Murder Game 0: Genesis

[Bomb]

"Live by your word, Clark Kent. Live by your word," Cagliostro was now calmed, thanks to the blue Pokemon currently in her hands, "I guess you're no fun to play with anymore. Well, that last part was completely serious though... I believed you were a fool who saw good in all, a symptom of gullibility, but I now know that you're not a fool who wishes to protect all. That's an improvement, that I can say, even if it's minor. I might have a few words to share after this... great fiasco. Ensure that I get the chance to.

You have your way of protecting, and I have mine. Either way, let us proceed."

Cagliostro continues.

"Speaking of carrying on, on to the finale!"

Cagliostro proceeds with maniacal laughter.​

"Oh? I guess little Jabbers is still an impolite little bad boy, isn't he~" Cagliostro teases the Riolu in bubbly voice, still not putting him down, then looks at Doremi. "Why yes, some of us are pretty gone~ I don't see them here, or there~ who are you looking for~?"

Based on Cagliostro's tone, she would very likely blurt out a name on prompt, without a stutter.

"If we don't start moving, we'll never catch the finale," Cagliostro, still sporting her gleeful facade, winks at Risebyfe in an attempt to cheer her up. "To the vault we go~"

Cagliostro's face turned aside for a bit, with a sharp, menacing grin.

"Your heart will come to an end one way or another, Umbrella!"​

@Verite @Atomyk @Crow @Sen @Hana @Azuremoon @Yun Lee @Bomb @Josh M

"I see..." Doremi would silently pray for the lost.

"LEMME GO ALREADY!! HUG A WALL!"

@Crow​

 

[Verite]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

 

[Midnight Maiden]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Well.

People were dying. This time, she knew for herself what needed done, without needing to be told. This thing was attacking the group, Shirou included?

Well. she was going to give it a taste of it's own medicine.

Despite her growing wear from the battles before and long period without recharge, Setsuna braced herself, gritting her teeth as she took a battle stance and prepared for the worst. And, well, to do her worst, more than that. Now was the time to end this at all costs... Regardless of what it meant would happen to her. None of that mattered, so long as the rest made it out unharmed. And it was with that mindset that she clenched her fists at her sides... and lunged at the beast with a determined cry and fists bared.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

She was gonna try to punch and kick it to death probably.

@Verite @Atomyk @Alllllll​

 

[Yun Lee]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Miku was dead. Unable to be saved. Why? Why? If she could've, Alice would've given her life to the girl in a heartbeat. What was the life of an assassin? One life, squandered, that had taken so many other lives. And now she was going to leave this place to go...where? Where would she go? Back to Santa Destroy, alone, with no opponent. Was there any reason to go back? Not for her. But for the others...they had lives, a family. Naomi, Little Guy, Jabbers, Doremi, Lalonde...so many of them had so much to live for.

Alice couldn't redeem herself. There was far too much blood on her hands for that. But the least she could do was get everyone back to their homes, their happy lives away from here.

Alice, once again, propelled herself up on ASURA-6, flinging beams at Diablo from a distance. It was time to end this nightmare.

@Verite @Atomyk @Everyone​

 

[thatguyinthestore]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

This was it. The end. About damn time, to be frank. But of course, they still had one final fight before they could actually go home.

"Listen, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you before you take that thing away from us. We have been through hell and back to get that thing, and I ain't about to be stopped by whatever the fuck you are!" Jason yelled before attempting to shoot the thing down first.

@Verite @Yun Lee @Midnight Maiden​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Despite the minor happenings of hugging and kissing going on, Blake had to focus once it was clear that they had to move to their destination: to the Tesseract. As he drew near to where it was located in a vault, Blake could've sworn that his perception of time was askew here and that annoying hum of static took place in his head again. However, that feeling went away as they were faced with one threat alone. Whatever this beast may be, this Diablo, the Black Raven knew that this was their last obstacle.

"... so this is it, huh? Senna... I hope you're ready... one last trek to make before we can relax..."

Blake slipped out his glasses to put on as he tapped the side of his PWM cube.

"PWM activate. Battle protocol 04!"

A vibrant flash of blue surrounded his back, forming into his signature projected wings that gave him his nickname as the "Black Raven." There was no way that he was going to back down here. With no hesitation, Blake burst into a speeding charge with the wings towards Diablo.

"Battle protocol 02!"

Keeping his momentum, Blake's projected wings shifted over into the form of a hardlight sword, the vigilante rushing in for a quick stab into the foe!

@Atomyk @Verite @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @everybody​

 

[Mason Moretti]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Well.

People were dying. This time, she knew for herself what needed done, without needing to be told. This thing was attacking the group, Shirou included?

Well. she was going to give it a taste of it's own medicine.

Despite her growing wear from the battles before and long period without recharge, Setsuna braced herself, gritting her teeth as she took a battle stance and prepared for the worst. And, well, to do her worst, more than that. Now was the time to end this at all costs... Regardless of what it meant would happen to her. None of that mattered, so long as the rest made it out unharmed. And it was with that mindset that she clenched her fists at her sides... and lunged at the beast with a determined cry and fists bared.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

She was gonna try to punch and kick it to death probably.

