Endgame || Apocalypse

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Anyone
Where: Pandaemonium
When: March 05th
Summary: The first phase of endgame begins! The Heroes of Light are on their way to deal with Garland as they’ve left their unfinished businesses in the hands of their friends amongst the NPCs. How will it end? The mingle threads shall not be modded, only The Guardian will be modded. Please do not start individual threads for The Guardian, reply in a single thread. Starting from now on, the game is officially in endgame. Please do not post any new posts on Mognet or in the Log Community, unless they’re backdated to before this event. The second phase of endgame will be posted once The Killer Of World thread will have been unlocked and completed.
Warning: ̩̼͋ͬͅ.̷̳̗ͦͣ͐ͭͣͬ̈́ ̤̙ͫ̉.̨̯͖̗͓̥̭̣̂̄ͣ̏ͯͫ ̶̼̻̳ͫͧͥ̆.̭͎ͮ͂ ̳̤͓̖̫͌ͪͥ̄͗̐̌.͚͍̀ ͈̻̠̥̜ͦͦ̆ͨ͋.̼̹̹̠̟͚͎ ͙͇̲̘͖̉̌̒͂̈ͮ.͇͙͑̍̽ ̪̭̹̤͓̯̜ͦͣ̒̾͆͗ͦ͟.̝̯̲͗͊̽ ̛̙͌̈ͤ̚.̪̮̰̘͚̏ͦͤ ̲̼̺͓̣̝̐.͗ͨ͜ ̧́̑̄ͥ.ͬ͊̋ͣ ̝̠͍̭̯̽.́ ̊̽̈.̡̥̖̣͓̬̠̰͗͑͂ ͍̭̩̝̉͊̑̃̓ͤ̇.͆̔̀̈́̐̋ ͇̬̤̲͉̜͙̓̍ͦͯͤͥ̔.̯̻̺͔̰̞̙͋͡ ̻̼̣̮͖̮̋ͬ.̖̝̞ ͕̦̙̞̹̲̖̓̃.̌ͯͯ͟ ̺̘̪͊̊.̲͖ ̧̼̙̋ͦͧ̂́̑͑.̷̼̬̭͔͙̹̫ͦͧ̔̄͐̏ͫ ̱͎ͥͥ̈͝.̲̣͖̪͓̯ͩ̓̈̿ͧ̅́ ̪͈͚̺̦̝͎̒ͦ̇̚.̂̆ͯͦͩ̃̀̀ ̬͕̼̆.͎̃́͐̄͒̑ͪͅ ̠̳͎ͬ.̛̭͓͗͌ͪ ̴͉̱͉̘̯̟̔͐.̫̣̥̔͑͛́ ̝̭̤̜͖͎̙̈ͪ̿̓ͯ͂̚.̟̲̥̥͈̭̳̈̋ͥͦ ͔̩̈͋͐͗̚.͓̝̼͍̈ͧ͊ͅ ̥ͥ.̷̬͍͙ͥ̓͋ͅ ̪̯̠ͨ́̂.̱̙̘̫̰͕͈̎̓̊ ̧̻̃̎.̬̇̄ ̘̣̺̼ͯ͋̀.̯ͬ ̆͗͆̆̋͝.̴̞͖̫́ͬ͌̉̍̿ ̪̹̥͙̑ͅ.̵̻̮͓̉̃ͯ͑̊̈́̚ ͚̽̒̚͘.͇̮͇̻͍͈̠͂̓ͣ̀͡ ̩̠̖̋.̺͎͈̦̺̈́ͮͬ͌̋ͧͩ ̳̠͕͙̎ͩ͜.̛̆ͥ̒͑ ̘̠͓͚̱͗͜ͅ.̢̠̠̥͍̬̂̊͋͊̂̄̐ ̦͛.̰͚̫̱͙̩̅̓ ̲̜͌̒ͭ͑͠.̠̆̈̏͆̉ ̰̹̳̻̥̮̬ͨ̍̐̆͗ͫ͜.͕̥͔̳ͩ͞ ̣͓̥̑̍͊̽̄̀.̳̘̭ͭ̔̎̍͜ ̟̞̯̏.̙̯̦̞̱̘ͬ͐ͩ ̯̠̣͉̪̅̅ͣ́ͅ.̡͗̍̿͊͐͊ ̲̙́̽̽́.̝̟͇͈͚̿͝ ̑͜

