over a nearby hill. ”There’s some cliffs and a ravine over there where the giant scorpions are, and also a well. That’s why those guys saw the scorpion in the first place.” Sakura said, a little breathless.

Geralt huffed a short laugh at Sakura’s exuberance, but the news that Ciri was here, right now, and safe, meant a weight off his shoulders. He gave the Street Fighters a small smile and nodded. “Then, if you’ll excuse us, I think we have some scorpions to deal with. We can talk more when we get back.”

Yen gave the pair a nod, hanging back a few moments as Geralt turned to leave. “Thank you two for helping make sure he was safe. I know Geralt is more than capable of taking care of himself, but he’s had nothing but praise for your abilities as well. In this hostile land of Galeem’s designs, we all need all the help we can get.” Her piece said, she turned to join Geralt, the pair quickly walking in the direction Sakura pointed.

”Of- of course!” Sakura bowed again. She knew they would want to speed off to see Ciri as soon as possible, which is why Sakura’s intent was to waste no time telling them where she was. Karin simply nodded, holding her elbow with one hand and keeping the other by her face.

”Come. If they’re going to be slaying beasts we should not waste time in our own contributions.” Karin said, and the pair returned to their duties. Sakura kept looking over the hill, though, between actions. She knew they’d be back shortly!

It was by no means a long walk to find Ciri, and once they caught sight of their surrogate daughter dancing around a half-dozen [url=http://]i.imgur.com/WoLwcZk.png]Giant Scorpions[/url], both moved to assist. Geralt slid down the hill they were standing on, drawing his steel sword, while Yen more carefully descended it, a ball of fire springing to life above her shoulder and hurtling towards one of the scorpions.

The creature cried out in surprise, turning towards the approaching interlopers, while Ciri let out a gasp of surprise, then was forced to blink away when another scorpion nearly caught it with her claws. The trail of blue-green energy left in her wake had been confounding the scorpions since she’d began carving away at them, but they’d begun to ignore the light show after beginning to realize it was of no harm to them, nor was it prey that they could kill.

“Geralt?! Yennefer?!” She called out, confused but delighted. “You showed up much sooner than I anticipated! It’s only been a day!” Ciri’s sword flashed out, carving through and removing half the pincers of a scorpion that closed in, and she kicked the stinger that it sent hurtling after her aside as she dodged, spinning in a flourishing blow as she severed the offending appendage. “I know you’ve been busy, I could have waited a few more days!”

“Wasn’t gonna let that happen.” Geralt replied gruffly as he landed on a stable spot and stopped. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and lifted his sword aloft. A glyph of magical energy began to form beneath him, and after a few seconds he spoke again. “Light of the heavens, pierce my foes. Holy Lance!”

As he cried the name of his spell, the glyph disappeared from beneath him and several new glyphs appeared around one of the scorpions, five lances of holy energy rising from them, while a sixth hovered ominously above. The five lances, in sequence, crashed into the scorpion, catching a second one nearby in the explosion of energy that appeared as they landed, and the sixth crashed upon its target like a meteor from above, destroying the scorpion and scattering the ash of its body in an instant.

A wave of lethargy overcame Geralt momentarily, but he shook it off and dove into the battle while Yen and Ciri’s eyes bulged out of their heads in surprise, the latter being caught off guard and grabbed in the remaining pincer of the scorpion she’d mutilated, which violently slammed its destroyed pincer into her body. She grunted from the impact, but a fireball from Yen crashed into the scorpion’s back, finally finishing it off and freeing Ciri.

“When did you learn proper magic, Geralt!?” Ciri asked, parrying another stinger sent her way while Geralt stabbed into the back of one of the remaining scorpions, dancing out of the way of its stinger and carving a bloody furrow through its body.

“Fused with a few Spirits yesterday afternoon. You should see what else I can do.” He joked, backing off from the scorpion he’d wounded and taking a deep breath. That spell took a lot out of him, but he was already nearly fully recovered. Yen, for her part, rolled her eyes as a third fireball streaked from her and immolated the stinger of the scorpion Geralt had wounded, while Ciri attacked another.