@Verite @Atomyk @Alllllll​

So, here it came to one final battle. A climax more intense than Naomi could have anticipated. She had faced the demons called criminals, but at least they, for the most part, remained human. She wasn't prepared to fight a demon, but she definitely wasn't backing down now. After all she had been through, she couldn't afford to not take this final chance and hopefully return back home to her dear daughter. "Little Guy... Are you ready for this?" she asked coldly, but with confidence.

"Ready for what? Dying? If so, then I'm happy to do so alongside you. Killing this thing? I don't even know if we can."

"Then consider it an experiment. A presumptive test for vulnerability to bullets. Do you have your equipment?" Navel drew his pistol and nodded. "Then let's do this, Little Guy," Naomi said just before giving her partner a light kiss on the cheek.

"Dr. Kimishima... Don't die on me again." Navel took aim and fired a full clip of ammunition straight at Diablo.

@Atomyk @Verite
​

Miku was dead. Unable to be saved. Why? Why? If she could've, Alice would've given her life to the girl in a heartbeat. What was the life of an assassin? One life, squandered, that had taken so many other lives. And now she was going to leave this place to go...where? Where would she go? Back to Santa Destroy, alone, with no opponent. Was there any reason to go back? Not for her. But for the others...they had lives, a family. Naomi, Little Guy, Jabbers, Doremi, Lalonde...so many of them had so much to live for.

Alice couldn't redeem herself. There was far too much blood on her hands for that. But the least she could do was get everyone back to their homes, their happy lives away from here.

Alice, once again, propelled herself up on ASURA-6, flinging beams at Diablo from a distance. It was time to end this nightmare.

@Verite @Atomyk @Everyone​

Meanwhile, Naomi stood beside Alice Twilight and asked, "Hey, could you spare one of those katanas for me, Alice? I have an idea."

@Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Allllllll
​

 

[York]

​

Replies

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.
It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.
After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.
At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.
"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.
It was the Tesseract.
Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.
Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.
Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--
"Where do you think you are taking that?"
A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...
... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.
No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.
Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.
Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."
Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.
"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.
"AaaAAAAAGH!"
An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.
Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.
Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.
In other words, it was pure evil.
"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"
"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."
"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"
"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.
"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."
And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.
Here it was.
The end of the road. The end of the line.
As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Well.

People were dying. This time, she knew for herself what needed done, without needing to be told. This thing was attacking the group, Shirou included?

Well. she was going to give it a taste of it's own medicine.

Despite her growing wear from the battles before and long period without recharge, Setsuna braced herself, gritting her teeth as she took a battle stance and prepared for the worst. And, well, to do her worst, more than that. Now was the time to end this at all costs... Regardless of what it meant would happen to her. None of that mattered, so long as the rest made it out unharmed. And it was with that mindset that she clenched her fists at her sides... and lunged at the beast with a determined cry and fists bared.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"

She was gonna try to punch and kick it to death probably.

@Verite @Atomyk @Alllllll​

Miku was dead. Unable to be saved. Why? Why? If she could've, Alice would've given her life to the girl in a heartbeat. What was the life of an assassin? One life, squandered, that had taken so many other lives. And now she was going to leave this place to go...where? Where would she go? Back to Santa Destroy, alone, with no opponent. Was there any reason to go back? Not for her. But for the others...they had lives, a family. Naomi, Little Guy, Jabbers, Doremi, Lalonde...so many of them had so much to live for.

Alice couldn't redeem herself. There was far too much blood on her hands for that. But the least she could do was get everyone back to their homes, their happy lives away from here.

Alice, once again, propelled herself up on ASURA-6, flinging beams at Diablo from a distance. It was time to end this nightmare.

@Verite @Atomyk @Everyone​

This was it. The end. About damn time, to be frank. But of course, they still had one final fight before they could actually go home.

"Listen, I'm gonna fuckin' kill you before you take that thing away from us. We have been through hell and back to get that thing, and I ain't about to be stopped by whatever the fuck you are!" Jason yelled before attempting to shoot the thing down first.

@Verite @Yun Lee @Midnight Maiden​

Despite the minor happenings of hugging and kissing going on, Blake had to focus once it was clear that they had to move to their destination: to the Tesseract. As he drew near to where it was located in a vault, Blake could've sworn that his perception of time was askew here and that annoying hum of static took place in his head again. However, that feeling went away as they were faced with one threat alone. Whatever this beast may be, this Diablo, the Black Raven knew that this was their last obstacle.

"... so this is it, huh? Senna... I hope you're ready... one last trek to make before we can relax..."

Blake slipped out his glasses to put on as he tapped the side of his PWM cube.

"PWM activate. Battle protocol 04!"

A vibrant flash of blue surrounded his back, forming into his signature projected wings that gave him his nickname as the "Black Raven." There was no way that he was going to back down here. With no hesitation, Blake burst into a speeding charge with the wings towards Diablo.

"Battle protocol 02!"

Keeping his momentum, Blake's projected wings shifted over into the form of a hardlight sword, the vigilante rushing in for a quick stab into the foe!