Mingle Thread
The Guardian
The Killer Of Worlds

Comments

[needsteaplz]

With the killer rabbit limit break going all out and all these other attacks, Saori and her clone stopped their Ninjutsu for the former to drink an Ether. Chucking the empty bottle aside, they made their way behind Chaos.

Two large white clouds erupted as they teleported into the air above their target with Smoke Bomb. In their left hands, they held their swords while the right brandished the Hidden Blade of the Assassins.

The signature weapon may not deal a killing blow to a target as large as a Chaos but the wound it would create will only lead to more pain as the swords followed through. The sword was a weapon Saori brought back from her homeworld, forged with high grade metals and had a strong water affinity thanks to the crushed scales of a Water Dragon mixed in.

Learning her lesson from last time, Saori once again used Smoke Bomb to get away.

[unyieldingspirit]

Well. That- that certainly was a limit break. K'pandolu twitched one ear back, but snapped back to focusing on Chaos. They needed to bring him down as quickly as possible- before anyone else could be lost. There'd hardly been a warning…

"…Lend me strength," she murmured, offering a prayer to any deities that might be listening- it didn't matter who they were right now; she'd take whatever she could get. She darted forward, looking for an opportunity to land an Amped Strike before following it with a Blizzara aimed for the wound, trying to force the ice deeper.

1/3

[novacrystallis]

Even though blows after blows fell onto the demonic creature, Chaos stood still and prepared his next two moves. The beast was clearly wounded now as the attacks rained upon it, yet the core of the Guardian didn't give up. The combined attacks of the Heroes of Light had hit the beast hard, but immediately after the last attack hit him, Chaos used a ski--

... No. Chaos really didn't have the time to use would it be a single attack after that.


Attacks Debriefing
In an effort to preserve what little is left Chaos's dignity following these attacks, we will not be listing how badly he got beaten this turn. Thanks for your understanding.

Total Damage Dealt: a lot more than what he had left
Chaos HP: deep into the negative


The beast roared and screamed, a flurry of explosions surrounding it. While it didn't attack them, if they remained too close it would cause severe damages to the Heroes of Light. Eventually, Chaos collapsed onto the ground and all colors drained from the creature as its corpse dissipated.

CHAOS IS DEFEATED!

2/3

[novacrystallis]

Once the corpse of Chaos fully dissipated, it became obvious something remained: Garland. The former emperor was still there and yet he was barely alive. He was on a knee and holding onto his sword. Bloody and beaten up, he looked no less determined than he had been moments ago. Odds were that his mind on the matter hadn't changed.

Or maybe he could be convinced to help the Heroes of Light now that he had barely any life left in him and they were his only hope to survive? It was hard to say truly. Killing him would be safer, but letting him live could prove advantageous. Yet it could also prove incredibly dangerous if he were to hinder them in their fight against the Calamity. And yet, this choice was one the Heroes of Light would have to make withi--

> Heartless Angel

A rain of darkness falls onto the man and kills him before anyone can even ask the question. Garland is dead.

3/3

[hiddentruth]

Parasraya had a hand extended forward, a swirl of darkness surrounding her fingers even as the darkness rained upon the emperor.

"Dearest of apologies, my friends..."

If anyone had had any doubts, with her words it was evident she had been the one to use that attack. She smiled to the Heroes of Light and walked forward to Garland's dead corpse, looking down at him.