“It might behoove you to show off your newfound abilities when our lives aren’t in peril, Geralt.” Yen chided, rolling her eyes with a fond half-smile. None of the three were truly in much danger, but it was a reminder to take the battle seriously and not showboat, which Geralt acknowledged with a cocked nod of the head.

“Fair enough. Finish off the scorpions, then we can all trade stories over a few ales. Sound good?” The ‘Yes’ he got in response from the two was enough for Geralt, and they refocused on finishing their quarry.

---

Carrying the Spirits of the scorpions back, Yen, Ciri, and Geralt chatted and swapped stories as they returned to the factory approach where they’d last seen Karin and Sakura, depositing the Spirits in a box that had been set aside for such things. Aside from venom or chitin, they couldn’t think of anything they’d get from mere scorpions, giant or not, and the trio had decided that they could better be put to use by the magical-seeming factory, perhaps used for building armors, high-end fashion, or antivenom.

Looking around for the pair of street fighters, Geralt called out to try to get their attention once more, though this time it resulted in far fewer heads turning. Seems they were already old news.

”Yay, you’re back!” Sakura called out, carrying a big box. She kept walking to set it down. Karin waved over her shoulder but was in the middle of a discussion with a foreman.

”One big happy family.” Sakura smiled. ”Galeem better watch out, huh?”

“Actually, we were talking while we were on our way back here.” Ciri said, smiling at Sakura, and looking around as she took a step closer to Sakura. “And I think I’d like to stay here. Helping people.” Geralt nodded behind her, a faint smile on his own face. Yen stepped forward as well, an arm around Ciri’s shoulder.

“And I might not understand how these machines work, but in our world I was an advisor to an emperor.” She left out how that emperor was Ciri’s father by blood, but that detail wasn’t entirely relevant. “I understand how kingdoms are run, and while this may not be a kingdom in any way I know, Geralt did mention that your world has a concept by which all people have a say in who manages the lands? I think I might be able to lend a hand in some fashion.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. ”Of- of course! We’d be so happy to have you?!” She ask-exclaimed. She turned over her shoulder at Karin, who had been tuned into two conversations at once.

”Are they staying?”

”It seems that way!” Sakura said. ”In a very democratic fashion!” She added a hint of tease to her voice.

”...Well, perhaps.” Karin put her conversation on hold and walked over. ”We’ve got a lot of work cut out for us. But more of this world should be liberated, and we can make that happen.”

”That’s even more great because I know where my parents are now thanks to that big speech and the internet! With emails and all that? With you two here I’ll be able to go meet them even sooner.” Sakura smiled. ”Today is a good day! How long will you be staying, Mister Geralt?” She asked. ”Lunch, at least?”

“A few days.” Geralt replied, smirking. “Figure I’d help out, see these two settle in, then call Sandalphon to bring our new ship around.” Yen rolled her eyes at that, but nodded.

“It flies. It’s not a ship, Geralt.” She said in exasperation, only for Geralt’s smirk to deepen.

“That’s what the people using it call it. An airship. It’s certainly not the sleek, small flying machines most people were using in Midgar.” He retorted, shrugging. “Either way, Yennefer, as well as the two of you, should be able to call for Sandalphon if anything happens. We’ll be here as soon as we can, at least those of us on the ship around that time. If C comes back, or anything else for that matter…” Geralt’s eyes widened as he remembered something, and his posture deflated somewhat.

“I…just remembered something. Last night, Sandalphon told us something, and then Bowser…went and did something stupid. Peach…was killed during the attack on Midgar. And when Bowser went back to her castle to find what he could, he found her.” Geralt paused for a moment, closing his eyes. He was still having trouble understanding it. “Peach is a Consul now. Consul P. I don’t know what Guardian she’ll be defending, or if she even can defend a Guardian, seeing that the last P was guarding the Guardian that the other team defeated, but she is not to be trusted. Not the same way, at least. Being who she is, part of me has to hope this is a plot to defeat them from the inside, but…you need to be aware. If she comes here, just be wary. She’s not the same Peach you knew.”

Karin narrowed her eyes, rubbing her chin in thought. Sakura’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth, briefly not looking at anything. ”That’s terrible!” She wasn’t even sure what to think. Peach died? But she wasn’t dead? And she was a Consul? ”Um…w-wow. At least she isn’t trapped in a giant monster body anymore.” Sakura said.

