ArcRift I: It's So Wonderful

[thatguyinthestore]

How you died didn't matter.

You could have been the most evil son of a bitch on Earth, or the modern equivalent to Gandhi.

What mattered was that you died. And you knew that you died, too. No one else knew how you died, though, not yet. Only you knew that information.

Some of you may have been religious, and had been expecting to see a pair of pearly gates upon your entry into the afterlife, surrounded by a loud angelic choir. Others may have expected some large, eternal pit of fire to be thrown into, where you'd undergo unimaginably horrific tortures for all eternity. And then there were those of you who perhaps didn't subscribe to any religion. For one reason or another, it just wasn't your thing. The notion of life after death was stupid, and all you expected to be waiting on the other side was all encompassing, never-ending darkness. As far as the eye could see.

Well, at turned out that, for this group at least, the latter category was correct! Somewhat.

Yes, while it is true that nothing but stark blackness surrounded you, it would be entirely incorrect to assume that there was no afterlife. You were still alive, and you could certainly still see, think, and even feel. You had on the same clothes that you did when you died, too. How nice of whatever god reigned over you to grant you those! If you had powers, then those all remained in tact as well, which was pretty cool. Your normally important weapons and items were there too. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad afterlife after all? Of course, there were no friends or family here (at least none that you could see at the moment), but at least you weren't undergoing some over the top, horrific torture!

And just as you were potentially lured into this false sense of security, a voice spoke to you from beyond the darkness.

"You," the voice called out, its tone rather creepy and hoarse. You called back to the voice, and it answered back. "Yes... you. Come forward." With no other options than to just stand there, you obliged (however reluctantly, I might add). As you made your way forward, the world began to reveal itself to you. Slowly but surely, it was revealed that you were standing in a hallway of sorts. It was dimly lit, though you could tell that it was rather old, made of some aged stone that formed an archway above you. As you continued your trek, eventually you found a light. A faint yet bright light at the end of the hallway. But as you decided to make your way towards it, a hooded figure blocked your path.

"Not so fast, young one," the figure chuckled, its voice the same as before. "Before you can enter the game, you must first agree to the rules."

Curious, you asked what the game was.

"The Reapers' Game, of course," the figure answered matter-of-factly. "You did die, correct?" You nodded, answering in the positive. "Yes, well, as it turns out, you're one of the lucky ones. You see, The Reapers Game isn't any ordinary game. You have seven days, each with their own set of tasks. Complete each task, and you'll be granted a second chance at life." You noticed a smile creep up on the figure's barely visible mouth. "Fail, and you'll be erased from existence by the Reapers."

Erased from existence? Jeez, that sounded like it was a bit extreme, didn't it? Well, it wasn't like you had any other choice. So, no matter how reluctant you may have been, you eventually agreed to play the game. The cloaked figure nodded and stretched out his hand, holding an item. It was clear that they expected you to take it.

It was a phone. And a rather old one at that, depending on the year you did. A "flip phone", to be more specific. "This is how you'll receive your missions. Oh, and don't worry, we've already placed the information on how to use these in your heads, for those of you who don't have these in your own world." And he was right! Even if you were from an age long before phones, you suddenly just... knew how to use this. Very cool. The figure reached into his pocket once more, and produced another item.

"You'll need this Player Pin if you want to access the game," the figure continued to explain. "Look out for other people wearing these. They're the only ones who can see you, after all." The figure chuckled to himself, and then stepped aside. Without anything else of note being said, you began to walk past him, toward the light at the end of the hall. But just as you passed him, he cleared his throat. "Ah, one last thing. Before you enter, we'll need to collect your Entry Fee."

Before you could ask what that was, it was collected. If your fee was a memory, you'd find yourself unable to remember it, no matter how hard you tried. If it was an item, then you'd find your person lighter than it was when you got here. If it was a power or ability, then you would simply no longer be able to use it.

With all that said and done, you were finally allowed to exit this long hallway. And as you stepped into the light, you were damn near blinded by the sudden brightness. It enveloped you entirely, almost as if it was teleporting you away from this place entirely...

​

---

Prologue
"Welcome to the Underground"

As the piercing, blinding light finally went away and you were finally able to open your eyes, you found that you were no longer anywhere near that desolate, black hallway. Noises of endless chatter and loud cars surrounded you - perhaps even overwhelming you a bit. For those of you who weren't used to big, bustling cities, that is.

And, of course, this was because you now found yourself in one of these big, bustling cities. Shibuya, Japan, to be exact. It was rather empty (despite the picture above). In fact, the only other people around seemed to be others with Player Pins. Just like you. But there were also probably some areas of interest, if you decided to explore. Some benches and swings to rest on if you were tired... and hey, was that a hot dog vendor on that street corner?

Needless to say, there was plenty to do. You hadn't gotten your mission yet... so why not use this time to get to know your fellow Players? Or maybe familiarize yourself with Shibuya a bit?

It's really up to you.

Cast List
@udon as Minato Arisato (Persona 3) and Jotaro Kujo (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)
@thatguyinthestore as Shinjiro Aragaki (Persona 3)
@CaffeineFreak as Goro Majima (Yakuza)
@phi as Sho Minamoto (NEO: The World Ends With You)
@ThePotatoGod as Minako Aristato (Persona 3 Portable) and Hiryu Kakogawa (Kamen Rider Build)
@megar as Taeko Yasuhiro (Danganronpa) and Audric (Dragalia Lost)
@edy03829 as Pyro (Team Fortress 2) and Tricky the Clown (Madness Combat)
@cloaked as Jill Roberts (Scream)
@Professor Spacecakes as Toshinori "All Might" Yagi (My Hero Academia) and Ballas (Warframe)
@Celestial Speck as Umbra (OC)
@Dave as Noriaki Kakyoin (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure) and Kirei Kotomine (Fate: Stay Night)
@LuckycoolHawk9 as Kai Parker (Legacies) and Ikaris (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
@marc122 as Pyrrha Nikos (RWBY)
@Birb-With-Gun as Deimos (Madness Combat) and Ethan Winters (Resident Evil)
@HeartCard as Chariot (Black Rock Shooter)
@Second2Last as Lilith Audrey (OC) and Shantae (Shantae)
@RingoRoadgain as Mukuro Ikusaba (Danganronpa)
@dark as Colonel Radec (Killzone 2) and King Leonidas (Fate)
@Rebebebe as Meta Knight (Kirby)
@Mav as Schezo Wegey (Puyo Puyo)
@RoseWolf as Jayfeather (Warriors) and Manny Heffley (Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
@Midle1998 as Claudio Unkrich (YIIK: A Postmodern RPG)
@Loveless as Yoshiaki "Taki" Taeken (My Hero Academia OC)
@duskkyy as Rory Mancer (YIIK: A Postmodern RPG)
@Valkan as Torin Radamanthos (OC)
@MassiveSexHaver69 as Zack Fair (Final Fantasy VII)
@PlumpyNut as Goldlewis Dickinson (Guilty Gear) and Haru Okumura (Persona 5 Royal)
@Pixxieblush as Razor (Genshin Impact)
@Ciscodog as Matthew Hines (OC)
@Chung as Happy (OC)
@Yamperzzz as Hank J. Wimbleton and The Gambler (Madness Combat)
@Flamenami as Ashley Goldenrod (OC)
@TruthHurts22 as Harry (Disco Elysium)
@Qiz as Juri Jaxon (OC)
@TheElenaFisher as Aerith Gainsborough (Final Fantasy VII)
@TofuScarlet as Koakuma (Touhou Project)
@Arclight as Zero (Katana Zero)
@Develius as Samus Aran (Metroid)
@Jeff_Jones as Mizuki Okiura (AI: The Somnium Files)
@Izanagi243 as Orpheus (Persona OC)
@The Fool as The Nowhere King (Centaurworld)
@PolikShadowbliss as Odessa (OC) and Rey (Star Wars)
@Laix_lake as Baraggan Louisenbairn (Bleach)
@MyEyesblurry as Alec Paz and Tyler (OC)
@FactionGuerrilla as Kassandra (Assassin's Creed) and Sadie Adler (Red Dead Redemption II)
@ANGRY_DEMON_NOISES as Mordred (Type-Moon)

Mid-Prologue Update

Chapter One

Mid-Chapter Update​

 

[megar]

Audric ~ What's Left Behind​

"Sounds like it's settled."

"It does indeed. Thank you, all of you— and apologies again for all the trouble I have caused. With this, my part in this story comes to an end." Audric releases a breath with those words. The fate that has awaited him for so long finally comes. He is lucky, in a way, that he could last so long to make it here, even as the world itself crawled at his skin and tried to drag him down into nothingness.

"Don't be daft. You've got your children to... Aurelius? Aurelius, what's happening to your body?!" Gatov. Perhaps one of the oldest of his friends, and one far too used to keeping him out of trouble. Even now, some things simply do not change. There are too many thanks to give the man in what time he has left.

"Father?! What's happening?!" Euden... There is much that the Aurelius of this world faltered with the boy's history. But he knows well that the love he held for his son was true, much the same as Audric himself does. He has struggled far too much... and yet Audric has faith in him now more than ever.

Audric can only close his eyes for a moment as his form flickers. "I fear my time is up."

"The heck does that mean?!" Notte. The faerie left so far away from her home to watch over the homunculus that Euden had become. For the many years Audric knew her, she was -- and still is -- a relentless force of positivity. Audric prays she will be such for them all in the fights to come.

"I am something that should not exist in this world and yet does—I am Aurelius, and I am dead." Audric speaks plainly: now, more than ever, there is no time for mystery. His children and his friends deserve far better than that. "I employed some rather forceful means to remain here, but they have reached their limit, and I am now being expunged from this world."

"But you will simply return to your original world now, yes?" Zena. One of the many selves of his beloved Zethia, from another timeline different to his own, but here for the same purpose as he, to rectify what went wrong and at least bring hope to someone. Perhaps she is the one Audric can relate to most; yet there are some fates that they do not share.

"Alas, I have severed my bond to my original world. Dissolution is the fate which awaits me now." Audric's form flickers again, glimmers of mana surrounding him. He was prepared for this the moment he tied himself to this world. A wiser man would have remained the faceless warrior he once was, to forever fight another day.

It could be so easy. But he would have failed as a father if he could not provide the answers his children all sought to the truth of this world and their own history. This was the way to bring the hope he had chased after all along. For that, he would give up anything.

"There must be something we can do!" Zethia herself speaks. Audric could not be prouder of her. Time and time again she was used as a pawn of another, forever unable to make her own choices and find her own place in the world. And yet she fought back against it, claiming the power of the creator of the very world in doing so. She is an inspiration to all, no less himself. He has faith that she, too, will fight on.