"I doubt anyone wanted to see a rerun of what had happened with Palitutu, therefore I took the liberty of... Making the choice for you."

Re: 3/3

[unalive_them]

Deadpool blinked. And blinked again. Then crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Oh, come on!" Deadpool griped. "I mean, thanks for putting an end of a week's discussion over him, but you do realize that you've just triggered the bleeding hearts over here, don't you? Now we gotta listen to them complain about what you just did and--"

Hold on.

"That's a new power. The he'll?"

[shinra_dog]

"Holy fuck, back the fuck up!" Reno brandished his EMR at Parasraya. It was unclear whether his words were a threat to her or a warning to Deadpool, but his next statement would help.

"That's a fuckin' Shadow's attack! Heroes don't get that -- Calamity shit does!"

Threat or warning? It was both. And Reno had seen it first hand when Cloud's puppet body had skewered Sephiroth.

"Back up, bitch!"

[theendiswherewestartfrom]

For an instant, it looks like they've won. The man has returned, they successfully killed the monster-

And then Parasraya strikes. "No!" Damn it all. He shoves his sword back in its sheath, but turns on Parasraya, reaching out to try to grab her by the arm. "Why!? We had a chance to show mercy, why wouldn't you?"

For an instant, he can completely understand every time the Doctor has flown into a full-on rage. "Preserving life is what we're here to do. Yes, we did want a repeat of Palitutu because saving this man's life is just as important as saving everyone else's. We don't get to pick and choose."

[acceptedoblivion]

"Mercy?" he almost scoffs. "Save your breath. Too late to argue that point."

While he still may be riding a bit on adrenaline and rage, that much was obvious. To the former emperor who would have, and had, killed several of them without justice for what he'd perpetuated for ages? There was no way, in his mind, that he would ever show a being like that an inkling of mercy.

Yet the time for such thoughts were passed, all thanks to Purana. And were it any other spell or skill, Ira likely would have thanked the woman for her decisiveness. Except he knew that attack. He knew it the same reason Reno did. Drawing his blade, he pointed it at Parasraya and activates Darkness Sense. "Who are you, really? And how do you know Heartless Angel?"

[ooc: Darkness Sense: Grants the ability to sense the darkness and the emotions tied to it in the hearts of others.]

[fearlessherosheart]

"Well, do you wish to fight us as well, Parasraya, or whatever your name is?" Tazendra asked. "Certainly ending the life of a man barely alive cannot be seen as a friendly gesture." Yes, she might have agreed to kill Garland for his crimes, or simply to protect her own world. But doing so with an attack rooted in the Calamity, if her companions were to be believed, seemed like an invitation to conflict.

Of course, she could be biased. Many things seemed like an invitation to Tazendra that were not. But the other Heroes were reacting as well.

[worstintheworld]

"That was not your call to make!" Natalia snipped, lowering her bow. Even so, the battle was over, and most of them were still alive. The ones who had fallen might still be saved as well, given that she saw some of the Heroes able to fly and move things with their Telekinesis powers.

But just as she was about to start issuing orders to Barkeep, the atmosphere became strangely tense, and left her momentarily unsure. Was there more fighting to come?

All of this made her uneasy. Keeping a wary eye on those moving toward Parasraya, Natalia hurried toward Tear and knelt beside her. "Are you all right?" she murmured in a low voice. She'd already cast Curaga, but another healing spell certainly couldn't hurt.

[jadethenecromancer]

Garland's death didn't really upset Jade, but they way it had played out was... troubling. He stared at Parasraya, brow creasing slightly. Rather than launch immediately into accusations or questions, he tried to recall everything he knew about this woman. She had always been quiet during meetings, more prone to observing in silence than offering her thoughts.

The only instances that stood out to him... She had been in favor of killing Palitutu, had calmly instructed them to collect the shattered remains of Zelda's crystal... Had suggested to Jade that moving the Crystal of Water to safety was unnecessary...

