Original character roleplay blog written by Erii. Please read the rules, content warnings, and about before interacting! 18+ only! *Note: This is a sideblog. Follows from asklordofthelost.
Neither cosmic traffic nor writer's block could keep him out of this fight. A belated portal opened on the active battlefield revealing the starry caped dream demon. Gremlin took a quick survey of the action, already growing rapidly from the terror amongst those fighting against Vex. And... hm. That was weird. But not important. He needed to be a good distraction. "Really? You're both still trying this? It's honestly Pathetic." He heckled, spinning a fear star about a finger before firing a few.
“How… am I… supposed to fight like this?”
It was murmured to himself. Pale palms were stained a dark, twinkling violet as the mystifying sludge was rubbed from his barred mouth. The frequent occurrence of its expulsion was admittedly disconcerting, a vile sensation with a sinister intention.
But he could not allow it to hinder him. Not when they were in the middle of a pivotal struggle.
The activity fluctuated. Some kept up the pressure, while others withdrew to adjust their tactics. They could not rest, no matter what came next.
That tear in the cosmos, however, was a cause for alarm. It was not of their own. Who—?!
“No way.” Vex groaned in disbelief as their gaze raised to the celestial sky. “Of all the times and places…”
Of the five outsiders Chimizo had called upon to thwart their original plan, he was one of them. Somehow, someway, Gremlin had recognized who they were right off the bat, just by examination alone. This could be trouble. If anyone else paid his comment any mind, they would…
His panicked thoughts were suppressed. Both by Gremlin’s attempt to hinder them, as well as, ah. A proper descriptor had eluded him. What was he worried about, again?
“Not as pathetic as these meagre little things, you sorry excuse for a demon.”
For a prodigious psychic like themselves, it was child’s play. The stars which tumbled towards them were swatted away without having to lift a finger. They merely parted around them, as if sliding against an invisible dome surrounding them.
“Seriously. Is that the best you can do? At least other people are trying to put up a fight.”
A woman barked in the distance.
“PSYCHIC!”
They tipped towards its source. “Except for ignoramuses like—wuh.”
That was not just a telekinetic wave racing towards them. They were chunks of earth and stones, levitated by a force akin to one. In a sporadic array they flew, curving and zigzagging or filing in rows.
In spite of his grievous injuries, Erastus deployed them all.
Between the rocks and fear-infused projectiles, they had their work cut out for them. Lashing with their whip, they slapped several of the former into harmless pebbles. Their staff froze some of the latter, causing them to plummet to the ground and shatter. The broken musket was also swung, batting at either while his unaltered hand was hardly of use, blocking very little.
How was this overwhelming? Only two people were responsible! They should not be struggling.
And yet, they could do nothing to stop an oncoming boulder from smashing into their front. He gagged, reeling backwards to cover their rupturing core.
“Damn it… God…” Hissing, the fiend studied its condition between black talons. It could be better, though it could be worse, too.
Adeline smiled as her Pokémon returned to his post beside her. “Good job, Erastus.” She nodded to him, resuming her patch job. Cherish sat patiently, fingers prodding into her knees to distract from the pain.
A large hand patted Gremlin on the pauldron.
“Well done,” Chimizo commented casually. “It’s… a relief to have you here.”
His call extended beyond that one area, it would seem.
Pierre glances up at Chimizo's sudden reappearance. Ah, yes. The reason why they were all here. Through his continued running, he looks over to the jewel that the other pointed out,. His stamina remained good as he took a deep breath, weighing his options. He could just swoop in and try to attack at that area, by all means... He knows merely calling out for the other wouldn't be enough. Especially with everyone else focusing moreso on attacking.
His paintbrush dripped with green paint as he suddenly dashed towards Vex once again. Notably, not as fast, this time-- He was gauging something.
... Before, with a firm flick of his paintbrush, a burst of paint suddenly sprouted upwards from the ground nearby, attempting to shield someone who seemed to be in need of assistance in the onslaught. Would the shield hold? He wasn't so sure, but his gaze remained firmly on Vex despite his continued movement, a stern look being given to the amalgamate despite it all. What was this? Support? A distraction..?
... It was more of a reminder than anything.
"You've got to STOP, Maxim!" He manages to belt out as he continues to run past, "There's something off here, even I can see it!"
A knot was tied in her throat. Knees buckling, Marley squeezed the handle of her pitchfork, shrinking irises gawking into the barrel of the firearm levelled at her.
She could hardly breathe. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Why, oh why did this jerk have to pull out a gun when her sister deserved vengeance?
Coolly, Vex analyzed her stance. How she trembled, simply because of the weapon he wielded. Nothing else ever instilled such fear in the farmer. Not even the flamethrower shook her this readily. Her earlier experience, which involved the girl she loved so dearly, was more evocative for this very reason.
To die in front of someone she treasured, and to fail in protecting her.
This, too, was like peering into a mirror of the past.
It sobered him. Of his adversary’s children, this one’s hotheaded streak had always entertained. She had stood up to a corrupted human he was proud of, in spite of their first encounter. How could he not be enamored by that? Her anger, her wrath, it was molded to her benefit, crushing her fears.
Except for this.
Hesitantly, Vex closed his primary eyes. He fumbled to pull the trigger.
There was a splatter, and then a shout. Startled by his call, the musket went off.
Vex snapped upright. Marley doubled over.
But nothing touched her.
Its shadowy shot was absorbed into a wall established in front of her. The painterly barrier swept overhead like a wave, and was a comforting shade of green. A golden luster bordered it, radiating with holy light.
The two were relieved, although it was short-lived for Vex. Rotating to regard the sprinting artist, he shivered as the advice he gave sank in. That repugnant ooze was dribbling out again, forcing him to lurch. It nearly concealed the fact that the inexplicable blackness defacing Pierre’s appearance had cleared some.
A weary voice breached his psyche as he sullenly watched him.
‘I… I can’t.’ Maxim conceded. ‘If I do… he’ll—’
< This does not concern you, Painter. >
As an unrecognizable being interjected, darkness fell over the field, removing every outsider from his point of view. The once lush grass burst into flame, drawing a barrier around the spectral demon and their target, spewing about the area to eliminate safe patches of land to run on. Beads of sweat broke across their brow, the lesser half fully aware of the intention behind the blazing setting.
“No… don’t do this.” Resisting his will, their musket was poised to shoot. “Please, DON’T!”
Bang.
BANG.
BANG!
Three consecutive stellar shots were taken. This would have been a heartstopper, but amazingly, each missed by a hair. The nozzle of the gun was tipped just enough before the trigger flipped on its own.
“I won’t… let you.”
The floating trident trembled. While their weapons tended to crumble before altering their shape, its conversion into a clawed ghostly hand was seamless.
“I won’t… LET YOU!”
Seizing the nozzle of their musket, it crunched under the pressure of his hold. It quaked violently.
“PLEASE… just LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
Their eyes flickered between colors.
“LEAVE… HIM…!”
As they wrestled for control, wrenching the gun to the side, the shadows shifted. A scarcely perceptible figure dashed across the flames as if they did not exist, and leapt for the struggling villain. The outline of an older man with inhuman arms glinted against the dark and slugged them across the upper half of their body.
Once again, a strike to the jewel freed an afflicted ally from their deceptive trickery, the world’s hues and those present returning to Pierre’s vision.
Charles I scowled as he passed Vex, silently gauging the harm he had done. The fractures had developed significantly. This contented him, anger ebbing once he stood on solid ground. Just to be courteous, he turned to Pierre, checking for wounds. Physically, he appeared fine, which must be thanks to his granddaughter’s enchantment.
“…I couldn’t see what they did. I hope it wasn’t too harrowing.” He pushed up his glasses. “Nevertheless… it seems your efforts are having an effect. Don’t get discouraged, now.”
Meanwhile, Marley had since evacuated the scene. She had strayed far, an armored palm resting over her chest. Swallowing, she steadied herself and took deep breaths.