”I appreciate the word of warning. Interesting that such a thing is even possible. This is no doubt some kind of scheme to divide the cause of the Seekers.” For a moment Karin considered rejoining the war effort. But the people of Midgar needed her. They needed a place worth staying.

”The Consuls can act all kinds of ways. Be themselves. It’s not all bad, right? ” Sakura said with a nod. ”I hope she stops by.”

Geralt gave Sakura a small smile, nodding. “I understand. Hopefully, she’s still on our side, or at least not with the Consuls like the others are. I just wanted to warn you. For now, though, let’s all get to work. I can help move things around, or just work with Ciri keeping the surroundings safe. I suppose we’ll see what we need more of.”

---

With a few days having passed hard at work, the time finally came for Geralt to leave. With Sakura, Karin, Ciri, and Yen all gathered to say goodbye, they said their final words for a time.

“Be careful out there, Geralt. Between the Consuls, the Guardians, and everything else out there, you must take care of yourself.” Yen cautioned, pulling Geralt into a close hug. He squeezed her gently, smiling happily.

Ciri came around and hugged the both of them, smiling as well. “And keep in touch. Visit sometime, alright? We’ll miss you.”

”Quite. Give them a show.” Karin said, looking up from a digital pad. She had collected a loyal personal entourage already. ”The Seekers will always be welcome in Midgar. Return whenever you please, should you grow tired of the confines of aircraft.”

Sakura came in for a side hug. ”It was good to see you, Mister Geralt. It’s kinda hard to believe I’ve been at Midgar just as long as I was a Seeker. Time flies when you’re not constantly fighting for your life, huh?” She said dryly.

“Oh, that it does, Sakura.” Geralt replied, entirely seriously. “And every fight feels like it stretches on for weeks.” It was funny how that happened, but they just had to make due with the time they had together. “I’ll be sure the others know that they have a place here. Whether they want to take a break, or step away from the fight entirely, they all deserve that.” Giving everybody one last squeeze, the group hug broke apart, and Geralt stepped back to activate his Fulton. “Hopefully, you all only get to see this once.” He flatly remarked as the balloon activated and knocked him unconscious as it yanked him into the air for the Avenger to pick him up.

”Goodby-” Sakura blinked and flinched back, not at all expecting the method of his exit to be so violent. ”Wh-...was that supposed to happen?” She looked around at the others.

Yen sighed. “Yes, yes it was.” She shuddered involuntarily at the memory of when she had to do that.

---

Monday Morning

Geralt sighed, looking out over the strange Mafia Town. Back in the Deep Blue Seaside. At least this time there wasn’t an endless war going on that they had to solve. The place was lively, seemed happy, and had a seemingly endless supply of morally bankrupt mafia members to cause conflict. “What a place.” He sighed again.

Stepping away from his space high up in the town, he stalked around, looking for another fight to get involved in. In the few days he’d been here, Geralt had taken out his frustrations on the mafia more than a few times, but left before Juri could ever show up to help out her ‘allies’. He knew what she was doing, and approved of it even, but in order to keep the charade up, he had to seem like they were enemies and that he didn’t want to deal with her.

Overhearing the sound of a shopkeeper begging for more time to pay his pons, Geralt stuck around and waited for the inevitable. The mafia member slapped the shopkeeper before grabbing him and shaking him to get whatever pons he had on him. That was when Geralt came in, using his own monstrous strength to lift the mafia member, shaking him in return. “Thought you’d have learned by now.” He snarled menacingly. “These people aren’t your playthings to shake like dogs with a bone, looking to suck whatever you can out of them.”

Dropping the mafia stooge, Geralt stepped to the side when the man swung at him, knocking him unconscious with a single punch. Rifling through his pockets to find a sum of pons, Geralt tossed a dozen or so the shopkeeper’s way. “Next time they come around, tell ‘em you had a generous customer. I’ll be keeping the rest.” The shopkeeper nodded and ran off, closing the door of his shop behind him. Counting what was left, Geralt found himself with about ten more pons to his name. “Not bad.” He muttered, following the shopkeeper’s lead and making himself scarce, but not before dragging the unconscious mafia member and stashing him somewhere nearby, but out of sight. He’d wake up later.