Well, if the attack she'd used wasn't proof enough, there was an easy way to test whether Parasraya was who she'd claimed to be. While others were confronting her, Jade silently activated Forsaken. If she really was a Hero of Light, her Jobs should now be disabled. If they weren't...

He stood back and watched the situation closely, waiting to see how she'd respond. Should this escalate into a fight, they would have a definite answer.

[revitalise]

As hurt and trembling as she was, Tear still had enough stubbornness and will to her that she was able to understand the events that unfolded. A strange numbness befell her when she recognised the attack unleashed, remembering once Imitating the exact skill against other Heroes months ago. Narrowing her eyes and parting her lips to speak, her words were cut off when suddenly Natalia was beside her.

Shaking her head—and wincing as she did—Tear's attention turned to a far more important matter. "Akane..." Even though the impact would have undoubtedly left internal wounds she would probably need to go to the hospital for, her priority now was to keep the girl in her arms alive until they got her to safety, casting Curaga.

[gorgeous_sin]

Lust stood over Garland's body, regarding him dispassionately through lowered lashes. The satisfaction she felt upon seeing him die was fleeting. Even if he'd fallen at her own hand, she found that it did nothing to erase that hollow and painful ache in her chest.

Her eyes drifted to the edge of the platform as if she were patiently waiting for something to pull itself over the edge. Nothing did.

She folded her arms and closed her eyes in silence, offering neither judgment nor approval. For now she listened. It was clear to her that something interesting was about to happen, but unless it resulted in reclaiming those that had fallen, she really didn't care how the matter played itself out.

[needsteaplz]

Saori was going to hold Garland down in his weakened state but after Parasraya did that, something snapped. She grabbed Garland's sword and about to Throw it at her.

"Mercy? No, not after all of this."

[dammit_flynn]

"You got less than five minutes to explain what the hell you decided that you were the spokesperson for every individual here. Not to mention that some ability like that can't easily be tossed around."

Yuri narrowed his eyes as he was still standing in the front lines with the others that took the front. He held his sword tightly around his arm preparing to slice her up with Brutal Fang if she tried to do anything funny. He was very much pissed off at that someone decided it was okay to kill off a guy that couldn't even fight anymore.

They had questions for him, and other thoughts. This was not how things were supposed to end. He had a bad feeling about this as he stepped forward, planting his feet into the ground int front of him.

"Well? Start talking or I start cutting."

[zodiac_brave]

Perhaps the moment for mercy had not yet passed. While the others were confronting the traitor in their midst, Ramza sheathed his sword and knelt beside the fallen Emperor. Ramza had felt that attack before, from Johnny's Shadow, and he had survived it.

It cost barely anything to unstopper a potion bottle and press it to Garland's lips. Even if it did nothing, he could go on knowing he had not let the opportunity to try pass him by.

[impatienttraveler]

He had been keen on simply observing the aftermath, once Chaos' corpse dissipated to reveal the would-be ruler on his last legs. After all, many of the others had such higher stakes in this

"For all your talk of mercy, you certainly are slow to show it to those who hold the conviction you so sorely lack." So slow, in fact, that even a relative newcomer like himself could see plainly where this was headed. "Ahh, already at each other's throats? Well, don't let me keep you from tearing yourselves apart."

Yet for his words, he moved to grab hold of Saori to prevent her from throwing a sword into the crowd and thus potentially miss her target. At least before he addresses the other woman.

"Surely you saw this coming, what with that little stunt of yours?"

[deadlyvu]

It was over? It was over! Lydia--still a bat--homed in on Ira. Sephiroth would be busy, and Ales was harder to see in the group although her thoughts went to both of them. Moving and shifting back to herself, she was going to relax... Or try to anyways, when it all happened so fast.

Definitely worse than a roller coaster, but adrenaline still ran high through her veins.