Even still, it will not be with him. "Do not trouble yourself. In truth, I should have died along with my world." It was a world brought to ruin of his own making. Death could be said to be deserved, and yet... "But I came here instead so I might make something that could be left to my children. That alone is enough." He would not allow himself to die without such resolution. His family deserves a greater future than the one he had once brought them. Even his own life would be worth that hope.

As his children cry out for him, his resolve crumbles, if only slightly, his face remaining still. He wishes -- from the bottom of his heart -- that he did not have to leave him like this. Yet he's no choice but to remain strong in the face of it. "I am sorry, my children, but the Progenitor, as well as whatever is lurking behind Bahamut, still remain. Though your fight must rage on, I will no longer be able to offer my aid."

"Then rest easy, Father. For even without you, we will not lose to the likes of them." Chelle. Audric could well call her the strongest of her siblings, and yet even her voice fails her, crumbling as she holds back tears. He wishes she could have hoped for more from the world that had forced her into a life of cunning and scheming. Perhaps she can make that world now. That, too, is a small piece of the hope Audric carries.

"I swear that we shall see good tidings bid unto the heavens, Father." Valyx. A military master, exceeding the standard to which the former king had set. There are ways that Audric now realises his ruling was flawed by focusing so much on military affairs. But Valyx was a man always destined to his commanding prowess: Audric remains proud of him, for all of his children should be recognised for their talent. He is certain he will guide the others for the many battles yet to come.

"I will see our duty done, even if it comes at the cost of my life!"

Audric finds himself releasing an airy chuckle. Zethia... it is just like her to say that now. "Please don't say as much; I would not have you taking after my fool ways." Sacrifice is no longer necessary. Were he able to fight here for longer, he would ensure that they do not himself.

There is one man, however, who can do such for him. "Forgive my asking, Gatov," he begins, turning his head to his oldest friend, "but pray watch over my children. They all bear a heavy burden, and will mostlike need your aid." He speaks with a calm ease. Even knowing his very being fades more and more by the second, he will stop at nothing to ensure his children get to live as they deserve.

"Of course, old friend. I'm rather used to taking care of people who are good at getting into trouble, after all."

Audric again chuckles.

How he wishes he could say goodbye to those not among them. Leonidas, Emile, even Phares and Beren for all of their sins... In a better world, they too would be here to see him go. But this is not that world. Perhaps the flow of mana can carry his hope to them. Perhaps not. What he can be certain of is that they too will find happiness. His children -- all of them -- are strong. His own sins matter not, for they will be overcome.

There is one more yet that he must give his farewells too.

Nedrick, the true seventh scion, the boy thought dead and seeking to fix the world that had wronged him and so many. He has the same strong heart, and were the Aurelius of this world not such a fool, perhaps Nedrick could have been helped sooner.

That is of no consequence at this moment. He is one with his siblings now. And for that... Audric can smile. "Euden and Nedrick... That I could see the pair of you join hands in my last moments sends me off with a heart lightened by happiness."

Euden cries out once more, and Nedrick can only stare in startled silence.

Even still... it would appear his time has finally come.

His body flickers once more, for a moment far too long for comfort. He has only precious few seconds remaining to give his goodbyes.

Yet even as he fades, Audric smiles even still.

"Farewell... my children..."

---

Instead of light, darkness.

Audric finds himself already standing. Is this to be the afterlife, then? An eternal void?

Or, perhaps not. Audric's gaze, firm as it ever was, meets the cloaked figure across from him, his questions conveyed without so much as a word.

A second chance. Audric would laugh were he anywhere else. That someone like him should be afforded yet another opportunity at life, after everything he has seen and done... It almost sounds like a joke.

Yet he still stands here, tall and proud, before a figure he cannot identify.

And all it would take to return to his home and help his children once more is a simple price...

The answer comes to him readily. He had resigned himself long ago to the fate of the nameless warrior: should he fall, there would be no one who could miss him. To cut himself away from his world once more would pain him, but... should he fail, then it is of no major loss to the world.

So he accepts, and steps into darkness anew.

---

The paternal king awakens in a world of which the likes of he has never seen before.

He stands totally unfazed. Has he any say in the matter, he won't allow himself to be confused so easily. Towers of steel, spacious concrete paths... Audric will adapt soon enough.

All it takes is surviving for a single week. That is manageable, even in such unfamiliar circumstances. He is prepared equally for whatever trials might wait for him... and the possibility that he meets his true end here. Perhaps he has cheated death too many times as is. If there is some natural order, then it would surely be furious with him.

But for the sake of his children's future, he will gladly fight even the laws of the world itself.

And so the question becomes... where does he begin?

 

[megar]

Taeko Yasuhiro ~ The Burning of the Versailles Witch​

"Well then... take care, everyone. Perhaps we'll meet again, in another life."

Taeko Yasuhiro is terrified of death.

Celestia Ludenberg, however, can meet it with a smile. She does not regret her crimes, for the sacrifices of others for her own gain comes as naturally to her as breathing. Such is the way of the Queen of Liars, the Ultimate Gambler, she who tears down any who dare face her with a calm smile. That is what makes her complete.

But Taeko Yasuhiro can only lie to herself for so long. She can smile, even when everyone around her, all those people she betrayed, can see through it.

As she stands upon the stage, perfectly still, she smiles. As the flames rise around her, she smiles. Even as her skin burns, and sweat pours down her face, she smiles.

It's a pathetic joke. Celestia Ludenberg should be glad to go out like this, so romanticised and perfect.

But Taeko isn't an idiot. She has seen the despair that damned bear would put them all through. There's a catch, there's always a catch, always something to pry away hope at the last moment. To believe she would die exactly as she wanted, like the pristine queen she ought to be, would be the dream of a fool.

So as she hears sirens, she knows full well what is to come. She will die like the common man. Death via traffic accident; among the most common causes of death in any society that can have it.

Perhaps out of spite, Celestia smiles at the truck approaching her. Even as everything within screams at her in panic, she does not move.

And then, darkness.

---

The darkness persists. Celestia wonders why she isn't dead yet.

And then, with a startle, she straightens up. It all comes back. The truth of the world -- the truth of the people she'd killed -- all in an instant.

For a moment, her facade falters, and she is faced with the reality that it was all for nothing. Even if she had won, she would be left in a world not meant for her. A world with no dreams. Perhaps it would have been better to stay in the academy after all. With... her friends.

She supposes she would be past forgiveness now anyway.

And yet when the figure before her speaks, she is drawn to it as though she knew it was there all along, as though she knows somewhere deep within that there is something else left to do.

A game. Celestia enjoys games.

And a chance to live again, if only she could give up that which is most important to her...

Her answer comes without a thought. In a world with no room for her dream, there is no room for Celestia Ludenberg. The self she had always desired to be, the character she had worked so hard to maintain, does not belong. So she throws it all away. Throws away everything that makes her herself, that makes her complete.

Someone like Taeko would never win a game such as this, and yet she finds herself with no choice in the matter.

So Taeko accepts the game.

---

Taeko wakes up in Shibuya.

Some semblance of it, anyway. It is just enough to be familiar, and yet just enough to be distinctly different, too, empty as it is compared to the usually bustling streets and walkways... She supposes nothing can surprise her anymore. The end of the world, that damned game... Now this. What has she to even be surprised about?

So, she stuffs her hands in her pockets and sighs. If she even manages to make it out of here... what comes next?

Well, she has a week to find out.

 

[PolikShadowbliss]

Odessa looked around morosely, still trying to get her head around the fact that she. actually died and was now here in some Earth city. Feeling a bit overwhelmed, she slumped onto one of the many benches in the area. and put her face in her hands.

"What am I to do now??" She thought as the threat of erasure loomed over her head.

-------

Somewhere in another part. of the city. Rey was walking through. She still didn't believe it and was still doubting her senses. She went up to the nearest person and tapped. their shoulder.


"Excuse me you have some idea what's going on??"

@anyonewhowantstointeract.

 

[udon]

Gently, the tide stroked Jotaro's cheek. Washed his wound—stung, while it could, before dulling. The water embraced him, held him close as it swept over him. Off into the blue he went, watching a figure in robes bearing down over a short, white shape.
"Shoot me," he thought he heard; faintly, muffled.
"Then you can leave this world as a martyr."

Jotaro awoke upright. The pain in his face and neck had subsided, his vision returned—and his clothes a brilliant white.
Of course. The colour of death, and of mourning.
Jotaro was privy to the supernatural: The concept of an afterlife was something he was acutely aware of. He had watched his grandfather's spirit ascend—and watched him return when he managed to revive him.
Still, that afterlife was one of golden clouds and bright brilliance. There was not a hint of anything holy in this land.

The water that had brushed against his cheek now rushed against his legs, not as a tide but as a great flood—had he been weaker, it would have swept him along with it. It was rushing back, far back into the ocean, dolphins and fish desperately swimming to keep pace, leaving behind cracked earth and hardened sand: The sea was drying up. The sun burned brightly, fiercely in the sky, and yet the muggy Floridian heat was clearing around him. The heaviness left, the moisture in the air drying—and the sky, the sky dotted with stars flickering out like votive candles. And the sun, burning in the sky, was growing ever so slightly dimmer.
So this is what DIO's legacy had wrought. This was the consequence of a heart blackened by desire and ruthless ambition.
This was DIO's last will and testament.
Jotaro grimaced, fists clenched as he took a step back and braced himself.
That priest. That bastard…this was his "Made in Heaven".

Ahead, in the Space Centre, a bright light. And though its shining brilliance urged him forth towards it, to salvation, he stood steadfast.
He could hear the tide rushing towards the horizon, further away now.
"Jotaro Kujo…"

"Pucci."

His face hard as stone, Jotaro turned to face him. There Pucci stood, covering the right side of his face. In his free hand, he clutched a crooked shard of glass, flesh bulging around the edge before it sank in. Blood trickled down both sides of the clear surface, dripping down his fingers.
"For the hallowed harbinger of humanity's golden age, you sure do look like shit right now."
"You…!" Gritting his teeth, Pucci took a step forward. "...I had finally defeated you, and that brat…!"
Jotaro chuckled. A dry, flat chuckle. "'Brat'? Emporio did you in? You and your invincible Stand…I wonder what DIO would think of you now."
Pucci sneered, snarling venomously. "Silence! It's no matter. Martyr or villain, God delivers us all to judgement in the end." Outstretching his arms, Pucci raised his hands up to heaven. His grip relaxed on his weapon, and it slit out from his skin, resting flat on his palm in a pool of blood. "We stand amidst the ruins of a dying reality: I have banished you here, and in turn that insolent boy has banished me here. But…!" Pucci took a step back, lowering his right arm and outstretching the other—the shard finding its place in the slits on Pucci's palm.