After looking through their options, Rouxls pressed on one of them finally. "OKAYE! So! Thine two go and hitteth the big guye! And I...will distracteth!" With that, he disappeared and kept repeatedly teleporting around fairly short distances with a huge beam of light over and over, hoping that would be distracting.
"Idiot. That could be distracting to people trying to help us as well." King grumbled. He then started shooting pillars of spades towards Vex, with a few horizontally flying towards them as well. He was trying to aim for the core Chimizo had mentioned with those ones, the pillars were to add to the distraction.
And Metal Face finally flew into battle, dodging King's pillars and flying right towards the core. Either the mech would hit it, or he'd have to fall back and try using the cannon. He hoped he'd be able to hit it and maybe get a chance to claw at it a few times, but he was fairly sure he'd have to fall back- or he'd get hit back.
Despite his labored breaths and muddled vision, Vex bulked the heft of their whip merely by squinting, blinking out the twinkling tar once it was bolstered. This presented the interloper to him, grimace twitching as Death’s bony visage came into view.
He knew. Even then, he was aware of how tightly they were bound.
And his attempt to warn was smothered before it could reach its recipient.
Averting their attention elsewhere, he gave the weapon a mighty tug. It was almost laughable how easy it was to lug the deity over, veering him overhead. A yelp echoed above as the rope slipped, releasing his scythe and sending him flying in another direction.
Coincidentally, another fighter materialized to their right, although ‘fighter’ did not seem to fit the bill for this one. Vex’s dread did not abate any at Rouxls Kaard’s appearance, teleporting repeatedly around them.
It was just another act. Aiming for him regardless of the numerous armaments at their disposal would be folly. Scoffing, he directed their sights over some, which was fortuitous on his part. The menacing figure he brought with him was following along, summoning hazards to the field yet also besetting them directly via spade-shaped bullets.
Neither were cowering anymore. Should he rejoice in this?
An arm elevated to intercept. Apparently not, for the suits sailing towards their core were immediately halted and repelled, transmitting them to their originator in kind. Whether or not this would stop him, they had no window to consider, for the roar of thrusters notified them of a third assailant.
That machine was hastening for them. Provocation overcame dread as Vex snarled in infuriation, reversing swiftly. While they were terrifyingly formidable, they were not daft. Anything of that size and material ramming into them dead on would be ruinous. He was not about to give the pilot any sense of accomplishment over such a reckless move, one which anyone who had a half a brain would know better than to tank outright.
There was just one problem, though.
Those surging pillars of spades were everywhere. And in his desperation to evade a perilous blow, Vex had cornered themselves by gliding in towards several. They came to a sudden stop in front of them and tensed, silently evaluating their options.
“…so it’s gonna be like that, huh?”
His ill-fitting frown lifted into a frenzied grin.
“Then come GET SOME!”
Without reservations, they utilized their arsenal to its utmost. Their magic staff was waved towards Rouxls’s general area, summoning a cascade of black ice to swarm the duke wherever he reemerged. The cannon was aimed at Metal Face, launching a few rounds of condensed space matter to target not only the cockpit, but its jets as well. Lastly, their trident was sheathed in both ice and cosmic verve, doubling in mass before they tossed it at King.
Somehow, they did this synchronously. Every weapon was fired at once.
But although Vex possessed the dexterity to retaliate against the three in a single move, they did not quite account for any countermeasures.
A bright blast was shot from afar. At a glimpse, it might not intimidate a powerhouse like them. Yet as it loomed, disclosing its genuine volume, Vex groaned to himself.
“I forgot about that cannon, didn’t I?”
They frantically tucked themselves in, attempting to divert the shock of its impact to the rest of their body. It consumed them utterly, razing their very being as it detonated. The disruptive patterns which enclosed them were not spared, either.
As the subsequent dust settled, Vex unfurled, panting. The ghastly burns littering their skin immediately evaporated.
“Ha! All of that bravado, and for what?” He spread their arms in a mock gesture. “Noth…” A pang forced him to look down. “…iiiing of. Ah.”
The clefts in their core gem had worsened, beginning to spiderweb across the crystalline surface. Grumbling, he had half a mind to pursue the instigator, but the soft pattering of footfalls up ahead were far more pressing.
Their musket clacked as he trained it on the source. His strained smile jerked.
From across the battlefield, Bitter Fox blinks at Chimizo. Ah... he was okay now. He's been taken care of, it seems. That's one less anxiety for her. But now, it seems like Vex has more tricks up their sleeve as a trade-off. Far too tricky, aren't you?
She's sprinting closer, not even trying to hide her approach this time, a glowing pink energy forming in her paw. She agreed to be less lethal for the painter, but that doesn't mean she's letting you off easy. She's trying to help everyone subdue you, after all. She can take whatever you'll throw back at her.
She throws the orb. It breaks off into several smaller colorful lights, some flying faster and more direct than the slower and meandering break-offs. They almost seemed harmless, didn't they?
Confuse Ray was only a status move, after all. It wouldn't hurt a bit.
Contact broke between the two ghouls as Chimizo stalked off, prowling about the area. This was not solely his fight anymore – others’ lives were at stake and he intended to protect them while also granting them the space to participate to their fullest extent.
Perhaps her advancement was why he left them. Desolate, Vex’s head partially craned to lock onto the fox. She, too, was important to the specter. If they wounded her, it would undeniably trigger a surge of all-consuming wrath in him.
This won’t be beneficial for us, he reasoned. So why don’t we…?
Bitter Fox charged up what they analyzed as a means of disorientation. The orb she carried consisted of psychic power, which would cast a diversion in the form of a phasing light show.
It frightened him, how accurate the prediction was. The exact image planted in his mind became reality as the creature tossed it, causing the soft sphere to scatter into others, swarming them at varying speeds.
Their optics narrowed, shimmering hazily. Every fragment which made up the Confuse Ray was sharply crushed, spluttering into dying flecks.
Darkness swallowed up the world surrounding them. Multiple icy eyes bore on her, piercing in their stare. She was alone here, isolated from her beloved allies, perhaps even family.
< Imprudent pup. My mind’s eyes cannot be deceived by illusions as brittle as yours. You are a disappointment to those who bestowed life unto you. >
Shadowy figures spawned beside the amalgamation. One was feminine, long pigtails flouncing as an electrified baton was drawn, stepping forth. The other was masculine, shades glaring against the deific entity’s aura. He, too, crept towards her, seething with malice as a scalpel was turned in his hand.
Even if she wanted to tear them to shreds, Bitter Fox would find she could not move her body. It was cemented there, to be dissected by those who tormented her the most.
The failed experiment would be corrected.
Raising the cattle prod overhead, the shorter silhouette prepared to beat her into submission.
A shallow breath reverberated throughout the remote void. It was not hers.
Whizzing through the air, a bright cyan crescent arched over the humanoids and sailed straight into Vex, who had submerged themselves in the recesses of the abyss. It bashed into the eight-pointed star and deepened the fracture, causing the illusion to split into mirrorlike shards and shatter.
Vex grated a rasp and flailed their whip at their liberated victim.
It did not even enter her space as a curved blade was caught in its clutches. The spiny rope tugged, but gloved hands seized the snath of the trapped scythe.
“That was close,” Death sighed. “I don’t know what they did there, but I hope you’re alright.”
Glancing back at her, the reaper sadly smiled. “It looks like they aren’t affected by illusions or anything of that nature. We’ll just have to keep that in mind, eh?”
This was nonchalantly spoken regardless of the tug-of-war he was engaged with. Just how strong was this bag of smoke?
... Ralsei couldn't help but somberly glance at Hanyoko's actions in the corner of his eye, resisting the urge to stare. As everything truly unfolds, he takes a firm, deep breath, before nodding at Zammy at Chimizo's instructions. The Dark Prince darted forward as the smaller bot began to speed off to the wayside, raising his arms up and down and trying to get Vex's attention.
* R - ACTION - Goad
"H-Hey, all those weapons and you still couldn't hit the wayside of a... Great White Whale!" Ralsei gulped, fumbling to continue his insult as he did a little pirouette for good measure, "M-Maybe you should go to University and study some books to calm down, like a few other people who are currently here, huh?"