Ira drawing his blade, along with the reactions of others, was enough for her to be wary still. Dark-eyes turning, and while Lydia was under no illusion that all the 'Heroes' were good guys, this seemed too different, from just a disagreement in views, based on the reactions. Stepping up slightly, hands raised in clear non-threat, Lydia spoke. "Please, explain why you did that Miss...?" Trying hard to remember her name, even as she cast Charm.

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena was too shocked by what she had witnessed to move at first. What had happened? Then Parasraya spoke, and Sheena whirled, the sight of Dark Magic triggering a memory of one possessed.

The others' reactions, however, in naming the Calamity, triggered another. Eyes narrowing, she glared at the woman.

"Was it your voice we heard in the Rift when the ability to come back from death was taken away?"

[they_call_me_sonic]

Sonic made his way to Ardyn, his Magitek Armor clenching its fists as Sonic made his decision. "It's not the idea that someone did what others didn't it's the fact that someone did that with powers that are not ours!" He said.

Marching over to Jade, he let out a small snort. "Didn't she say that she wanted to tell us something in November? Something that she said would make us hate her? Was that it?"

[damn_juicebox]

Rukia did not yet sheath her sword. It served an additional purpose besides cutting down enemies; it could also be used to bury souls, and right now, she was searching for Garland's. His was a unique case in that he was formed in an unconventional way. Were his soul to become lost or broken, it could result in a very dangerous Hollow should this world parallel the rules of her own. But she didn't see it emerge, not yet. There was far too much spiritual turbulence in this place for her to locate him with her reiatsu.

Her brow darkened. She should not have to be searching for his soul at all. "Reckless fool...!" she cursed, shooting a disapproving look at Parasraya. And yet, was it necessary after all? They didn't know how Garland would have responded. After his defeat, he might have reset everything with his dying breath, rendering all of their struggles and sacrifices meaningless.

But she did catch a faint pulse of Jade's reiatsu that drew her attention. Glancing back at him, he appeared calm and still, looking at their fellow Hero in studious silence. What had he done? Had it been noticed?

She walked across the platform to stand at his side, as she might have done naturally. But if his actions had been noticed and provoked an attack like the one that was just unleashed on Garland, she wanted to ensure that he was well protected. Rukia glanced up at him, her expression making it clear that she did not like this situation any more than the rest of them. Things did not feel as concluded as they should have.

[arcward]

It’s over. Chaos is dead. Garland is dead. It’s not as satisfying as he thought it would be, avenging Pyrrha.

Pyrrha. He drops to a knee, his sword holding him up while the physical and mental exhaustion of the fight hit him like a brick now that his adrenaline’s gone down. His wounds are screaming in agony but he can barely feel them, the loss of his love hurting more than anything else. It hadn’t fully hit him that she was gone until after the fight, but now that they had won, he-

Wait. Had they actually won? He’s pretty sure that the goal of today’s mission was to defeat Garland, but everyone still seems pretty on edge, even though so many of them had been all for killing the guy before. Looks like he’s still not allowed to mourn yet, though, so he weakly rises to his feet, trying to concentrate on what’s being said so that he can understand what’s going on and be ready for another fight should one break out.

[bag_has_snapped]

As everything seemed to be blowing up, Tsubomi began thinking over something that felt odd. The Desperation skill. It kicked in when Akane and Tear died and she was sure it would when Santa did.

But, those who were banished by Chaos didn't.

Were they still alive?

"I think the others are still alive somewhere. I would have gotten stronger when Chaos made the disappear, but... we can't figure that out until we find out what's going on with her." Tsubomi said, furrowing her brow.

[silencesfate]

"Ramza..."

Minato bit his lip. Following the other quietly and kneeling down, as the others were caught in the tension of a betrayer, he tried to bring as little attention to himself as he tried to cast Life over Garland; he knew this probably didn't work on non-Heroes, but if there was any chance at all to save him... This move would be about as controversial as all other decisions regarding the man's fate, which a certain someone had just tried to cut short without any discussion.