"A glowing light illuminates the path forward to salvation. With the power of my Stand, I will sail across this stone ocean and pass on to be with our Lord…and you, Jotaro Kujo…! What good is stopping time for mere moments when entire aeons are passing by? You will be consumed by the total collapse of this world, and your very being will cease to exist! "

Jotaro stepped forward.
The ground beneath them shook deep.
"And with the power of my Stand, I'll do what your Lord couldn't…"

"...and send you straight to hell myself."

"『MADE IN HEAVEN!』"

In an instant, Pucci darted to the side. He darted around, all around, circling Jotaro.
"You, the Joestars, have committed the ultimate sin!" Jotaro wasted no time when an opening presented itself—once he knew he could get past Pucci, he lunged forward across the dried up seabed.
"Denying Heaven to not merely yourselves, nor to one individual—but to all of humanity, across past, present and future!"
A whistle through the air. Pucci came to a stop behind Jotaro.
"ORAUGH!" Jotaro's Stand cried as it raised a fist and backhanded the shard of glass from the air, shattering it into pieces.
He kept running. Nigh instantly, he saw the largest amongst the shards disappear.

Pucci glowered, glass cutting a new path in his palm, and rushed forward in a blur to follow.
"For your transgressions, it is only fitting that the punishment should suit the crime!"
A great heave, and Pucci yelled. A rusted steel anchor careened towards Jotaro, barrelling through the air at impossible speeds like a cannonball. Swiftly Jotaro spun, away from the guiding light and towards the desolate shore.
"Catch, 『STAR PLATINUM』!"
Reaching forward, Star Platinum braced itself for impact and outstretched its hands. The anchor slammed into its palms, the force rocking it and sending the Stand and its master skidding back. Up over the shore and onto the beach they went, but still Star Platinum stood steadfast.
That was Pucci's chance.
"I will erase you!"

Darting in, a blur of white rushed past Jotaro, and blood spurted from his hip. He grunted and grimaced, clutching his sliced skin through the tear in his sweater. Darting back and darting forward, a slash across Jotaro's thigh, then his arms as he brought them up to defend his vitals, then his back, sending him down to his knees. Still Star Platinum clung tightly to the anchor.
"In the name of god…" A golden glimmer from atop the dunes heralded incoming destruction. "I will SMITE you!"
"『STAR PLATINUM…』"
As Pucci rushed forward, Star Platinum tossed the anchor high into the air, aiming it to sail over the dunes and towards the Space Centre.
"Accelerate,『MADE IN HEAVEN!』"
In a flash, Pucci jetted down from on high and straight towards Jotaro as he opened his mouth to say…

"『THE WORLD!』"
"Time moves again."

..And in less than the blink of an eye, was bounced back. A sickening crunch reverberated as Star Platinum's fist slammed into Made in Heaven's horse head.
"What—?!?"

But there was no trace of Star Platinum's punch—no recovery from striking. Instead, with the anchor clutched tightly in one hand, the Stand and its user stared down upon Pucci.
Their steely gazes masked a white hot rage.
"How did he…?!?"

"Good grief…If there's one thing pompous shitheads like you need to learn, it's to can the big long speeches. What you said to me before...that's how I figured it out."
What good is stopping time for mere moments? Pucci was right: Ordinarily, Jotaro could secure a victory with but a single time stop. With Made in Heaven, however, it would only last a brief few moments.
Before, he refused to adapt his strategy. Now, with hindsight, and without the others to protect, he knew—using Star Platinum's speed, brief moments were all he'd need. Wait until the moment Pucci is ready to strike, then briefly Time Stop to counter his attack.
Of course, he wasn't going to tell Pucci this. He was not the pompous shithead among them.

"J…Jotaroooo!" Pucci hissed through clenched teeth, his improvised weapon carving an X into his palm as his grip tightened. "God, give me strength!" He stabbed forward…
"ORAUGH!"
…And as if his stab forward had been frozen, he was sent crashing down into the tile below by a mighty kick.
"KUAH-!" Pucci gurgled up a cough of blood, his ribcage split by the force.
"Hm? Praying to your god for help?"
Heel dug into the ground, Star Platinum skidded to a stop and swung the anchor up high into the air.
"Don't bother. In a few moments…"

A stomp down onto the tiles split the ground. The force pushed up and bounced Pucci into the air.

"There'll be nothing left of you to save!"

"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"

Slam, crash, punch, crack. Ribs shattered, collarbone fractured.
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Legs, arms broken. Jaw smashed, teeth crushed. No holding back—not a single punch pulled.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAAUGH!" Slam! Hips turned to dust. "ORAORAORAORAUGHHH!" Crack! Lung punctured, chest collapsed.

One punch for everyone this bastard had trampled on to get here.
"ORA ORA ORA! ORAAA….!"
An uppercut to send the pulpy mass of Pucci up, and Star Platinum threw a hand upwards.
Snatching the anchor from the air as it fell, Star Platinum brought it up…
"This is the end for you…"
And swung it to the side, knocking Pucci far from view with the anchor hooked into his hip.
Jotaro ran his finger along the brim of his cap, tipping it.
"ORAAAAAUGH!"

"...DIO. The end of your legacy…"
He exhaled, gritting his teeth at the sting of his wounds.
​

 

[udon]

That was it.

DIO had been defeated. The Stand Users of Morioh his arrow had created, the monster his henchman's son became—retired. The Stone Masks in Italy, funded by the arrows' purchase: Destroyed. And now, Johngalli A and Enrico Pucci, gone. The plan to Heaven died with them, and with Jotaro Kujo. The destiny of the Joestars, complete.
As the universe broke apart around him, Jotaro turned towards the light. He tipped his hat back, staring into the shining brightness.
Time to retire.

Jotaro stepped forward, into the light.


…


Jolyne. When this bright white cleared, that was the face he wanted to see. He felt cool, weightless, light…

And warm, heavy. Something was pulling him back—Pucci? Had he survived? Was he reaching through, somehow, dragging him back to the dying universe?

"So…" It was dark. A figure stepped forward through space, face obscured. No, not Pucci. No one he had ever seen before…
"You died, right?"

Jotaro knew he should have been confused, bewildered—what the hell was going on? But despite that, his voice still spoke. No inhale of breath, moving of the jaw or tongue—simply speaking. That was all he could do.
"Yeah," casually, as if this were simple small talk.
"Yeah. Thought as much. Otherwise you wouldn't be here," the figure declared, their vagueness a practical invite for Jotaro to inquire further.
He didn't see what all the shadowy robes and mystery were about, but he supposed he didn't have much choice in the matter.
"Here?" Jotaro questioned.
"The Reaper's Game." Jotaro barely had time to question it. "You've got one week. Survive all seven days, and you complete the game. Win, and you'll get a second chance at life. Lose? And you'll be erased. Lost forever."
Jotaro thought of furrowing his brow. No, he did furrow his brow—his physical form had returned.
"Oh?" His tone was flat, almost unimpressed. "What's the catch?" Besides the threat of erasure, of course.

He'd question if this could be the work of an enemy Stand, but…that couldn't be. It was the law of the universe: No Stand could bring another back from the dead. Stands could toy with souls, and some could mimic a ghastly imitation of revival—Enya and her zombie puppets, or Sports Maxx and his bloodthirsty phantasms.
Stands could, however, manipulate souls beyond that—but what Stand could possibly reach him in the remnants of a dying universe? Was this a secret side effect of Pucci's power? A final curse from defeating his spirit, maybe?
Or perhaps, as a scientist should be aware of, his framework was a limited one. He was attempting to define something outside the parameters of his knowledge by tenuously linking it to what he could understand. Perhaps this was something entirely new.
Regardless, he had seen souls ascend with his own eyes. He had *never* seen nor heard or anyone miraculously reviving themselves—this wasn't how things normally were.
Regardless of how he felt about his death, he had to investigate—for the sake of the souls of his friends. Of Weather, and Hermes, and…
"All you've gotta do to participate is give up the thing most important to you. It can be anything. An item, a memory... someone else's memory."
…Jolyne.

"Once your fee is paid, you'll be let on through."
Jolyne was framed because of her closeness to him. Her life was endangered because she refused to let him die—leading to a series of mistakes that cost both of them their lives, and the lives of those closest to them. But, if Jolyne had never known him, then Pucci would have no reason to target her. If Jolyne Cujoh's memories of Jotaro Kujo, past and present, could be erased…

The thought was all it took. He could feel it, in his mind: The confirmation that the debt had been paid, and the deed would be done. Jotaro Kujo would be a burning memory, lost to Jolyne.
The figure stood aside. "Good luck," they smirked behind their hood. Jotaro tipped the brim of his hat, casting shadow over his expression. Sorrow paled his cheeks, his expression blank—not out of steely reservation, nor a refusal to express emotion. Simple blankness: How could he possibly show the depth of the feeling within? He would drown in it.
He didn't even need to say it. He had only just thought of it, wished for it to be true for the briefest of moments, and that was that—in his heart of hearts, was that what he truly wanted?
Would he let go what was most precious to him so easily?
"Oh- and don't forget this."

Don't forget this. Something was placed in his palm, fist closed by another's, but he wasn't there. Jotaro Kujo was elsewhere.
"Jolyne…" He remembered how he'd said it, in Green Dolphin Street. The light did not wait—and as he crossed between one world and the next, and his fee was taken, he saw what would be lost.

"I've always…cherished you."
And his world crumbled to white.

Blinking, Jotaro opened his eyes. It had felt like an eternity since his meeting with the figure—an eternity to process his decision, an eternity of slumber and rumination.
Steeled, he focused his gaze to take in his surroundings.

Those buildings…The pattern of the crosswalk…This was Shibuya Scramble Square.
He wasn't in Tokyo often. He was hardly in Japan often, anymore—but even during his time living there, he had seldom visited the capital. He recalled passing through here, once: A sightseeing detour on a school-trip to the Shoto Museum of Art. The sheer vastness of it was overwhelming: He had thought it was simply a cause of the crowd, but even now that it was empty, he still found himself uneasy.
No. It wasn't just an uneasiness at its scale—there was something else. The buildings were…different. Ever so slightly, tiny details that didn't quite match up—except for the glaringly obvious change: The iconic 109, now 104.
Four…The number of death.

Motioning for the inside pocket of his jacket, Jotaro became aware of his right fist—clenched around something he had been given. He opened it, finding in his palm a simple black badge.
He paused, furrowing his brow.
He didn't exactly have much faith in the organisers of this Reapers' Game to play fair, but still…Turning it around in his palm, holding it up to the sun as Star Platinum closely examined, he could see nothing had been tampered with. There was no doubt he was given it for a reason—and while that reason remained unclear, he was tentatively confident it wasn't one of malice.
Unhooking the pin on the back, he slipped it into his lapel, pinning it there—much like the style of his uncle.

His hand finally free, Jotaro reached behind the pin and into the inside pocket of his jacket.
Withdrawing from within a small notebook, then a pencil—HB, brand on Rohan's recommendation—he strode forward into the city, ready to take notes and names. This 'game' could begin at any moment, or perhaps it was already in motion—regardless, it was important he gained his bearings, and quickly.
One week. He sketched a seven in the corner of his page—a countdown to judgement.