As the ACT went through, Zammy seemed to be... Nowhere in sight. She was pretty small, after all. No weird schmovement, nothing. Lasers sure as hell weren't being shot willy-nilly... Huh. No funny meme sounds... Nothin..?
Robotic eyes lock on as Ralsei continues his show. Calculations are made.
...And suddenly, Zammy shoots an accurate charged shot at the jewel as she dashes past.
Sticking to what appeared to be the most optimal strategy, everyone scattered about the field to lessen Vex’s chances of hitting multiple people at once. They seemed to shrug at this, internally evaluating who was where and how this may affect the battle.
Lo and behold, though, someone was audacious enough to come in close – and it was one of the healers, no less. His eyes lidded as the little prince waved at them, wondering what could have possibly possessed him to charge forward like this. A distraction, maybe, but why risk it?
His defenses were shoddy. He could see those statistics.
“Oh…?” Ah, a taunt. Unlike his signature ragebaits, Ralsei’s insults were far too nerdy to tick him off to any capacity. Only somewhat humored, Vex raised their cannon and pointed it at him. “Gee. I wonder why I’ve been missing so much. Curious.”
The weapon hummed. Cryogenic energy pooled within it.
“But I won’t this time.”
A chilling howl echoed as a subzero blast was expelled from the barrel. Its potency was comparable to that of a forbidden spell, and he did not doubt this would freeze the Darkner to the bone, if he had any.
Yet, this outcome would not be permitted. Scarcely perceived was a shadow darting close by, and alongside it, a wave of water spouted forth, splashing in front of their target to absorb the shock and solidify in his stead.
“Not on my watch.” Kenjin reprimanded, toting his twin blades. Crouching in the air, he seemed about to rush forward for a dual slash. Vex’s trident shuddered in response.
They nearly jabbed at him, though they were abruptly intercepted.
By a rapid shot to their chest.
Loosing a disgruntled gasp, Vex staggered, feverishly assessing the damage. Their core’s glassy shell had cracked further. The extra faults were not as deep or elongated as the one Chimizo left, but progress was progress. They would make a fool out of him at this rate.
When he returned his sights to the others, Kenjin had vanished. He was psyching him out all along, just to take his eyes off of Zammy. Clever boy, he had to admit. However, his absence was disappointing. This game of cat and mouse was wearing on his patience. Was it really too much of a gamble to switch it up a little?
Flapping wings resounded from above. What a pleasant surprise, to have his wish granted by her, of all people.
Cherish dove at them with a rapier clutched in hand. She did not yell or cry, merely pouring a substantial amount of holy light into her blade as she went to ram it in.
Once more, their pronged armament clattered. Vex ‘tsked,’ readying to intercept as he primed it for a jab.
Then a hauntingly ethereal sheen overtook his gaze.
In a single hefty swipe, the trident shattered the impromptu shield Kenjin had forged for Ralsei, spraying icicles in its wake. The largest chunks magnetized to its spines as it flew across the way, lengthening the spires and imbuing itself with an icy aura as it thrust above them.
She was perceptive enough to sway to the side, sparing her vitals the agonizing fate of her right wing.
A shriek was muffled. It was bitterly cold, yet scorchingly hot. This sensation only magnified as the cause was ripped out, sending her spiraling to the ground.
Her family mutually reacted in alarm, to mixed levels of anger and concern.
Charles I scooped her up just as Vex reared to stab her again. The senior glowered at them, bristling in rage before somersaulting out of the way, cradling his wounded granddaughter. Kenjin swooped in to guard them, blocking a second bash and escorting them to a safer location.
It was a stomach-churning display. A radiant puddle was left where she had fallen.
A certain brunette was considerate in avoiding the essence as she followed after the group, tailed by her spectral guardian. Vex could have attacked them, but a white blur flanked them, pausing afore the villainous beast.
“You… will be shown no mercy for this.” Chimizo rumbled.
As the color of their eyes reverted, Vex slouched, their countenance unreadable. They seemed to bow in acceptance, astral rivulets tracing the contours of his features.
Years prior, they sat in this same place, residing under a tree whose branches roofed them, not unlike the translucent willow which ceiled them now. Chimizo had scored some rather grisly lesions even then, having confronted his grandfather to disastrous results. But they were granted reprieve so his indisposed form may repair itself for their conclusive bout.
Here, the atmosphere was rife with violence rather than an evanescent serenity. And while Hanyoko had been patiently awaiting her son’s regeneration, it never came. The pale phantom’s abysmal cavity refused to close.
Gloved fingers tentatively withdrew. A multicolored swarm of wisps glided back to their guardian, poking out from behind him in shame.
“I don’t get it. I brought more than enough souls to heal this.” Death relaxed his arms, hollow sockets meandering towards the action. “Unless…”
Over to the side, the young lady who emerged after him was tending to the psychopomp who came along with her, spraying what he assumed was a type of medicine onto a myriad of perforations. They shrunk on contact, the bleeding subdued.
Into the brawl itself, a goatlike cleric cast a healing spell on one of their fallen allies. She was lucratively revitalized, spared of the exhaustion, scuffs, and bruises which were encumbering her.
The grim reaper scrunched. “No, this is an isolated case.” He concluded. “Whoever is behind this must have placed some kind of hex on Chimizo to prevent him from recovering.”
Quivering, Hanyoko’s head dipped, bangs concealing the water pricking at her lashes. She removed her mitts from Chimizo’s still frame, trembling intensifying as they furiously clamped into tight fists.
This startled her company. “Mi—Miss? Hold on now; I’m sure we can…”
Fiery sparks flicked about her fringes. She roughly respired, gasping a few times as they progressively kindled.
Then they burst into wreathes of impeccable flame.
Silencing, Death backed off, worriedly observing her paroxysm.
“What… is WRONG with you?!” The motherly specter howled in anguish. “Not only have you hurt him again, but you made it so he can’t get better?! He’s your GRANDSON, and yet you keep torturing him like this!”
She beheld her mangled progeny, the picture blurring around the perimeter of the crater. “Do you really think you’re so justified in causing him pain, just because he didn’t turn out the way you wanted him to?” Amber beads streaked past as golden eyes raised to the one at fault for their suffering, honing in on those wintry blues perched above the green. “What about me, then?! You never wounded me – you never put me through these tragedies you dare to call mere trials!”
Shining dimly, his vindictive optics seemed to leer at her.
“No… instead you tried to teach me, before your true colors began to show through.”
They convened by lambent torchlight. She was abashed, remorseful of her untamable fire. Once again, it had seared a valuable asset, stoked by her rage.
Yet a fatherly hand consolingly clasped her shoulder, unfazed by the accident.
‘Be not ashamed of your flames. Fire’s capabilities far exceed that of senseless destruction – it warms, it nourishes, and in chancier scenarios, has the capacity to heal.’
How she wished this had come from a genuine heart.
“And if you can’t be bothered to try teaching us the right way… then I’ll teach you.”
Elegantly, Hanyoko lifted her palms to the sky.
For decades, she had been deprived of her role as a mother. Had she not run away to meet her precious child and make amends for her absence, they would not be here, fighting for their lives. While she did not blame herself entirely, deep in her soul, she wanted nothing more than to save Chimizo from a horrid fate.
Through their tribulations, she had come to comprehend just what it meant to truly love someone as they were. In truth, she loved him and the rest of their family more than anything else in the world.
They were working diligently to thwart Vex despite the odds. None of them could falter here.
Devotion and pride kindled her core, fueling the dancing flames as they adapted a rosy tint and billowed about her sizzling form.
“I’ll teach you… that with our spirit, which you’ve fought to stifle for so long… WE CAN REACH NEW HEIGHTS YOU COULD NEVER IMAGINE!”
Trilling an ardent scream, Hanyoko planted her sweltering hands onto Chimizo’s severed front. A glittering inferno erupted as they slammed down, breaching an imperceptible boundary which stood between her and his wound. The supernatural blaze whirled around them as it ate away at the margin and conquered it, searing into the torn edges of the fissure. Bit by bit, it eroded under the heat, cauterizing towards the center of his chest until the void was utterly vaporized.