Making himself scarce, Geralt headed to the restaurant he knew Nadia was working at. He could chat and catch up with her later tonight.

World of Light: the Endless Now

Zenkichi Hasegawa

Lvl 7 Zenkichi - (67/70) -> Lvl 8 (2/80) (+1 Pending)

Word count: 4,022 words

Wednesday Morning

As the Hellpod hurtled towards the outskirts of Shinjuku, Zenkichi wondered how exactly he would go about finding the kids, let alone what he’d do when he did. They’d sent a calling card to a friggin’ Consul, for crying out loud! He wasn’t sure if Joker was being an idiot or if they’d figured out some way to take J down, but after fighting Y, C, and Z, Zenkichi knew one thing: he wanted to be there to help. There was too much going on to rope the rest of the Seekers into this, especially since the goal was to avoid pissing off the Consuls, but he could at least lend a hand.

Thankfully, actually getting into the city wasn’t terribly difficult, and his current get-up was looked upon as little more than a curiosity or some kind of cosplay. While little bits and pieces here and there betrayed this Shinjuku as not his own, it still felt like the Japan he knew. Walking the streets, he took in the once-familiar sights, a sad smile on his face. Midgar had tainted his feelings a bit when it came to big cities. Part of him couldn’t help but be on guard for an Other incursion, despite the fact that he was far from Midgar itself.

---

After a couple hours of somewhat aimless wandering, Zenkichi caught sight of a familiar blond head of hair, and rapidly turned to follow after it. He stayed at a distance for a bit, before closing the gap between the two as Ryuji turned a corner, quietly calling out. ”Been a while, hasn’t it, Skull?” Stepping closer and holding out a hand to pat Ryuji on the shoulder, Zenkichi chuckled. ”Been looking for you guys.”

Ryuji, for his part, nearly had his eyeballs pop out of his head, before he shook it and laughed. “Way to go, gramps! For a second there I didn’t even know it was you. Oh, man, the others are gonna lose their shit when we show up at the hideout!” He laughed, slapping Zenkichi on the back, and jerked his head. “C’mon, follow me, I’ll show ya where we’re holed up!”

The boy led the way out of the bustling, crowded city center, away from prying eyes into a more laid-back neighborhood. Closed to vehicular traffic, Sixth Street boasted a mix of residential buildings and cute, colorful businesses like the music shop Bardic Needle and the toy store Box Galaxy, all stylized with a deliberate old-school aesthetic that encompassed everything from CRT television sets to pay phones to records. Of course, even peaceful neighborhoods weren’t always quiet, and today a handful of rabbids seemed to feuding -or perhaps just playing- with intelligent devices called bangboo, and together the two groups of rabbit-like mascots were getting into all sorts of antics. Outgoing as ever, Ryuji waved to and greeted plenty of local denizens, shopkeepers, and even bangboo, before finally steering Zenkichi over to what seemed to be the team’s hideout. In typical Ryuji fashion he hadn’t even managed to go the whole trek without mentioning the Phantom Thieves once at full volume, but after confirming that nobody seemed to be following him, Zenkichi ducked into his old team’s new base excited to see the youngsters once more.

Inside, Zenkichi found more than he bargained for. From the outside the entrance looked like a manhole, which wasn’t an inviting prospect, but when he climbed to the bottom of the stairs he discovered not sewers, but what appeared to be an underground fallout shelter with an even more retro look, styled after 1950’s America. It opened up into a large square lounge area with red-and-white checkered tiles with a lower section in the middle that resembled an old diner, with a small adjoining segment meant to look like a lawn between two houses, separated with a white picket fence from an image of the sea. Zenkichi saw a pool table, and even a few pinball machines, though whether they worked or not was anyone’s guess. While the whole place had clearly seen better days, it was large and well-stocked–not just with supplies, but with Phantom Thieves. They were spread out around one of the booths, and at the sound of footsteps they looked up from their discussion.

“Zenkichi?!” A young, casually-dressed woman with blonde pigtails sprang to her feet, hitting her knees on the table in the process. She winced, then hobbled over as fast as she could. As usual the black-furred Morgana trailed after her, big blue eyes wide, scrambling (rather like a cat, despite his frequent claims otherwise) over the back of a chair to take a running leap into Zenkichi’s arms just before Ann embraced him, and even Ryuji threw an arm over the detective’s shoulder. “It’s you! Thank goodness, we were so worried about you!”