Jotaro's eyes shimmered with a strange power, his Stand manifesting partially within him. Through its eyes, he could spot the most minute of details—even the tiniest specks in darkness could be made out by Star Platinum's vision, as he knew from Joseph's Spirit Photo. He cast his Stand's gaze all around and tuned its hearing as he searched, looking for points of interest to investigate.​

 

[marc122]

Pyrrha Nikos

The Panicked One​

AURA LEVELS

​

Inventory:

• Miló
• Akoúo
• Scroll
• Old flip phone
• Player Pin

Interactions

@thatguyinthestore (GM), @Celestial Speck (Umbra)

---

I remember.

"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours."

I tried to stop her before she could do any further damage.

"But take comfort in knowing that I will use it in ways you could never have imagined."

Beacon was falling before my eyes, and Jaune and I had just witnessed how powerful she was. Had I not stood up to her, my friends may have been next.

But I failed.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

He was right. I couldn't stop her.

"Yes."

Jaune, I should've listened back then. Now, it hurts to think about our time together with our friends. I didn't want all that time together as friends, colleagues, and Huntsmen and Huntresses to go to waste.

But here we are. And I don't -- and can't -- know where you are now.

If she's after you, Nora, Ren...just about everyone else we've learned to know and love, please know that I've bought you all time as much as I can.

And please know that I will always love you all. J--Jaune... I hope we can...

" ...I--I'm...so..."

...meet again...

. . .​

H...

Huh? Where am I? Mom? Mom?

Just great. Nobody seems to notice me, and this does not look like Mistral at all. It can't even be Atlas because of how different this place looks. Did I get taken to another world?

Just where am I?!

I can recall preparing to go to Beacon the day before, but not how I even got here. I...I have faint memories of me explaining something in the dark, and some horrible thoughts about...failure..? I don't know, but I can recall that, for some reason, but before that, that thing told me something about dea--

...I'M DEAD?! I was still back home with my parents, and yet here I am! Did I die in my sleep?! Who are Jaune, Nora, and Ren?! I don't even know who they are and...

I--I'm sorry, I think I need a moment...

. . .​

As Pyrrha was panicking, she had been retreating somewhere less crowded where she wouldn't be seen, preferably an alley. Not even a minute in, and yet the sudden loss of memories was already starting to get to her.

Only time can tell whether she'd be able to recover.

 

[RoseWolf]

Chocolate is usually a delectable treat for young children, but Kinder Surprise Eggs are banned in the United States for a reason.

Kids are just too god damn stupid.

Sitting on the couch of the Heffley household's living room, Manny would scarf down the Kinder Egg, his fingers coated in half melted chocolate.

From the satisfaction of a sweet treat followed visceral horror as the three year old boy felt a lump trapped in his windpipe. Lodged in his throat, the toddler had swallowed the toy within the chocolate egg like a fool, depriving his lungs of the air his body so desperately needed. Grasping at his throat with his sugar coated hands, he attempted to dislodge the toy externally, yet to no avail. All that he had done was create a further mess of the situation, his neck sticky with melted chocolate. His face turning blue as he attempted to cough up the toy, Manny would feel his consciousness drifting away, falling off the couch and hitting his face against the hardwood floor as he passed out.

Manny fucking died.

--------------

Within darkness, the consciousness of a toddler still remained, strangely undisturbed by the predicament he as in. As the strange figure approached him with the offer of the game, Manny didn't listen to its driveling. All he had to know was that he could be back alive, back with... Well, not Greg or Rodrick, but his parents who'll forever spoil him. As for an Entry Fee...

"My papa's compyootur," he said with the grace of a toddler's pronunciation. "I watch funny annoying owarnge veedeos."

...Not sure why he felt as if he needed to mention that, but do you really question the mind of a three year old? Do you really question the mind of Manny Heffley?

--------------

And so Manny was entered into the Reaper's Game, waking up on the bustling streets of Shibuya, wandering the metropolis as he wait for what was to come next.

 

[Celestial Speck]

Umbra - Girless Shadow

@thatguyinthestore | @marc122

​

---

It had awakened to the sound of stars.

Of course, it sounds awfully pretentious if you were to put it that way. To die in space, and so close to the glory of burning celestial corpses-- it was something only fiction could come up with.

... but, it was no exaggeration to say It heard it again. A great hum, singing to It and It only. Nobody else who'd call themselves sane would claim to have heard it.

It knew that where It was going, It would be met with a deafening crescendo of sadness. Of shadowless people, much like the last girl.

It felt nothing. Nothing but love. Nothing but sympathy. Nothing but hope for these damnable, fragile humans.

It was without form again, but that was okay. The shadow created from humanity's mysteries, 'Umbra', would soon find it again. And embrace what mortals call 'form.'

But... 'Shinigami', right? A game made by them?

... How ironic. It certainly brings a smile to Its face.

​

---

​

Imagine that, brought to some sort of insane game beyond life itself. Not some sort of heaven or hell, or the land of purity the Buddha itself had promised them. But a game where the ultimate form of defeat was erasure.

It'd certainly be despairing to some, and perhaps, maybe, amusing to others. To certain beings, such as a Shadow, it would be where it had been born for what it believed to be the first time. Shadows, after all, naturally exist everywhere-- be it beyond life or death. Much like the looming threat of one day dying, they were universal constants.

Of course, no such thing as a shadow could exist without one or another to attach itself to. This shadow was no different. When it had been born, it had form but no ties to the earth. It simply 'existed.' And as such, because it had nobody to connect to, it found itself on the threat of losing its form-- dying a second time, if you will, simply by not maintaining its status quo.

Now, it might not be strange to imagine a blob of shadow disconnected from something that can cast it, but allow me to tell you an old story.

Once, there existed a young, virile lad. He had one day come across an old hag, who had offered to buy his shadow for a mere ten pieces of gold. Of course, he assumed there was no way his shadow could possibly be worth that much, so he accepted it. Why would he? How would not having a shadow inconvenience you? It wouldn't handicap you in any way.

But people notice that. They saw him, the lad without a shadow. He is persecuted by the townspeople and his family. It creates a discord around him of those who say-- 'It's creepy not to have a shadow,' much like a shadow not having a form. And they're right. It's strange and odd. They speak about creepy shadows, but one not being there is much creepier. Something that ought to be there not being there, right? So it was, the lad who sold his shadow for a mere ten pieces of gold.

So, you might understand now, right? Why a shadow cannot exist in opposite circumstances, either. So is the rule of Its world.

It ran off, or perhaps 'slithered' would be more accurate. To a being with no form, it looked more like a creature you see quickly lurking instead of something physical that you can understand and determine. It perhaps passed by the legs of some, or in the corner of the eyes of another-- but it certainly was seen, there and everywhere. The shadow with no person to its name.

-- but.

It would be a familiar scene, like one from a day's past. But the shadow would happen to cross paths with a girl. While the sun cast her own shadow on the world, it was naturally weak and distant. In a world beyond death, where the living couldn't see her, the shadow heard her cries and her despair like an echo through the wind.

The huntress, Pyrrha Nikos, could then see it. At the entrance of the alleyway, umbral dances met her-- something glued to the ground like a tapestry. Moving and dancing about without anything to its name.

Umbra.

It stood its distance from her. The strange entity. So close and so distant, like family Pyrrha never had seen before. And before words could be spoken from the girl, it spoke to her first;

"You died."

It was said so matter of factly. Because after all, it was true.

"... and you're losing your shadow..."

 

[Dave]

Kirei Kotomine - Kyrie Eleison

Kirei Kotomine was, at last, a dead man walking in form and in function.

Ever since the girl, Sakura, had ripped his heart from his chest, he had been running on fumes. Battling to remain, as long as there was even a shred of hope - but, no. Kirei Kotomine did not know hope. He knew chance. Cold, logical, unfeeling and uncaring. He had pulled himself inch by inch up this proverbial mountain as the black stain, the abyss in his chest, slowly wormed its tainted way into his body. His will was great, but the abyss was greater, and now it had come to collect its due.

And yet…

Kirei Kotomine was closer to his dream than he had ever been before. Even when he had battled with Kiritsugu Emiya, he had not been this close. Beheld what the Great Holy Grail truly was with his own eyes. Angra Mainyu. The product of all the world's evil. It wasn't beautiful. Nor was it ugly. Repulsive, nor divine. It simply was. On the verge of existence, prepared for all the world to see, and hear, and bring their judgment upon. For it to bring judgment upon itself.

And that was the only reason Kirei had survived this long. Chosen to force his legs to move, his lungs to breathe. For he had but one purpose in this world, from the very beginning. All of his folly had meant nothing, if not for this moment. The moment where he would finally have his answer. Whether he lived to see it or not didn't matter - he had shaken the Reaper's hand already, and wished only to bask in the glorious crimson glow for as long as his heart would allow. He had lived, for decades, for this moment. Fought countless battles, killed countless people, and felt nothing for it but pleasure. Tokiomi Tohsaka. Irisviel von Einzbern.

Kiritsugu Emiya.

A pleasure that he had thought to be madness.

And perhaps it was - the Grail would finally provide his answer.

He felt as if he was staring down the barrel of a gun as he watched on, awaiting the shadow of death or the birth of the Grail, whichever found him first. It was all he could do with the fleeting minutes he had left. It was ironic, he supposed. He had spent his entire life climbing this one peak, clamoring to the heavens for an answer to one question, and now death would steal him away mere minutes before he could have his answer. Life was cruel, and this was his reward. There was no other way around it.

And still, the question insisted upon him. The one he had dedicated his life to.

All further rumination was smothered in its crib by a familiar voice.

"Kotomine Kirei."

Emiya had survived, just as he had. He didn't look any better for it, either. Blood soaked his shirt, and gleaming blades jutted out of his skin. The product of Archer's arm, no doubt. If it weren't for that, he would be dead. It seemed, in this pursuit, they were one and the same. Two dead men walking, spending the last of their grains of sand trickling through the hourglass on a dream they would never see through to fruition.

"Yes. It seems we've both managed to survive, Shirou Emiya."

"What are you doing?" Shirou asks. "There's nothing for you to do now."

A chuckle almost escapes Kirei's body. Almost. They had been trapped in this by the hands of fate, cackling maniacally as whatever agent brought them here watched on. The irony was palpable, and yet, oddly fitting for the two of them. They were one and the same, Kirei Kotomine and Shirou Emiya. Only divided by a monochrome line, separated by their ideals. Aside from that, they were alike in every way. Hollow. Paradoxical.

Wrong.

"Do not ask something so obvious," Kirei retorted, his voice not at all trembling despite the tremendous strain inflicted on him. His will had been renewed, in this -- now, he had an ideal to defend, not just a dream to watch unfurl. He would defend it to the end, however soon it came. "There is only one goal left for me. To give birth to the curse."