Rendered speechless, she regarded her accomplishment with a choked sob. The fiery spiral dissipated into innocent sparkles, unveiling it for Death himself to admire.
“You… you did it.” He stared in stupefaction. Were this not such a critical moment, he would have prodded her for a theory as to how. Moreover, their patient was rousing.
Slits of vermillion sleepily parted, crinkling into an affectionate smile. Gingerly, Chimizo extended an arm, the flat side of his claws patting his parent’s face. “Thhh… Thank you, mother. I knew… I could depend on you.” The blades gently slid off, utilized alongside the opposite set to seat himself upright. “Now, we can finally change things.”
An offer of support from his close companion was accepted, hoisted to a stand. He and Death nodded to each other in understanding before Chimizo let go, glancing to Hanyoko. “Please, stay safe. This won’t take long.”
Rocketing towards the chaos, the wraith left a blustering gust in his wake. His mother waved upon his departure.
“Ooh, you be careful, honey!”
As he zipped into the foray, Chimizo gracefully shirked friendly fire. Although there was acknowledgment of his entry, nobody stopped to greet him while they fought to overwhelm Vex, who undeniably witnessed his resuscitation and was keen on incapacitating him swiftly. He simpered as the apparition neared, spreading a palm to produce a sphere of pure hissing negativity within it. They were aware of what this move entailed, cunningly awaiting his approach.
Their archenemy closed in. He reared the bomb to lob it forward. While the majority of their limbs were occupied, they had saved Vesper’s for such an occasion. A daring expression goaded him, warping further as he took the bait and flung it.
All they had to do was block the explosive. With assuredness, their hands aligned to catch it like a dodgeball.
But their wrists were snagged.
“Wha—”
A watery wrap had seized their left arm. A thick vine snatched their right.
Cherish and Kenjin’s elemental manifestations held firm as their father’s shadowy shell struck true. A concussive blast ensued, engulfing Vex’s torso in fuming blackness. He yowled, sucking in air as real and immense pain was processed.
When the smoke cleared, a shining white crack was visible in the eight-pointed star at their center.
“Everyone!” Chimizo boomed to advise the amassed army, “That jewel is the source of their power! Smash it, and our victory is guaranteed!”
Incensed, Vex emitted a low snarl as a spare falchion slashed at the cords suppressing them, cleaving the natural material with ease.
“Oh, yeah?” He snickered, sounding bafflingly exhilarated. “Go ahead, then! We’d love to see you try!”
They bid their armory to shuffle once more, randomizing their assortment. There was a cannon, a spiny whip, a magician’s staff, and a bayonet-musket combo crafted into their possession.
“But mark our words:
We won’t make it easy for you.”
Strange. That ‘we’ almost carried the pronunciation of another word entirely.
[ Round 2: Core Destruction.
Thanks to Hanyoko’s efforts, Chimizo is back in action. According to him, Vex’s core is the main reason for their struggling and needs to be done away with. But the fusion themselves is still plenty energetic and agile, so this may be tricky – though, given what our cast has learned, it is not impossible. Distraction can still be quite helpful here!
Many questions loom, however. What is the truth behind Vex and their existence, exactly?
As it will be for every round, muns may send in their asks however they like – whether any muses are separate or not. ]
Ralsei approaches the battle, propelling himself forward in the air as he stays low to the ground. His focus befalls on Marley, first, but he'd try to heal the other three, if he was able... Ralsei knew an outright attack from himself would not do much, especially right now, so he'd do his best to pour as much of his support into the ones that were here first. It... Still felt bizarre, being so close to Lightners in this capacity, but,
"Hey, h-hi-..!" He finally landed on his feet, hands glowing with a gentle, yellow magic as he did his best to approch, "--I'm here to back you all up..."
RALSEI tried to cast HEAL PRAYER!
... As dear fluffyboy was doing that, a certain ball was spindashing off to the side, making wild movements and clearly trying to be annoying... And obnoxious... And distracting... All the way there... But that wasn't all Zammy had planned with her initial approch,
"I WASN'T KIDDING, BY THE WAY!" She hollered, in the chaos, "GET BOWSER'ED, IDIOT!"
...And with that, she shot her fancy new lasers up at Vex from a decent distance. Maybe they wouldn't connect, sure, but it was clear what her intent was. To distract, at the very least.
With another daring leap and an impassioned war cry, Marley thrust her enchanted pitchfork at the big boss, which, to her dissatisfaction, was once again thwarted by Vex’s humbling might. She was caught in their telekinesis, haphazardly ricocheted into the dirt. A loud thump and an elongated ‘owww’ was quick to follow, the blonde rubbing at her lower back as she tsked.
“Goddamn cheater… with your fancy powers and crap…” She flinched, noting a bit of a sting. The impact must have scraped her pretty bad.
While she was griping, she was unaware of somebody closing in until he spoke. Earthy hues inquisitively glanced over, contracting as they fell on the person who stood beside her.
Her mouth hung open. But she shut it before she could say anything weird or embarrassing.
Every urge to fidget or shuffle was also resisted while Heal Prayer was cast, swathing her in a soothing light. The aches and pains of being constantly flung, irritating scuffs, and her overall fatigue were utterly washed away.
MARLEY’S HP was maxed out.
She beamed. It was an honor and also a relief to be healed by him.
“Hey, thanks, man. I’m uh, sure the others will appreciate…” A zipping motion was detected out of the corner of her eye. That soft shade of green was one Marley had become quite accustomed to, and witnessing a fellow genius in motion, there was no question why.
Though Zammy was rather lost in the fiasco that was this foray, Vex could not ignore her forever. That bass boosted exclamation of hers did draw his ire, of which he offered an amused smirk. Now, how could this dinky little machine conceivably contribute to the madness?
Violet beams ripped through the air. Invisible brows raised, mildly impressed, yet that was just it: mild.
Most of them soared overhead, some even edging past them. This would be inconvenient, had others not been inclined to duck away from them.
Nonetheless, two hurtled straight for the unified villain. And they did not make any effort to dodge. Alternatively, they lifted their sturdier palms, and let the concentration of deepest dark sink straight into them. They were swallowed whole, absorbed into the very culmination of their being.
The starry amethyst shone bright as he cruelly jeered at her. Their energy levels peaked. “You spherical idiot... just how do you think our existence was made possible?”
“YO MAMA!”
A resonant clang reverberated as Marley took the chance to thwack them in the side, a shower of holy sparks dancing over their stumbling form before they pivoted to backhand her. Albeit fruitful, the farmer seemed unbothered as she was smacked backwards, hooting at their expense. Someone swooped in to snatch her away, just as they summoned a lance to spear her. It missed.
Blowing a raspberry, Marley waved. This was purposeful, for while Vex was distracted by her hecklings, one of the lasers tore through a wing. He scrunched in annoyance, both at the physical burn and the devastating blow to their esteem.
“…no matter. This is nothing.”
Their core glowed, and the hole diminished until the damage was undone.
“Good job, Marley!” Cherish complimented as they looped to the outer edge. “If we keep this up, we should make a dent in them.”
Her sister cackled. “Yeah, this’ll be a walk in the… huh?” She inclined towards a specific location. “You, uh… feel that?” A bead of sweat fell.
The younger girl looked as well. “Now that you mention it… yes.”
An unnatural warmth was brewing. One recognizable, yet not at the same time.
Out from the cosmic portal stepped a half mechanical dog. Chilled as the atmosphere may be, they didn't shiver. They didn't flinch. Only stood in silence to see the fused entity before them, already hardly lifting a finger to guard himself from the blows of many around them. Many faces that made them feel less alone than how they stepped in, isolated. They stood like a robot with a blank stare.
ISO was here to complete their job. Their job was a retrieval.
"Give him back."
With their metal feet, ISO sprung from the ground below them, extending their legs to hoist them up to as close as they could get to Maxim's face. Charging a winded punch, they launched their hand, springing from a metal spring on their wrist.
