Lugubrious

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Esaka’s Middle Tier

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (163/150) Level 11 Big Band (58/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 2084

Her heart pumped in her chest, its rhythm accelerated by the icy grip of fear that squeezed it like a stress ball. Her breaths were sharp, serrated even, leaving her throat raw and ragged as they tore from her lungs. Her shoulder burned in an inferno of pain, exacerbated by excessive exertion and lack of treatment. Her sore feet pounded the asphalt pavement and concrete sidewalks as she darted and dodged through the city, every twist and turn another attempt to sever her pursuers’ sight-lines and lose them for good. Her wide eyes saw no people ahead of her, only obstacles and opportunities. At this time of night, there were no crowds large enough to disappear into, nor enough personal effects for her to discreetly snatch in order to put on a disguise. The night that crowned the luminous skyscrapers was dark, but the shadows cast by dumpsters, phone booths, bus stops, and streetlights weren’t dark enough, and the hidey-holes weren’t hidden enough. It had been a while since she stirred up the hornet’s nest, and she’d already paid for it dearly. But the terrible price that her enemies exacted that day hadn’t been enough, and now that they knew of her survival, there was nowhere she could go that the wolves at her heels couldn’t sniff her out.

It wasn’t long before it became clear that the thief, fleeing on foot, couldn’t outrun her foes forever. Not when they had cars to give chase in. She could have lost them in Little Innsmouth, probably, but this part of the city was the Mafia’s territory, and their legbreakers knew it like the backs of their hands. With the wolves closing in, teeth snapping, the thief did what any cat would do and began to climb. She broke into a highrise, sprinted through the lobby, and dove into an elevator. When she reached the top floor a few moments later, she risked a quick look out a window and spotted a half-dozen black automobiles parked by the front door down below. Nobody seemed to be getting in or out of them; her pursuers were already in the building. Gasping for air, her skin slick with sweat, she made for the roof, making quick work of the aged locks in her way. The chilly night wind gave her goosebumps as she ran toward the edge and looked around wildly, searching for any way out that an adjacent building might offer. On one side, it would be a hard climb up a sheer brick wall, and on the other, escape demanded a terrifying leap of faith. Jets of blood from her wrists and ankles could extend her jump, but would it be enough…?

“Enough!”

She flinched instinctively, her shoulders hunching as her muscles tensed. She whipped around to see a woefully familiar young woman in a showy orange outfit, her head of short teal hair topped by that trademark hat of hers, the fearsome Living Weapon known as Vice-Versa. Even a poor, no-name alley-cat like her had seen the high-flying, death-defying circus performances of Cerebella and the other members of the Cirque des Cartes. Knowing that their troupe were actually hitmen for the Medici Mafia made it harder to enjoy their antics, though. On reflex, the thief’s fingers closed around her broken collarbone, the parting gift left by that Living Weapon’s massive mitt last time they met. She gritted her teeth and fought to control her breathing as Cerebella sauntered forward, full of energy and confidence thanks to the ride she’d hitched to get here. When Cerebella extended an accusatory finger, Vice-Versa cracked its massive knuckles. “You’re not slipping through my fingers this time.”

“Just leave me alone!” Ms Fortune spat. “Haven’t you Medici dogs taken enough from me already?”

The other woman did not slow down. Thirty feet, twenty five feet, twenty. “Not until the Life Gem you stole is back in our hands. And every last threat to Vitale is brought to justice!”

Her inflection on the mafioso’s seldom-heard first name, full of admiration and longing, prompted a derisive snort from Ms Fortune. “Vitale? Justice? Hah!” Well, sorry, but you’ll be crawlin’ back to that bastard empty-handed, ‘cause I can’t give the Life Gem back!” Nadia was powerless to stop the cornered feral as she launched forward, propelled by streams of blood. “Now, get outta my way!”

Wham! Vice-Versa’s hands clapped shut around her, trapping the thief in a cramped cage of immovable fingers and palms. Powerless to fight back, she yelled at the carnie below her, her one visible eye alight with rage. “Let me go!” she heard herself yowl, the words filling her with a dreadful sense of deja vu. “I’ve gotta avenge my family! As long as the Life Gem’s power flows through my veins, nothin’ can stop me destroyin’ the Medicis!”

“Flows through your veins?”

Cerebella narrowed her eyes, and Vice-Versa began to squeeze. A cry of pain erupted from the thief’s throat. “No! Stop! PLEASE!” But those hands continued to squeeze, harder and harder, and the feral continued to howl, until her screams lost any semblance of language and everything gave way to nothingness.

---

Nadia jolted awake with a muted cry, fighting against a terrible, crushing weight upon the cavity of her chest. After a moment she managed to fill her lungs with air, and her head began to clear. She was in the bed in her room at that wrestling hotel, Banishing Flats. Having been sleeping on her front, she rolled onto her back, where she lay stared at the ceiling as her eyes slowly focused and her head stopped swimming. She had a hangover thanks to that ridiculous sangria, beset by insistent pangs of pain in her head just behind her eyes and a mouth as dry as the desert. When she licked her lips, it felt like sandpaper on a chalkboard. Time for a ‘coarse’ correction, she thought. Groaning, she picked herself up from her bed and staggered toward the bathroom. A bleary look around confirmed that nothing seemed any different from how she left it last night, but still…she couldn't escape the feeling that something was wrong.

Rather than turn on the bathroom light and intensify her headache, she drank from the sink’s tap in the dark, then used more water to wash her face. That dream…had it been another one of those ‘bugs’ that Asgore mentioned? A memory from a previous Ms Fortune’s life? Try as she might to remember where the dream took place, the details were already hazy. As far as she could tell, it had been somewhere in New Meridian. Maybe the city existed somewhere in the World of Light after all? Or maybe the whole thing had been nothing more than an ordinary nightmare, conjured up whole cloth by her weary subconscious. Given what happened the last time she stole something important from a very bad man, she couldn’t blame herself for her lingering unease. “Who knows,” she said aloud, rubbing her eyes in the dark.

Suddenly, there came a tremendous crash from the window in the main room behind her. Nadia flinched instinctively, her shoulders hunched up as her muscles tensed. The chill that surged down her spine galvanized her into action, and the catgirl burst out of the bathroom. She arrived just in time to see a big, burly robot with a blonde mohawk, military fatigues, and sculpted muscles as it ripped away the bed’s ring ropes with one one massive mit and pulverized the covered pillows with the other. As stuffing billowed into the air, the Jack-5 seemed to register that its target wasn’t there, and the next moment its baleful red gaze settled on the catgirl a couple yards away. With a terribly inhuman sound like a rumbly, metallic bark, it sprinted toward her, closing the distance in an instant to launch a powerful shoulder barge.

Nadia yelped and fell backward while trying to backpedal, then scrambled backward to avoid a series of heavy stomps. Finally, she twisted around in order to launch a stretchy Fiber Upper. Her sole connected with the Jack-5’s head, snapping it backward in a most unnatural manner. On reflex Nadia retracted up toward her feet in order to continue her offense, but the ceiling was low enough that she banged into it on the way up, and the robot’s upward gaze meant it knew exactly where she was. Its upper body rotated around so that it could stop her fall with an uppercut that drove her into the ceiling, followed by a handful of punches like jackhammers. Flakes of spackle and drywall rained down like snow as she took a beating, after which the Jack-5 let her tumble to the floor. It readjusted its head back to normal, its face devoid of emotion, then raised its huge arms and wrapped one hand around the other’s fist. Though dazed, Nadia put up her guard just in time as the double slam descended and blasted her straight through the floor and into the room below.

The person in that room, an aged but well-known wrestler named Wolf Hawkfield, was already awake thanks to the ruckus, but when two combatants plunged through the ceiling he got straight to action. Identifying the assailant, he launched himself straight over the fallen catgirl in a spear tackle that struck the Jack-5 head-on, blasted them through the door, and deposited them both in the hallway outside. Nadia regained her feet before they did and hurtled out of the room, stopping only to deliver a quick kick to the robot’s face as she blew past. “Guh! The hell’s going on!?” Unaware of where she’d ended up in Banishing Flats, she sprinted down the hall until another Jack-5 smashed through the wall at the end of the corridor in front of her. “Whoa!” As it ran her way she slid to a stop in the middle of a hallway junction, then used Charge just in time to escape the Jack-5’s bear grab by blitzing to the right as a lightning bolt.

To her relief she found herself in the motel’s lobby, but her relief turned to horror as the front door slammed open to admit yet another Jack-5. “What!? How many of you ro-buttheads are there!?” There was no time to panic, though, as it went for her with a mighty running hook. Nadia ducked, then punished with a spin kick to the groin followed by a Cat Scratch rekka. Once two claw slashes landed to activate her Elation blessings, she changed gears with a Tornado unchain combo starter. After the upward high kick, she continued the unchain circle with a below-the-belt punch and sobat kick, then finished with a Neck Cutter upside-down grab to twist the robot’s head clean off.

Just then, the previous Jack-5 caught up. Before he could sucker punch Nadia, though, another mighty machine grabbed him from behind and executed a flawless German suplex. When the Jack-5 jumped up, the Mecha-Zangief met him hand-to-hand in a colossal test of strength, at which Nadia could only blink in surprise. “You saved me!”

“Of course!” the robotic wrestler buzzed. “For Mecha-Zangief, customer is king!!”

At that exact moment, the Jack-5’s face split open to reveal an ominous red timer, counting down from five seconds. From where she was, Nadia couldn’t see what it said–only that two more Jack-5s were coming in through the motel’s busted front door, which she whirled to face. Mecha-Zangief’s eyes flared with alarm. “Customer, look-!”

A huge explosion went off in the lobby, reducing a whole section of the building to rubble and flames in a heartbeat. Every Jack-5 unit breaking in throughout the motel would detonate over the next minute or so as well in an effort to wipe Banishing Flats -and every Seeker within- off the face of Esaka. Overhead, the G-Corp helicopters responsible for deploying the Jack-5s would clear out as quickly as they came, riding the thermal updraft. On a rooftop across the nearby park, a muscular ninja with an X-shaped scar and a stylized blonde crew cut watched with a neutral expression, the furious blaze reflected in his shades.

“The Seekers of Light…are dead.”

Spire 04 - Orca Space Complex

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (35/90) Level 6 Heismay (38/60)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra and Tenna’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 2341

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 7/8 | 🛡️: 6/8 | ◆◆◆◆ | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/Lightning Rod/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

Though they didn’t communicate beforehand, Eve and Heismay took much the same tact when it came to tackling the dam. They acted more or less as shock troops, advancing ahead of the main force to strike key targets like lightning. Discreetly eliminating problematic lookouts and sentries gave the main force of Seekers a clear shot to roll in and wipe out the Naytibas, and their allies did not disappoint.

These foes were, on average, a cut above the opposition the team faced at Krat Zoo; though dangerous and horrific, the mutant carcasses had been malformed and disorganized enough to undercut their lethality, and what the Arche Puppets had in versatility they lacked in raw numbers. These specialized amalgamate Naytibas, a grotesque and inexplicable union of military hardware and corruptive biomass, posed a serious threat even in small squads. Ultimately, though, these Naytibas couldn’t hold a candle to the cohesive teamwork or varied abilities of a dozen Seekers of Light, not to mention the antlers, moblins, and golems that quickly crowded the battlefield. Once they stormed onto the scene, backed by Blazermate’s healing and Sandalphon’s fire support, the heroes split the Naytibas up and cut them down, with fighters like Geralt taking on two or more at a time. Not even the withering gunfire and missiles of entrenched sentryborgs could contend with the slow but steady advance of a turbo-buffed iron golem shield wall, and once the frontline cracked that nut the rest was just clean-up.

For some Seekers, in fact, an assault like this was too easy; Sectonia’s excessive and indiscriminate use of wide-ranging magical spells soon dealt serious damage to the dam itself, threatening to blow enough holes in the barricade that the reservoir would wash the team’s bridge away. When Sandalphon noticed this, she quickly took action. She switched out the Destruction spell bullets loaded into her Hexagun for Order spell bullets, then fired at the wounds left on the dam by the wasp queen’s sorcery. When an Order bullet came into contact with destruction, it rapidly repaired the damage, restoring the structure to its original state. While the archangel doubted that Sectonia could actually destroy the dam in such a short amount of time, she wasn’t about to take chances on the Seekers’ last chance to get across this treacherous gorge.

Soon enough, the brief but intense bridge battle came to an end, with no Seeker markedly worse for wear. Those who waded through the carnage to the far side of the canyon, new acquisitions in hand, found Eve, Heismay, and Tenna waiting for them with a secured route to the Orca Space Complex’s front door. With her overwatch concluded, Sandalphon could direct the stagecoach down the rocky side road and across the dam’s ash-littered crest. She paused the wagon briefly on the other side for everyone who wanted a quick break to climb aboard, and took the chance to look over what everyone had obtained from the Naytibas. Their spirits seemed about as unsavory as the carcasses when it came to fusion, but they promised to yield better results when itemized. That said, when presented with a one hundred percent biological sniper rifle, Sandalphon seemed reluctant to touch it, let alone wield it. “I appreciate the thought, but I must decline,” she told Ganondorf, pushing the Sporothrix back into his hands. “I resonate best with inorganic, magic-based precision weaponry.”

Sadly, Heismay did not take much more of a shine to the infected Rainfall. “What are these…protrusions?” he asked as he studied the nanite growths on the blade. “Is it contaminated somehow?” The Eugief hadn’t forgotten what Eve said about Naytiba flesh infesting machines, even if this didn’t quite look the same. After comparing it to his reinforced longsaber, he passed it to Geralt for inspection. “All yours, friend.”