Emiya seemed surprised. Kirei didn't blame him -- he would have been too, should the roles have been reversed. Such a thing was characteristic of Shirou Emiya. Gazing at the world through glasses tinted rose, frightened to remove them and take in the bloodstains.

"What?" Emiya stammered. "But… why? It'll never grant your wish."

Shirou knew better than anyone that Kirei was on death's door. To the end, he never changed, it seemed.

"Of course not. I cannot intervene with this, and I have no intention to.

But I have told you. I will bless anything that comes to life. This is about to be born. So it is only natural for me to protect it from an outside enemy that tries to kill it."

"...Are you insane?"

Emiya appeared to be genuinely shocked at the revelation. Naivete, Kirei supposed. Refusal to acknowledge that in the end, the both of them were, indeed, insane. Brought to and over the edge, with nothing left to fight for save for the ideal, and the creature preparing to be born behind them.

"Perhaps. We are both dead men, Shirou Emiya. Madmen, fighting for a dream we will never get to play out. Planting seeds in a garden we shall never get to see. There is nothing to gain, no matter the victor."

Shirou clenched his fists in quiet acceptance, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, likely formulating a strategy. Even on the brink of death, Kirei Kotomine was dangerous. Fighting like a cornered animal, with quite literally nothing left to lose.

"But why are you protecting him? You'll gain nothing, even if he's born. So… why?"

It seemed, despite everything that had happened, Shirou Emiya did not understand Kirei, despite their similarities. Shirou unnerved Kirei -- it was like gazing into an inverted mirror. The exact opposite of what he was. What he could have been. Equally broken, but blinded by virtue instead of by evil.

"There is no room for questions, now. This is all the joy I have left. Just as you take joy in other people's joy, I take joy in other people's suffering."

"Bullshit," Shirou retorts. "He's killed enough people already. I can't let him out."

"Oh?" Kirei shot back, his response on a hair-trigger.
"Then let me ask you - what is good, and what is evil? Do you mean to suggest murder is an absolute evil?"

Shirou goes silent. To speak of truth and justice now would be hypocrisy - he betrayed that dream as soon as he resolved to save Sakura Matou. And so, now, he has nothing to say. As expected.

"I can't blame you. The answer is ever-changing, and humanity accepts that fact. One man's good is another man's evil. No matter how virtuous you believe yourself to be, to another, you are all that is wrong with the world. There is no answer, in truth. The only truth occurs when we are born - that we exist. It is up to us to determine what to do with that existence.

A certain scripture speaks of the idea that humans are superior to angels. Why? Because humans are exposed to evil, tempted by sin, and yet choose to live well, and refuse temptation. Angels, from birth, only know of the virtue of goodness, and cannot be evil. It is impossible. Outside their nature. Therefore, humans are superior to angels.

And at the same time, rarely, a saint will commit an act borne of wickedness. An evil man will perform a loving act, out of good will. That is the contradiction of life - the contradiction that makes us truly human.

There is no existence that is born evil. Until it is born, it has no reason to be punished."

Shirou opened his mouth to retort, and Kirei simply carried on, smothering Shirou's words in his throat.

"My final desire is to know what this entity, Angra Mainyu, thinks of its own actions. It is evil by nature - all of the world's evil, upon the shoulders of one being. But it is how it views its acts that decide its true nature.

If it doubts its actions, agonizes over what it has done, it is evil. But if it holds no regrets… then it is good, irrefutably. We wished for it to be so, after all. If it does not doubt its function, then it cannot be evil.

Would it be able to forgive itself, after destroying and losing everything? That is my final desire, Shirou Emiya. To know whether it is truly a sin to live as you are, when your nature is incompatible with the world at large. To live the way that brings you joy, when such a way of life differs from others. I cannot find the answer by myself, and that is why I protect Angra Mainyu. That I may find the answer through it.

I have done horrible things, to accomplish this goal. And I do not regret a moment of it.

That is how I lived - to answer that question.

I will not change, even on the verge of death."

And with that, bathed in the deep purple and crimson glow of destiny, Kirei Kotomine stood from his seat and began to walk toward Shirou Emiya, and toward his final battle, whether he won or lost.

He would not have his answer in this life, and he did not care.

This was all that was left.

And Kirei Kotomine intended to see it through to the end.
​

---

As the black stain upon his chest crawled its way across the length of his body, shoulder to screaming shoulder, Kirei did not cease his assault. Even on fumes, he was stronger than Shirou Emiya, and the both of them knew it. Another well-placed palm strike to the ribs sent another bolt of pain shrieking up Kirei's arm as he pulled back, and sent Shirou's body limply hurtling into a jagged outcrop of rubble. If not for that, Emiya would have fallen off the cliff and into oblivion altogether. Glancing downward at his hands, Kirei winced. They were soaked in blood, destroyed utterly by the blades jutting from every inch of Emiya's skin. Whatever Kirei destroyed with his strikes, Emiya's body worked to rebuild. His body now extracted its tax with every strike Kirei landed… but it didn't matter.

Soon, it would be over.

Emiya was winded - he gasped for breath on the floor, face caked in sweat, dried blood and freshly driven dirt. It seemed he was unable to move. All it would take was one strike to the head, to create a trauma to Emiya's brain that his swords could not heal. He was hanging on by a loose thread of steel, and that thread threatened to snap at any moment. It was all Kirei could do to ensure his thread remained intact just one second longer. Every breath was an ordeal, Sisyphus' boulder rolling up and downhill, and yet Kirei's lungs still breathed, his legs still moved, his fists still clenched even as the flesh was cut to ribbons and the bone jutted out like an unsightly defect.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Emiya was on his feet, and Kirei's fist had fallen short. Another blink, another breath, and Emiya's fist had caught Kirei's jaw, shearing off its tax of flesh and sending Kirei stumbling backward. Still, he remained standing, even as gravity yanked him toward the ground. For the first time in what felt like years, Kirei's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth hanging agape as blood trickled from the corner of his lips.

"You still-...!"

"KOTOMINE… KIREI!!!"

Emiya struck again, and again, and Kirei raised his hands to defend himself, his forearms shredded to the bone as the blades Emiya's body had made cut into flesh like scissors through paper. Time and time again, Emiya struck - he was not stronger, nor was he faster… but he was gaining ground. Slowly, but surely. Kirei found himself stunned, thrown off-kilter; an errant blow had struck him in the temple and sent him seeing double, giving Emiya his opening, the chink in his armour. Emiya was exploiting it for all it was worth, and Kirei could do nothing but defend until his composure returned to him. But, then…

An opening. A mistake. A wince of pain, or perhaps a greedy miscalculation. Either way, Kirei seized his chance, batting Emiya's wrist away and forcing his own palm upward into Emiya's ribs in return, striking him square in the heart with a resounding crunch. Droplets of scarlet hurled themselves from Emiya's mouth as he flew backwards. That was his last gap, it seemed.

It was over.

Kirei stepped forward, shoulders and chest heaving as if the weight of the cosmos lay upon them, and raised his fist to finally extinguish Shirou Emiya's life.

And then…

Nothing.

"It seems…" The stain on Kirei's chest settled on his heart, its seething lavender glow replaced by charred black. Nothing left.

"This is how it ends.

Merely a difference in time."

Shirou stood, teetering on his unstable legs as Kirei spoke, frozen in place like a mortuary statue.

"You are the last Master, Shirou Emiya. Go to the Grail and fulfill your wish, while you're still alive to claim it."

"Yeah," Shirou retorts. "This is for hurting me so much. I'm gonna destroy your wish."

A slight smile crept onto Kirei's lips as his legs finally gave way to unfeeling, the light having left his eyes for good before he struck the ground.
​

---

As the figure sitting across from him awaited his reply, Kirei's blood ran cold. His mouth hung open ever so slightly, and his eyes widened against his volition. Even his breath caught in his throat.

That which was most dear to him. That was the price they had agreed upon, and Kirei had agreed to pay it. After all… there was nothing that was precious to him. Nothing that he could not throw away if prompted. That was his curse - to forever grasp at grains of sand and watch as they slipped through his fingers. To attempt to part a river with his own two hands.

And yet, the price the figure had named sent chills screaming down his spine.

His memories. Of her.

One vision after another struck Kirei's mind, memories of his final - and greatest - shame. He saw himself, carrying Claudia Hortensia in his arms as she rested her head against the crook of his shoulder, weakly breathing as if a light breeze could've spelled her end.

And he felt nothing.

He saw her cradling a newborn child. Their child. He saw her one good eye brimming with tears, and her crescent moon smile gleaming in the light cast upon her from above.

And he felt nothing.

And then, he saw…

He saw himself, tears rolling down his cheeks as fresh blood turned to nothing but a stain in front of him. He remembered this, as clearly as day. Try as he might, he had not loved her. She was a saint, and he was nothing like her. All he had wanted was to kill her himself. He had not wept from grief, he had wept from shame.

So why, when asked to pay the highest price, was this his bargain? This was his punishment, not a blessing. Those memories meant nothing. Gone like blood in rain.

He had left Claudia's room that day without looking back, even once. He did not dare.

"Enough!" Kirei shouted, spittle flying from his teeth as his knuckles clenched 'till they turned white as paper. "Collect your price, then! What are you waiting for?! I have no use for these memories!

They would only…"

And then, Kirei said nothing, until another wave of purest white took him.
​

---

In another world, a simple Player's Pin affixed to his frock, a simple priest sits upon a bench in lonesome Shibuya, back straight and hands clasped together around the pendant of the Cross hanging from his neck. Caught deep in thought, and little else. As if replaying an event in his head, in repose from the world at large.

Noticing the streets begin to fill with silhouettes - presumably, wearing the same pin as he - the priest sits up, his eyes taking in the scenery all at once. He does not smile, nor does he frown. In fact… his face does not move.

Another chance at life, was it? A chance to right his wrongs, and take back what once was taken. Once, Kirei Kotomine would have thought it ironic. A punishment befitting of him. Now, a low, simmering intrigue hung over him. He could save jubilation for later.

First, he had to win this game.