"GIVE CHIMIZO BACK!"
Once their breathing stabilized, the eerie muck which expelled from them ceased as well. Vex was amazed they could even counter their enemies in this state, although he supposed his other half was to thank for that. Dourly, he clapped their cheeks.
“Come on, Vex. Get back in the ring.”
It was almost comical how soon another had so boldly decided to confront them directly. Their voice was tiny from this height, but they could discern it well enough to regard its source. A dog of sorts, who did not intimidate them in the least. What did they hope to accomplish by challenging them head on?
Moreover, what was it they just said? He could barely parse the meaning until they launched themself sky high, just to reach them.
Their fist wound back. The demon knew what to expect from there, if only physically.
As gloved knuckles came flying at them, those words rang stridently in his mind. Even so, he caught the punch in their palm, seizing it tautly.
“Chimizo…? What the hell are you talking about?”
The severity of his stare lessened as he gazed into theirs. While he could insult them for allowing their anger to fog their judgement, the motivation to do so was absent.
This was the next best option.
Tugging at the canine’s hand, Vex twisted, wryly simpering. “He’s right over…”
And, snapping their waist to revolve around and around, likely throwing off their current assailants in the process, they took them for a spin in the most literal sense of the phrase, springs and all, until they hit the trajectory he was aiming for.
“THERE!”
He released them, sending the postal worker flying in the direction of the tree Chimizo was being treated under. The toss was purposefully calculated to drop them at the edge of the battlefield and facing that specific location. Nobody would be disturbed by this, and as soon as they peeled themself out of the dirt, they would see the truth.
Vex would like to think it was a win-win. What was there for anyone to be displeased of? The fight was progressing as it should.
Heavy footfalls echoed in their vicinity. They leisurely regarded the girl who was gunning for them.
How stubborn. But he supposed he preferred it this way.
"So-eth!" Rouxls shouts up to the big scary specter, "saye we somehoweth got here accidentallye and now wisheth to leave, art that an option, or? Mine throuple wanted to know, thou see!"
"Absolutely not what we're called," King and Metal Face quickly added. Yet, they didn't speak against the whole 'yeah if we could leave that'd be great' thing.
Finally, this bout was becoming interesting. Excitement welled within him as more fighters leapt in to have their share of the violence. Even so, Vex was showing no signs of exhausting whatsoever, reveling in the chaotic madness unfolding around them. Trading blows against whoever drew near, flinging them off to be greeted by fresh faces – it was more exhilarating than he could have ever dreamed.
That was not to say there were no hitches. He warily assessed the scene for a certain blur on occasion, pausing whenever that mass of distortion swung by. Nobody seemed to notice just yet, but what if they did? Plus, if anyone else happened to invoke such misgivings, it could spell certain disaster.
How he wished the thought did not cross his mind.
The shout stunned him. He undeniably had heard someone speak using that old-timey inflection long ago. Black claws digging into their scalp, Vex stared in disbelief at the humanoid who lurked below, accompanied by much taller fellows. One was even loftier than they were, albeit superficially.
“Rouxls?!” Sputtering, he raked across their fiery follicles. “What are you saying—are you stupid?!” Their primary arms jutted out in disbelief. “The whole point of this is to fight us! By coming here ‘on accident,’ you effectively trapped yourselves in here. You CAN’T leave!”
Their dark digits hooked as they shivered. “If you can’t handle it… then back off. You’ve got to get awa…!”
All four of their eyes widened as his voice died in their throat. They collectively glimmered a wintry, merciless blue as those surrounding them were rapidly disposed of with a single extrasensory discharge, inexplicably excluding the three.
This power far exceeded what they had boasted towards the beginning.
It was unrestrained. Relentless. Ungodly.
And the unwilling entrants could not escape it, rendered motionless by an imperceptible force.
Any potential complaints or pleas went ignored as Vex’s armory evaporated, regressing to their original forms as segmented arms. Alongside the clothed ones, they congregated in a ring and spread open wide. Within their configuration, a lone speck materialized, crackling and thrumming, stimulating tremors in spite of its size. The quakes heralded what was truly to come, for the mere dot swelled to disastrous proportions in a blink, developing a gravitational pull as twinkling stars and sapphire nebulae swirled about its confines.
Nobody could fathom what this sort of spell was capable of. Yet, purely by gazing into its depths, the vaguest of notions could be surmised:
Being touched by this would prompt an agonizing and immediate end.
As it attained its decisive volume, Vex hesitated. Their maw thinned, talons jittered. Most notably, their optics flickered, strobing between hues until they ultimately settled for neon green.
The intensity of the stellar globe lessened to a palatable degree.
Then it fired, recoil shoving the compounded ghoul back a fair distance from the fallout. Those eyes simmered to their initial configuration as they drifted, the lower half appearing to wince.
Mobility was restored, although it was a moot point. The cosmic bomb would be upon them in a matter of seconds.
But as it listed forwards, about to crash, a pair of spectral streaks blitzed through it at a diagonal. Parallel to these, a set of five white ones hewed at it in the opposite direction.
It tore open and disintegrated, revealing a ghostly swordsman and a well-dressed gentleman training their weapons, twin scimitars and crystalline arms, respectively, to the emptied space. They were dropped as the latter approached the three. He did not look pleased.
“Are you blokes serious, right now?” Charles I glared at them, undaunted. “You step foot onto a battlefield and cower the instant you perceive the enemy? Why did you even bother if your convictions are as weak as a wet sheet of paper?”
He huffed, crossing his hefty limbs as comfortably as he could manage. “Unfortunately, there’s no turning back. So, since you’re stuck with us, you might as well make yourselves useful. Either you fight—” A pointed finger was jabbed at them, “—or you move to provide a distraction. No one is to be dead weight in this bout… understood?”
Fiery reds seared his irises, pupils slitting. Strangely, this mode of intimidation might be familiar to at least one of them.
“That is all. Don’t disappoint me.”
Taking a sharp turn, he strolled over to Kenjin’s side. The Soul Spirit was watching their foe, outwardly perturbed. When Charles I went to take a gander, he could understand why.
Sparkling ooze was teeming from their facial features. It dispensed in rivers, caking almost every inch of their pallid skin. Hoarse, grievous gasps were scarcely audible as a hand went to smear it off.
“This isn’t… necessary…” He whispered. “Wh—Why…? If they’re not doing anything, can’t we be more leni…e…n…”
A shudder wracked them. Another outpour flowed through.
Groaning, he caught it in their palms. He anxiously wiped and flicked it off until none marred their countenance.
Kenjin glanced to his relative. “Do you think this has anything to do with…?”
The senior frowned. “It might. Let’s keep a close eye on them.”
Bixby steps forward much, much too casually with Bixbee 27 in tow. He still keeps his distance, of course— he's not an idiot, despite what some might think— but he still seems remarkably unconcerned as he thrusts his finger forward, giving an unbothered order.
"Bixbee 27. Lasers."
[Yes Sir Right Away Sir Big Smile]
The little robot's eyes charge up, attempting to shoot a red, piercing blast at one of Vex's arms. Simon, who was close by, stops to observe the machine for a moment before imitating its attack— one of his hands transforms into a laser cannon, aiming a blue blast of energy at Vex's other arm.
Vex panted, staring below their levitating body while the adrenaline coursing through him died down. His momentary affliction passed, tinnitus receding as unneeded breaths stilled. They rumbled, each incensed by the lapse. Were it not for their elevated perception, they might have been throttled by those closest to them at present. They could counter the onslaught, regardless of their lesser half’s shortcomings.
It was tempting to leave it to the other. But this was impermissible. Reluctant, he stiffened. There was a vortex churning beneath, accelerating at a discomforting rate. Another breath hitched, about to bark in protest when a searing at their shoulders urged him to jolt upright.
“Don’t ignore us, demon!” Cherish shouted overhead, crossbow primed at them. “Or do you want to make this easy on all of us and give up?!”