@Atomyk @Verite @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @everybody​

So, here it came to one final battle. A climax more intense than Naomi could have anticipated. She had faced the demons called criminals, but at least they, for the most part, remained human. She wasn't prepared to fight a demon, but she definitely wasn't backing down now. After all she had been through, she couldn't afford to not take this final chance and hopefully return back home to her dear daughter. "Little Guy... Are you ready for this?" she asked coldly, but with confidence.

"Ready for what? Dying? If so, then I'm happy to do so alongside you. Killing this thing? I don't even know if we can."

"Then consider it an experiment. A presumptive test for vulnerability to bullets. Do you have your equipment?" Navel drew his pistol and nodded. "Then let's do this, Little Guy," Naomi said just before giving her partner a light kiss on the cheek.

"Dr. Kimishima... Don't die on me again." Navel took aim and fired a full clip of ammunition straight at Diablo.

@Atomyk @Verite
​

Meanwhile, Naomi stood beside Alice Twilight and asked, "Hey, could you spare one of those katanas for me, Alice? I have an idea."

@Yun Lee @Gummi Bunnies @Allllllll
​

Schala Zeal
@Verite @Atomyk @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies
@Battle!

There it was... The Tesseract, just within their grasp, but just as she thought it was over, it would seem that one more obstacle stood in their way... The mother of all obstacles in fact.

It called itself "Diablo", a creature of immense power... One that could be equated to that of Lavos; an immeasurable one, that might even threaten to destroy the planet, should it prevail, and once more... She remembered the last moments she had spent in her Kingdom, in fear... Terror, as Lavos destroyed everything she had ever known, and she had been flung far, far from home.

This time, as she stood before another greater being, that intended to make an example out of her, and those with her... She was able to keep her fear at bay, as she noticed there was another feeling present in her body, filling her with energy, despite how worn out she had been.

Her first andrenaline rush.

Knowing what she risked losing should she stand aside, like she did for Lavos, Schala knew she had to give it her all to win this battle, and so she would, however... She needed time to build up the magical energy she required for one of her more devastating attacks, so... In an effort to impede Diablo's movements, she raised her hands, concentrating for a few moments, before large clumps of ice rained down ontop of the creature, sticking together, in an effort to immobilize him.

While that immobilization, if it were successfull would be temporary, it would grant her precious time to get to a safe spote, and begin preparing to cast the strongest attack she could muster. Except this time, instead of using her dark matter, she intended to call upon something much brighter, and though it would take longer to prepare... She hoped once she had prepared her spell, it would at the very least, leave a good mark on Diablo...​

 

[Hana]

Azura was surprised by Hakuei suddenly taking ahold of her hands and seem generally happy to see her. In a way, it reminded her of her sister welcoming her with open arms.

"Hakuei, I'm glad that you seem to be unharmed." she replied, this possibly being the first time she didn't refer to her comerade as Lady Hakuei. She even smiled, feeling at ease strangely. It only lasted a moment before a look of worry crossed her face.

"I didn't see Jaffar...did he meet the same fate as Miku?" her tone wavered slightly, but she stood firm, temporarily glancing to those already on the move to get to the Tesseract before returning gold to ice blue.

@Hana @Sen @Crow @Azuremoon @Verite@Atomyk @The Myrmidon @Reunion

"... Azura."

Jaffar was nowhere to be seen. The raven-haired princess squeezed Azura's own hands in hers gently, gaze returning to meet the other's. Her heart ached, but she would not lie when she already saw the dawning of realization coming to the Nohr princess's eyes.

"He fell. But not all is lost."

There were few words of comfort she could offer to a princess and a myrmidon who would grieve the loss of Jaffar. But she would try, either way.

"The memory of him lies inside you and Joshua. Remember him as he wants to be remembered, and he will live on forever."

She pulled one hand away, and rested it over her own heart, her gaze slowly moving from Azura's to meet that of Joshua.

"He is Jaffar. A brave warrior and a true friend to you both."

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

"Demon..."

Even if Diablo was not alike any demon from her home world, Hakuei breathed out the word with apprehension. Her reaction was immediate, Paimon seeming almost... Panicked as the djinn's energy thrummed to life in the fan she held, a golden glow overtaking the princess's form and enveloping her entirely. A strong wind pushed back at the others in the group, though it was tempered by Hakuei's mindfulness. When the light died down, her hair had gone a pure white, the princess's full djinn equip changing her appearance in more ways than one. Her eyes were no longer the ice blue they held in her normal form.

Her gaze hardened as she shifted her spear, the winds stirring up around the princess.

"In no way will I allow something like you to succeed."

And neither will her comrades. They were bound together now, the people brought together from different worlds and having gone through so much. And now they were going to fight Diablo, either to die or to live.

She flew upwards, going further into the back of the group and took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to unleash her Extreme Magic yet when so many were fighting close to that demon.

When the time was right, though, the wind princess would let loose Paimon's full power.


With a spin of her spear, Hakuei summons several sharp gusts of wind that rush at Diablo, and wind to quicken the movements of her allies.

@Verite @Sen @Takumi @The Myrmidon @york @Midnight Maiden @Boss Battle?

​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"..."