And if need be, he would destroy anyone who stood in his way.​

 

[Midle1998]

Claudio is lying on his back on the street. He groans, and slowly opens his eyes to be met with the dim light from the...."Huh, I don't see the Sun. Maybe it's downcast today." He sits up off the street and looks around the many buildings and sky-scrappers surrounding him "This isn't my city...It's a city but....This isn't the one I was just at...What happened to everyone? Did we win or what?...And why do I feel so... Naked?" Claudio looks down to see what he has on. "My birthday sneakers that are still in mint condition after 5+ years. Check.. My standard stain-free, tear-free 100% cotton jeans. Check. My red hand-me-down waterproof vest/life jacket. Check." Claudio shifts his red-tinted glasses "My gradient-red custom blazer. Check. So far everything is good except-" Just then, Claudio feels his chest and he feels...Skin....Skin-on-skin contact. He traces his fingers down and around his abdomen before he looks down to see his sweater was gone. Claudio places his hand on his head in distress "NO! My medium-sized Mahou Shoujo Haru no Shimai sweateeer! It's GOOOOONNNNNNE! Oh my gosh, who would do such a thing?!" Claudio looks around frantically before deciding to zip up his vest jacket up to the collar. Claudio takes a deep breath "Okay...! Think, Claudio...Retrace your steps...I was fighting a sentient asteroid with my best friends face on it....We were getting out asses kicked by it....Then everything with dark. Then I was dreaming I was floating in the void. I was talking to someone. Saying I had to pay a fee and...." Claudio's eyes widen when he comes to the realization "Oh my gosh...! Oh my gosh, I wasn't dreaming! I ACTUALLY died! That means everyone else died too....And that means I literally gave my sweater away to a disembodied voice! I didn't even ask why or what this "Reaper's Game" is, I just...Went with it! GAH! My sweaterrrr....! Oh, I'm getting weaker already.....Wait, if this isn't the city I was in before....Does that mean I'm in the game now? Is this like...Heaven? Limbo? Hell? I'm banking on Limbo. I'm getting Limbo vibes from this place more than anything. Plus, with the kind of person I am, I'd feel as though it would be the most appropriate place for me to end up at. Hmmm.... What do I do? Well...Duh. I ask around and get more information. Easy! Let my natural socialization skills and charm guide me!" As Claudio is about to walk of his foot hit's something wooden. He looks down and sees his bokken "Huh. Well will you look at that." Claudio slips it foot under his bokken before kicking it up and catching it "Ofcourse you'd come with me to the afterlife." Claudio's jests before continuing on his "quest" to find answers

@Open for interactions

 

[Second2Last]

Lilith & Shantae


It would've happened one way or another.

The fate of death has taken the two as it did for everyone else and soon everyone would find themselves in a big open city after following the figure's rules, one person in question being the purple haired genie named Shantae. Understandably she seemed very confused as to what was happening so she called out to whoever would have listened for help. "Um H-Hello, can anyone help me?" And luckily some one did. A presumably ghost-like figure named Lilith followed the callings of the worried girl, Shantae suddenly felt as if someone was behind her and yelped to see a ghost was behind her. Lilith however was also very startled by her reaction and started to apologize profusely, she was even stumbling over her words! "O-Oh my god I'm so so sorry, I j-just heard you calling for help and uh..." Before she could finish Shantae stopped her and reassured her that she was fine. "No no it's okay, I just didn't except to see any ghosts here." She said before letting out a nervous but also light-hearted laugh, the ghost just looked of to the side, looking presumably embarrassed about unintentionally scaring someone like that. "Well I guess it would be considered rude if I didn't introduce myself now that we're here, I'm Shantae." She said now fully realizing that this ghostly entity didn't have any malicious intent, or at least not on the surface. "Right...I'm Lilith."

"So, I'm guessing your also familiar as to how we got here." Shantae asks with a bit of restraint and sorrow, she didn't want to upset Lilith by any means but it appears that she also knew. "Yes I'm aware." She answered with her voice going a bit softer. "I was just worried that you knew as well." Shantae nodded and walked over to one of the nearby benches and looked over to the ghost as some sort of offer to sit next to her, she seemed more somber now that this realization has fully settled in. Lilith could tell that she wasn't in the best mood and sat next to her and tried to think of some way to make her feel just a little bit better.

"Hey um...I'm not good at comforting people like at all, but I'm really sorry about this." Shantae looked over and responded. "Thanks, I just need some time to think."

@Literally Everyone​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Shinjiro Prologue
"This is How it Should Be"

"Aheh... what's with the long face...?"

Shinjiro just barely managed to look up. The pain in his stomach was immense - easily the worst he'd ever felt. Blood poured from the wound and trickled from the corner of his mouth, forming a deep pool of crimson beneath his knees. Ken had a horrified look on his face as he stared down at the older male. But despite that, Shinjiro managed a smile. It was something that he didn't do often. Not anymore. But in his final moments, he supposed that it was only fitting.

"Isn't this what you wanted...?"

The kid was very clearly about to break down. Shinji knew everything that was going through his mind. The way his legs trembled violently... that horrified look on his face, which was only just clearly gonna give way at any damn moment. Shinji could see it, even as he coughed up burst upon burst of crimson red blood. Each hack caused more to spurt out, adding to the ever growing puddle beneath his feet. Everything was so damn light. It took all his will power just to stay awake. But still, he managed. Even as his teammates cried around him, pleaded with him to hang on, Shinjiro managed to reach forward and grab Ken by the hand.

"It's alright..." He said with that same damn smile, though his words were followed by a desperate gasp for air. "Give yourself time. Let your anger be your strength..."

"Come on kid, you're just a kid. You've got your whole life ahead of you, so don't waste it. Make it your own... okay?"

Shinji's words were forcefully cut off by another loud gasp. It was getting harder and harder for him to speak as his vision continued to blur more and more. He could just barely make out the kid's face. His own blood had pooled all around his body at this point. It wouldn't be very long now. Ken tried to speak, but words failed him. But even as those words failed him, Shinji knew what he was trying to say. He more than understood the thoughts and emotions running through his head right now.

It was becoming harder and harder to focus on Ken now. His vision spurred, continuing to swirl as it met the bright lights above them. They were even brighter than usual. Had Shinji been a religious man, maybe he would have thought that was God himself coming to strike him down in his final moments. But the final strike never came.

"Aki..." Shinji groaned out, using the last of his strength to do so. He didn't have much time left. "Take care of 'em..."

"I-I will!"

And Shinji nodded. He knew he would take care of them. Not just Ken, either. All of them.

"This is how it should be..."

Using the last of ounce of his strength, Shinji stood up and began to walk past the group. Past Akihiko, Fuuka, Junpei... and of course, Ken. He walked right past all of them with a smirk that was just barely etched onto his face. He stumbled as he walked, just barely making it to the light.

And then, As Shinji reached the center of said light, he collapsed.

And with that, Shinjiro Aragaki ceased to move.

---

The Persona user awoke God knows how many hours later in what seemed like a void surrounded by darkness. He squinted through the darkness, furrowing his brows slightly. Was this supposed to be the afterlife? Pretty disappointing, if you asked him, but it's not like he didn't expect this. Well- that was a bit of a lie. He really hadn't expected there to be any sort of afterlife at all. He pat himself down... okay, so he still had his axe on him. And he was still in his clothes. Yet oddly enough, they were no longer stained in his own blood.

Shinji began to look for some way out of this place. And it was only then that a voice called out to him, beckoning him forward. With no other options, Shinji made his way forward, hands shoved into his pockets. The voice was revealed to be some mysterious, cloaked figure. He told him that he was chosen for some kind of game to come back to life - that he was one of the lucky ones. Shinji grumbled. Yeah, right. "Lucky". He'd known that his death was imminent for a long time now. But... well, the idea of being erased entirely from existence wasn't exactly one Shinji was fond of. He didn't have much he could go back to, but at the same time... he knew that with a second chance, he could be of more use to the world alive than dead.

So, with a nod, he agreed, and took the two objects that were handed to him. A phone and a pin. Without much hesitation, he put the pin onto his jacket and pocketed the phone, before making his way forward. The figure stopped him again, though, this time to inform him of some kind of entry fee.

"Entry fee...?" Shinjiro asked, narrowing his eyes a bit. "What the hell do you mean entry-"​

​

And then, before he could even finish, Shinji felt a flash in his mind. It didn't take him long to figure out what his fee was. They were... his memories of Aki. Shinji's teeth grit as he tried to protest, fists clenching at his sides. But every attempt failed as his memories began to fade. All the talks they had... the good times, the bad. Fighting by his best friend's side. All of it disappeared quickly - too quick for him to even comprehend.

And within a few moments, they were all gone. No matter how hard Shinjiro tried, he couldn't remember a damn thing about him. Damn Reapers...

With no other choice left, Shinji reluctantly pushed forward into the light...

---

And as the light faded, Shinji was met with the sights and sounds of... Shibuya? The hell was he doing here?

Confused, Shinji looked around. There were a few things to do, and some other Players he could interact with, but none of them seemed to really interest him.

Not yet, anyway.

@OpenForInteraction​

​

 

[Dave]

Hierophant's Faith

It was a peculiar thing to remember at a time like this, but Noriaki Kakyoin's thoughts were cast back to a quote he had heard once. He had never paid it much thought until now, as he was carried upon Hierophant Green's darting tendrils through the winding streets of Cairo with the monster who had set him on this journey mere seconds behind. "Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acting in spite of it." As Kakyoin's eyes darted backward, sweeping over Mr. Joestar's fleeting silhouette and landing upon the figure behind them, cloaked in malice of brilliant gold, he felt a twinge of fear surge through his being. Biting it back, Kakyoin pressed on.

He supposed, in a twist of fate that would've been amusing under different circumstances, he wouldn't have been here if not for DIO. A juxtaposed flavour of gratitude, an ironic twist of fate set in motion by his own adversary. Were it not for DIO's dogma, he would never have found his first and closest friends - his brothers, if he was to use more sentimental vernacular. He would have carried on alone, the weight of Hierophant Green never relieved, never knowing the feeling of being truly, wholly understood. The thought prompted a bubbling, churning existentialism's beginnings in his stomach, and he quickly purged it from his mind as Cairo's streets passed him by, the cars and streetlights like streaks of paint on a dark canvas. If it wasn't for DIO, Kakyoin would never have been afforded the charity of a second chance. Never seen all that he had seen on this journey, good and the bad.

And now, at last, DIO would pay for his mistake with his life.

Already, Kakyoin's eyes had begun disassembling the environment like a surgeon's blade, scouring his surroundings for every angle, every corner, as if a spider planning out the geometry of its web. Once his feet were on solid stone, Kakyoin glanced back toward Mr. Joestar, reaching a hand up and removing his shades to reveal ironclad determination wrought in his eyes. Mr. Joestar had said something, but the blood pounding in Kakyoin's ears had prevented the words from reaching him. Still, he issued his reply, as Hierophant Green faded from visibility and began its journey along the first of many pathways that had been etched into space in his mind. "I know what to do, now. I know how to uncover the secret of DIO's Stand." Reaching out with a tendril beyond the reaches of visibility, Kakyoin perched himself upon a pylon that jutted up into the sky, and waited for The World to come and meet him.