Zenkichi caught Morgana with ease, hauling the totally-not-a-cat up onto his shoulder and out of squishing range from the hug with Ann. ”Yeah, I was pretty worried about you kids, too. Got a tip you were here and came running.”

“I knew he could do it! You’ve been fusing too, huh?” Morgana never passed up a chance to talk himself up. “Well, I’d recognize that old-man smell anywhere! It’s good to see you again, pops!”

Two more of their friends followed suit, showing a little more restraint as they left the table and headed over to receive the new arrival: a solemn-looking young man in white with dull blue hair, and a girl whose short brown hair contrasted deep red eyes. The former bowed formally. “Mr. Hasegawa, sir,” Yusuke greeted him, using all the honorifics he could. “Glad to have you back with us.”

Makoto, meanwhile, opted for a handshake and warm smile. The Shujin Academy class president almost always kept a stiff upper lip, but today she allowed her relief to shine through. “Hello and welcome to our humble hideout,” she told him. “It’s an old Hollow shelter, built to keep citizens safe from Ethereals and supplied with sedatives until rescue arrives, should a Hollow consume this area. Sixth Street’s been stable for a long time, so it’s never been used. Technically we’ve been squatting here…”

Ryuji shot her an incredulous look, as if to say, come on, for real?

“...Buuut we needed someplace to stay ‘til we’ve finished our mission,” Makoto admitted. “It was locked up tight when we found it, but the lock was electronic, so…”

She turned toward the last two Thieves at the table, her attention on the young, bespectacled redhead in particular. Though Futaba had looked up and waved to Zenkichi when she arrived, her attention quickly shifted back to her laptop computer, which she bent over like a shrimp. Next to her, a boy with scruffy black hair and glasses rose with his hands in his pockets, a grin on his face as he regarded the new arrival. “You came at the perfect time,” Joker declared. Each and every one of these teens appeared to be free from Galeem’s influence, creating a conspiratorial atmosphere. “We’ve almost got the whole gang back together. If you’ve still got some fight in you, we could use your help.”

Morgana sighed. “Yeah, ‘cause we still haven’t found Haru yet. We need all the firepower we can get!” Joker opened his mouth as if to say something, but fell silent with a sigh.

Zenkichi nodded at the knowledge that the Thieves were still missing their explosives expert, wondering where the girl could have wound up. ”So, heard you guys were working on taking down a Consul. So how’s that going?”

“C’mon over and see!” After Morgana leaped down and retraced his steps, Ryuji and Ann basically dragged Zenkichi with them, moving the group back toward the lounge’s tables. When he arrived, he found a map spread out across the surface, with a handful of pictures, playing cards, snipped-up newspapers, and writing utensils scattered around. “We’ve got a big…hyp! Day ahead of us!” Morgana explained as he clambered up onto the seat so that he could plant his paws on the table. “We went over it once already, but let’s break it down for Zenkichi so he’s all caught up!”

Ryuji scratched his head. “Uh, could we do the TLDR version this time?”

Almost everyone looked at Makoto immediately, which seemed to exasperate her somewhat, but she relented. “Sure…but first, you should tell us how your ‘solo mission’ went. Can we count on that proxy or not?”

“Oh yeah, totally!” Ryuji nodded vigorously. “I was on the way back from Random Play when I saw Zenkichi, so I kinda forgot, but yeah. Phaethon’s on board!”

Zenkichi looked between the other Phantom Thieves, bewilderment clear on his face.

Joker gave a nod of approval. “Good. For a minute there I thought we might really be flying blind.

“Ahem, the situation is this,” Makoto began after clearing her throat. “When Joker and the others first arrived here, they began investigating the city. In the course of their investigation, they found Futaba and I, and once we were freed we could join the Phantom Thieves in undertaking a new mission: stealing the heart of the city’s true ruler: J.” She took a breath, then continued. “She calls herself the ‘Consul’. This city has a mayor, but he’s just a puppet. That said, even though she holds all the power, she doesn’t rule. Instead, she conducts Killing Games, abducting handfuls of people -usually students our age- and trapping them in various locations where they’re forced to kill one another.”