For a few moments during the hug, Setsuna merely remained silent, just holding Senna as the other girl spoke and shed her tears(save for the sound of her breathing, of course). No matter how tolled she was, if this cheered Senna up.... So be it. And so, as Senna spoke, she eventually uttered a reply. "...I am sorry for your loss," she murmured. "I am glad you are alright as well. And the others, in addition," she added as she finally pulled back, staring at Senna quietly and letting the girl go on. Blinking as the female said she was not better, Setsuna paused once again before acting on the first thing that came to mind to cheer the girl up.

Leaning forward and planting a light, brief kiss on Senna's lips- hardly a peck, but nonetheless.

Momentarily quiet, she spoke up. "Did that.. Cheer you up?" she inquired. "Kisses cheer you up, right? That's what Kyoshiro says, at least," she explained, solemnly, before adding. "Did it work?"

Were Senna not to respond immediately, Setsuna would just repeat her question. "Did it work? Did it work?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @york @Gummi Bunnies @Kaykay @All​

​

Schala Zeal
@Gummi Bunnies @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Yun Lee @Kaykay
@Everybody

Schala frowned, looking quite upset when Miku was brought up, and for a good few moments, she didn't really want to believe it just yet... But as she glanced around the room, looking for any trace of that blue haired girl, it became pretty apparent that she was gone. Looks like she had been one of the casualties who had never been revived.

As far as they all had come, it still hurt to know that not everyone was able to make it, and... Really, even after Setsuna hugged Senna, she really was tempted to take her up on that offer, even if it was meant as a joke more than anything.

Finally giving in Schala decided to hug Senna as well, this time, taking care not to go overboard, like she had done with Blake, closing her eyes for a moment, and sighing quietly. Who knew that a simple gesture like this, could put her at east, just like that? Perhaps with a not so caring mother, and an absent father, all she really needed was a little human contact... Perhaps...

After a few moments though, she release Senna, looking quite sheepish again; looks like she hadn't intended to hold the hug for that long, having lost track of time a little. Yet, through the all too familiar embarassment, Schala, after taking a moment to collect herself once again, finally spoke up, nodding a little at both Senna, and Blake's words.

"I... Agree." She said trying to muster up a courageous smile, despite not feeling all that brave, in an effort to strengthen not just her own resolve, but the resolve of the others here...

"We have to make it... So the efforts of the ones we have lost... Were not in vain..." She said.

In that moment, as she spoke, Schala had a look of determination on her face, one more prominent than the one she had displayed when SHIELD had first freed her and the others. For all that they had sacrificed, for all that they had endured, she had still made the choice herself to help SHIELD recover the Tesseract, and she knew that she couldn't let up now... When they were so close... To accomplishing their goal...

Unfortunately, that determined look instantly faded away, replaced by a rather flustered one, as she witnessed Senna suddenly getting kissed by Setsuna... Out of all the things she had prepared for, this certainly wasn't one of them!​

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Suddenly, Senna was assaulted by hugs and kisses!

At least, that's how it felt to the very surprised soul reaper.

Senna's cheeks flushed red and she stammered, suddenly reliving the moment when Joshua had kissed her earlier on. Honestly, she hadn't expected to be kissed by anyone again during the course of this dangerous journey, and if she had wanted to be kissed again Setsuna would not have been her first choice.

"Um, well, it, uh--"

She was so caught off guard, she hardly had time to reply to Schala's hug or to address anyone else for that matter. Before she knew it, the moment had passed anyhow and it was time for their group to deal with the most serious threat they had faced yet.

With the others, Senna would find herself before Diablo, the one they needed to stop in order to end all of this. For the past few fights Senna knew she hadn't been the most helpful, even going so far as to injury herself rather easily.

But not this time.

"I'm ready Blake. Let me know if you need any backup. I'll be there."

The girl performed a defensive backflip, in turn leaping out of her gigai body so she could access her soul reaper form. Her body would then fade into a whirlwind of autumn leaves, disappearing until she would summon it again later. Immediately, she would draw on the power of her blade afterwards.

"Bring them to the twilight, Mirokumaru!" Senna cried, her zanpakuto shifting into the form of a golden khakkhara. Afterwards, she would summon a tornado which she would use to levitate on top of, and another tornado she would launch at Diable.

I've always been helpless. Even when I met Ichigo I was the damsel in distress. This time I won't be! I'm going to show my friends I can fight! THIS IS FOR MIKU!

@Atomyk @Verite @Gummi Bunnies @york @Midnight Maiden @BossBattle​

 

[Crow]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

VS DIABLO

It was the finale, the ultimatum, the Emperor of Showdowns.

Cagliostro simply laughs at the opponent.

"Do you legitimately believe that you can make me, the cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist afraid? I, Cagliostro, fear not the deities of any kind, for I have recognised myself as beyond them! HA! Ouroboros, let's do this! You too, Alucard, Hakuei, Road, everyone!"

Cagliostro puts Jabbers down.

"Beastfolk, best of luck, you'll need it."

Of course, Cagliostro starts off with the obvious route - start dishing out those debuffs.

The first of these debuffs was Collapse. In addition to dealing a good deal of damage, it was capable of distorting the opponent in order to cause a heavy defense drop. This would cause all attacks that struck Diablo to cause more damage due to aforementioned defense drop.

Cagliostro would then use Ouroboros to fire an odd, void-like beam that distorted the fabric of physics and gravity, dealing damage to Diablo.