Swatting at the next round hailing towards them, the fusion retorted, “Ahh, shut your trap, you overgrown house fly! We’re not done yet.” They retaliated in kind, dispatching a swarm of black ice shards her way. These managed to ward her off, encouraging the angel to evacuate before she could be relentlessly pelted. Without those wings, she would be useless, and she knew it.
Smugly, he huffed. The monster would have mocked her for her folly, too, though he could not become complacent. A prickling at their temple alerted him to another set of opponents proceeding towards them. Spinning around to face the trio, Vex sneered.
How arrogantly nonchalant they were. They would just have to change that.
Right as the terse instruction was pronounced, the spiked ball and chain glinted, splitting into several. Like a ferocious hydra, they craned their necks to the trio, looming over their master. Very much unlike a hydra, their ‘heads’ detached, popping off of their links to lunge at the attackers.
Their trajectory allowed for them to take the brunt of the lasers with their descent. While they did skirt past, charring Vex’s sleeves as they skimmed across, the damage was not nearly as great as it could have been. Just the slightest twinge could be seen, for they were mildly irritated by the burns. This, of course, was not enough to hinder them as they manipulated the spheres to give chase.
“Don’t stop until they’re dead.”
They zipped forth, although this was not the only thing the three had to worry about. As they closed in, the orbs shot off their barbs, and they were not limited to their initial ones, either. More sprouted in their place, shooting off row after row.
While those took care of them, Vex dusted themselves off. Oddly, the largest crystal in their torso blinked as they did so, and the scarring disappeared.
“Heh… nice try.” He muttered, willfully ignoring the human figure which bounded after the targeted party.
A pitchfork took a crack at one of the orbs.
“FOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!”
It was volleyed off into the atmosphere.
Running beside them, Marley flashed her allies a grin. “Don’t worry fellas; we’re in this together. I’ll help get these guys outta you’re way ‘til you’re good, got it?” She winked.
There was much to do, and she was not about to let any of them fall to this jerk.
...Pierre... Unlike many other's approach... Was different. He was still fast. Arguably faster than when Maxim first encountered him. He had turbo dashed to close the distance, losing Ralsei and Zammy fairly early as he did so. He wouldn't make any attempt to stop people's onslaught currently. Fool's errand, so much chaos, but... A deep concern remained in his eyes as the fast painter held his brush firm in his hand, gradually circling the other from a safe but still noticeable distance, making sure to stay out of the way of others.
"MAXIM!" Pierre called out. "MAXIM!!!"
...He isn't attacking. While this could arguably be just... A very unique form of distraction thanks to him being a speedster, that... Concern and confusion in his eyes. It was understandable. Why did you call me, here? What can I do?
Boredly, the amalgamation feigned a yawn. By his standards, the rest of the tiny army was advancing at a snail’s pace, which left him rather free. While the Minetts were coming in on occasion to test another one of their frivolous moves, they were as the deific demon described: frivolous. Even alongside the critter who joined them, not a dent was made on their person. That one successful strike had already healed off.
To his relief, another was making their way onto the scene. Narrowing their eyes, they watched as the curious presence sped forwards, practically a blur given how fast they were dashing. But this was not the reason for his thinning gaze, straining to correct the visual.
This was the one he was having trouble seeing. Mystifyingly, the person was blotted out. A smear of black smog and pixels, as if they were a glitch in the system. Their very existence caused his head to throb as he attempted to identify them, barely detecting the outline of a human being amidst the smog.
As they neared, they became a tad less obscure, but only just. Nevertheless, that outline brought a pang to his chest.
The mysterious stranger did not attack like everyone else. While keeping out of their way, he circled Vex. It was horribly muffled, though it would seem he was shouting? What, the astral fiend could not deduce.
Yet… it sounded so familiar to him.
Deflecting their enemies’ moves became instinctive as he honed in on what this man was trying to say.
“…AX…….M…”
Over and over. He hollered the same exact thing.
“M…….X………I……M!”
A name.
“…MAX…IM!!!”
His name.
In that moment, the blackness partially shed off the dogged runner, revealing facial features he sorely recognized. Those two meetings had set a chain reaction in motion, one which he could have never anticipated.
Were this any other situation, the third would not have terrified him so.
Shakily, Vex drew a breath and stammered.
“Wh-What… why are you here?!” Keeping his sights trained on Pierre, he ignored the bemused stares thrown his way. “You’ve got to move aside—and stay the HELL away from us!” There was a quiver in his voice as his main arms began to quake, “Or else he… he’ll KILL YOU!”
Regardless of his shrieks, it did not prevent a clawed hand from grasping for the broadsword’s hilt, clutching it tight. Its star-shaped gem burned bright as a potent aura shrouded it, amplifying its power. The cold optics seated atop their forehead flared in turn as they slashed, sending an immense wave of cataclysmic energy towards their target.
This was fortunately evaded due to his inhuman pace. Right behind him, the earth ruptured, erupting into a thick spire of pointed stone. Repeatedly, Vex swung their blade in a desperate bid to engulf him in the blast at least once.
It continued to fail. Green eyes grimaced as time stopped.
Second by second, it then started to reverse.
“Nhh… no… NO!”
And it resumed. Starry ichor trickled from his visage as he heaved, wrangling the sword in their grip when it went to take another swing. It rattled in their grasp, inclining ever so slightly to intercept the painter.
A snarl was released. The one hand he left bare, having reverted to its former shape, clasped over the specter’s. Black talons dug into its pale flesh and forced it to release the weapon. It wandered off to the side, levitating beside them while the beast coughed, hacking droplets of glittery essence.
Once Pierre was seemingly in the clear, the flapping of wings could be heard. Cherish dipped down to glide at his level, regarding him with a contemplative gaze. Her feathery limbs guarded them both as she spoke quietly.
“That was really risky.” She stated the obvious. “I can’t say I understand what it is you’re doing, but…” The angel quietly sighed. “If you think it’ll make a difference, I’ll try and inform the others so they can give you backup.”
Reluctantly, she closed her eyes. A comforting light radiated off of her as she did, extending to the young man to veil him as well. It was an otherworldly sensation, one which invoked strength. As if no evil could bring him to harm.
“…this’ll increase your endurance against their dark attacks.” Peering at him once more, she clapped her crossbow into her palms. “Good luck.”
With that, she took to the skies, raining heavenly bolts at their opponent from above.
Bitter Fox stayed closer to the outskirts of the fight, trying to monitor the fight. The originals who were present were still locked in, it seemed. Briefly, her eyes drift upwards to Chimizo. They narrow in an unreadable emotion.
They lock back downwards once again on Vex. He's big, and has decent range, so... a shadow ball launches from her paws before she scampers sharply backwards again. Yep, she's going for the hit and run tactics, in hopes of wearing him down and redirecting him from the tired fighters. Even if it doesn't land... maybe someone else can take the opening.
She's learning cooperation; aren't you proud, Chimizo?
Taking to their battle formation, the four fighting Minetts separated across the field, distancing themselves from Vex as black shards were shot at them. Fortunately, none managed to hit the squad since were quick enough to skirt past, although Marley needed to roll on occasion just to dodge them properly. Once they were in position, everyone acted accordingly: Cherish and her grandfather hung back to calculate another approach while the other two riskily entered striking range in order to distract the menace.
Kenjin flew in towards Vex’s left, slicing at the air in swift succession to launch several crescent-shaped beams from his shining katana imbued with his ethereal energy. This, of course, was parried by the broadsword, which deftly cleaved each projectile in twain.
To back him up, Marley charged at them from the rear, gritting her teeth as she went to raise her pitchfork to send a bolt of light at them. Before she could, however, the spiked ball and chain hovering above their shoulder swung at the woman, nearly tripping her on its elongated cable. She stumbled as her steel-toed boot scuffed it, holding in a gasp. While she did roll forward, she managed to catch herself and recover, running and leaping over a couple more attempts at bowling her over.
This early on, there were not enough people to perplex them yet. As such, Vex did notice Bitter Fox scampering around them, even if it was from farther away than the others.
They grinned as the move charged in her paw was flung in their direction. That shield was instantly put to use, absorbing the shock of the dark sphere with ease.