In the course of his stealth mission, Heismay had acquired a few spirits as well, including ones left behind by Eve in her ignorance. Though his haul was less impressive than the others’, he went ahead and crushed his Naytiba spirits as well.

Items Obtained

Infected Type-4 ‘Authority’
Feeding on the enriched heavy metals that make up the core of this 'Authority' unit, nanites have built themselves into viciously barbed vine-like growths. The bludgeoning power of this hammer remains quite effective

Nano Ward Leg Gear
This electromagnetic repeller has been mounted on a sturdy CREO exo-rig for maximum efficiency. The underlying technology was discovered accidentally during a top secret project yet to be concluded. Coated with a thick layer of a newly developed anti-conductive alloy, it prevents nano absorption with a staggering success rate

Shotgun Ammo Box
It seems to contain enough vaguely shotgun-compatible ammunition to fully restore practically any shotgun-type weapon

Sawtooth Circlet
A flexible belt of serrated metal teeth. Not suitable for throwing or use as a weapon. An inventive tinkerer could find some use for it

“Ah, ‘tis another one,” Heismay reported wryly, dropping the infected hammer by the stagecoach. He couldn’t even lift this weapon, though perhaps one of the team’s physical powerhouses could make good use of it. The armor, meanwhile, was sized for a human frame and equally unsuitable for someone of his stature. As for the other items, Heismay couldn’t tell what use they might be to anyone, let alone him. “Oh well.”

The team soon got moving, slowly rattling up the rocky slope from the dammed canyon back to the main roadway. Now well-versed with the Naytibas’ firepower and penchant for ambushing, everyone was on high alert as they approached the main entrance, but surprisingly they found no additional obstacles. After the road evened out, the reindrix could pick up the pace and pull the stagecoach into Spire 04’s outermost complex.

Once the Seekers crossed the grounds and entered the main building, they found themselves on the ground floor of a huge, multi-level, high-tech facility. As the primary access point for Spire 04, it seemed to be a massive depot and support center, responsible for the security screening and processing of all incoming resources and personnel prior to shipment to the Space Logistics Complex via hypertube. Thanks perhaps to the hydroelectric power generated by the dam outside, the hangar-like structure was reasonably well-lit inside, with its many interconnected systems online. The place appeared highly industrial, with huge machines, glaring floodlights, and yellow-black warning stripes everywhere. Despite the original safety inspectors’ best intentions, though, Orca Space Complex would be highly dangerous thanks to the Naytibas scattered throughout the building. Just as with the dam outside there were houndborgs, sentryborgs, and droids, but this time the mechanical warriors’ ranks included fearsome battle droids with dual plasma swords, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, and tougher armor.

At the end of the day, though, these foes were just Naytibas that could be dealt with, and it did not take Sandalphon long to identify the real impediment in her team’s path. The hypertube that represented the quickest and easiest route deeper into Spire 04 was completely sealed off, with three heavy, mechanical locks like giant clamps in an equidistant arrangement around its circumference to prevent unauthorized access. While she conceded that the strongest Seekers probably could budge these locks if they worked long and hard enough, she judged that it would be much faster to take advantage of the facility's powered state to simply disengage them instead. Of course, there was no telling what security measures might be in place to complicate that task.

“Over here!” Eve called, waving.

Sandalphon looked over just in time to see the swordswoman descend a ladder at the end of a catwalk to her left. When she walked over, she spotted a couple computer stations on a lower platform, and without a word the archangel hopped down, using Heavensent to slow her fall. Adam’s drone forced a remote connection and got the system booted up, allowing Sandalphon to bring up a map of Orca Space Complex. “We’re looking for three terminals,” she reported to the team, her sigil in use to proliferate her discoveries to any allies out of immediate earshot. “One is in the security office, second floor, back by the main door where we came in. Access requires a keycard, and it will go into lockdown if we attempt to brute force entry.”

Adam’s voice emanated from his drone as it perked up. “I can handle the door, but there may be other security measures inside. Better keep a low profile.”

The archangel nodded. “Another terminal is in the maintenance bay, on the far side of the first floor. The machines in the area are generating high volumes of error logs, so expect some sort of malfunction. The last is in the operations center, top floor, overlooking the whole facility. The elevator is out, though, so the only way in is by air. Be careful once inside, though. The system reports large quantities of unidentified foreign matter in the room.”

“Probably free-form Naytiba biomass,” Adam piped up. “Nasty stuff. Spreads like mold.”

Sandalphon pursed her lips. “Then it is fortunate that our fliers wield fire.” She conjured a couple screens of her own, each bearing images of White Team’s members that she quickly sorted into four groups. “I recommend three teams of three, not counting Adam’s drone. Sectonia, Blazermate, and Mokou to the infested operations center. Heismay, Roxas, and Geralt to the security office. Ramattra, Edward, and…perhaps Tenna can handle the maintenance bay.”

Perhaps sensing her uncertainty, Eve volunteered. “I could accompany them. I may not have Adam’s hacking skills, but I know my way around machines.”

“That would be most appreciated.” Sandalphon gave her a courteous bow. “In that case, Tenna can remain here at the hypertube entrance with the Cadet and Ganondorf to secure the stagecoach. I will do my best to coordinate the operation from here, as well.” She looked around the Seekers, her expression neutral. “...Is this arrangement satisfactory?”

Heismay nodded. “Works for me.” He then turned to go, gesturing for Roxas to accompany him and Geralt on another adventurous outing. “No time to waste!”

As Sandalphon stepped away from the workstation, she used her powers from Leanne to run a scan of her own, her pupils replaced by radar scanners. “...One more thing. I’m detecting a strong signal in all three locations. It is simultaneously biological and mechanical, similar to the Naytibas we’ve encountered, but far more dense. I cannot ascertain any more than that. Be cautious.”

One minute later, only four Seekers remained by the stagecoach on the second-floor platform by the hypertube. They watched as the three teams took out the Naytibas in their way as they dispersed in different directions, gradually disappearing from view. Sandalphon’s eyes remained glued to her screens, the first and foremost being a top-down view of the facility constructed from the computer data she’d studied, onto which she projected dots representing her comrades as they moved through the facility.

The depot was far from silent thanks to the clicks, thumps, and whirs of countless machines, but it was quiet, so the archangel could focus. A little more sleuthing in the facility’s systems revealed that each terminal would require the completion of a timed captcha in order to deactivate the locks: a hex cipher in the security office, a flow simulator for the operations center, and a TermLink Protocol in the maintenance bay.

What she could not anticipate, however, was the threat awaiting each team in each location. In the security office, Vauban (armed with a Ferrox speargun and Cycron radiation raygun) stood guard, his automated Tesla Nervos prowling the room under the watchful gaze of his various turret spheres. In the operations center lurked Nidus, juggernaut and manipulator of infested flesh, with a Boltor in hand and viral Pulmonars nunchaku at the ready. Finally, in the maintenance bay the Seekers would eventually encounter the tricky gadgeteer Protea, her Velox automatic pistol and Tenet Envoy rocket launcher guaranteed to spell trouble.

Engrossed in her duties, Sandalphon also missed one other variable, skulking just outside her view. Only once enough time had passed that the defenders were less on edge did the monster drop from its hiding spot in the rafters and land with a calamitous slam in front of the stagecoach. It was Orca’s state-of-the-art, flagship combat robot seamlessly melded with crimson Naytiba flesh, with a blinding spotlight in place of a head nestled amidst a mane of cables and tendrils. It stood ten feet tall, and in each hand clutched a greatsword the size of a human. Stunned, Sandalphon could only watch as the Belial unit raised one blade and decapitated a Reindrix with a single, fatal slash. The next second its other blade dispatched another beast, and after wheeling around, Belial dealt the next two Reindrix behind them a mortal blow. By then the pals were panicking, running straight toward the yellow railings at the edge of the platform, even if a fatal drop to the first floor awaited them on the other side.

Sandalphon’s screens vanished in an instant as she cast out her hand, sending forth a Frost Lock aimed at the floor in front of the Reindrix. Slowed down by their extra burden after the death of two companions, they slipped on the ice and fell to the floor, unable to drag the stagecoach to its destruction.

Without a sound, Belial turned toward Ace and Ganondorf, its greatswords hungry for more blood.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Looks good to me!

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

With Mokou finally gathering enough power, I am comfortable enough to throw a new villain(ess) into the ring for the Esaka tournament

The Fell Dragon

Name: Grima
Origin: Fire Emblem: Awakening
Appearance: Grima takes the form of a young, white haired woman of average height, with red eyes that occasionally glow with magic. Their general outfit is that of a stylized cloak purple cloak that covers a waistguard and a simple tan shirt and baggy pants, along with a basic pair of dark gloves and boots.

Grima’s true form, however, is that of a colossal, serpentine dragon, easily capable of dwarfing entire cities, and bearing six red eyes, six feathery wings, jagged teeth, two massive horns that create ridges along its back, and covered head to tail in black plating.

Personality: Cruel, tactical, and manipulative, Grima is a being who makes their hatred of humanity, and in truth, all of creation, abundantly clear. Even those who follow the Fell Dragon are not safe from Grima’s hatred, and Grima refuses to follow those that they view as inferior (which is to say, everyone). To themselves, Grima’s age and power makes them a god, only hampered by their vessel’s limitations, a fact that constantly frustrates them.

However, due to Galeem’s intervention in their original world, Grima’s mind is plagued by another soul: The unwavering spirit of Robin. While without much sway, Robin continuously pushes against Grima’s worldview and see the good in humanity. Thus, Grima is slightly more amicable and cooperative than they normally would be with the beings they claim to despise.

Background: Originally the creation of an alchemist named Forneus using the blood of the Divine Dragons, Grima began its life known simply as ‘the Creation’, a being of malevolent will who quickly killed their own creator due to their fear of them. Several thousand years passed after its birth and subsequent parricide, the Creation revealed itself to the world as the Fell Dragon, only to be sealed away by the First Exalt of Ylisse. However, Grima’s being was not truly severed from the world, and through its cult of the Grimleal, Grima plotted their return by having the Grimleal spend centuries creating the perfect host for Grima to inhabit, eventually giving birth to Robin.

Initially, Grima’s plot was a success. While Robin had escaped the Grimleal, their connection to the acting Prince of Ylisse allowed Grima a perfect opportunity to assassinate them and revive themselves, paving the way for world domination under the wings of the Fell Dragon. However, before their ultimate victory, the daughter of the prince had traveled back through time in order to stop the Fell Dragon’s plan from succeeding, requiring them to travel back as well. In this new timeline, the bonds of Robin and their friends allowed the vessel to resist Grima’s influence, though the Fell Dragon was still able to return through their vessel from the ruined future. In a final battle, Grima clashed with Robin and their friends, and the Fell Dragon was posed to finally achieve the victory they had worked for for centuries… Before a brilliant light enveloped the world. In their moment of distraction, Robin had chosen to sacrifice themselves to slay the Fell Dragon, using their connection to fatally stab them through the heart as the world itself faded into white.

In the Now: Drowned in light, Grima has become a relative nonthreat to the World of Light, largely due to their body being sealed away in a location even the Fell Dragon doesn’t know, eternally confined.. However, their vessel is still at large, actively attempting to garner influence and intelligence in order to find and release their true form.

Job: Fell Dragon
Specialty: Overwhelming power and dark magic, with summoning potential to make up for their relative slowness.
Inventory: (Your character’s starting equipment and items, including currency. Unless you specifically have the Inventory skill, your characters must carry everything physically)

Lv: 4
EXP: (The amount needed to level up is your Lv*10)

Abilities:
- Fell Wings: Using their magic, Grima is capable of conjuring a spectral, miniature variant of their true form, less the size of a mountain and more the size of a building. This form is capable of physically interacting with the world and casting Grima’s apex spell, Expiration, but its form is still tied to Grima’s host and can be disrupted through enough damage to either vessel.

Skills:
- Tactician of War: Grima’s vessel has a natural history of fighting directly in combat, and while Grima detests getting their vessel’s hands dirty, they are actually a fairly accomplished swordsman.
- Fallen magic: Grima is a master of abyssal arts, capable of using a variety of dark magics, from summoning spikes or conjuring dark manifestations of their true form.
- Conqueror of Valm: Grima’s vessel was instrumental in conquering the military nation of Valm, and that experience, coupled with Grima’s cunning, allows them to quickly analyze tactical information and formulate a plan… If they feel the battle warrants their effort.

Weaknesses:
- Fallen Dragon: While only a vessel, Grima’s body and their true self are still one and the same, and tools made to specifically counter draconic beings can bypass this connection to damage Grima’s original self.
- God’s Arrogance: Grima views themselves as a flawless god, without equal and without peer. While this trait is somewhat lessened thanks to their vulnerability within their vessel, they still lack any sort of humility and firmly believe their victory is assured in any situation. As such, they do not even think about possible failures, and while their quick thinking can mitigate it, they are quite easily caught off guard.
- Lance Vulnerability: While Grima’s vessel is a good swordsman, their technique (coupled with Grima’s arrogance) actually makes them rather ineffective against lance-wielding foes.