While Cagliostro was quite the prideful one, she steps back for a bit, keeping an eye on whether that big devil figure had any debuffs of his own.

"Show me your tactics, Diablo!" Cagliostro taunts as she laughs maniacally.

@Verite @Atomyk @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @Crow @Sen @Hana @Josh M @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Mason Moretti @Bomb​

 

[Mu]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

An opponent finally made the dhampir's eyebrows rise. Something about it was so familiar yet foreign.
​

There was something about this monster, this demon, that resonated something akin to the dark energy of Castlevania. He was't sure if it was the same thing, but it was powerful enough to be so if it was. Alucard was not going to risk losing it. Drawing his sword, his mother's heirloom, he prepared himself for the best and the worse. He was going to fight to win this, aim to kill. This was what he had been feeling ever since he had arrived - this was it.
​

Castlevania had no place in this world, or any world.

He closed his eyes, and he could remember the monstrosities he had seen before.

Demons so large that they were a room within the castle of chaos itself, made up of rotting human carcasses that fell from the ceiling, of knights and warriors that dared to trespass his father's domain. Uncharacteristically, Alucard smiled a little, this Diablo was nothing compared to the demon his father was.
​

​

He leapt into the fray with newfound vigor, his sword glowing a scarlet red. His sword familiar swung forward first like a flying arrowhead, using Hakuei's winds to speed up for a quick pierce.

@Verite @Hana @Takumi @The Myrmidon @york @Midnight Maiden @Boss Battle?
​

​

​

 

[Hana]

Suddenly, Senna was assaulted by hugs and kisses!

At least, that's how it felt to the very surprised soul reaper.

Senna's cheeks flushed red and she stammered, suddenly reliving the moment when Joshua had kissed her earlier on. Honestly, she hadn't expected to be kissed by anyone again during the course of this dangerous journey, and if she had wanted to be kissed again Setsuna would not have been her first choice.

"Um, well, it, uh--"

She was so caught off guard, she hardly had time to reply to Schala's hug or to address anyone else for that matter. Before she knew it, the moment had passed anyhow and it was time for their group to deal with the most serious threat they had faced yet.

With the others, Senna would find herself before Diablo, the one they needed to stop in order to end all of this. For the past few fights Senna knew she hadn't been the most helpful, even going so far as to injury herself rather easily.

But not this time.

"I'm ready Blake. Let me know if you need any backup. I'll be there."

The girl performed a defensive backflip, in turn leaping out of her gigai body so she could access her soul reaper form. Her body would then fade into a whirlwind of autumn leaves, disappearing until she would summon it again later. Immediately, she would draw on the power of her blade afterwards.

"Bring them to the twilight, Mirokumaru!" Senna cried, her zanpakuto shifting into the form of a golden khakkhara. Afterwards, she would summon a tornado which she would use to levitate on top of, and another tornado she would launch at Diable.

I've always been helpless. Even when I met Ichigo I was the damsel in distress. This time I won't be! I'm going to show my friends I can fight! THIS IS FOR MIKU!

@Atomyk @Verite @Gummi Bunnies @york @Midnight Maiden @BossBattle​

"Miss Senna! Let me help."

The princess had seen what Senna was capable of with her zanpakutou, and she was impressed. Flying at top speed towards the shinigami, Hakuei hovered beside her and nodded as she met the other's eyes.

With another look at the others, the princess called out a warning.

"Everyone please be careful!"

"Shatter the Earth! Hear the roar of the Wind God that reduces everything to a cloud of dust."

"Extreme Magic: Pa'ir Al-Hazard!"

The place would shake as tremendous winds gained momentum out of nowhere, forming a raging tornado that honed in on only one opponent: Diablo. Its aim was to crush and entrap him. This Extreme Magic has been said to be able to shatter mountains itself with the sheer force that was now focused only on the demon. And now it would combine with Senna's own power.

Alone and apart, they could fall to this Diablo. But Hakuei had full belief in the new comrades she found, even if she hadn't known them for long. Together, what could everyone be capable of? This demon would see.

Seeing Alucard rushing into the fray only caused her determination to grow stronger...

@Sen @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Verite @Crow

 

[Bomb]

VS DIABLO

It was the finale, the ultimatum, the Emperor of Showdowns.



Cagliostro simply laughs at the opponent.

"Do you legitimately believe that you can make me, the cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist afraid? I, Cagliostro, fear not the deities of any kind, for I have recognised myself as beyond them! HA! Ouroboros, let's do this! You too, Alucard, Hakuei, Road, everyone!"

Cagliostro puts Jabbers down.

"Beastfolk, best of luck, you'll need it."

Of course, Ouroboros starts off with the obvious route - start dishing out those debuffs.

The first of these debuffs was Collapse. In addition to dealing a good deal of damage, it was capable of distorting the opponent in order to cause a heavy defense drop. This would cause all attacks that struck Diablo to cause more damage due to aforementioned defense drop.

Cagliostro would then use Ouroboros to fire an odd, void-like beam that distorted the fabric of physics and gravity, dealing damage to Diablo.

While Cagliostro was quite the prideful one, she steps back for a bit, keeping an eye on whether that big devil figure had any debuffs of his own.