“All just to savor their despair,” Futuba concluded grimly. Zenkichi shook his head sadly, his mouth a thin line. He knew the Consuls had to keep the blood flowing, but that felt needlessly sadistic.

Narrowing his eyes, Yusuke went into more detail. “Specifically, they’re trapped and informed that if they want to leave, they must murder one of the others. When someone is murdered, a trial is convened to figure out who did it. If the group chooses correctly, the murderer is then executed, but if they’re wrong they’re all executed, and the murderer goes free.” He pursed his lips. “Quite the grisly affair. No…if anything, ‘grisly’ is underselling it. It’s an evil, barbarous practice, and it cannot be allowed to continue.”

“Hence our mission,” Joker added. “Over the past week, we’ve been working our way closer to her. Since we’ve all been trapped in the Metaverse this whole time, it’s been a lot scarier than infiltrating a palace, but the end result is the same. We find our way in, then steal her heart. And as it happens.” He nodded his head at the paper clippings on the table. “We just sent our calling card yesterday.”

Zenkichi blinked when Joker said they were in the Metaverse. ”Uh, wait, huh? Metaverse? Huh, yeah I guess I could see why it would seem that way…” He muttered, frowning. ”So, what’s J’s jail like?” He asked, steamrolling over that potential landmine of a conversation. They could hash out the details later. For now, he wanted to get this Consul dealt with and get the kids the hell out of this place.

“Jail isn’t quite the right word, but she frequents one school in particular, Hope’s Peak Academy,” Makoto told him. “It’s enormous, more like several schools mashed together into one big labyrinth, and there are plenty of monsters scattered around.”

Ann smacked her hands together. “We’re planning to ambush her there today! She just started a new Killing Game, and since the calling card said we’d stop them once and for all, she’s definitely gonna be there.”

Zenkichi nodded, hands on the table, looking down at the map. ”So, what’s the plan? And who’s that person you mentioned before, Phaethon?” Name isn’t ringing any bells from…home.” He avoided saying ‘our world’, because he had a feeling that’d fly like a lead brick, and frankly, it did sound a little insane, now that he was thinking about it. Were they really in some bizarre amalgamation of worlds created by a wannabe god, or was this the Metaverse? But if it was the Metaverse, how were they stuck, and how did that explain Gleaming? His head was swimming just trying to parse all the possibilities.

Joker decided to answer that one. “Phaethon is a proxy, someone who’s skilled at navigating Hollows. Space is warped inside them, so we can’t navigate normally.”

His comment seemed to ruffle Futaba’s feathers. “Yeah, yeah. Just you wait until I get a grip on this proxy thing. I’ll blow Phaethon out of the water.”

Chuckling, Joker patted her on the head. “Of course. For now though, we need help, and Phaethon’s our age, so they want to stop J as bad as we do.”

“They’re the only reason we have a route in a place like a Hollow at all,” Makoto admitted. “They sync up to a special bangboo to lead us through. Have…you seen one yet, Zenkichi?”

Morgana crossed his arms, turning up his pink nose. For whatever reason he didn’t seem to like bangboos.

Zenkichi blinked and shook his head. ”I have never heard of either a Bangboo or a Hollow. Well, I’ve heard of a Hollow Child from where I was before this, but that is definitely not what you’re talking about.” He was trying to keep up, but beyond Hollows being some kind of extra-dimensional space, he didn’t get it at all, and said as much.

“Well, don’t worry about it!” Ryuji told him, shrugging. “I sure don’t! Just follow along behind Joker, same as always!”

Ann winced. “Well…you could probably stand to think a little harder than Ryuji.”

“Well, there’s the pot calling the kettle black! You don’t know anything about Hollows, either!” Ryuji accused her.

Not at all subtle, Ann attempted to deflect. “Pssh, yeah right. I totally know…”

“We’re getting a little lost in the weeds,” Yusuke interrupted. “But Ryuji, while inelegant, is not wrong. We need merely follow our valiant leader into the fray.”

Joker grinned. “Then I say it’s about time we get busy. You guys ready to steal another heart?”

”Yeah, let’s do this.” Zenkichi confirmed.

The Phantom Thieves were more than ready. Once everyone gathered their supplies and equipment for the final raid, it was time to move out.