@Goggy

Looks quite good overall! I have just a couple notes.
-My eyes aren't so good and the shade of purple you've chosen is dark enough to blend in to the guild's background for me. I can just highlight it in order to read it, but it is a slight inconvenience
-At level 4 your starting EXP max should be 40
-At first glance, Grima seems limited in what she can do, since I assume she can't just summon her building-sized dragon form and blast everything to smithereens with an apex spell willy-nilly. Especially for stuff that strong, I would prefer to define specifics and limiting factors like cooldown times or mana costs. Her sword skills offset this somewhat, but I still think it would be a good idea to maybe start with a weaker and more generally usable dark magic and work up to an ultimate magic
-What sword does she have? I'd say to put it in her Inventory section
-I assume she's in Esaka in order to seek intelligence on her true form in order to find and release it? How does this play into her joining a tournament? And which tournament is she joining? Right now, I'd say that Mortal Kombat and King of Fighters have enough participants, so I'd encourage her joining World Warrior since it's the biggest and probably needs the most participants

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Esaka’s Middle Tier / High Tier

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (163/150) Level 11 Big Band (58/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 475 / 588

Though Nadia managed to not trip over herself on the way back from her sensational dinner at Mesón De Las Flores, nor to be too much of a burden for Primrose, it was clear that the thoroughly inebriated feral was in no state to troop up to the High Tier and go snooping for an abode that befit her newfound affluence. Plus, sticking with the other Seekers just made sense, so before it got too dark outside the two women returned to Banishing Flats. Insisting that she could look after herself from here, Nadia thanked Primrose and bid her good night. Luckily, the Mecha-zangiefs made checking in for the night pretty easy, and after hoisting her key belt like the champion she would soon be, Nadia found her way to her room.

As she shed her jacket and boots, she mused that she now had enough money to actually afford a change of clothes, then idly wondered where she left her shipgirl rigging. Probably at the NMO dojo, right? She’d need to head that way the next morning anyway in order to link up with Robo-fortune before pools began. Nadia couldn’t help but giggle when she remembered the look on Robo’s face when she suggested that her mechanical counterpart accompany her as a kameo to the Mortal Kombat tournament. As vehemently as Robo had protested, though, even she could see the wisdom in the real catgirl’s latest and greatest idea. With a strong zoner like Robo-fortune in her back pocket to enhance her strengths and cover her weaknesses, Ms Fortune would be more unstoppable than ever when it came to rushing her opponents down. Once Annie and Beowolf approved of the idea, there wasn’t much for Robo-fortune to do but sullenly fall in line.

On the way out Robo had not-so-subtly reminded Nadia that if she got eliminated in Mortal Kombat’s Losers’ Bracket it would be her life on the line, which elicited only a cocky snicker. And if you stage a mew-tiny, Nadia had replied, I’ll dismantle you myself, cog sucker!” Of course, the feral knew something that Robo didn’t: that any ‘execution’ of hers was bound to be im-purr-manent. The thought of Robo’s face when she showed up the next day, back from the dead, filled Nadia with smug glee. If she did get eliminated, her replica’s reaction would be a sweet silver lining. That said, Nadia wasn’t planning to lose. Before the week was out, Shao Khan’s reign would come to an end, and the era of catgirls would begin.

Before that, though, Nadia would need one hell of a good night’s rest. After washing up she climbed into bed and passed out within minutes, snoring away without a care in the world, all the trials and trepidations of her first day in Esaka well and truly forgotten.

---

As Zenkichi shared his story, Big Band listened with all the gravitas that his fellow detective’s tale was due. While his companion hadn’t suffered the physical harm that Band had, his was a story of exceptional emotional anguish. Zenkichi spoke of heartbreaking loss, followed by the soul-shattering indignity of being coerced into letting injustice stand, lest he lose what little he had left. Band was no stranger to being forced to turn a blind eye to evil, or to the guttural anger that such despicable acts filled him with. His fellow detective was right; their stories weren’t so different, after all. The only difference had been that Band didn’t think he had anything to lose, and in his attempt to revolt against a repugnant system, he had paid a steep price. Even so, looking back on it, Band was proud that he chose to stand up for his principles. If he had been in Zenkichi’s shoes, though, he probably would have done the same..

During the explanation, Band didn’t fully grasp the intricacies of psychics and changing hearts. He just figured it was Zenkichi’s world’s equivalent of the supernatural abilities from his world, like parasites, living weapons, and so forth. When Zenkichi moved the timeline of his story up to the present day World of Light, though, Band paid attention. As it turned out, while Band had been in Edinburgh MagicaPolis, Zenkichi had been part of the contingent in Midgar, and an old rival had popped up in his path. Although Band disagreed with Konoe’s execution on principle, he couldn’t drum up much sympathy for him. No matter one’s past or ideology, robbing innocents of their unalienable rights made the man a villain, and villains had to be stopped.

When Zenkichi outlined Konoe as the example of a more meta observation, though, Band agreed completely. He stared off into the streets of Esaka’s High Tier, his tired eyes watching each bright-eyed fighter come and go, full of excitement for yet another upcoming tournament. Each person, forced to retrace their steps. “Same old story,” he murmured, his voice low and grave. He cast his mind back to the term used to describe freeing someone from Galeem’s influence. If Seekers like him were ‘de-storied’, then each unwitting pawn in Galeem’s world was ‘storied’, forced to live and relive the same old story that dictated their existence, unable to break the mold he or she had been poured into.

He followed Zenkichi’s gaze toward the Top Tier’s towers, reminded of his mission. “It is crazy,” he agreed after a moment. “It’s sick, and it’s twisted. While poor, innocent folks from countless worlds get ground to dust over and over again, monsters like Moebius and the Skull Heart run rampant, free to claim more lives than ever before.” He thought about Linkle, stuck somewhere in Edinburgh MagicaPolis with only that boy Albedo to keep her sane. How long could one man stand against the infinite malice of the Skull Heart inside Linkle’s chest, and forestall the undead apocalypse she now embodied? If he returned to that island city, would he find a magical metropolis, or a mass grave? “This world’s gotta go,” he said succinctly. Band gave Zenkichi a firm nod. “And startin’ tomorrow, we ain’t gonna let anyone stand in our way.”

With their meals concluded, the two detectives got moving once again. They took roughly the same route back toward Banishing Flats as night fell over Esaka, heralding the end of yet another day in the Endless Now.

Spire 04 - Outskirts

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (32/90) Level 6 Heismay (35/60)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra and Tenna’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 2519

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 7/8 | 🛡️: 6/8 | ◆◆◆◆ | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/Lightning Rod/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

When the stagecoach slid into the ice swamp, tensions were higher than usual. With the frigid, briny water over a foot deep around the vehicle, most Seekers couldn’t afford to form a perimeter outside without risking hypothermia, so those who couldn’t fly remained inside. The giant, coffin-like hearse’s prominent lack of windows afforded those within only one, highly limited method of viewing the world outside: through the singular rear door, currently kept open so that the crew could scramble to the stagecoach’s defense at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, the wagon’s size meant that the water fell just short of its floor, so at least leaks wouldn’t be an issue. Outside, the Reindrix didn’t mind the cold, but the water resistance forced them to work twice as hard to haul their load forward, so it was slow going. All this meant that the stagecoach was an easier target than ever, and with only Sectonia, Mokou, and Blazermate aloft to keep the others’ ride safe, it was underdefended as well. With that in mind, those who stepped forward to blaze the trail for the team needed to make their decisions carefully.

Of course, Sandalphon considered using her position as team leader to decide the stagecoach’s course for everyone, but the archangel was still tentative about potentially overreaching her authority. Plus, in an enclosed area like this icy, saltwater swamp, the situation could change at the drop of a hat, so while she could gather information indirectly using her powers and arbitrate from there, it would be more efficient to trust in the reflexes and judgement of the capable professionals alongside her.

Unfortunately, there was no good choice among the options presented to Edward. To the right, the snowfield would guarantee a run-in with the fearsome, ogre-like Goss Harag, or the angry, sleep-inducing baggi, or perhaps even both. The leftward path lacked obvious threats, but there was definitely something dangerous in the water, as the preponderance of clean-picked bones in the area could attest. That left the center route, which featured the tempting proposition of a shipwreck filled with loot. When Edward directed the stagecoach across the threshold, however, a wall of uncanny blue and black fire erupted too suddenly to avoid. Pushing through it inflicted no burns on either the Reindrix or the stagecoach, but for a moment it rattled the walls of each Seeker’s psyche, and even when the horror abated it did not fade completely. Something remained, subtly but foul, like black mold in the grout between shower tiles. That subtle hint of dread was loathsome, but it was only a whisper. For now.

Still, it drove Sandalphon to make an executive decision. Even if its effect could not be properly quantified, the Seekers would be better off if they avoided the Loathing from now on. Cracked wheels and dented armor panels could be replaced; there was no telling what the darkness could do if the heroes let it in.

A few Seekers split off to loot the shipwreck, then the mineral-rich cove, while Edward provoked a couple of serpentine monsters up ahead. He managed to turn their soporific fumes against them, and after a moment the Ace Cadet, Ramattra, and Tenna sallied forth to keep them busy. Once their skirmish kicked off, the stagecoach slunk by and toward a larger, seemingly safe section of the swamp, where Heismay saw an opportunity in the waters. It felt a little absurd to go fishing in a dangerous area when he could be looking to the team’s safety instead, but on a campaign like this there probably wouldn’t ever be a time and place for his hobby–not unless he made one. He found a shelf of rock overlooking the shallow pool to fish from, cast his baited hook, and settled in to wait.

By that time, Mokou had engaged the Leviathan that had risen from the depths of the lake. At first blush the white-haired hotshot seemed like an ideal opponent for it, able to fly beyond its reach and rain down fire plumes from above. What did Vulnerable tokens matter if she never got hit, after all, and what did Blind tokens matter for individual projectiles when she had dozens if not hundreds more where that came from? In the end, though, Mokou wasn’t quite as above this opponent as it seemed, and her overconfidence led to a ruthless snatch that plunged her beneath the bitterly cold brine.

When Roxas and Ganondorf jumped to Mokou’s defense, however, they made a critical misstep. In the middle of the stagecoach’s attempt to discreetly slip by the conflict, the two decided to use it as staging ground and refuge in order to avoid a disadvantageous dip in the chilly water. When the Leviathan turned its cold fury their way, its gales and waves rocked the stagecoach. “Direct its attention away from us!” Sandalphon ordered sharply. “The expeditionary vehicle is not cover!” After a few moments the two succeeded in diverting the snaggle-toothed menace’s attention elsewhere, but by then the stagecoach armor had incurred further damage.

Once Edward kicked the Reindrix into overdrive, though, the stagecoach was home free. It rolled up out of the water and onto the snowy Midnight Walk on the far side of the ice swamp, where the passengers could briefly wait for the other Seekers to rejoin them. Among the returners was Heismay, with a fresh catch of two icefish and one toothfish, though one of the icefish looked a little weird, with miniature constellations of light stitching together the fins and bones of its body. The eugief seemed pretty happy, though. “Let us hang them from the strange rat’s cage to dry in the cold wind,” he said before giving the aberrant icefish a dubious look. “Though…truth be told, I am not keen to eat this one.”

The team had a more important matter to attend to, though. Following Mokou’s rescue, it was a perfect chance to finally free the half-dead heroine with a friend heart, and after Sandalphon recommended that the team do so, Blazermate obliged. The lightshow was over in an instant, and with it went the delusions clouding Mokou’s mind. Her new allies would have a lot of explaining to do, but fortunately they had a lot of ground to cover. Once everyone was reunited, the crew could set off between the rows of burnt matchsticks that led them ever onward. If stress simmered within the minds of those who’d faced the Leviathan, perhaps they’d find solace in the soothing song of the stagecoach’s windchime.

The Tale of Raphael Marks

Some time later, the Seekers’ stagecoach finally drew near to the massive complex of Spire 04, though it would be a while longer before anyone could consider stepping foot inside the space elevator. According to a map printed out on a large roadside signpost, any prospective visitors would need to enter the Orca Space Complex, enter some sort of tunnel-like structure called a hypertube, pass through the Space Logistics Complex where all the passengers and freight bound for space were sorted out, and finally penetrate the Raphael Space Center itself before the space elevator could be accessed, assuming anyone even wanted to. If nothing else, it looked like the Seekers could exit Spire 04 on the other side of the space center, and continue on their way to Moon Mountain. Though taking this route seemed daunting at first glance, it turned out -just as Sandalphon suspected- that the heroes didn’t have much choice in the matter if they meant to continue following the Midnight Walk; their path led straight toward the sprawling facility ahead of them, with deep, rocky gulches full of icy water running toward the Leviathan’s lake everywhere else.

Unfortunately, even reaching the first step in the journey ahead of them would be tricky thanks to the canyons carving up the land. “The bridge!” Heismay called down from his makeshift crow’s nest on the roof. “It’s out, there’s no way across!”

Anyone who looked just down the road -which now looked more like a highway- could see the truth of his words. The latter half of the bridge that led straight to the Orca Space Center’s main gate had broken off and collapsed into the valley. That section did look remarkably intact as it lay down there, the arched roadway tilted upward at a thirty-five degree angle, but that didn’t do the Seekers much good. Fortunately, what remained of the broken bridge provided a good vantage point from which Heismay could survey the scenery, and it did not take long for his bright, ruby-red eyes to spot an alternative path despite the Highlands’ gloomy evernight.

“Down there, perhaps!” he called again, pointing into the gulch toward the east. Not too far down below, a dam had been installed in the glacial waterway, perhaps to generate hydroelectric power for the Spire 04 facilities. The sloped, grooved surface beneath the dam’s spillway formed a controlled, artificial waterfall that limited the flow of water through the canyon, and the dam’s crest -safely nuzzled between rock walls on each side- effectively spanned the gap to form a second, far more stable but less accessible bridge. Its parapet walls meant little risk of falling off the sides, as well.

Sandalphon had stepped out from the stagecoach before it came to a stop on the broken bridge in order to survey the landscape for herself, and after a thorough look around she could see the wisdom in Heismay’s suggestion. It would be tough going, but they had little choice, and from here the archangel could see what looked like a rough, but usable path down toward the dam amidst the snow and rocks. Getting the team’s vehicle down there in one piece would be Edward’s greatest challenge yet as stagecoach driver, but she had no doubt that it was a miracle he could make happen. “I recommend that everybody disembark,” she advised the team. “This is going to be bumpy.”