"Show me your tactics, Diablo!" Cagliostro taunts as she laughs maniacally.

@Verite @Atomyk @Midnight Maiden @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Gummi Bunnies @york @Crow @Sen @Hana @Josh M @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Mason Moretti @Bomb​

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

"Finally!" Jabbers jumped backwards first, to give him some charge.

"This is for everything you did to us!"

Then he immediately went all in with a Feint! He intends to not give the enemy a chance to strike back.

"What should I do..." Doremi didn't want anyone else to be harmed... but seeing that literally the fucking devil is here, she had no choice.

Doremi muttered a lullaby (Sing) that amplified towards Diablo. Then all of a sudden, the sound rapidly increased to a bar so high (Hyper Voice) that one can't hear anything else if they were... say, Diablo?

@Crow @Atomyk @Verite @anyone else​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Miss Senna! Let me help."

The princess had seen what Senna was capable of with her zanpakutou, and she was impressed. Flying at top speed towards the shinigami, Hakuei hovered beside her and nodded as she met the other's eyes.

With another look at the others, the princess called out a warning.

"Everyone please be careful!"

"Shatter the Earth! Hear the roar of the Wind God that reduces everything to a cloud of dust."

"Extreme Magic: Pa'ir Al-Hazard!"

The place would shake as tremendous winds gained momentum out of nowhere, forming a raging tornado that honed in on only one opponent: Diablo. Its aim was to crush and entrap him. This Extreme Magic has been said to be able to shatter mountains itself with the sheer force that was now focused only on the demon. And now it would combine with Senna's own power.

Alone and apart, they could fall to this Diablo. But Hakuei had full belief in the new comrades she found, even if she hadn't known them for long. Together, what could everyone be capable of? This demon would see.

Seeing Alucard rushing into the fray only caused her determination to grow stronger...

@Sen @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Verite @Crow

With her entire focus held solely by Diablo and the winds around her, Senna could sense the presence of another individual commanding powerful gusts. She quickly shifted her focus to the other individual, glancing to the young woman when Hakuei would call out her name.

"That sounds like a plan to me!" the girl replied back, a smirk crossing her lips. It wasn't often she found herself in the presence of another who could manipulate winds. Maybe the two of them could create something menacing enough to do real damage to their foe.

Twirling her khakkhara behind her head, Senna would begin pouring as much spiritual energy as she could muster into her next attack, the spiritual pressure around her form so immense that those around her could likely feel a cold chill in the air. With every ounce of her soul being pumped into her shikai, the girl fought to make this tornado one of the biggest ones she had ever created. All of her might poured into combining this attack with Hakuei's.

"YAHHHH! Show them your full strength now, MIROKUMARU! WE CAN DO THIS!"

Directed by Hakuei, the powerful tornado created by the two had nearly doubled in size, continuing to make its way directly for their enemy. If successful in hitting him, this threatening force would no doubt do some damage to Diablo.

@Hana @Atomyk @Verite @Everybody​

 

[Kaykay]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Shirou had been mostly silent as the dead regrouped with them. It was strange and left kind of a bad feeling for the dead to just be popping up in front of them like that, but he wasn't so dense as to not understand that for most such a thing was a dream come true. Besides, amusingly enough, Setsuna had seemed to show some form of independence as she tried to comfort Senna. He'd laughed aloud, Senna's flustered reaction making it all the funnier.

And then, Diablo appeared. A monster claiming to manipulate events through the actions of humans. Cocky bastard, didn't even give them so much as a second glance, like insects to be tread upon the ground.

Ridiculous.

Shirou raised his gun, pointing it straight at the demon.

"You got a lot of shit to say, don't you?" Chains began to multiply and appear near Shirou, wrapping around his arms. "Do you figure yourself a god? Or do you think of yourself as Satan? Or maybe, even a being above all of those stupid concepts. But I don't give a damn."

His eyes began to glow red, an inhuman aura emanating from the depths of his very soul.

"I've no need for shit like that."

The chains finally settled around him, wrapped primarily around his left arm, in which he carried his Desert Eagle. There was a sense of dread, of doom and despair, emanating from a very regular-looking weapon.

"Malignant Tumor, Apoptosis!"

Shirou released the power contained in the Holy Relic that had fused with him, expressing the one belief, one rule that he held onto above all else. That no one would determine his path for him, that every choice in this life was something of his own making. For that to be true, there could be no god, no one to form and create everything according to their very whim.

So his power had one simple rule. To crush all opposing phenomena with a tumor, an apoptosis. A factor of self-defeat. He'd infect their power with an incurable disease and make it self-destruct on itself.

The more powerful the phenomena, the worse the Apoptosis.

Four gunshots rang out, each under the influence of his power, and sought to give Diablo a disease from which he could never recover.