“I can taste it, you know. That fury roiling inside of you. It’s too bad it won’t amount to anything good.”
The short taunt was succeeded by a rather unprecedented development. Gleaming bright, the wide star-shaped jewel on the shield’s front hummed as the power of the cosmos built within it. Then, a dazzling ray zipped towards her at lightning speed. Whether or not she did avoid it, they were content to fire away at her a few times for good measure.
Though she would not be their focus for very long.
“Erastus, copy that!”
The order was barely registered as another Shadow Ball, one impressive in its circumference, rammed squarely into their back. Vex sputtered out a wheeze as it landed, seizing up on contact. This directed their attention away from the fox and swiveled towards their more recent attacker, shaking off the searing pain as it subdued.
Their fist would do just nicely, here. A cluster of shady ice was willed to their free floating arm to sculpt it into a colossal, reinforced one. It flew at the ghost Pokémon which had expertly carried out his trainer’s instructions, ignoring the latter as it slammed into his open palms.
Erastus grunted as he held the limb firmly in place. It was almost bigger than him, which made repelling it tricky. Adeline seemed aware of this as she opened her mouth to give another command, but found it caught in her throat as the obsidian appendage abruptly cracked.
And shattered into hundreds of splinters.
No sound was made as the dusknoir grimaced in agony. He was wise enough to retreat before even more of the thorns could lodge into him, dribbling ectoplasm where each had pierced his skin.
“Hurry!” Adeline aided him in ducking out of harm’s way and towards a safer location for them to hunker down for a moment. “I’ll take care of this as quickly as I can,” she rummaged through her bag for a Full Restore, “it won’t be enough to close the wounds completely, but it’ll at least stop the bleeding.”
Vex lightly scoffed as they resumed combatting the others. It was a pathetic, awkward stunt.
All of that… and they were already decommissioned. What was the point?
Their replies to his message were understandably dismayed. Family, friends, even complete strangers were at a loss of what to do. They were sensibly concerned about the scope of the danger and what harm may befall them if they were to join the fray. Frustratingly, he was too ragged to explain in greater detail, incapable of transmitting unbroken phrases. Had he the vim or the time, he would have told them everything.
To make the situation even more difficult, Vex barged in and threw the chatroom into a tizzy with their presence.
“Ohhhh, so this is where you astral projected to, hmm? How adorable, that you thought you could do this again. You really are predictable, Chimi, you know that?”
It was fortunate Death and Adeline were there to recognize Maxim’s key characteristics. Even then, their keen remarks only revealed half the truth to them before the discussion devolved into chaos.
Insults were hurled. Confrontational statements were made, as were threats. Frivolously, Chimizo cautioned them not to even think about killing them, but his claim was swept to the wayside. He feared the aggressive banter would be aggravated further until a mindboggling proposition was made.
“That being said, if you really think you have what it takes to do anything worth our while... then make a wish. Wish with your entire being that you can be here, and a portal to the battlefield will appear.”
Alongside his waning focus, this gave Chimizo pause. If Vex honestly wanted to win, would he have proposed such a risky idea? Referring to the last incident where he called for help, Maxim was expertly dispatched by a group of nine, and Vesper had bequeathed his power even then.
So, why? Why would he aim to meet this criterion for failure once again?
As a couple of the spirit’s closest friends briskly departed, his mind lingered on the last one to speak as a black haze surrounded the image of her fretful consideration.
“Please…” He wrung out his final heartfelt warning, “Be careful.”
Whether she decided to come or not, he was grateful Jae was the person his psyche fixated on as it faded into darkness.
--
Vibrancy was restored to Vex’s primary optics just as a range of hollers harmonized before them. The steadfast four were telekinetically hauled off their feet and spiked into the earth, flopping uselessly onto their fronts. As they collectively groaned, a once-neutral mien distorted with malice, stretching the bounds of Vex’s orifices.
Taking a deep, anticipatory breath, he puffed out their chest.
And then plied his nearby flamethrower, discharging a formidable icy storm upon the fallen.
Charles I was the first to rise. He gasped as he registered the blustering wail of the gales, pivoting on his heels and producing a wider crystal barricade to shield them all. His palms braced against its back to transfer his ethereal energy into it, augmenting its sturdiness.
While he sheltered them, the three siblings blearily peeled themselves from the ground.
“Shit… this is really bad.” Marley rubbed her head. “What the hell are we supposed to do to beat this guy? He’s practically invinci…” She trailed off as her gaze met with a peculiar sight.
Off to the side, a cloaked entity lurked beside Hanyoko. This was not particularly concerning, since their father’s camaraderie with the Grim Reaper was not unknown to them.
But that was not the only thing.
There, far from the battle, was a singular starry circle.
“Is that… a portal?” Cherish perked.
It was not one of their father’s. And yet, instead of spitting out another hazard to increase their dread, out popped a brunette they had seen roaming their Halloween bash, accompanied by a large psychopomp they recognized from a popular monster collecting series.
“Don’t worry!” She shouted to them as she rushed forward. “We’re here to help!”
The three blinked. Help. Such a sweet and simple word rejuvenated them.
One by one, more entered the scene, and with them came an awe-inspiring crowd of people. They gawked at the rainbow of individuals flooding in, few of which they recognized immediately.
“No way.” Marley propped herself up. “I swear I’ve seen almost all of these guys in the group chat.”
“Hontou?!”
“Really?!”
Kenjin and Cherish sputtered simultaneously. The former added, “Then does that mean…?”
Tears welled in the angel’s eyes. “Papa… he called for them.”
Her grandfather, straining to hold the blizzard at bay, caught a glimpse of the advancing party over his shoulder. He, too, appeared to be relieved at their emergence, spouting a tense huff. The winds ramming into his obstruction suddenly abated, nearly knocking him to his knees as the pressure was released. Bewildered, his sights raised to Vex.
“Well, well, well. It’s about time the cavalry arrived!” He confidently chuckled, hefting the icethrower over their shoulder. “And not a moment too soon, either. I was just about to bury these whelps over six-hundred feet under.”
Exasperated scowls were directed at them as the Minetts recuperated, standing united.
“Colorful crowd, too.” They leisurely scanned the gathering while they addressed them. “No doubt this will be very interesting… huh.” When their eyes wandered to a specific region, they squinted, dawdling on it until they shrugged, completing their evaluation unhindered. “But, oh! I’m rambling, aren’t I? It’d be uncouth of me to blab your ears off when there are more important things to attend to.”
Flashing an animated grin to the assembly, their firearms fanned out. They disassembled into dusky stardust and reconverged, forming new weapons deemed suitable to kickstart the coming war. Their replacements were a bejeweled spiked ball and chain with thorny links, a gilded shield possessing a huge starry gem, their signature broadsword, and a free hand to utilize their claws to their fullest.
“So.” Outstretching their ordinary limbs, his smirk stretched into a pitiless sneer. “If you all absolutely believe with your mawkish little hearts that you can defeat us… then
BRING IT ON.”
[ Round 1: The Experimental Round.
For this round, nothing is certain about what can or cannot damage this beast. Via ask, muses are encouraged to investigate what is effective against Vex while Chimizo is out of commission. Obviously, Vex won’t let anyone do what they want – so it may be necessary to distract them in order to land a hit. Though given the number of muses involved, an attack in general may suffice. Every ask will have an impact and may affect others!
Of course, not everyone has to confront Vex at the moment… so if there’s another course of action they would rather take, they may. This is just the beginning, after all. Who knows what will happen?
How muns handle writing and sending their asks is up to them, whether they want to send separate asks for each participating muse or put them all in one. Whatever works best for what they have in mind! ]
(( Since his profile is being updated, here's a fresh new reference for Charles I I finished in recent months!
Why is there so much empty space? Don't worry about it,
EDIT 7/5/26 - So about that empty space, huh :) ))
A heartfelt plea is carried across time and space… does your muse answer the call?