“Not to mention dangerous,” Eve declared as she stepped out from the stagecoach, her heels clicking on the asphalt roadway. She and Adam had trusted the Seekers to see them safely to their destination on the way here, but now that the two had reached the outskirts of Spire 04 it was their time to shine. Though Adam seemed reluctant to take the field himself, he had deployed a one-eyed drone to accompany her, which floated by her side as she approached the bridge’s wall and leaned over it to peer into the valley. “This is Naytiba territory. We can expect to find heavy opposition.”

At approximately the same time, Sandalphon and the drone both launched a scan, the former with her pupils ringed like a radio scanner and the latter with a probing pulse. Between the two of them, they quickly pointed out a number of hard-to-spot enemies hidden around the dam. “There, there, there, and there,” Adam declared, speaking through the drone. Evidently he would be staying aboard the stagecoach despite Sandalphon’s warning. “Looks like it’s primarily machine-type Naytibas.”

“Naytibas whose flesh have infested and taken control of man-made robots in a sort of parasitic relationship,” Eve explained.

Adam sighed. “Guess there’s no limit to what their rapid evolution can do.”

Keen to learn more, Sandalphon brought out her rifle to make use of its scope for a closer look. Sure enough, there were a number of machines in the dam’s vicinity, all sporting rather disgusting signs of organic infestation. Standard droids, whether armed with just a superheated blade or kitted out with a red plasma shield, looked as if they had fleshy guts spilling out of their bellies. Quadrupedal houndborgs patrolled large areas in small groups, endowed with additional tentacled limbs, and anyone who planned to assault choke points from a distance could expect sentryborgs top return fire with miniguns and missiles. They weren’t too numerous or organized, so Sandalphon judged that her team could handle them with Eve’s help, but on average these would definitely be tougher nuts to crack than Krat Zoo’s carcasses. And if the past was any indication, there would be a couple remarkable specimens tucked away around the most important parts of Spire 04, just waiting for hapless heroes to wander in and try to complete their objectives.

“Let us proceed,” she announced. “We need to clear out everything in the stagecoach’s way to see it through safely. I’ll stay up here to provide fire support, but I will avoid firing at will to preserve your element of surprise. If anyone wants me to take a shot, just give me a call. Reach out if you need healing, as well.” With Blazermate going down alongside the others, though, she did not anticipate that her restorative miracles would be needed for a while.

“Understood.” Heismay hopped down from the roof of the stagecoach. Though no leader, the eugief had no qualms with taking initiative when it came to following orders, and Eve did not hesitate to join them. In a steady jog they retraced the path of the stagecoach back down the Midnight Walk to the base of the bridge, then diverted from the road to descend along the rocks. They passed beneath a couple of large pipes alongside the bridge, then veered right to navigate among the large rocks.

It wasn’t long before they encountered their first Naytibas, a couple of houndborgs stationed along a small, gravelly tributary to the reservoir above the dam. They were relatively isolated, so Eve put a finger to her lips as she pulled out her high-tech hairpin, which transformed into a swordblade that perfectly conveyed her intent. Heismay gave a nod, then crept into position alongside his new comrade. After she came to a stop atop an outcrop directly above one houndborg, Heismay hopped over the little canyon to get close to the other. With the Highlands as dark as night, he did not need to worry about his shadow giving him away.

Once both were ready, Eve launched her assault and plunged her blade into the houndborg from above, then flipped off with her weight behind her blade to tear its core out in one stroke. Taking careful note of where she hit the thing, Heismay followed suit the next moment. His longsaber’s blade slipped between armor plates, cracked circuit boards, and pierced abhorrent flesh, and the next second he finished off the stricken Naytiba with a wrenching cleave. As both monsters turned to ash his boots splashed into the creek’s frigid, and he tried not to wince as he gave a nod at Eve. These were kills worthy of the assassin archetype. “Well struck.”

“Thanks.” Without another word the woman moved on, so Heismay did as well, taking a different, higher-elevation route toward the dam where the bulk of the fighting would take place, all under Sandalphon’s watchful gaze.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union

Especially because he knew he hadn't really earned it yet, Schnupfen found the nickname of 'boss' rather endearing. Technically they were all equals, after all, but it was only naturally that some would be better at certain tasks than others. Case in point, excavation. Following the attempted pickaxe swing that ended up being much more embarrassing than motivational, the shadow was relieved when Zogi stepped in to take over and truly kickstart the excavation. His gratitude lasted only a second, however, when upon review he realized that the little goblin might be patronizing him. Even if it was warranted, and Zogi did admittedly have an impressive nose for a goblin, it took some guts to look down on someone much taller than him!

Schnupfen gave the back of Zogi's head a suspicious, indignant look as the dig crew started working, their labor off to a good start thanks to the Oracle's enchantment. Rather than confront, however, the shadow assuaged himself by sulking. "Yeeeees, I'll...not get in your way," he muttered, half to Zogi and half to himself. He turned his nose toward the fallen pickaxe, then glared at his spindly, claws hand. "I would help if I could, but I am cursed with these...slender, dainty limbs. One must wonder at Mother Void's taste in geists..."

A moment later, he pointed his schnoz at the stone wall and clenched his fist. "In terms of finding 'shinies', though, I can do far better than rummage through the rubble." More for the sake of standard procedures than any actual physical benefit, he twisted his body a few times to stretch and limber himself up. "Behold," he declared as if anyone were paying attention to him right now, "As I scout ahead in a way only I can."

With that, he approached the wall, his fists still clenched as he swung his arms with what he imagined to be a very purposeful stride. Schnupfen phased right through the solid stone, and with that he began his reconnaissance. The shadow was hunting for anything of interest within the earth, whether that be mineral veins, the tunnels or nests of burrowing creatures, naturally-formed caves, or pockets of gas and groundwater. Even the lack of something could be useful, since it meant an area of the dungeon would be pre-excavated, so to speak. Unfortunately, the more ground Schnupfen covered, the less he found. While he could see in the dark, he couldn't see inside of solid matter, so he could really only stumble around blindly in the rock and hope he blundered into a discovery, relying on his memory to retrace his steps. He found exactly zero openings, however, and when at length he gave up and attempted to retrace his metaphorical steps, he was horrified to discover that he'd miscalculated somehow, for he found only solid stone where the dungeon should have been. Unable to see, or even speak, he could only try and keep his head and expand his search area as the dread in his mind mounted.

A few minutes later, Schnupfen crawled out of the floor and into the dungeon's dim light, hyperventilating. At least a dozen eyes protruded from random points on his ragged, murky body, their concentric collapse much faster than usual. As he lay on the ground like a squashed spider, his eyes gradually calmed down and disappeared, and his breathing slowed enough for him to give his report. "...No shinies," he rasped. "Nothing at all. No caves, no ores. Not so much as a mossy grotto or ant colony." He did not mention that he'd nearly gotten lost and consigned himself to a rocky tomb for all eternity. Exhaling slowly, he rose back into the air.

At that moment Salbjörg shrieked at him, which made an eye bug out of each side of his head like a chameleon as he flinched. "Gah! What is it, now!?" Composing himself, Schnupfen followed the woman over into the room where he found an unusually big rhinocerous beetle where there hadn't been one before. Though not much to look at, it did smell a little cosmic. He let out a mirthless laugh. "Heh. What are the odds of that, oracle?" After a sidelong glance at Salbjörg as if to say can't do it yourself, huh? he carefully floated forward to inspect the requested trinket, stooped like a shrimp. The second the smell of magic tickled his nostrils, he recoiled at lightspeed, his eyes narrowed as his huge nose drooped downward. "Yyyuck. What a pong..." And the Oracle actually tried this thing on? Rather foolhardy for an extraterrestrial entity. He carefully reached out with his wiggling fingers, thought better of it, and pulled his hand back. He scowled at Salbjörg, anticipating criticism. "Give me a minute."

He flew over to the dungeon core, and a few moments later, returned with the bone from the dungeon's first set of rolls. He sniffed, squinted, and carefully used it to lift the amulet off the beetle's horns. He laid the amulet on the ground as soon as possible as he backpedaled, watching to see if the polymorph would depart along with the trinket, or if the Oracle's curse was here to stay. What a rotten turn that would be, Schnupfen thought. With how things were going, the dungeon keepers might successfully defeat themselves before sundown.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Esaka’s Middle Tier

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (157/150) Level 11 Big Band (57/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 790 / 873

Now that she’d gotten some of her buried stress off her chest, Nadia looked forward to taking the rest of the night easy. She’d need all her energy to dive headfirst into Pools tomorrow, and begin her long, dangerous climb to the top of Esaka’s deadliest tournament series. To that end she happily let Primrose lead her further around the Mid Tier and to a particular cantina, with more security than one might expect given the humble appearance of its exterior. When the ladies approached, Nadia’s first instinct was to start looking for alternate methods of ingress. The storied cat burglar scanned for windows, balconies, possible back doors, even sewer grates, any means of circumventing the guard.

Of course, Primrose had other plans. She simply waltzed right up with an irresistible smile on and a swing in her hips. Nadia just followed along dumbly, smiling like an idiot, and gave the bouncer a confident wink when he complimented her. And just like that, the two were admitted inside. “Crazy,” Nadia muttered with a laugh, shaking her head in astonishment. “To me, that kinda stuff might as well be black magic. Good thing you were here to help meowt!”

The two sauntered inside as if they belonged there, followed by their canine friend. Remembering that fancy ladies sometimes carried tiny pups in their purses, Nadia scooped the little guy up to be her lapdog, which naturally meant lavish attention and first dibs on hors d'oeuvres. She wasn’t quite sure what sort of establishment this place really was until the two reached the main room and she could take everything in. One glimpse at the potent combination of bars, smoky backrooms, and battle arenas convinced her that she was in for a good time. “Oh, man. I love this place already~”

Together the three found themselves a table in a secluded corner that gave them a good view of the dance floor, as it was. Unlike in Fengjian Teahouse, Nadia had no intentions of taking center stage herself. Whether she was in for music or mayhem, she wanted nothing more than to watch. She almost requested a cheap cerveza before remembering that she was loaded now, at which point she promptly placed an order for the biggest, fanciest mixed drink on the menu. Drunk with power, Nadia ordered Clams Diablo (with spicy romano tomato sauce plus chorizo) and Portabella España (seafood stuffed mushrooms) also. Naturally, she offered to pay for whatever Primrose wanted, as well.

To Nadia’s knowledge, Primrose was planning to perform or something, but life in Esaka was nothing if not predictable. Only a few minutes after the Seekers’ arrival, guests began to pour into the place, quickly filling up every seat in the house. Nadia got the impression that something interesting was about to happen, and the cantina did not disappoint.

The flamenco dancers moved to the back of the stage to admit a peppy young woman in green, orange, and white, who held a microphone in her hand. “Olá, senhoras e senhores! Welcome one and all to the exhibition match you’ve all been waiting for! A best-of-ten tag-team slobberknocker between some of the fiercest fighters to ever grace this stage. Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to the challengers, representing Mexico, Pepe Rodriguez and the King. Of. Dinosaurs!”

A storm of claps and cheers heralded the arrival of an enormous reptilian luchador and a somehow even more shirtless dude in flowing white pants, the former with much more braggadocious aplomb and the latter with natural confidence.

“And representing España, our home team: Franco Gerelt and Miguel Caballero Roja!”

On the other side of the arena, two well-dressed men emerged: one a mustached, rapier-wielding man in red and the other a roguish, frizzy-haired ruffian, one the pinnacle of elegant machismo and the other full of devil-may-care swagger. ”Oh, this is good,” Nadia said with a grin. As the two teams approached one another, a waitress appeared to drop off Nadia’s drink: an entire hollowed-out watermelon filled with a deep red mix of watermelon pulp and wine to form an extravagant sangria. The catgirl stared at it in stunned silence, then gave Primrose a pleading look. “You’re gonna have to help me with this.”

The next second, a huge cage dropped down out of the ceiling and trapped all four fighters in the arena, to uproarious applause. Nadia couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, THIS is GOOD!” One way or another, it was going to be a wild night.

---

After their training session came to an end, the two detectives set out together with no particular destination in mind, just a vague idea of wanting to grab dinner somewhere. It was quarter past seven, with sunset on the way, and in the wake of the furious but brief rainstorm the populace of Esaka reemerged to reclaim their evening. Having been consigned to drenched takeout from whatever bistro might be nearest to Banishing Flats on account of rain, Band had a mind to wander and see as much more of the city as the fading daylight would allow. In the spirit of trying something new he suggested to Zenkichi that they head up to the one tier they hadn’t visited so far, the High Tier, and get a little taste of life in the fast lane. Of course, Band was well aware that his leftover performance earnings wouldn’t land him a spot in any sit-down restaurant up there, but any city of that caliber was bound to have street food, and in Band’s book, that’s where the best stuff was.

About half an hour later, the two reached one of the more densely urban sections of High Tier, which for all intents and purposes resembled a normal city street. Band could see upscale clothing, shoe, and hat stores called Button Check, Flash Kicks, and Universal Overheads respectively. He spotted Tap Dust, a brewery, as well as Smith Coffee, Polar Star Coffee, and Ortiz Coffee–this place seemed to be a caffeine addict’s paradise. Energetic music blared out from clubs like Deadly Rave, and giant screens hanging from buildings displayed fighter ads amidst updates from Directional Influence, the news station based here in High Tier.