@Verite @Hana @Takumi @The Myrmidon @york @Midnight Maiden @Everyone @Boss Battle​

 

[Husk]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.
It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.
After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.
At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.
"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.
It was the Tesseract.
Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.
Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.
Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--
"Where do you think you are taking that?"
A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...
... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.
No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.
Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.
Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."
Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.
"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.
"AaaAAAAAGH!"
An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.
Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.
Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.
In other words, it was pure evil.
"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"
"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."
"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"
"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.
"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."
And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.
Here it was.
The end of the road. The end of the line.​

Twisted Fate stared blankly at Diablo. It was clear that he was taken aback by this turn of events. He saw himself dealing with the devil in the future, but he never expected to meet him so soon. This would explain why everybody's Destiny was being so easily manipulated. A near god-like power was behind it. He no doubt had a large amount of respect for this demonic entity. However, Diablo made the mistake of not reviving Fierce-Heart Ali, T.F's only friend in this wretched place. Because of that, he would feel the wrath of the fabled Card Master.

Instead of feeling rage, Twisted Fate felt the excitement of retribution. He put on a wicked smile and spoke to the beast.

"Not reviving Ali was your first and last mistake. If somebody's goin' to play with fate, it's goin' to be me. Not you."

Twisted Fate used Gate.

Soon after, a ring of cards surrounded him before he was teleported closer to his target. When he arrived, he threw a cluster of explosive red cards toward Diablo's torso.

@Atomyk @Verite @the whole squad​

 

[Jeremi]

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

Well once again blasting this monster with ki was out of the question, not like 18 wanted to hit anyone else other than that demon standing in front of them. Instead she opted to use her speed to get above Diablo and punch downwards so hard that it should crack the floor. If it hit that is. 18 remembers the last time she was up against a demon it didn't end well.

@Verite @Atomyk @Everyone

 

[Gands]

James Proudstar Warpath

James talked quietly with Lucifer and the others with him, walking slowly with the larger crowd. When the vault door opened, the awe of the small glowing cube. Watching the Holy knight and some of the former umbrella people approach it. Then... something from hell.

" Lucifer Morningstar, something has escaped from Hell. Something it may fall to you to deal with, along with the rest of us. I hope your god looks kindly on some of us. "

Warpath kneeled down, and started to sing softly to himself in the language of his forefathers. He used his medicine bag and painted his ghost rider face. In this case it would double as a death mask. He would fear no evil, fear no death. He would not fear for his soul. The time has come. Perhaps the scales might be tipped in favor of life and light. It might be possible that he could help tip those scales. His abilities, his powers were very small on the scale of things. He had the strength of his mind and body. He had his two large daggers. It would have to be enough. The magical protections and extra senses the ghost rider would give him was all the extra he would have. Even the spirit of Vengeance itself taught him it's powers.

He stopped the song and carefully got up. He was a predator, evil will know the bite of his knives. But he would have to be careful. He would have to believe.

" Great Coyote, I go to fight a great evil, I ask only to be remembered by our people. If you lend me some trickery though I promise to use it well."

"Lucifer Morningstar, I wish you well. I go on my hunt now. My gods and my people are not the same as yours. The only guilt you have in this is allowing this thing to escape Hell. I would call you friend if we both survive. Good luck".

Warpath trotted off silently, quickly. Moving from one hiding spot to the next as all "hell" broke loose. His intention was to find the right time to tip the balance between light and darkness. Both of his daggers in hand as he hunted his quarry.

@Atomyk @Verite @LuckycoolHawk9 @thatguyinthestore @Midnight Maiden @Sen @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Crow

 

[Takumi]

For the last little while, Joshua had been planning to take his vengeance against Clark. Mind control or not...The prince would make him or whoever controlled him pay, whoever was easier to catch. However... those plans vanished when the princess was revealed to him once again.
​

"A-Azura?" The myrmidon was hesitant to approach, unsure if she was truly real... but soon, he approached both Azura and Hakuei, a relieved smile on his lips. The weight on his heart had finally vanished... Even if he wasn't sure what exactly to say at the moment.​

"... Azura."

Jaffar was nowhere to be seen. The raven-haired princess squeezed Azura's own hands in hers gently, gaze returning to meet the other's. Her heart ached, but she would not lie when she already saw the dawning of realization coming to the Nohr princess's eyes.

"He fell. But not all is lost."

There were few words of comfort she could offer to a princess and a myrmidon who would grieve the loss of Jaffar. But she would try, either way.

"The memory of him lies inside you and Joshua. Remember him as he wants to be remembered, and he will live on forever."

She pulled one hand away, and rested it over her own heart, her gaze slowly moving from Azura's to meet that of Joshua.

"He is Jaffar. A brave warrior and a true friend to you both."

"Demon..."

Even if Diablo was not alike any demon from her home world, Hakuei breathed out the word with apprehension. Her reaction was immediate, Paimon seeming almost... Panicked as the djinn's energy thrummed to life in the fan she held, a golden glow overtaking the princess's form and enveloping her entirely. A strong wind pushed back at the others in the group, though it was tempered by Hakuei's mindfulness. When the light died down, her hair had gone a pure white, the princess's full djinn equip changing her appearance in more ways than one. Her eyes were no longer the ice blue they held in her normal form.

Her gaze hardened as she shifted her spear, the winds stirring up around the princess.

"In no way will I allow something like you to succeed."

And neither will her comrades. They were bound together now, the people brought together from different worlds and having gone through so much. And now they were going to fight Diablo, either to die or to live.

She flew upwards, going further into the back of the group and took a deep breath. It wouldn't do to unleash her Extreme Magic yet when so many were fighting close to that demon.