---

“I…I can’t believe I did all these things…all just to live forever?” Moebius J panted, her eyes wide with guilt and self-loathing, as the collected Phantom Thieves stood before her, her heart successfully stolen.

“Good work.” Joker congratulated the others, a confident smile on his face, as he turned back towards their enemy. “There’s always a future. You’ll have to face the punishment for your crimes, but your life does not have to be defined by the worst of it. There is always hope.” J’s head sprung up, her eyes blazing.

“Hope?! Hope! You…you don’t know anything if you still think there’s hope! I…no. No. I refuse. I refuse to live like this. You can’t make me.” Joker turned to the others, confusion evident even behind his mask, and reached out his hand.

“J, listen to me-”

“No!” Standing up shakily, J stepped back, producing a knife and plunging it into her chest, piercing right through her armor, and removing it before rapidly plunging it into her own chest, over and over. As the Phantom Thieves rushed forward to stop her, she threw herself backwards, trying to crawl away. “I won’t…live with…this despair…” She murmured as she tried to escape, Zenkichi flipping her over and looking at the weight of a thousand lives in the eyes of Moebius J.

”So, this is it for you, right? Once a Moebius dies, you’re out of the system?” Joker and the others looked at Zenkichi like he was talking nonsense, but J just nodded, tears building in her eyes.

“And I wasted all that time. Working for Galeem…working…for the Endless Now. I just thought…I’d get to see so much despair…” her body wracked with a cough as she spit blood up, Zenkichi’s new outfit getting stained with crimson, as he frowned sadly at the girl in his arms. She looked as young as the kids were.

”I’m sorry we couldn’t save you, J. I’m sorry for what Galeem did to you.” J’s body shook with sad laughter, and she shook her head.

“I was like this before Galeem, before Moebius…before the Endless Now. He didn’t do anything to me. It was just…so…boring. Everything. Despair was the only thing that wasn’t boring.” Zenkichi’s eyes hardened a bit at the confession, but he shook his head and hugged J, much to everybody’s surprise.

”It’s terrible. It’s a terrible way to live.” He chided, gently stroking her hair while the other Phantom Thieves backed away, looking at each other in concern. ”But I understand. When life is so monotonous, so empty, all you look for is what excites you. I used to be the same way. But you hurt so many people doing that. And when you finally face what you did, it hurts so much. You didn’t have to do this, J. I know you didn’t.” Ann and Makoto looked at each other, realizing what Zenkichi meant, before pulling on Joker and Ryuji’s arms, trying to give Zenkichi privacy to face his demons.

“I…I had to…I couldn’t…I can’t…live with all that pain in me. I…I killed so many people just…for fun.” J cried, hugging Zenkichi as she faded into light.

Zenkichi sat there, on his knees, for a minute or so, before taking a deep breath and standing up, turning to the other Thieves. ”I…think I have some things I need to explain. About what happened. About where we are. Because, Joker…this isn’t the Metaverse.”

---

”I’m just saying, even if this is the same Demiurge we fought before, in a new form, these are real people around us, not Shadows. I worked with Shadows in Midgar, and they did the same normal thing they did in the Metaverse. Whatever Galeem is, we can’t be playing by the same rules we used to. I watched Konoe die, Joker. Saw his Spirit, whatever that is, and transformed it into his weapon.” With that, he summoned the Hero’s Saber, and a sad look crossed his face.

”It’s hard for me to believe, too. At the very least, the people around us are real. J was a person until they became a Moebius, and I barely understand just what that means. I’m in way over my head here, but…I think I should go back to the Avengers, and the other Seekers.” A wave of shock passed over the other Phantom Thieves.

“Gramps, no way! We just got you back!” Ryuji cried.

“Mr. Hasegawa, sir, I must implore you to reconsider.” Yusuke closed his eyes and frowned as he spoke, already knowing it was fruitless.

“But, Zenkichi-san! We work best as a team, and we still haven’t found Haru, either!” Ann begged, stomping her foot.

“If you think that’s best, Mister Hasegawa. I just hope you’ll keep in touch.” Makoto did not beg, nor did she try to convince Zenkichi to stay, but she did hope he wouldn’t just vanish like dust in the wind, and the unsure look on her face made his heart ache.