As Kakyoin waited, seconds seemed to stretch into hours. A side effect of the adrenaline that glaring into DIO's monstrous eyes released, most likely. The clocktower infringing upon his periphery ticked as if once an eternity, and every detail of the environment around him became clear as crystal as Hierophant Green wound its way around the city, creating a web from which no Stand could escape. Not even DIO's. Kakyoin's teeth gritted and ground against each other as flashes of Iggy's face, and Avdol's in turn, bit into his thoughts and sent chills racing down his spine. He knew why, of course. They were the first ones to treat him as a friend. As an equal. After seventeen years of walking with his head hung low and Hierophant Green cast as his shadow, he had finally been able to see eye to eye with those just like him. Immature as it was, he had never felt so compelled by gratitude in all his days. The notion was foreign, and yet, it made him whole. Filled the gaping abyss in his chest, and gave him purpose renewed, a vigour that he had long since forgotten. He couldn't let it all be in vain. The journey they shared, and the memories they forged. Those were unbreakable. Worth more to him than any power in the world.

That was why it had to work. It had to work. And as DIO touched down upon the building opposite him, the first Emerald Splash took flight. DIO turned back the streaks of jade effortlessly, and yet, as he did so, another of Hierophant Green's tendrils brushed against his cloak and sent a volley of bullets forth. For a moment, DIO appeared to be on the back foot, and still Kakyoin held his nerve, taut like a stretched rope. "Kakyoin's Hierophant…" he heard DIO mutter, and, almost on instinct, Kakyoin issued his retort.

"That's right, DIO."

His resolve went aflame in his chest as the monster finally turned to face him, bathed in a flaming aura of purest gold. Hierophant Green's tendrils extended far as the eye could see in all directions, linked from building to building and ensnaring DIO and Kakyoin both as if the eye of a great storm. Each of the tendrils hummed with energy like taut power lines, awaiting the slightest touch to unleash the power ready for release within them.

"Hierophant Green's barrier has you surrounded for twenty meters in every direction. I can sense both your movement, and The World's!" Kakyoin raised a hand and threw it forward in a dramatic gesture to accentuate the point, DIO's expression caught in a half-measure of malice and amusement all the while. "There's nowhere to run, DIO! Now, DIE!

TWENTY METER RADIUS EMERALD SPLASH!"

Streaks of brilliant emerald like shooting stars rocketed toward DIO from all directions, a wreath of destruction from which no worldly force could possibly escape. At long last, it was over. DIO was caught in the bear trap, and had nowhere left to run. Still, Kakyoin braced as The World's silhouette took shape, DIO's face shifting into a hungry, sadistic grin as the burning gold aura around him intensified. "You're a fool, Kakyoin! You shall soon know that The World's true power is, indeed, the power to reign over all the world!" DIO raised his hand as he spoke, the crimson cape draped over his shoulders fluttering in the gale winds as Kakyoin clenched his fists and braced for DIO's Stand to be called forth. His plan was foolproof… it had to be. To put an end to DIO's terror. To ensure that no one else had to die.

To keep the memories that they had shared untarnished.

And then, DIO called forth The World.

"『 Z A W A R U D O ! 』"

As the hurricane of emerald volleys met in its center, DIO disappeared from sight within the blink of an eye. Like a bolt of lightning, Kakyoin's body was struck by a force so tremendous that he was launched backward, limbs flailing helplessly until he made contact with the water tower behind him, puncturing a hole in its surface and feeling icy water drench the back of his coat. The front was drenched in turn, but not by water - a quick glance downward confirmed what he already knew. A waterfall of crimson fell from where his chest used to be. He felt no pain, but blood pounded in his head and, all of a sudden, his arms were weighed down as if by the weight of all the world. His eyes struggled to maintain their focus, and Kakyoin's grasp on consciousness became more tenuous by the second.

How… did he…?

I can't even lift my fingers. That must've been… a fatal blow.

Kakyoin glanced toward the clocktower as Hierophant Green's immaculate web crumbled into emerald dust around him.

I wonder what mom and dad are doing… right now? It should be… midnight in Japan. They might already be asleep..
I… I'm sorry for worrying you.

As the weight on his eyelids multiplied, Kakyoin's thoughts turned to the burning sun in the center of his vision, with DIO's silhouette in its center.

But how did he… without even the slightest delay… It was as if he…

No.

I understand now.

If they don't know… they'll all die.

I have to warn them.

Raising his hands with all the strength left in his body, Hierophant Green took form once more. With trembling fingers, Kakyoin willed it to fire off one more Emerald Splash, but a sudden wave of agony accompanied by a torrent of blood forcing its way upward from his throat stayed his hand.

Once again willing Hierophant Green into existence despite the pain in his chest and the metallic tang of his own blood in his teeth, Kakyoin forced himself to action. Hierophant Green's hands clasped together and fired off one last Emerald Splash, slamming square into the clocktower, stopping its hands in their tracks.

That's all I have left. I'm sorry.

You have to figure it out. You have to stop him, otherwise, you'll…

I…

Kakyoin's final thoughts as the numbness and nothingness took hold were of those fifty days. The first days in which his life had meaning. He had faith that they hadn't come all that way for nothing. Faith that they could stop DIO.

Faith that his memory would live in them. That was enough for him.

And with that, Noriaki Kakyoin closed his eyes, and all became black.

​

---

And yet, where he had expected nothing, he found himself once more on firm ground. The pain in his chest relieved, his body whole again, as if it had not been tarnished at all.

And then, the figure sitting across from him spoke.

Kakyoin's blood ran cold as ice.

"You… I-I can't…"

And yet… temptation stirred in his soul. Like a hook reeling in a caught fish.

If he could just get one more chance. Undo his mistakes. Find his friends again…

The price was worth it, wasn't it?

It had to be. If the memories were truly as precious as Kakyoin thought, then he would find them again.

And if he didn't?

Then so be it.

One last time, the thought of Kakyoin's friends entered his mind.

"I'll be back. I promise. Then, we can all go home together."

And so, Kakyoin took the reaper's hand, and stepped from dark to dark, and then into light.

​

---

The light of a place somewhat familiar to him. Shibuya Crossing, it looked like - and his goal had been made abundantly clear. Hierophant Green peering over his shoulder as always, Kakyoin surveyed the new world with arms folded, still chilled from death's cold embrace.

Survive one week.

Seven days.

Endure the challenges set before you, and you will be returned to life. That was what they'd said. Return to life, and regain what was yours.

And yet, a gnawing emptiness nagged at the back of Kakyoin's mind. An emptiness that turned into an explosion of dread in his chest, as he realised something that almost shoved him off balance by its lonesome. He was dead, of course, but…

He didn't remember how. All he remembered was his life, as it had always been. His life with Hierophant Green, and no one else for company.

So how…

Staggering to a nearby bench and easing himself onto it to offset the nausea, Kakyoin rubbed newly beading sweat from his brow, millions of thoughts careening through his mind at once. Still, one thought prevailed above all others.

If he had given something precious… truly precious, then he would win this game. He was no fool. If he had given it up, then surely it was worthy of the wager.

A wager that Kakyoin would win. To discover what he had lost to begin with, and tear it back from death's cold embrace.​

 

[marc122]

Pyrrha Nikos

The Conversing One​

#C80034 = Speech

AURA LEVELS

​

Inventory:

• Miló
• Akoúo
• Scroll
• Old flip phone
• Player Pin

Interactions

@thatguyinthestore (GM), @Celestial Speck (Umbra)

---

I can't believe this, I can't believe it, I can't... What happened? I was about to come to Beacon Academy, one of the most prestigous of the four Huntsman Academies, and then suddenly I had thought of how I failed friends I don't even know who they are. This is...

I... I can't understand it. And then there's the figure who had me participate in some game to come back home, or else.

Wait, who was that?

"H--Huh?"

What?

I'm sorry, who was that? I can't seem to find them, and yet he's still talking to me. Finding myself here with little recollection of how I ever got here -- nevermind before I were to come to Beacon Academy -- was bad enough. Now there's someone whom I can't seem to find, and I'm already scrambling just to...

I need to calm down. Just a moment to recollect what's going on.

I--I mean, I have a Player Pin, which I got from that mysterious figure. Perhaps that could explain why nobody seemed to notice me, but this figure did. Yeah. Then he said something about finding other people with this pin..?

Anyways. I don't know what he meant by losing my shadow, but I have to find out. And I have to understand just what's going on.

I just...h--have to hold it together.

"I just arrived here... What do you mean?"

 

[HeartCard]

Chariot
CHARACTER SHEET
STATUS:
Physical: Fine
Mental: Fine (panicking)
​

---

What even... happened? Whatever happened before this... why is she now in a void? Darkness enveloped her and her surroundings, gifting her a familiar feeling as she stayed here even another second. "This place, again..." The wheeled girl muttered to herself under her breath, and she rose up from her knocked-over position, struggling to even balance on the wheels she had instead of her feet. Her clothes, her crown, her sword 'and' her shield - it was all still here. Last time, she was not with them in the dark... So what's going on here? As soon as she had accepted she was once more in this void she was familiar with, her internal questions would get their answers.

"You."

This single word, from an unexpected voice - creepy and hoarse, had 'not' gone unnoticed. Startled, Chariot spun around, raising her sword and shield in her respective hands - but when she turned around expecting to see someone or something there, there was... nothing, just the void that had met her already. "Who goes there?! Show yourself!" Chariot practically barked out into the darkness, raising her tone and voicing her irritation. However, her question and her 'command' would both be... ignored, as the same tone rang out again.

"Yes... you. Come forward."

It sounded like the voice was walking away, or at least moving constantly. With nothing to gain or lose anymore - being dead and all that - Chariot shrugged to herself and slowly wheeled herself towards the source in the abyss that held her captive once more. When she looked around after travelling enough, there was this poorly lit hallway - the lights were dim, and the hallway itself was old - with noticeably aged stone. Chariot couldn't help but gag at the sight. "So this is the world beyond the void? I want to go back already..." She muttered to herself - but it was too late now! She had already committed, and there was nothing she could do about it.

When she moved even further, this bright light at the end of the hallway she could finally see... would be interrupted by a hooded figure suddenly appearing and blocking her path, once more catching her by surprise. With such appearance, Chariot once more held her weapons, pointing her sword to the hooded figure. "You! Who ae you?!" She roared right to their face... And was then increasingly confused when the same voice as before, belonging to this hooded figure, let out a chuckle. She was... bewildered. Frustrated. One could probably tell if you could see her face. This little chuckling did not help her case. "Answer me already! Who are you, right now?!"

"Not so fast, young one. Before you can enter the game, you must first agree to the rules."

"...Game? Rules?" Chariot blurted out. "...What kind of game?"

"The Reapers' Game, of course. You did die, correct?"

"Don't remind me." Chariot's words were laced with aggression before she sighed in acceptance. "...But, yes. I guess I did. Again."

"Yes, well, as it turns out, you're one of the lucky ones. You see, The Reapers Game isn't any ordinary game. You have seven days, each with their own set of tasks. Complete each task, and you'll be granted a second chance at life." As it spoke, it grew a truly evil, wicked and almost sinister smile.

