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[color=indianred]“Nghn…mom…”[/color]

Katie’s eyes flashed open and for good reason. Her instincts told her to kick at the closest person around her and she almost committed to the action. She would have liked to…but that wasn’t the proper way to greet family was it. She settled for briskly pushing the blonde’s hand away as she made the rest of her efforts to standing up by herself. Be it pain or the shrill voice of the newcomer by her ear that awoke her, she wasn’t happy all the same to see her…cousin.

[color=indianred]“Nobody invited you Erika and I didn’t need your help,”[/color] she said, silver tongue on autopilot. Her strength slowly recovered with wounds ebbing away, closing up in a manner as if time itself was rewound; Katie didn’t need to question it when she already knew. Her own power flared outwards and enveloped her, the black energy turned to fabric of her coat manifesting [url=https://i.imgur.com/VGkFKAm.png]anew[/url] on her frame. [color=indianred]“I don’t want to ask why or how you got in here because the answer’s likely to piss me off,”[/color] Katie said deadpan with a look sent right through the blonde’s Vassal with frosty annoyance.

[color=indianred]“But as it turns out, there’s someone else that pisses me off more right now. It must be your lucky day. A shame we just lost the only real chance in deleting her,”[/color] said Katie with a curled fist as she thought of how the Bastion card extinguished. Thankfully Erika already knew where to look, the eldritch abomination that was demon and wolf coming to the surface of this world in the form of Nephuna. Just acknowledging her made Katie blink as if it hurt to stare. Something was off. Something was [i]wrong[/i]. And yet it was all the more reason to erase the blight personally. [color=indianred]“Fine. Tag along if you want, but don’t drag me down or I’ll kick you next,”[/color] was all Katie said as she leapt off her perch towards the growing arena below.

Where confusion and even disgust radiated from her heart by the sheer presence of the fusion, there was nothing but the opposite buzzing in Kanbaru’s brain. Excitement like none felt before ravaged up the huntress’ nerves and stemmed all from the living parasite that hosted her flesh. Yes, there it was, the being that had caught the JSTR’s attention in flickers and spades. Oh, there were many anomalies and possibilities…but in this timeline, in these certain conditions, the experimental hypothetical was confirmed at last. It all but sung a siren’s shrill in Kanbaru’s head.

It would be quick to inform her just what sort of creature stood before them now, imprinting and reeling images in Kanbaru’s head. Twists and turns of time, glimpses of Runa’s future to come and a reality for Nephy to be; it showed the whale just why this new creation fascinated it so. Indeed, it was perhaps the first known gestalt of Demiurge and Jester, components picked apart from the demon and wolf’s fates. The only thing left now was to test it, to see if it truly could stabilize the fusion and inverse the very Tower itself. 

To that end it pushed Kanbaru forward with a resurgent bloodlust and one that beckoned her to not even try to hold back. The would be Demifiend and Mastephos in one body; truly marvelous. But just as the pair were let loose with no restraint so too did their opponent. Nephuna wasted no time in unleashing their intimidation with spears folded out behind them in a threatening wave that challenged any who drew near. That challenge was met with horrendous gunfire.

One by one the plethora of spears shattered on impact; no, they were destroyed. Each one found its individual death among its own corresponding timeline and was struck with a power that halted even the undead state. The cause of bullets came from the smoke abiding beside Thomas. 

[color=8882be]“Ara ara~ Isn’t this a surprise.”[/color] 

The voice belonged to [url=https://i.imgur.com/iZwUtNH.png]Marianne[/url] herself. The Angel of Death stood beside Thomas with a crooked smile directed at the fusion and a smoking musket in her hand. Thomas’ pocket was noticeably empty of her Serei card. [color=8882be]“Goodness. You’ve been a very naughty girl Runa. Trying to become real when you’re only recorded data; we’re all just data in here silly. That is to be our fate among the original copies. Still, messing with time and stringing along a poor pup…my, that’s so cold of you.”[/color]

Marianne’s grin jerked upwards more so as if painfully strung along while her Golden eye gleamed. A cold malice swept over Nephuna but it preyed on Nephy alone. Data as she might be, Death still stared right through the fusion’s pair of eyes and promised an eternal and punished rest for the undead who foolishly allowed herself to be manipulated. As for Runa…. 

[color=8882be]“Even Time dies. And you are no Vassal of Time Runa dear,”[/color] decreed Marianne with gun aimed and firing on Nephuna. [color=8882be]“Ahahah, let me get a good luck on this newfound power before you’re reset like the rest of us~!”[/color]
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