“Awww, come on gramps! You that eager to get rid of us?” Futaba whined.

“You will keep in touch, I hope? If so, I understand.” Joker was the calmest of the group about this, though like always, his motivations and innermost thoughts seemed a mystery to Zenkichi. “Keep us updated on how the war against the Guardians is going, and we’ll let you know if we could use a hand. Phantom Thief style, or Seeker style.” One thing was for sure, and that was that Joker was taking what he’d said seriously. They were in uncharted territory now, with other people having been dragged into the Metaverse, not just their shadows.

”Wouldn’t dream of keeping you in the dark, guys, don’t worry. I’m glad you’re all safe, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for Haru, too. Come on, guys, don’t make an old man cry.” He joked, holding his arms out for a hug, which Ann and Makoto all too happily obliged. Ryuji slung an arm over Zenkichi’s shoulder, pulling him down a little, and thumped his back.

“You keep yourself safe out there, gramps! We’ll do the same, don’t you worry! Ol’ Ryuji’s still got his tank thing going on!” Zenkichi laughed, and pushed the thuggish Phantom Thief with a heart of gold off.

”Yeah, I will. And I’ll let Akane know you guys are all alright, too. I know she misses you, but I couldn’t get her dragged into an attack on a Consul.”

“Of course.” Joker replied simply, nodding. “Regarding the Consuls, you said there are 26 of them? And that when threatened, they take on that more powerful form, that they call Moebius?”

Zenkichi nodded. ”Yeah. And, from what I heard about Peach…they can make somebody else one too. To replace the ones we kill.” Everybody’s face fell at that, the fresh memories (and Zenkichi’s bloodstained tunic to remind them even if they tried to forget) aching. ”If anything, changing their hearts would be the better way to go about it. As long as they’re not as messed up as J was, that is…” Rubbing the back of his neck, Zenkichi shrugged.

“Then we’ll likely keep doing that.” Joker said. “Is there anything else you need?” He asked simply. Zenkichi shook his head in response, smiling.

”Nope. We’re splitting up into a few groups, one of which is gonna be nearby. Meridi-at-Han. If you need me, I’ll be there for the next few days or so. Otherwise, just send me a message.” Holding up his cell phone, Zenkichi waggled it a bit. ”The internet should be spreading out more now, especially with Bridges free to spread out a bit from Midgar. Good luck, you crazy kids.”

“Good luck, Gramps!” “You too, Zenkichi!” “Yourself as well, Mr. Hasegawa.” “Good luck, Mr. Hasegawa.” “We don’t need luck, Gramps, we got me!” “You too.”

With one last round of hugs and handshakes, Zenkichi departed the shelter, waving goodbye to the friends and allies who’d helped him remember what it meant to be a hero.

---

Monday Morning

Meridi-at-Han was a much livelier place than Midgar or even most of Japan was, Zenkichi had concluded after only a few days there. He’d spent a couple of days on the Avenger after having been picked up, relaying the story of J’s demise and the safety of the Phantom Thieves to everybody he could, along with hanging out with Akane, talking with Sandalphon, and testing out some moves with his new weapons. That, and getting his tunic laundered.

One day had been spent relaxing, because Zenkichi was not nearly as young as most of the other Seekers, and Geralt had a half-dozen fusions and mutant metabolism to keep him sprightly. Zenkichi had poorly-done stretches and coffee. His bones ached from the high-octane adventure he’d been dragged into.

And, of course, he’d had to climb what felt like a mile of stairs just to get into the city. No rest for the wicked, it seemed. At least that had been Friday afternoon, and he’d managed to spend Saturday relaxing. Sunday had involved hunting a massive beast to help pay for his stay here and food. And now, Monday, he was finally doing what he was supposed to be: trying to gather information on Consuls and Guardians. He had phoned it in a bit the first few days because he’d already helped take down a Consul, but a new J would be back soon enough. He couldn’t rest on his laurels.

So, he wandered the streets, picking up rumors as he went, and any mention of the leader of Shinjuku was like a knife to the heart. Still, he kept his ‘patrols’ up, and heard of something really interesting: a circus was coming to town. Strange, but the World of Light was a strange place. With nothing else to go on, he figured he’d pay it a visit.