Band tried to keep his focus on the street and away from all the visual stimuli, but he did pause to watch one fighter ad when he realized it was for a prominent Tekken competitor. It showcased a burly biker with a very distinctive tall, blonde flattop, and he seemed to pack one hell of a punch. One highlight played from a recent Tekken semifinal match of him absolutely demolishing his opponent with the Death Fist, a full-body right straight punch. There wasn’t a high probability of Band running into this Paul Phoenix in tournament, but he committed the move to memory anyway.

By eight o’clock, the detectives joined the short line for Meaties, a food truck that seemed to serve as a mobile delicatessen, offering all sorts of savory chicken, pork, and beef. Band went for a classic hot dog with the basic condiments of ketchup, mustard, and relish, even though the truck offered all kinds of topics from onions to chili to cheese. Even so, the size of the frankfurter alone made it a decent meal, just the kind that Band would often get on the job back when he was a detective. As he and Zenkichi walked along with their food, they alternated chewing and talking, mostly about work. This was the point where Band, unfortunately, had to disabuse his new acquaintance of an idea he himself had installed.

“Well…truth is, while I call myself a detective and still look the part, I ain’t technically a detective anymore.” He took a big bite out of his hot dog, dabbled at his lips with a napkin held by mechanical pincers, then shrugged as he swallowed. “Y’see, me and the boys didn’t always see eye to eye. Most of ‘em were just in it for the money, and not just the pennies we got paid, if you catch my drift.” His expression darkened as he pursed his lips ruefully. “No, those boys were on the take. Why rake in pennies for doin’ your job when you could make big bucks not doin’ it? Me, though? I still clung to silly ideas like ‘truth’ and ‘justice’--y’know, old-fashioned crap like that. One day, after I caught wind of some nasty double-dealin’ and dropped a couple hints to the boss, the boys found out and gave me an early retirement.”

He deployed an arm and patted his huge, bell-shaped chassis. The brass reflected the last rays of the sun as they sank below the horizon. “Iron lung. My broken body woulda spent the rest of its days rottin’ away in a hospital bed if ASG didn’t get a hold of me. They built me into the man I am today. Ever since then, I been somethin’ between a vigilante and a monster hunter. Workin’ against the Skullgirl was my day job; fightin’ crime ended up bein’ more of a hobby.” After finishing his hot dog, Band let out a sign of resignation. “Guess I got a hard time lettin’ go. Those weren’t my glory days by any means, but that stuff’s what I’m meant to do.”

He chuckled. Around him, the street lamps, screens, and other lights meant that it was still almost as bright as day even now that night had fallen. “And now here we are. Fixin’ to go and fight like gladiators in order to save the world.” Band raised an eyebrow at Zenkichi. “So, how’d you wind up here, slick?”

The Midnight Walk - 2.4

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (32/90) Level 5 Heismay (85/50)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra and Tenna’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 1547

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 7/8 | 🛡️: 7/8 | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/Lightning Rod/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

Although Gründachdorf turned out to have a surprising amount of hidden depth, with a lot more going on than its quaint, medieval appearance might suggest, it wasn’t long before the Seekers had to hit the road. They had a lot more ground to cover before they reached their real destination of Moon Mountain, after all, and with no need for rest or new supplies just yet they couldn’t afford to spend any more time in a place like this than absolutely necessary.

Plus, a new landmark had revealed itself from the Highlands’ dark fog that invariably drew the travellers’ gaze: the space elevator of Spire 04, a technological pillar that connected earth and sky, a feat of engineering so marvelous that looped right back around to being fantastical. It sat in the middle of a sprawling complex whose true size was difficult to estimate even for Sandalphon, but she judged it at least as big as Krat Zoo, if not larger. When the Midnight Walk began to veer in that direction, her suspicions about the team’s next destination were confirmed.

Of course, the Seekers could probably find a way around, but going off-road in the Frozen Highlands would be treacherous, if not downright dangerous. Their brief departure from the Midnight Walk on the road to the village had proven as much when the detour -which had lasted only a couple minutes tops- claimed one of the wagon’s eight wheels. While such a loss would have stopped the average carriage cold, the Seekers’ still-unnamed stagecoach had been able to keep rolling thanks to its eight-wheeled structure. It could only take so much, though, and how much depended on which wheels went next. At best, their ride could stand to lose three more wheels before it could no longer move; at worst, it would only take one unlucky loss before it became inoperable. Part of Sandalphon had wanted to insist on immediate repairs back at Gründachdorf, but she tried to temper her compulsive behavior, reasoning that it would have been an overreaction. Still, she couldn’t help but worry as the stagecoach rattled ceaselessly onward, the music of its windchime and the yells of the ratshaker rat all but drowned out by the howling winter wind.

It was relatively comfortable inside the vehicle, at least, and Sandalphon didn’t want for company. The two new passengers who’d agreed to accompany them to Spire 04 from Gründachdorf intrigued her for a couple reasons, so rather than bury herself in Markiona’s research material again, the archangel took the chance to ask one of the questions on her mind. “Adam and Eve,” she said aloud, getting the pair’s attention. “Curious names that often seem to be paired together. Some time ago, two brothers with those names attacked a city called Midgar. They were machines that styled themselves after men, and chose those names for themselves. Perhaps you know their significance?”

Eve gave Adam a bemused look, while the latter only shrugged. She then turned back toward Sandalphon with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m afraid I have no idea of the names’ meaning or significance. Strange that they would seem to come as a pair. Adam and I met only a short time ago. We are little more than strangers.”

“After I saved you from the Alpha Naytiba? Oh, that’s cold,” Adam joked, his rather flat voice making his feigned indignity rather unconvincing.

In short order Sandalphon realized that Eve actually knew very little about the world itself, and while Adam seemed more worldly, he seemed less forthcoming and more inclined to deflect. Not wanting to try and dig deeper, Sandalphon thanked the two for their time and settled in for the ride, her attention turned back toward her research.

As the stagecoach progressed into a new area, it quickly became apparent to Heismay -perched atop the roof near the driver as usual- that this would be the toughest stretch of the journey so far. The Midnight Walk took the Seekers around the edge of a large lake that Heismay thought must be saltwater to explain why it wasn’t frozen, he couldn’t see any body of water that might connect it to the ocean through the fog. He could see, though, that the route ahead led through a strange sort of subarctic swamp. It featured large stretches of shallow, icy water, only about a foot deep, carved up by tall, sheer plateaus of rock like islands in the sea, some crowned by frost-wreathed willows or wind-scoured shipwrecks. Farther away from the lakeshore, the knee-deep pools gave way to patches of snow, though these were similarly fenced in by miniature mountain ranges.

Though not quite cramped or confined enough to be a labyrinth, this gelid marsh promised to be difficult to navigate for the stagecoach. As it followed the Midnight Walk toward the water’s edge, Heismay shook the snow off his parka and limbered himself up for action. “I’ll scout ahead,” he declared. “This place may very well harbor all manner of hidden hazards.” Of course, he wouldn’t be wading through the water. Even if he wasn’t much shorter than the average Seeker, that water would ruin his winter clothes and afflict him with hypothermia within moments. For those who couldn’t fly, or ride atop the stagecoach, it would be necessary to take shelter inside it. At least the Reindrix didn’t seem to mind the cold at all.

After gathering his strength, the eugief jumped from the roof of the moving vehicle and landed in the snow next to the Midnight Walk, light enough on his feet that he didn’t even need to roll. He made for the nearest rock spire and scaled it with a series of jumps, attaining enough altitude that he could then jump off and glide over a stretch of swamp to the nearest rocky outcrop. It took only a few seconds to scale it with a series of deft jumps, at which point he paused for a moment to get his bearings. Then he made for the next island, a larger one with a shipwreck on it. It still had enough rigging that climbing across it was both easy and fun; the buildings of Gründachdorf had been a good warm-up for this. Once Heismay reached the crowsnest, he stood atop it like a daredevil buccaneer and surveyed the landscape to see what it had in store for the stagecoach now forging through the icy water.

Thanks to his sharp eyes, Heismay quickly realized just how treacherous this place actually was. The area’s naturally-occurring walls meant that there were several routes available that the stagecoach could take, but one looked just about as bad as the next; Edward and the others would need to make some difficult decisions, and fast.

First up, there were three routes to choose from. The leftmost one led up out of the water and through a confined snowfield, but Heismay could see a horned, shaggy behemoth digging into the half-dissolved corpse of a purple theropod it had slain, while the dinosaur’s pack of raptors yapped at the killer from a safe distance. From that snowy clearing, one could veer northwest into a rocky area with what looked like veins of ore, or descend into the yawning maw of a dark cave. Even Heismay couldn’t peer down there, so there was no telling what might await the Seekers if they went that way–or if there was even another way out.

In the middle route, he could see the unusual shipwreck of a yellow boat, very dissimilar in appearance from the other, more normal-looking wooden ones scattered around. To the left, nearest the lake, he couldn’t find any visible threats but the water churned in a way that he did not like. Both it and the shipwreck route led to a more lush seaside area where two strange, yellow and purple fish monsters lay in wait for prey. He did see one narrow side-path that seemed to suggest that one could maneuver from the shipwreck toward the ore veins, but the ways both toward the former and away from the latter were marked by strips of otherworldly black-and-blue flame beneath the water, which smoldered in a most detestable, unwholesome fashion.

Farther in, he could see the glint of fish scales in an unusually large open area of the swamp, and just to the west stood a grove of dead-looking trees that somehow bore plump orange fruits. A bigger, thicker copse of pine trees stood in the snowfield directly north, but a glimpse at a hulking, horned herbivore gave Heismay pause. The other route toward the end of the swamp, which looped around toward the east, looked relatively clear. Its proximity to the lake, though, conjured images in Heismay’s mind of massive sea monsters emerging from the depths to try and drag the stagecoach to a watery grave. With a heavy sigh, the eugief hurried back toward the others to report his findings.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union

Deliberation about who would be obliged to begin work on the grueling task of dungeon excavation came to an end when Zogi inexplicably reappeared, then volunteered to get busy. Schnupfen was happy to see one of his colleagues take initiative, mostly because it meant he couldn't be press-gangeded into physical labor himself, but truth be told, the sight of Zogi headed off to work filled the shadow with much less confidence than the goblin carried himself with. Even if he could somehow revive himself and therefore theoretically be worked to death ad nauseam, Zogi was not what Schnupfen would call a physically impressive specimen. It would take a very long time for him to perform the necessary renovations to get a workable dungeon layout going, and with the serious lack of muscle among the staff here, progress wouldn't be much faster even if everyone chipped in.

Of course, hard work wasn't Schnupfen's strong suit anyway; he was more of an ideas geist. At least he and the other intellectuals would have plenty of time to put together a plan. It sounded like Muste knew what he was talking about, but before he could put his plans to paper it seemed like he'd need to acquire some paper first. He marched off to check the great outdoors and see what resources the dungeon's surroundings had to offer. Schnupfen considered following him, since he was also curious where he'd been brought into being, but he held back. On one hand, it seemed very likely that it would be daytime outside, which he could not abide. On the other, the Oracle's summoning ritual promised to be much more interesting. It was no overstatement to say that the dungeon's future depended on the whimsy of fate and whatever it decided to materialize from the ether. Schnupfen gave the siphonophore a wide berth, sniffling, as it whipped up a quick boon for Zogi and his kobold compatriot. Just the sight of all those ethereal pickaxes made the shadow's eyes water. "Eugh, those conjurations are making my allergies act up," he complained as he dried his eyes with his rags. "I'll just leave you two to it." He said it as if he hadn't been about to do that already.

After that, Schnupfen turned his full attention to the lightshow and ensuing results of the Oracle's rolls, ignoring Zoppy and Salbjörg. Three freshly-made psychedelic eyes went wide as the sheer quantity and quality of everything that materialized, including items, underlings, and even ready-made dungeon features. He rubbed his eyes just to make sure (manifesting a third arm in order to make sure all three eyes were sufficiently rubbed) before clapping two of his hands together. "Mother Void has graciously withheld her nothingness, for this is certainly something!" Without any further acknowledgement of the Oracle's efforts, he darted over to the pile of goodies for an up-close-and-personal examination. He sniffed monsters and materials alike, like an excitable puppy dog meeting strangers for the first time. Though the naga instinctively shied away from him, which elicited a disappointed tsk, the treant stolidly withstood the nosy ghost's probing. "Hmm..." Schnupfen scratched his nose. "Subtle aromatic terpenes. Floral, herbal notes. A rich, earthy undertone. The musk of turpentine, the resin of autumn pines...a bouquet of inner strength and vitality." He gave an approving nod. The digging crew was now twice as big, and over twice as strong. "You'll do nicely."

He let that hang in the air while he continued to examine. While the amulet and warp bell made him gag, the different traps pleased the Schnupfen greatly. "A pitfall!" he crowed, pinching the pitch-black crystal between two claws for a closer look. "Humble in its simplicity. Undeniable in its lethality. With this, a little push can do what a hundred soldiers cannot." Schnupfen sprouted two more arms to rub his hands together as he licked his fleshless lips in anticipation. "I can hear the echoed screams fading into silence already...all that remains is to find the perfect place to put it."

At that point he noticed the rat stack, currently doing their darnedest to get the Oracle's attention. Though not the disembodied entity the risible rodents wanted, Schnupfen floated over to carefully stroke the topmost rat with an index finger, then help stabilize the rats' formation before they toppled over. "United at last, are we? Though you yet number few, your host holds great promise. I eagerly await the advent of your multitudes, a ravenous tide of fang and fur under which our foes may be crushed." While Schnupfen viewed the rats more as assets than colleagues, he seemed to appreciate them for what they were and what they could be relied on to do.