"Fail, and you'll be erased from existence by the Reapers."

"...Did you say... erased from existence?" Chariot's eyes widened as she noticed this smile on this faintly-seen mouth of his... its? Some cruel task this is... A week, and do a bunch of dirty work... Chariot did not seem to pleased. "Is it too late to turn back?" With a brief silence after she spoke, she sighed and nodded - if she wanted to come back earlier this time, better get to it...! And she was immediately holding a flip phone! At least she understood how this thing worked, and according to the figure, this was how missions were handed out - as mentioned as those tasks. The next thing was... a pin? Within seconds, Chariot had it held in one of her clawed hands, putting her sword in the ground to hold the pin between her fingers, curiously analysing it. It was... tiny. Some kind of devil symbol?

"You'll need this Player Pin if you want to access the game." The figure continued to explain. "Look out for other people wearing these. They're the only ones who can see you, after all."

After the words faded into her head and then similarly left it, Chariot nodded to herself and within seconds, the pin was now resting near her neck, on her clothes. Then, she proceeded to go past after picking up her sword, and...

"Ah, one last thing. Before you enter, we'll need to collect your Entry Fee."

"...Entry fee?"

As soon as these confused words left her mouth, Chariot paused as soon as she heard them. Stop, and think. Entry fee... something to give up, that isn't her own life, just to get one final chance... Chariot sighed and could only really think of one option. Her closest friend, though strict and sincere, would often be uncomfortable with Chariot's actions, despite her own dependence on her dear friend. Though there was some visible regret as Chariot wheeled forward just a little more, a gap formed in her mind to 'alter' and 'replace' the memories affected. She did not recognise her best friend's face in any memory she appeared in, nor even her name anymore - and there were feelings that no longer had a face tied to, from Chariot. When she looked back to the hallway behind her, she found this was the point of no return. So, to the blinding door she stood, and...

"Alright then... you wanna play some games? Let's play - with our lives."

Chariot zoomed directly into the light at a blinding speed.
​

---

The next thing Chariot knew, the void was no more. She was once more in a knocked-down position, and the place she was in now was... much brighter. Much more lively. This place... "Is this... the real world? It's so..." Chariot was at a loss for words as she took all of this in. It was... beautiful! With a short delay, she picked herself up onto her wheels once more and once more was immediately met with a balance problem. Once that was done however... Where exactly is she? Even if she is the real world, she has never been in anywhere even close to this atmosphere or this environment! Chariot isn't quite sure what to do, but... maybe, just maybe... are the people here in the same boat, so to speak? What does she look at first in this place she's never seen the likes of even once? Too many thoughts rattled the girl's mind, and unable to decide, remained where she was for now.

Not that she wouldn't mind exchanging a hello and a goodbye with anyone who was interested enough to say hi to her.

@OpenForInteraction

​

 

[RingoRoadgain]

Mukuro Ikusaba


Life is something fragile. A single action, a simple moment in time can change a person's life forever. Mukuro wasn't strange for situations like those. She had changed the lifes of countless people around the globe in a path made by their own blood. It wasn't like she enjoyed seeing them suffer or dying, she simply was... indifferent to them. Even if some die today, there are over seven billion people out there in the world. Maybe this lack of care for others was what made her the ultimate soldier, not backing down from a mission no matter how big or small it's the target.

So, to think she survived in such dangerous war zones and deadly confrontations without even a single scratch... just to be impaled by some sharp ended spears in a game where you have to kill someone. It's.. a rather ironic situation.

The Spears of Gungnir that had impaled her body didn't hurt whatsoever. Perhaps it was due to her experience on the battlefield combined with her talent or simply due to sheer shock. Ikusaba remained alive for a few seconds, no anger towards the responsible of such act... only a weak voice came from her as if she wasn't expecting for that to happen before she breathed her final breath.

"Why...me..."

---

What followed was an empty black void all around her. The afterlife as some would call it. It wasn't the white and soft clouds promised by Heaven or the suffocating and pain filled flames of Hell. Just a plain looking void. Was this how she was supposed to be for the rest of time as a punishment for her deeds?

She wasn't alone to atone however, as something seemed to call her to come near it. A voice she couldn't identify, but that seemed to know something she didn't. After all, they had been here for far longer than her, at least that was what Mukuro assumed.

And during the entirety of the explanation of what had happened to her and the offer to play this... game, the ultimate soldier remained silent, with a few nods with her head as an exception whenever she thought it was needed a reply. Truth to be told, she wasn't really a people's person. Talking with people is far harder than writing a letter to them or simply ignoring them. Her sister was far better than her at dealing with them.

Still, a game where the winner gets a second chance at living... perhaps a chance for her to go back and know why they had done it. An answer that even if she knows deep down deep, Mukuro still wishes to hear it from her sister. That would be ideal for her, no matter she saw it. Besides, if she was to be erased like the individual said, it isn't like anyone would miss her.

This raised a question however, her entry fee. Did she truly had something precious to lose out in the world or with her currently?

...Of course there was something like that even for her. And she had a good idea what it was.

---

It wouldn't take too long for her to awake in the middle of the crosswalk of some street. While she had no recollections of where she was and how she got here, she could at least tell this probably was some important city. But what had she gotten herself into..

Rubbing her head, Mukuro glanced around the rather quiet streets of Shibuya, only to notice a couple of people with a strange pin with them. A pin that she happened to have with her. So did that mean... they were in the same situation as her? Despite this, there was a much pressing question that ultimate soldier had in her mind, something that she had struggled to think about.

Who was she?

 

[Izanagi243]

Orpheus: Introduction to a Brand New World
@thatguyinthestore (Shinjiro Aragaki)

​

Before today.. if you ever told Orpheus that there indeed does exist a world in which there is an Afterlife.. they would have likely scoffed and brushed you off.

..Now, however is a different story. As.. something had gone on in where they come from. Orpheus had.. Things had gone wrong. Very, very wrong. More than.. they'd like to admit.

As a result, they had.. no idea where they were, and that.. they ended up here. All they could have felt was them screaming in agony and.. that's it. A fade to black.

When they awoke, they felt themselves.. feel off. In a place where there was.. light. As they got up.. they then listened. They were in something called the Reaper's Game. And they had the chance to come back. But.. not them. They looked at the figure cautiously, in a stance that was ready to fight if need be.


"If you've come here to finish me off.. get it over with." Orpheus says to them.. as they then were given a phone and a pin.. confused, they took it as they then kept the pin on their person. The phone, they kept on them for the moment. "..Price? What price?" Orpheus would ask as they.. sighed. "..Fine. Here." Orpheus says as they hand them.. a pocket watch? After that, they would walk into the light.. shaking their head solmenly.

Which leads to us to the present day. As Orpheus looked around, they turned to see.. Shibuya? What the hell were they doing here?! And.. oh god, no.

However.. they then stopped, their blood running cold as they saw a familiar red and black jacket as well as a beanie.. Is.. is that- No. The person then walked over.. confused.. and surprised. As they"It.. it's really.. you, Shinjiro? What.. what are you doing here?"

Orpheus would ask.. looking around.. but their tone of voice through the modulator that they had.. it obsucred their voice. But enough emotion go through. Enough that indicted that they were glad to see Shinjiro.. However, they were confused.. what is this place? And why are they and Shinjiro in Shibuya? Questions, questions.. so little answers. For now, they need to bide their time and wait for the time being.. as all these strange people.. it was surprising to say the least. As it's.. nothing they're used to.

@OpenforInteraction​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

Shinji had been standing off to the side, watching everyone else fumble about. They all seemed equally confused. Some were interacting with each other, and others were just standing around. No one really seemed to be exploring anything, though really, what was the point? The game would be starting soon anyways. Might as well conserve their energy. That was Shinji's thought process, at least.

It was as he was standing off to the side when some... tall guy in a jacket walked over to him. He had some weird biker helmet too. Shinji was just gonna ignore him, but then he went and said his name. It was only then that Shinji looked at the other guy, squinting a bit as he looked him over.

"Yeah?" Shinji replied to Orpheus, making sure to keep his distance. He had no idea who the hell this guy was, and he especially didn't know how he knew his name, so he wasn't about to take any chances. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

A bit rude, sure, but for all he knew, this guy would try and pull a gun on him in the next five seconds.

@Izanagi243 ​

 

[megar]

Taeko Yasuhiro​

It takes Taeko but a few passing moments to properly see the situation beyond the most basic observations: even if she has left her old self behind, it would be impossible to leave her natural tendency of perception -- one does not become the greatest gambler the world has ever seen without careful observation, without all senses running on their greatest strength whenever possible. For someone like her in the criminal underworld, it's the only way to succeed; the only way to survive.

Once more, Shibuya, yet not. 109 is now 104. The number of death. Coincidence? Or perhaps a fiendish nod at the situation? If it's the latter, it would suggest this is some odd recreation of the Shibuya she knows. This is backed up by the far shorter number of people than should be expected of the crossing. Strange looking people, perhaps, and all sharing that pin. They are also players of this 'game,' then. Does that make them allies? Or does it make them enemies?

She has already lost one game of life and death. She won't lose another.

So when her gaze comes across a familiar face, Taeko's gaze narrows. Mukuro Ikusaba. The Ultimate Soldier, a member of Class 78th... And the one conspiciously missing from the murderous games they were all forced into.

Or perhaps not. It would have been impossible for her to tell at the time; the switch designed to deceive them all. And if that switch could happen at all, when there should have been no time or even possibility for the soldier to take the fashionista's place... the truth of the matter is obvious. Taeko doesn't -- she can't -- fully understand. Why would they do it? What could it all have possibly meant?

In the criminal underworld, one has to occasionally take risks. In the criminal underworld, there is no asset more important than information.

To even approach one such as the Ultimate Soldier is a great risk. But now, not later, now, Taeko has to be certain of how much of a threat Mukuro may be. The thought of approaching someone who knows her is a horrid one. That they would be able to see Taeko Yasuhiro in all of her mind-numbing boringness is one she would dare not face in reality. But this is not reality. She has no choice but to approach, to give herself just those higher odds of escape and let her return to her true self after all.

That's a nice thought.

Taeko steadily steps forward, the weight of her simple tracksuit far different to Celestia's gothic dress -- to speak nothing of her missing extensions -- and takes a short breath in preparation. This calls for one of her best poker faces, and that, she will gladly provide. So she steps closer, and closer, until only a short distance remains.

"Mukuro. I'd say it's nice to see you, but the afterlife isn't exactly the best place for it, hm?"

No accent, no flowery words... Even if she had wanted to, Taeko simply can't bring herself to play the part. That, too, she will just have to deal with. All she can do is speak with a passive, half-hearted smile.

@RingoRoadgain (Mukuro Ikusaba)​