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[img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b2/Koopa_Troop_artwork.png/658px-Koopa_Troop_artwork.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa King[/color][/h2]
[b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 630 (+1) (-5)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]///// (71/80)
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] The Dead Zone - Hell-bent City
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Bowser’s punch clipped the anime boy, sending him tumbling, only for him to right himself and retaliate in the blink of an eye, drawing an absurdly long blade and soaring across the ground towards the King. Bowser instinctively brought up his arms in a boxer’s guard, dinky mecha mit shield deploying to try and block the blow. Yet it never came. 

A hail of fire withered the man, demonic blasts, fireballs, energy blasts and mundane bullets coming at him in a torrent. The sound was deafening. When it finally died down Browser spread two fingers to peek through his guard and found Setheroth had been knocked down and yet, amazingly, his form remained among the living. Slowly he lowered his guard back down, his heart still hammering in his chest. 

[color=FD0000]”SEE WHAT I MEAN?”[/color] He told Setheroth, dramatically spreading his arms out as if this had all been intentional rather than him impulsively lashing out without thinking about the consequences, before coughing and much more quietly and incredibly begrudgingly saying [color=FD0000]”Thanks”[/color] to the multitude of heroes who had probably just saved his neck. 

He approached the man, who was still trying to rise and felt a brief pang of sympathy, because though the man’s face didn’t show it, Bowser had been where Setheroth was now more times than he could count and he could guess how he was feeling. [color=FD0000]”You get used to it,”[/color] He told him quietly, before summoning a friend heart [color=FD0000]”THIS’LL CLEAR YOUR HEAD, YOU GET ONE SHOT AT NOT BEING AN IDIOT AFTER, SO LISTEN UP AND DON’T SCREW THIS UP”[/color] he told the man, before flicking it towards him from a safe distance.

[color=FD0000]”ALRIGHT. HERE’S THE DEAL. THAT”[/color] He pointed up at the ’sun’ [color=FD0000]”IS GALEEM. IT’S A BIG BAUBLE WITH WINGS THAT RIPPED REALITY APART AND STITCHED IT BACK TOGETHER HOWEVER IT WANTED AND THEN STOPPED YOU NOTICING ANYTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE MESS IT'S MADE. IT ALSO MADE IT SO YOU’D TREAT EVERY FIGHT LIKE A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. BUT YOUR FREE NOW. SO PUT THE SWORD AWAY AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS. OR DON’T, AND SEE WHERE IT GETS YOU”[/color]

[color=FD0000]”ALSO THERE’S SPIRITS AND STUFF, BUT ALL THAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW IS YOU ADMIT DEFEAT, AND THEN HELP PUT GALEEM DOWN SO WE CAN FIX THIS MESS AND CAN ALL GO HOME. OR YOU CAN GO BACK TO WHATEVER YOU WHERE DOING WANDERING THIS TRASH HEAP OF A CITY IF YOU WANT, BUT SEEING AS THIS PLACE MIGHT BE ABOUT TO GO BOOM, THAT'S PROBABLY A STUPID IDEA”[/color] Bowser concluded, before glancing back at the teleporter, checking if it was done. In doing so he caught sight of something he wasn’t expecting to see.  

Marie’s Spirit, held in the palm of V's hand.

[color=FD0000]”YOU FOUND HER!?”[/color] They’d been wrong, the girl hadn’t been devoured by the heart after all, which was a massive relief. On the other hand she was also dead now thanks to them. That was still better than being for her than being the skullgirl, or so Bowser hoped.

There was one way to find out of course. 

Bowser stomped his way over to V and then wordlessly took the girl’s Spirit from him and then moved a short distance away from the red team.

[color=FD0000]”Hey kid. Sorry it ended up like this. Look, I know this place isn’t the best, but do ya wanna stick around for a bit? So I can make it up to you, and we can get back at that wretched heart together? Because trust me, no matter what that smug hooded jerk wants, this isn't over,”[/color] The king spoke softly to Marie’s spirit, before glancing back at the team and pointing a finger at the teleporter [color=FD0000]”QUIT JUST STANDING AROUND! START GETTING OUT OF HERE BEFORE WE ALL GET BLOW TO STARBITS”[/color]