Of course, he had other matters to attend to aside from rat supervision. Despite not having eyes at the moment, Schnupfen turned to look at Muste when the illithid returned. He asked for the bed, which the shadow consented to with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Take it. The darkness is my mattress, and the cobwebs my sheets." He then watched, his expression dubious, as Muste sketched up a proposed dungeon layout and then levitated it in the air. If Schnupfen hadn't been pitch black, he might have blanched at the lingering enchantment that irritated his nostrils the moment he tried to inspect the scroll. "Bleck...I can't read that." He thought that Muste would use it to give orders to the digging crew, but instead he went over to Salbjörg. "Hm." Since those two were busy playing around with bones, it fell to him to direct the digging crew, didn't it? "Well, someone's got to do it," he decided with a shrug.

He floated over to Zogi and his three pickaxe-touting comrades. For the sake of inspiring the others, he grabbed a pickaxe of his own, which he waved around like a flag using the combined strength of four hands. "Gentlemen, our labyrinth is in there. We need only chisel it free from its stone bindings. Let us begin!" He swung at the nearest wall. The pick bounced off, flew out of his hands, and clattered on the floor noisily. Schnupfen wiped his brow with the back of his hand, then put his hands on his nonexistent hips as he watched the others get to work.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Esaka’s Middle Tier - Banishing Flats

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (151/150) Level 11 Big Band (51/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 1083

Before anyone else could answer her questions and get a pleasant conversation going, Nadia found her train of thought derailed by an exclamation of astonishment from Terry. After taking her by surprise with his sudden loudness, he demanded to know if she knew who she’d stolen from. Which, of course, she did, since she just mentioned the guy’s name. “Uhh…” That question turned out to be rhetorical, though, as Terry began to explain. She remained pretty ambivalent about the Kazuya hype up until the point when Terry referred to her as ‘cat’ for the second time, at which point the dude started to rub her the wrong way. Her body language immediately changed from her typical friendly, relaxed state to a more defensive, annoyed one as she lowered her ears and crossed her arms. His explicit disapproval of her less-than-legal activities only fanned the flames of her distaste.

“Fur-st off, call me ‘cat’ again and you’re gonna cat-ch these hands, buddy. The name’s Fortune, ‘kay? It’s like if I started callin’ you ‘chimp’ or somethin’. Not so nice, is it?” Though she was still smiling, her furrowed brow made her look much more sardonic than gregarious. “Second, I didn’t say anythin’ about stealin’, but -if- I did, stealin’ from a bad guy’s purr-etty much a good deed anyway. And third, even if this dude did come after me, you’re lookin’ at someone who’s taken down three Guardians. And they’re, like, the strongest there is. I think we can handle one devil guy.”

Band watched, silent, as the feral made her retort. While she did have something of a point about the way Terry, a total newbie, treated her, her instinctive defensiveness told him that she might be a lot more guilty and worried than she let on. Plus, she hadn’t exactly defeated those guardians by herself. Her lopsided accreditation of those feats served as an interesting contrast to her saying ‘we can handle it’ if the Seekers did suffer the consequences of her actions. The detective had looked askance at her from the beginning, but now he felt certain that this calico cat burglar was not just selfish, but also reckless. She seemed to be taking advantage of the Seekers’ mission to save the world to do whatever she wanted, reasoning that being an unsung hero made her above the law. Laws weren’t just there to protect victims, though; they also served to protect would-be criminals from themselves.

Whatever the case, Nadia seemed pretty miffed, despite Terry’s apologies. Rather than circle around to the previous subject, she slunk out of the spotlight after recovering her cash and sat against the lobby wall while the others caught up and explained things. She wore a cheerful smile as she pet the dog that had followed Pit in, but Band wasn’t buying it. For starters, now anyone who needed money would have to ask her, and perhaps bargain for it, rather than just take what they needed. He suspected that she regretted sharing what she’d been up to so readily, as if she’d been among compatriots. Maybe she hadn’t dealt with a lot of people from other walks of life before…or maybe, Band figured, he should quit overthinking. With a sigh Band decided to leave her to her own devices, and turned his attention to the others.

Among the various ideas for how to spend the evening, Harry’s plan actually made the most sense to Band. Though reluctant to admit it, he knew that his fighting skills probably weren’t up to snuff. During his time at ASG, he mostly fought undead or criminal elements that the police couldn’t -or simply wouldn’t- handle. He could throw his weight around, and his mechanical chassis housed a powerful arsenal of instruments, but when it came to proper fights against skilled opponents the detective had precious little experience. “I probably oughta do some trainin’ myself,” he confessed. “Or at least some practice. Brass don’t rust, but my fightin’ skills do. I got no delusions about takin’ the title myself, but if I’m gonna be fightin’ anyway I wanna give whoever’s gonna go the distance the best shot possible.”

Since he’d signed up for the World Warrior tournament, the most likely candidate to fight Bison would probably be Sakura. That meant that he and Harry would just need to clear out as much opposition as they could for her, and they wouldn’t be much help if they got knocked out in pools. With that in mind, he looked around at the others. “If anyone feels like beatin’ these old bones into shape, I’d be grateful. I saw some wrestlin’ rings out in the motel courtyard, so we can go a couple rounds out there, once the rain eases up.”

Nadia stood and headed over to a front window, where she pulled the blinds down to check outside. “Looks like it is petering out, actually. ‘Pour’ excuse for a rainstorm, eh?” She turned toward Primrose with a smile, glad to see her friend again even if she’d been preoccupied until now. “If you’re offerin’, I’ll gladly ‘spring’ for a chance to hang out with ya. A tavern sounds pretty good; if you’re plannin’ to dance, we’re definitely ‘inn’ for a good time!” There would probably be food there, too, and with her new funds anyone who stuck with Nadia would be eating like kings. As for whatever else rich people did…the feral would have to figure that out as she went along.

On the way through the lobby Nadia made sure to say hi to Yayama. “Well hello again! That l-eye-lac peeper of yours tells me you got shown the ropes, so welcome to the good guys. Let’s hope you’re better at winnin’ fights than stoppin’ ‘em, eh?” When she stepped outside, she couldn’t help but admire the sky. With the sun starting to go down as stormclouds parted, gorgeous golden rays shone through the glutted gray clouds. That, plus the prospect of hanging out with Primrose, had the feral back in a good mood again. It helped that Juri wasn’t around to annoy her, although not having Junior or Rika back alongside Primrose and Therion was less satisfactory. Still, she knew those kids well enough to know that they’d probably be fine out there on there own, whatever wild adventures they wound up in.

The Midnight Walk - 2.3

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (29/90) Level 5 Heismay (82/50)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra and Tenna’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 2302

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 7/8 | 🛡️: 7/8 | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/Lightning Rod/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

Faced with a winding path through a wealth of troublesome but stationary emplacements, Sandalphon approved of Edward’s pragmatic idea of going offroad in order to circumvent the danger. The team’s tactician left the stagecoach in her hands again, and while that made sense on paper, the archangel’s lack of genuine experience ended up being relevant. She did her best to tune out the sound of popping balloons and steer the Reindrix down the path melted by Edward’s hellhounds through the deep snow, but the beasts -perhaps sensing uncertain hands behind the reins- proved less than cooperative. To make matters worse, the uncovered terrain was rocky and uneven, which led to a great deal of terrestrial turbulence. Anyone still aboard the stagecoach could expect to be rattled, and perhaps even battered by bits of luggage shaken loose from their storage hooks by the jarring. At one point, one of the stagecoach’s eight wheels cracked clean in half after catching in a slanted nook. On the whole, though, everyone made it out in one piece.

Despite the tumult, Sandalphon kept her wits about her as best she could as the Seekers approached the village. When Ganondorf asked about Edinburgh, she glanced at him with question marks in her eyes. “We’re not bound for Edinburgh MagikaPolis. Our destination is Moon Mountain,” she reminded him. “To my knowledge, we would have to cross the sea to reach Edinburgh anyway.”

Heismay watched as Ramattra went over to join the efforts of the monkeys and a TV-headed stranger to thwart the balloons’ ceaseless incursion. Though special bloons joined the onslaught, threatening to overwhelm the defenders and reach the village, the monkeys’ unexpected assistants helped turn the tide and prevent a breach. Thanks to Ramattra’s efforts to physically bodyblock the most durable balloons, the original Tenna and the boss monkey managed to puncture the last lead bloon mere feet from the hamlet’s main entrance. After wiping sweat from his brow, the head ape offered the helpers a pair of banandium gems as thanks. It seemed like the town would be safe from bloons for the time being, but Heismay didn’t relax just yet. Looking back on the new branching path melted through the snow, he couldn’t help but wonder if any hypothetical bloon reinforcements might take a detour around the defenses as well–and what these bloons would actually do if they did reach their destination.

As the Seekers proceeded toward the village, Mokou was the first to get a good look at it, thanks to the fiery flier’s bird’s-eye view. Although fresh snowfall and the dark of the Frozen Highlands’ evernight obscured the little hamlet somewhat, Mokou could make out a couple dozen buildings with the help of the warm lamp-light that emanated through the frosted panes of townhouse windows. This village sat astride a squiggly river where miniature ice floes separated clusters of cold-weather bullrushes and shoals of small tundra trout darted beneath the surface, and the stone bridge over said river served as the community’s central point. The buildings featured uniform white plaster walls reinforced by timber beams, with sea green roof tiles sprinkled by snow. The place had no real gates or defenses, just a couple sections of stone wall between various exterior structures and one or two lookout towers. No two buildings were quite alike, though all featured stone chimneys with plumes of smoke that spiraled up into the dark, cloudy sky, their interiors warm and cozy despite the bleak winter outside. The Midnight Walk itself ran beneath an inn and through the village, roughly perpendicular with the river, and a few of the torch-sized matchsticks that defined its borders were still lit even as they flickered in the frigid wind.

That wasn’t all that Mokou or the other Seekers could see, though. In the distance, not quite between them and Moon Mountain but probably somewhere on the Midnight Walk that promised to lead to White Team’s ultimate destination, there stood an enormous spire half-hidden in the fog. It seemed to stretch all the way to the clouds and perhaps up into the heavens themselves. It was majestic, uncanny, and ominous all in one, and Sandalphon had little doubt in her mind that her team would find their way there.

Since it was technically daytime despite the gloom that blanketed the Highlands, most of the village buildings were open rather than closed up tight, and there were people out and about. Since they still had plenty of supplies the Seekers didn’t have any particular need to stop here, but since the Midnight Walk ran through the place anyway it didn’t hurt to say hello to the locals. There only seemed to be a handful of assorted guards around, and they showed no overt hostility. If anything, the ones by the front entrance seemed surprised that the Seekers managed to circumvent the town defenses, but as long as they were balloons, the defenders took no issue with them.

It was from those first few guards that Sandalphon learned the name of the settlement, that being Gründachdorf, a name amusingly reminiscent of Ganondorf. After two stretches of travel cooped up inside the stagecoach, even a profoundly unathletic archangel like her felt the need to stretch her legs. With Edward back in command of the reindrix as he slowly navigated the ponderous coach through the village, she walked along behind it and took in the sights. Though most of these quaint hovels were small, they were neatly kept, with pleasant flowerbeds displaying all kinds of hardy taiga species, fully-laden clotheslines, and rustic farming implements. She also saw Heismay running and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, taking the chance to hone his agility in an effort to break up the monotony of long-distance travel.

The more both Heismay and Sandalphon looked around Gründachdorf, though, the more anachronistic the place became. For starters, this town was home to more than ordinary humans. Many sported clear cybernetic prosthetics or augmentations, some more extreme than others. The village barber, for instance, had both arms and at least half of his head replaced, with an approximation of skin stretched over the black metal of his left arm. There were a few vending machines tucked away around the village, offering drinks like Milky Pop, The Machinetta Americano, Mountain Sparkle Mont Blanc, Potential Blast, and Elixir Carrot.

More notable was an entire underground bar called The Last Gulp, easily identifiable at night thanks to its neon sign. When Heismay ventured toward it, interested in getting a drink, he heard a woman singing down there. He descended the steps to find a large taproom with a bar on the left side and a wooden stage with a piano against the middle wall. The singer turned out to be a husk of a woman, little more than a head and spinal cord atop a three-legged mechanical frame, attended to by a life support drone that looked like something straight out of the deep sea, or another world. Heismay recoiled at the sight, but stood there, spellbound and unable to look away as she sang.

After a few moments, a man with a red and black metal head walked out from behind the bar. “Hey! This is a restricted area.” He looked down at Heismay. “Never seen you around Gründachdorf before. Identify yourself.”

Heismay quickly composed himself. “Ahem. I am Heismay Noctule, former knight of the Euchronian Shadowguard. Now I am but a wanderer, on my way to Moon Mountain.” His words seemed to defuse the situation somewhat, so the eugief carefully continued. “Forgive me, I did not mean to intrude. I took this place to be a tavern of some kind. I must’ve been mistaken…”

The man grunted, then looked over at the strange woman. “Enya. You okay?”

She did not respond, nor even acknowledge his presence, but continued to stare off into space as she mouthed the words of her song.

With a sigh, the bartender leaned on the counter, his head oriented toward the floor. “...There was a time that this bar used to be full of people. Now it’s just so empty. Empty and dark. And Enya…same story.” He glanced at the cyborg. “I wonder how long she’ll live. With her body in the state it’s in.”

His story, and his feelings for the poor woman, moved Heismay’s heart. Before he reached the stairs to leave, he turned back. “I know it’s not my place to offer, but…if there’s anything I might be able to do, I would like to.”

The bartender shook his head. “Not unless you’re some technological genius. She’s suffered major AI damage…even if I got her new parts, I wouldn’t…wouldn’t know how to make her better.”

“Oh, is she a machine?” Heismay asked, tentative.