✧ Up to 3 muses are permitted per mun. This is to ensure nobody overwhelms themselves (including the host). Muses can join for a variety of reasons: to support the Minett family, because they hold a grudge against Maxim/Vesper, or perhaps they are inclined to serve another purpose having to do with the demon… Why would he willingly let so many people fight him? Chat goers, take notes.
But be warned. These muses will be put through a potentially excruciating near-death experience. If this affects your choice, consider who you are okay with experiencing such pain.
✧ Muses must be quick about entering the portals which will appear to them, provided by Vex himself. Only the most essential preparations will be permitted, such as grabbing weapons or armor. A mysterious force is preventing super-formed foes from entering the arena… this is to keep the stakes high and allow everyone to shine equally as they are, plus to ensure plot beats hit properly. Winks.
✧ As for the event itself, this is a two-phase Raid Boss which consists of five “action rounds.” For each round, every muse is allotted one action – to attack or distract Vex, or provide support if applicable. Muse actions must be sent via ask so they can be responded to accordingly, and it makes it easier to keep track of them. Each ask can be for every muse a mun has chosen, or muns can send separate asks per muse as they see fit. Feel free to ask the host questions if you’re not sure about an idea you have for your muse to execute!
To note, though, please exercise the usual etiquette when sending your asks: there will be no godmodding / autohitting in this fight. While the end goal is to defeat Vex, they are seriously powerful and not every move will be successful. I will ask muns for permission regarding their own retaliations if they require directly influencing a muse, whether their psychic abilities or weapons are utilized.
Don’t let this discourage you, since the name of the game is to overwhelm them with numbers. They cannot negate everyone’s attempts at once, no matter how omnipotent.
✧ Between each action round, there will be a significant story post which progresses the battle. Muns are free to kick back while the host works on these, because they will take time.
✧ However, dashboard commentary is highly encouraged! Muses can react to how well their attacks/actions went over, as well as the story beats. This is going to be an eventful bout after all, one which is full of twists and surprises.
✧ If a mun wants to participate but cannot do so straight away for any reason, no worries! Your muse(s) may join the fight in the middle of a round or at the start of the next, depending on how far along the current one is. We can say there was a bit of cosmic traffic keeping them at bay for a while.
✧ Known triggers past the current story posts are as follows: guns (potentially), body horror, blood, gore, self-harm, as well as mentions of cannibalism and death. While others are possible depending on how the fight progresses, they will always be tagged accordingly.
✧ Finally, this event canonically takes place over the span of one night. So please don’t feel like you have to chronologically lock your muses into this (or outside of it). Do whatever you want, write the stories you want to outside of what takes place here!
That should be all! Participating muns may write a small post (or not so small, knowing most of us) sending their muse(s) to the battlefield and having them react to the situation and the ominously hovering Big Bad - when they're ready, of course! There will be a story post following everyone’s entrance, so please wait before sending any asks to confront Vex!
To an audience of restless bystanders, this scenario was bleak. There Chimizo dangled, essentially exenterated by phantasmal standards. His fluids were accruing below him, drop for drop, and his consciousness had switched off to save him the humiliation. In his current predicament, he could not overthrow the butchers responsible for his quandary.
Yet a fire lingered in him. One which spurned to go out in the night.
It softly burned in his chest. His core, as red as his undying passion, ridiculed his tormentors with its zealous aura. Chimizo might be on the ropes, but he was hanging on.
And he did not intend on letting go.
“Still clinging to life, eh?” Spinning their levitating arms, Vex callously grimaced as they converted into shock batons, oozing star-laden muck from his features. They toted the rods overhead, willing resplendent cyan volts to gather at their tips, crackling boisterously with enthusiasm. “We’ll just have to rectify that.”
Brandishing the rods, they held their fire until they were brimming with electricity. Once overly saturated, Vex poised them to prod and propelled forward.
“Like HELL you will!”
They nearly grazed him before a rain of projectiles ferociously showered upon them. Bolts of light, crescent-shaped beams, flowery rays, and crystalline splinters hammered them in unison, gunning for their face and torso. These contrasting volleys did not abate until they retreated from the incursion, resisting the monsoon.
A profound thump stirred the insentient specter. The enraged bellow which followed encouraged his eyes to pry open.
“Back away from our pops, you FREAK!”
There, gallantly stood up front with an enchanted pitchfork clutched in her gauntleted mitts, was Marley. Her blonde hair flapped over bunched shoulders as she confronted the wicked creature, supposedly at her lonesome.
“You’re not going to get away with hurting him ever again!”
Or so he assumed, for Cherish descended upon feathery wings to land at her right, cocking her signature crossbow.
“Because we’re going to see to it that you’re dealt with for the very last time!”
To Marley’s left, Kenjin lowered in, scarf fluttering behind him as he raised his katana.
“To ensure a bright and prosperous future…”
Chimizo stared in passive disbelief as another human figure arrived from above. An elderly one, dressed in a tan suit and fedora. His arms were encased in quartzlike stone, sculpted to support heavyset, beastly claws.
“…for our friends and our FAMILY!”
Behind him, heat rose to a fiery degree. The plant matter holding him taut thawed and were scorched into oblivion, ashes strewing as he fell into someone’s tender embrace, blanketing his tattered body in a comforting warmth.
Weary scarlet hues lifted to meet teary golden ones.
“Mhh… Mother…” He murmured, taking solace in her protective hold.
Hanyoko weepily smiled towards him. “Don’t worry, sweetie.” She whispered. “Everything is going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it, I promise.”
Expelling the last of the straggling dribble clinging to his facade, Vex abandoned their defensive posture and snuffled, which was quick to devolve into uproarious cackling as they boosted themselves above the trifling crowd. The four new combatants propped themselves to fight, readying their chosen armaments.
“Aww, the insignificant worms think they can obstruct us. How cute.” He mocked, skimming a baton under his chin. “You all might’ve been lucky before, but this time, don’t count on your combined ineptitude to be enough to win this war.” Adapting to dispatch their challengers, their arsenal simultaneously transformed, morphing into military-grade munitions. “Still, since you’re so insistent… let’s just see how you’ll fare against these.”
Hellish gunfire was let loose upon the ill-prepared rescue squad. Charles I immediately leapt in to guard Marley, generating a sturdy partition between them and the bullets by shifting his own glassy limbs into a partial dome. Even in this disadvantageous spot, he could launch a barrage of shards off the barrier’s surface, acting as both support and offense at the same time. Cherish and Kenjin took to the air in the while those two were grounded, firing off rounds of their own as they zipped around to distract Vex.
For the sake of his safety, Hanyoko cautiously lugged Chimizo rearwards, distancing themselves from the conflict. The younger spirit groaned as his hideous wound protested, shuddering at the agonizing pain it provoked.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” his lone parent whimpered, seating herself under a barely perceptible oak and sliding him onto her lap. “We just need to lay low while you heal, honey. Once that horrible… hhh-hole is sealed up, we… we should be able to…” Her words shriveled up and died. She was too uncertain to complete the statement.
Blearily, Chimizo watched his family strain themselves, toiling to gain the upper hand. At this rate, they were not going to make it through five minutes of this. Vex was too great a foe for them to take on, adroitly trashing their attacks with finesse. It was impossible for them to win, as he had claimed.
However, it did not have to be for long.
He steadily exhaled and allowed his fatigue to overtake him. As he lay comfortably, deserting his anxiety, a sea of sparkling crimson filled the void of his subconscious.
Vaguely, strings of text entered his vision. Names, conversations. They were neighbored by images of varying countenances, both recognizable and unknown. This community, of which he had never expected to find camaraderie in, was their only hope.
Mustering what remained of his strength, he urgently reached towards the universes beyond their own and relayed his heartfelt plea:
‘We can’t… do this on our own. Please, anyone… help us.’
It chimed aloud, eluding the confines of his mind and absconding into the multiversal river.
While he slept, the majority fended off the menace. They were unaware of what their leader had done, yet were unflinchingly resolute.
In the midst of the chaos, impassive optics glinted.
< Pursue him. If superfluous reinforcements must come, dishearten the masses to reduce their numbers. I shall counter these pests for this interim. >