His new acquaintance stared at him quizzically. “No, she’s human,” he said as if it should be obvious. “Like me.”

“Oh.” Heismay bowed his head apologetically. “I must apologize. Where I’m from, there are no such technologies. I am very inexperienced…”

“Then you should keep your mouth shut,” the man interjected. When Heismay went quiet, he took a deep breath and sighed. “Sorry, I…I’m a little on edge. If you do know anyone that could help, I would be extremely grateful. We both would be.”

Heismay nodded slowly. “I’ll ask around.” As he climbed back up the stairs, woefully sober, he looked back over his shoulder. “What is your name, by the way?”

It took a moment for the bartender to respond. “...Su.”

“Farewell then, Su. I pray that I’ll return with good news erelong.” With that, Heismay departed.

Meanwhile, Sandalphon drew to a stop by a church about three-quarters of the way through Gründachdorf. She briefly examined the humble but admirable structure, particularly its elaborate windows, before spotted two women by a small bakery stall in the vicinity. At that point she froze, her pupils empty rings as she stared at a tall, elegant woman with long ears and mint-green hair, clad in a flowing dress, with ephemeral fairy wings at her back. Although it had been a long time since Sandalphon had set foot in an Ilian church, she remembered well the goddess statue that adorned every altar, and this woman was her spitting image. Her mind raced for a few moments as her trains of thought blazed a half-dozen trails at once, before finally retracing back to a single conclusion: that it wouldn’t hurt to try.

Gingerly, the archangel approached. The closer she got, the slower and more hesitant her steps became, but once she reached an appropriate speaking distance Sandalphon found her courage. She swallowed, then called out, “...Ilia?”

“Hm?” It wasn’t the green-haired woman who turned, but her companion, a young woman with flowing white hair and a more sporty outfit somewhere between modern and fantastical, with both black armor and a huge, blocky rifle. She threw a friendly smile Sandalphon’s way. “What’s up?”

Sandalphon stared, motionless. “You’re…Ilia?”

“Mhm!” She put her hands on her hips. “That’s me! And this is Meene, my best friend. You know me?”

After a moment, Sandalphon shook her head. Though she kept an even expression, her pupils were stress marks. “No, I’m afraid not. I think…I must be thinking of someone else.”

Though she raised an eyebrow, Ilia decided to be a good sport about the strange encounter. “Oh, okay! Well, good luck finding your Ilia then!”

“Thank you…” Sandalphon bowed her head, then turned and left in a hurry in order to catch up with the stagecoach and the others.

She arrived at the village’s rear exit just after Heismay, who took the opportunity to report the quest he received. While the Seekers probably couldn’t come back here, perhaps the Avenger could dispatch an engineer or two here later to check on Enya and see what it would take to restore her. Once the rest of the Seekers made it through Gründachdorf, the stagecoach could continue on its way. As they spoke, Sandalphon saw a couple people emerge from the village and stand a short distance away, looking at both the stagecoach and the distant tower. One was a stubbly man in baggy black techwear, and the other a bespectacled woman with a silver ponytail and a futuristic skintight suit beneath a gray-and-brown bomber jacket, which did not look sufficient to protect against the Highlands’ cold. After a moment the woman approached, and Sandalphon turned to face her.

“Hello,” she began in a sophisticated British accent. “Are you lot headed for Spire 4? We happen to be headed that way, but the going is said to be treacherous and we would not mind some company.”

The archangel nodded. “We are, though our true destination is Moon Mountain. I am Sandalphon. May I inquire as to what your business might be at Spire 4?”

“The space elevator,” the woman responded. “An Alpha Naytiba has taken refuge there, and we mean to wipe it out. I’m Eve, by the way, and this is Adam.” The man behind her gave a casual wave.

Their names meant nothing to Sandalphon. “It would be our pleasure to travel alongside you until then.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

Esaka’s High Tier / Middle Tier

Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (149/150) Level 11 Big Band (49/110)
Amaterasu’s @DracoLunaris Roland’s @Archmage MC Zenkichi’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Pit’s @Yankee Sakura & Juri’s @Zoey Boey Captain Falcon’s @Double Harry and Kim’s @Eviledd1984 Terry’s @Terry Bogard Yayama’s @Chevaleresse
Word Count: 1417 / 1478

It took a few moments just for Nadia to fully take in the sight. The hall before her wasn’t so much a secret passage as it was a gallery for sneakers, each wall no less than thirty feet high and arrayed with athletic footwear of every style and color conceivable. Luminous chandeliers shone down from above, and eight or so shoe-fitting stools littered the vermillion carpet floor. This collection could have easily been part of a posh department store, but with it hidden away behind a secret door, Nadia could only conclude that this must be the personal horde of a single enthusiast: the ominous man whose image hung behind the desk. There were hundreds of pairs of sneakers in here, and she couldn’t even begin to guess how much they were worth, perhaps made even more valuable by who owned them. Either way, the cat burglar had just hit paydirt. “Jackpot.”

Once she got over her amazement, Nadia worked quickly. She’d worked enough jobs to know that secrets often came part and parcel with surveillance, traps, and silent alarms. Thinking quickly, she turned around and made a beeline for the trash bin under the office desk. It contained only a few scraps of paper, which she dumped in order to pull out the white trash bag and fluff it up to its maximum size. Then she returned to the giant-size shoe closet and began to stuff as many matching pairs as she could inside. She seized the sneakers and packed them in until they began to strain and stretch their plastic membrane. That added up to just twelve pairs of shoes, and as much as Nadia wanted to collect more, even she knew not to get too greedy. “Twelve’s still pretty good,” she muttered. “Besides, he’s got hundreds. If I purr-loined a few, I bet he wouldn’t even miss ‘em!”

With one last, longing look at the sneaker smorgasbord, she ran back out into the office with the trash bag over her shoulder. A quick tap of the hidden button closed off the shoe gallery again, and for the first time Nadia began to consider exactly how she would be getting out of here. “Hmm…” Her bag of stolen goodies wasn’t too unwieldy, but it would complicate any exit, especially if other people were involved. Getting back down with the CAT fighters the same way she came up would be trickier with the extra burden and imbalance of the sneaker sack, but she didn’t need to ascend anymore–just to descend without going splat against the ground. That seemed way better than any options that involved freefall or climbing, so the feral jogged over toward the balcony doors to leave.

At that moment, the doorknob rattled. Nadia froze, her eyes as wide as saucers, and the next second someone kicked through the door with a terrific noise. She turned, aghast, to see the very same man whose portrait hung on the front door to the sneaker collection, that man with slicked-back black hair and a trench coat made from purple alligator hide: Kazuya Mashima. The moment he laid his red glowing eyes on Nadia and her bag of kicks, he bellowed something threatening in a language she didn’t understand -the first instance of this happening that she could recall- and transformed into a purple winged demon. With a yell, he fired red lasers from his eyes that swept across the room and straight toward the intruder’s head.

Of course, Nadia popped her head off to narrowly avoid the beam, then turned and sprinted away from him at max speed. “Hey! I’m not devil-ain here!” Rather than stop to open the balcony door, she plowed straight through it with a tremendous crash. Sirens began to go off as she ran for the edge, Kazuya flapped after her. “Harbor Demon! HURRY THE HELL UP!” Her striker appeared in front of her to deploy some CAT fighters, but it was too late. When Nadia heard a heavy footfall and chanced a look back over her shoulder, Kazuya was already there, his deadly fist on its way. “Wagh!” Instinctively she held up the bag, putting it between herself and her attacker.

“Hm!” Kazuya stopped short with an angry grunt, his terrifying strength halted in an instant as he refused to destroy his sneakers, even to slay their thief. Nadia used that second to fling herself from the balcony, followed by the CAT fighters as the Harbor Demon disappeared. Kazuya returned to normal as he walked to the edge of the balcony and laid his hands on the railing. He watched as the feral took the sack in her mouth and used Charge to zip up to and grab hold of the CAT fighters, then glide away between other buildings. “Hmph.” His face twisted into a nasty smirk as he pulled out his cell phone, then began to dial.

A few minutes later, Nadia touched down in a random Low Tier back alley. Her treasure bag hit the ground as she doubled over with her hands on her knees, exhilarated and breathless. “Whew…holy shoet!” She took a moment to catch her breath, then stretched her arms and flexed her sore fingers. Things had gotten dicey toward the end there, but when it came to heists, a win was a win. It did surprise her that Kazuya hadn’t used those devil wings of his to give chase, but she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. The next part, selling her stolen goods, would be less fun. Hopefully the folks down here in the Low Tier would be about as unscrupulous as she was, and not call the cops the second they laid their peepers on a sneaker. With a sigh Nadia hefted her bag over her shoulder and headed off to find a buyer.

---

As Big Band prepared to go, he got word from Zenkichi via Linkpearl about Banishing Flats, including the room rate per night. Though he still wasn’t totally used to using the World of Light’s most common currency, Band knew that six thousand zenny wasn’t chump change. He quickly counted up the cash he’d received while playing, and to his relief found that it added up to seven thousand, one hundred and thirteen zenny. It would be enough to last him one night at least, and with how little sustenance his real body (or rather, what was left of it) needed, eleven dollars’ worth would probably actually be enough for dinner.

It took only a few minutes for the detective to track down Banishing Flats, since in a stroke of good fortune, it happened to be right next to the park he’d been playing in. About one step up from a roadside motel, it took the form of a boxy, square building with three floors, but with a theme that became obvious the moment Band saw the giant wrestling belt with the hotel’s logo suspended above the main entrance, and the triple ring ropes in place of both railings and fences. The sight put him in a good mood before he even reached the front door. While seldom able to attend NMO wrestling events in person, he often tuned in to reruns whenever they appeared on TV, and he could appreciate the spirit of the sport. All the action, spectacle, storylines, personas…it was all just good, dumb fun.

How different would things have been, he wondered, if he became a wrestler instead of a cop? If he’d been bound for a big sham either way, at least wrestling would have been fun. He did have a special grab or two in his arsenal, even if he wasn’t a proper grappler, so if nowhere else, maybe he’d fit right in to Banishing Flats.

When Band stepped inside, a miniature wrestling ring bell went off by the door to announce his arrival. Behind the front desk, which was stylized like a sloped commentators’ table, the Mecha Zangief clerk came online. “Privet!” it greeted him in a loud Russian accent, somewhat garbled by a low-quality speaker. It flexed its robotic muscles, performing a few different poses. “What can Unit Two do for you today!?”

A quick look around confirmed no sign of Zenkichi, so Band assumed the other detective must have already left to drum up some dough. He pulled out his newly-gained cash and handed it over in order to pay for a room. Instead of a room key, Band was handed a wrestling belt with the room number emblazoned on the front in what must be fake gold. Since he couldn’t put it on, he grabbed it in a mechanical pincer, then deployed a second in order to bid the Mecha Zangief farewell with a tip of his hat. He left the receptionist to continue flexing and stomped down the right-hand hallway, grateful that his room seemed to be on the first floor and that he wouldn’t have to navigate any stairwells, which he suspected would be neither big nor strong enough for someone like him.

On the way to his room, he passed by a window, and when he peered through it he realized that Banish Flats had a central open-air courtyard that the second and third floors could look down at. It featured a thin, plus-shaped sidewalk in the middle of four genuine wrestling rings, each elevated and outfitted with corner posts and ring ropes. Even though the dark sky heralded imminent rain, there were still a couple wrestlers out there doing their thing. In one ring, a blonde bombshell in studded black leather was grappling with a bombastic, muscular Draph with a red outfit and big horns, while in another, a brawny Frankenstein’s monster was staring up into the sky. When Band followed his gaze, he witnessed an older, tattooed wrestler launch himself from a third-story window and land the mother of all body splashes on his opponent. The slam made an immense racket, and it left both grapplers stunned for a few moments, but after that both managed to pick themselves up and laugh it off. Band shook his head and moved on.

When Band found his room, he held the belt up to the scanner. The light flashed green, and a click signaled that the door was unlocked. He swung it open to reveal a short hall made to resemble the ramp on a wrestling entrance stage, complete with miniature pyrotechnics that went off to welcome him for the first time. On the left lay the bathroom, the right the closet, and straight ahead the bedroom. The four-posted bed actually had corner posts and ring ropes of its own, which he hoped could be detached. Not that he’d have much luck fitting into this place anyway. Band ducked inside, made his way to the bed, unbuckled the ropes on one side, and sat down with a sigh. Thanks to lunch at Pao Pao and his break in the park he hadn’t been on his feet all day, but he still felt pretty tired, and his stay in Esaka would only get more hectic from here.

A few minutes later, Zenkichi contacted everyone again to let them know that he’d gotten his hands on some money and was coming. Band joined in once he finished. “I’m at Banishin’ Flats myself. Just got a room. It’s by a park on the Middle Tier’s northeastern side, overlookin’ the marshes. Look for a big square buildin’, three floors, and a wrestlin’ belt over the door.” He pulled down the blinds with a little mechanical arm to peer out at the park. It was even darker than before, and the winds were picking up. “Better hurry, y’all. It’s gonna be comin’ down in sheets any second now.”

Over the course of the next half hour, his fellow Seekers showed up bit by bit. Nadia arrived toward the end of that period, and by then it was pouring outside in the park. She wasn’t too soaked thanks to the umbrella she ‘found’ on the way, and when she stepped into the lobby she found a number of her allies gathered there at a couple couches around a coffee table. “Heya!” She smiled as she greeted the team, folding up her umbrella. “You know, with how hard it’s comin’ down out there I figured most people would head indoors, but there’s actually tons of guys out there t-rain-ing still. Guess the rain makes fights that much more dramatic!”

She excitedly balled her fists with a big smile on her face, her tail swishing back and forth behind here. “So, you guys know why money’s called ‘dough’, right? ‘Cause everyone kneads it! ‘Specially people lookin’ for a roof over their heads. Lucky for you, this cat’s got the answer to all your purr-ayers. Check this out…” She reached into one of her special pouches and pulled out a huge wad of cash that she plopped down on the table. “Wha-bam! That’s three hundred thousand zenny!” Eyes sparkling, she proceeded to pull out a second stack. “Ba-boom! Six hundred thousand! Enough for ten people to stay ten whole nights! How’s that for makin’ cents?” She crossed her arms and looked smug, as if doing basic math was a feat that everyone should be proud of her for.

Band eyed her suspiciously. “And where exactly, Ms. Fortune, did you come by all this money?”

“So, get this,” Nadia shrugged as she held her palms up, as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to say either. “I was wandering around the High Tier, mindin’ my own business, and I just happened to stumble upon all these sneakers, see? I figured, y’know, nobody wants all these shoes sittin’ around, might as well do my part and help, uh, clean up the city. Y’know? And, and, wouldn’t you know it, these sneakers turned out to be purr-etty rare. Once belonged to some big bad guy named Kazuya. After hearin’ that, I thought sellin’ ‘em would be a ‘capital’ idea. And sure enough, this trader I found just up and bought my whole stock!” She put her hands on her hips, her eyes half-lidded as she smirked. “Guess it’s my lucky day, huh?”

Judging by the detective’s frown, he didn’t believe one word. “Uh huh. Well, you don’t gotta cover me. I’ll be payin’ my own way.”

“Huh? Who said I’d be covering anyone?~” The cat burglar winked. “So, uh, what’s new with you guys?” Nadia breezily looked around at the others. “Got anywhere to go for dinner? Stuff to do afterward?”

The Midnight Walk - 2.2

Lvl 9 Sandalphon (26/90) Level 6 Heismay (29/60)
Edward’s @DracoLunaris Blazermate & Sectonia’s @Archmage MC Geralt’s @MULTI_MEDIA_MAN Ace Cadet’s @Yankee Roxas & Ganondorf’s @Double, Ramattra’s @XoXKieroBombXoX Mokou’s @Goggy
Word Count: 1579

Nameless Stagecoach
𖥞: 8/8 | 🛡️: 7/8 | Equipment: Stewpot/Windchime/Lamps/Vegetubes/(None)/(None) | Companion: Ratshaker Rat

Once the stagecoach got underway, Sandalphon mostly kept to herself, her attention divided between monitoring the outside world through her link with the other Seekers and studying the research material recovered from Markiona’s study. Of course, she happily put the papers away in order to converse with whoever approached her, whether just to answer a question like Geralt’s, to have a more in-depth exchange with someone like Mokou, or just to give an update on her mental map of the Frozen Highlands around them.

The archangel was glad that everyone accommodated her requests, and collected all the ergo everyone gave her -including the new crystal obtained from the alchemist caster spirit Ramattra crushed- into the pouch that Geralt obtained from Eryk. It was a good amount, although to her chagrin there was no way to tell if it would be enough for her purposes. Briefly she considered the logistics of revisiting Krat Zoo to acquire more. White Team’s journey would take long enough without needlessly retracing their steps, but now that Sandalphon had the coordinates, perhaps some of the Seekers’ reserves aboard the Avenger could be dispatched there. After all, despite her stated intent to clear the carcasses out, there was a good chance that Krat Zoo was one of the Consuls’ colonies, with a Flame Clock of its own. As long as that clock burned, carcasses and other foul creatures would continue to appear. In the World of Light, there was rarely such a thing as a permanent solution.

When she had some time to herself, Sandalphon took Markiona’s spirit in order to fuse with it. It was a good thing that she wasn’t interested in the puppeteer’s abilities, since everything suggested about the alchemists and Markiona in particular painted a very bad picture about her character, but a Skill fusion wouldn’t engender any new personality traits. Still, there would be changes, which she could more or less guess at. For a moment she wondered what Zenkichi would think, but she quickly put him out of her mind. She needed this spirit, and hopefully it would be the shortcut to the knowledge she needed to enact her plan. After breathing in, Sandalphon pressed the spirit into her forehead.

For Sandalphon

Rare spirit consumed:
Markiona
The host’s skin now has a slate blue tint, and her hair is more blonde than white. The black part of her eyes is now bright red, and her pants are black and leathery. This spirit confers the Skill Alchemical Mastery, giving the host an in-depth knowledge of and experience with ergo dynamics, the Petrification Disease, experimental procedures, and puppet mechanics. This spirit also confers the Weakness Not in Sync, preventing the host from acting simultaneously with her strikers

New Ability:
Ergo Strings
Modifies Sandalphon’s razor wires to glow blue, deal less damage, and be more freely controllable. They can be attached to mechanical allies in order to forcibly interface with their systems. This can be used to execute a Forced Move in order to pull that ally closer or push him/her farther away. If an ally connected by the Ergo Strings is downed, Sandalphon will automatically launch Repair Mode, turning the strings green and restoring 10% HP per second over the course of 10 seconds, at which point the strings turn blue again

In the wake of the fusion, Sandalphon found herself possessed of all the knowledge she needed and more. Many of the new things she now knew worsened her opinion of Markiona considerably; that woman had been a true pioneer in the field of ethically dubious science. Still, she had what she needed, and she need not use anything more than that. Sandalphon quickly reviewed her papers with a fresh perspective, quickly connecting the dots she hadn’t been able to before. Now her plan was no longer a pipe dream, but it still wouldn’t be easy. That night, she would need to make some calls.

Sandalphon set aside the documents for the time being to try and install the vegetubes. While much more inclined toward software rather than hardware, the archangel thought she could figure these contraptions out. Even if the stagecoach lacked power, she could at least get them ready, since there wouldn’t be any time to lose when it came to preparing the mistletoe for Baldur. She undertook this primarily since there weren’t that many others around to help right now; few of the Seekers remained in or right around the wagon as it traveled, and fewer still once Edward stopped it in a snowy valley between opposing forces.

When Edward brought back the lightning rod schematic and a proposal, she approved his plan, then began following the instructions he provided to construct a lightning rod for the Seekers using coal recovered by Sectonia’s antlers prior to Krat Zoo. Having Geralt and Ramattra around to help made the process less painstaking, particularly when it came to construction via repeated hammer swings. Once the lightning rod had been erected, the three could set about figuring out a way to break it down and attach its functional parts to the stagecoach itself, without giving the black steel an electric current. It took a little trial and error, and a couple electric shocks that Sandalphon dutifully healed, but after a few minutes the lightning rod had been mounted on one of the coach’s four corner spires. It provided just enough power to run one vegetube, but with three more spires, the output could theoretically be quadrupled.

The exertion of building one rod had tired Sandalphon out though. Luckily, before she could reluctantly begin work on another, Heismay arrived in a hurry. He carried with him a half-dozen blueprints filched from Whitey Hooten’s base, including the Creature Chamber that would supposedly allow the Seekers to manufacture hybrid beasts of their own. “Impressive,” Sandalphon told Heismay as he tried to adjust to her new color palette. “Where is Edward now?”

“Still bandying about with Hooten,” Heismay replied. “Edward is empowering his forces, as planned. We should get moving before Hooten makes a move. Edward will catch up to us afterward.”

“Understood.” Sandalphon made her way to the front of the stageclock and climbed up to the driver’s seat. Although she’d never handled animals like this before, she’d seen Edward do it enough by this point that she felt confident she could emulate him, at least on the straightaway that the Seekers would be using to make themselves scarce. Once everyone was aboard, White Team got rolling again, just in time to clear the way for Whitey’s army as his star-bright beasts finally took the initiative against his foes.

After escaping the valley of impossible creatures, the Seekers followed the Midnight Walk across a barren, hilly snowfield. Except for the occasional rocky crag or lake of freezing water, it was wide-open and empty, without the plentiful coal from the previous area. It did have its own share of hardy, cold-adapted wildlife though, which now happened to be of special interest to the Seekers thanks to their acquisition of Sigma Technology. With his natural speed and stealth, Heismay was especially well-suited to acquiring samples. On several subsequent forays he collected samples from a penguin-like kairuku, a walrus-like horker, and a ferret-like chillet, which he brought back to the stagecoach for storage.

Eventually, the Midnight Walk brought White Team into sight of a distant village, with snow-dusted, green-tinted roof tiles and dozens of smoke plumes that spiralled up into the dark, cloudy sky. Between them and the isolated town, though, was a field of especially deep snow, through which the path snaked crazily. To make matters worse, it seemed like they weren’t alone on the road anymore, either. In front of them floated a procession of giant balloons, much too big to steer around, all of which slowly drifted down the Midnight Walk in a giant conga line. It wasn’t long before the frontrunners triggered what appeared to be the town’s defenses, an assortment of eleven turrets, cannons, and well-armed monkeys that stood ready to puncture as many balloons as they could.

Whether or not there were simply too many balloons for the rather inefficient-looking emplacements was anyone’s guess, but Heismay got the sinking feeling that those defenses wouldn’t discriminate between balloons and Seekers. As he steeled himself for yet another fierce battle, a second wind surged within him, a newfound strength forged by the fires of battle against Tom, Markiona, and so forth. The power of kings swelled within him, and the aching of his old bones fell away.

For Heismay

New Ability:
Assassin
An Adept-tier Archetype from the Thief Lineage. It enjoys greater stat boosts than the Thief, particularly to speed and dexterity, which makes it much more threatening in combat. It comes with the skill Lurking Nightblade, which can deal medium physical Dark damage to one enemy and decreases its accuracy/evasion for 30 seconds

Reassured by the heroic resolve housed within him, Heismay stood tall, watching the balloons ahead pop one by one as the stagecoach advanced.

An Idiot's Dungeon Union

If he could breathe, Schnupfen would have held his breath in anticipation as he finally relinquished his desperate, clawing grasp on the stone and started it on its fateful descent. He watched, psychedelic eyes wide, as it plummeted down and unceremoniously bopped the little hellion on the noggin. The adventurer dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, his limp limbs splayed out wildly, and after he sagged to the floor he did not rise again.

Schnupfen blinked, silent as the grave, as seconds slid by without any discernible motion from the marauder. After the terrifying, improbable durability displayed by young Danny already, his cynical side wouldn't let him believe in victory just yet. The other monsters seemed equally trepidatious, the Oracle broke the silence with a thunderous bellow at the kobold, so loud and sudden that it scared Schnupfen half to death. It ordered the tremulous reptile to see if the adventurer had really been dealt with, and after mustering his courage the kobold obliged. All eyes lay on him as he prodded the intruder's still form, his efforts intensifying as his confidence swelled until there could be no doubt about it any longer. The dungeon's inaugural defense mission had succeeded.

While the Oracle seemed triumphant, it was hard for Schnupfen to feel good about the comedy of errors that had been the dungeon keepers' defense. Rather than take any credit for the win, he split open a half-dozen fanged maws across his torso as he let out a hollow, rattly sigh of relief. His extra eyes rolled backward, then disappeared, and he wiped beads of shadowy sweat off his forehead. "That was too close," he grouched. "And frankly, rather embarrassing. Thank Mother Void that none will ever know of this disaster." If word somehow got out about these supposedly menacing monsters' mad scramble to survive the onslaught of a single bumbling teenager, the dungeon keepers could say goodbye to any semblance of credibility.

With that encounter scrubbed from the history books and bound for repressed memory, the keepers could start thinking about next steps. As Muste looked into helping Salbjörg, since Zoppy was certainly not going to (she didn't even seem to notice that Zogi had died saving her, Mother Void bless her) he mentioned prepping for the next invasion. Schnupfen nodded vigorously, his huge nose bobbing up and down like the snout of an agreeable horse. "Yes, yes, absolutely. We must attend to the dungeon's abysmal layout, for one. And the immediate overuse of illusory walls makes them so obvious..."

He could have continued to complain about the dungeon's many failings, possibly for hours, but an interruption came in the form of the dungeon's crystal core. The sudden surge in magical activity made Schnupfen's eyes bug out before he beat a hasty retreat. He then sniffled as he stared at the core, wary of what the change meant for him. It turned out to be purely beneficial as he then felt new strength course through his shadowy form. It...wasn't much. But it was better than nothing, until the time came to be one with Mother Void once more, he couldn't afford to be nothing.

Kleine emerged in order to pay her respects to the mulched goblin. Schnupfen paid more attention to the instrument held in her hands, which he guessed was an impromptu weapon, possibly wielded as a last ditch resort if the adventurer made it all the way to the core. Its true nature only became apparent when she moved to help pry Salbjörg loose from the glue trap. Schnupfen, of course, didn't help, not just because his meager strength wouldn't be much help, but also because she smelled. He turned his attention away from Muste's feeding, which he found rather distasteful, and reconsidered the matter of improving the dungeon now that its keepers were authorized to augment it. "Well, our first order of business should be perform a couple more summoning rituals, yes? I trust our esteemed Oracle can weight the dice in our favor. It would be wise to at least take a peek out of our new front door as well, get a lay of the land. That said, if it's daylight outside, I'm afraid I won't be venturing out." If asked, he would clarify that he wasn't trying to give anyone orders, just suggestions that everyone would benefit from.

Schnupfen looked around, manifesting a handful of eyes to review the dungeon layout. "We should also get started on mining out new rooms. The raw materials, naturally, can be recycled into walls. We should really take care of the clear sightline to the core. The physical labor will be rather intensive, though...nose goes?" He quickly laid a clawed index finger on the end of his nose to signify that he wasn't eligible. Nearby, the idle kobold blanched at the prospect of mining out entire rooms on his own and also discreetly touched a claw to his snout.