When the time was right, though, the wind princess would let loose Paimon's full power.


With a spin of her spear, Hakuei summons several sharp gusts of wind that rush at Diablo, and wind to quicken the movements of her allies.

@Verite @Sen @Takumi @The Myrmidon @york @Midnight Maiden @Boss Battle?

​

Azura took in this information and nodded slowly, smiling sadly.

"I understand. Thank you, for giving me such words that make this easier to bear." she replied before glancing to Joshua.

"Don't worry, my love, I am no ghost or illusion. I am here." she teased lightly, her free hand moving t to take hold of the Prince's own. Giving a squeeze she brought it to rest against her lips momentarily before leting their joined hands return to their sides. She wanted more time with them, but she knew the end was near.

With their destination known, the group had little time to enjoy their time together. They moved together alongside the allies they had gained along the way toward the vault holding the Tesseract. They expected it to at least be locked, but for some reason, the vault stood open. Perhaps it was a trap, but it would have to be one they faced head-on.

It was strange to finally reach the fabled vault.

After all this time of traveling and fighting, the group had finally done it. Riesbyfe almost felt a sense of accomplishment come over her, but she knew better than to prematurely celebrate, keeping her guard up. As the group continued moving, miraculously united once more for the most part, they found themselves in a wide, brightly lit hall, littered with gray stone walls and ground. It was a tense situation; the Holy Knight could easily feel and hear her own heart beat from her chest, but she kept it to a minimum, not wanting chills to overtake her in this crucial moment.

At the end of the hall that they eventually reached was a metal door which automatically slid open as they drew close. Within laid a large, mostly empty room, dimly lit in comparison to the hallway. In the center of the large vault sat a strange machine, and in the center of the contraption, there it was. A small cube that glowed a distinctive blue.

"Is that...?" Riesbyfe could only utter.

"... Looks like," Leon responded, pursing his lips. A wave of silence hit the group for a moment, as though to register the sight with.

It was the Tesseract.

Riesbyfe, keeping her guard up, scanned the room warily upon recovering from her initial shock. She knew better than to immediately move and take the object for herself. Considering how valuable this object must be to Umbrella, it would be foolhardy to believe that it wouldn't be guarded heavily, which was... strange, now that she thought about it. There had been no opposition in the vault. No guards, monsters, or even that blonde man in black nearby. She could almost suspect that a trap was waiting for them, but alas, she could not detect any. And she would not pass up the only feasible chance to obtain the Tesseract now that it was this close.

Milton stared at it for just a moment before finding himself drawn toward the cube. "I have yet to see it up close like this," he mumbled slowly, stepping so close to the Tesseract that he could touch it.

Gulping briefly, Riesbyfe decided to act. If she had time to doubt herself, after all this time, after all, that she and the rest of the group had gone through to get to this point, then she had time to reach out and take the fruits of her labors. She stepped up next to Milton and reached out her arm to take it, but then--

"Where do you think you are taking that?"

A strange voice assaulted not only Riesbyfe's senses but also everyone present, the Holy Knight freezing in her tracks as a hideous sounding voice, like from a satanic demon, made itself known to everyone. No, more than a demon...

... More like the devil himself.

"Who... Who's there?! Show yourself!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, looking around as she unknowingly pulled her arm away from the Tesseract, more closely scanning the area again and more alarmed now. Just as she scanned the area, everyone else who would look around would not be able to find any hint of where the voice came from. No other presence could be detected in the area, and there were no intercoms around to suggest it was simply someone else in another room.

No, the voice shook at least Riesbyfe to her very core.

Suddenly, the lights in the room, already dim, began to flicker, and then gradually darken. And then, over the span of a few seconds... Before anyone knew it, it felt as though everyone's vision had been taken away, assuming the lights in the room didn't simply die away abruptly, though it would be a hard case to make since even the Tesseract's shine was nowhere to be seen.

Several feet up, a demonic looking face appeared before everyone. Through the dark, everyone could practically feel the presence of this sinister being looming over everyone like a giant shadow, towering and imposing, as he looked down upon the group.

"You would dare to demand me? Very well then. For your bravado... I will grant your request. Here I stand, human. I, Diablo."

Riesbyfe could only gasp lightly, stepping back as her legs threatened to give way, looking up at the towering figure before them. She recalled the name being dropped somewhere by one of the others... "Diablo." But she had hardly allowed herself much time to ponder on what this creature had to do with Umbrella, whether or not he was the true mastermind orchestrating the events, before something would happen.

"Milton!" Philip, the one-eyed man, yelled as he ran toward his friend.

"AaaAAAAAGH!"

An anguished scream pierced the air as Milton suddenly burst into flames. Philip too was consumed just before he reached Milton, and the pair fell to the floor, their unmoving forms laying prone as they were as easily killed off by the mysterious entity like a human would a fly, to the horror of the silver-haired woman.

Wanda cried out then, trying to speak, but her words were unintelligible to the ear. She collapsed to her knees, just as Leon, Claire, and Lex were thrown backward and against the rear wall of the vault.

Riesbyfe felt a familiar aura from the entity before them. He was demonic. Not in the sense that one would use to describe a morally bankrupt man. This entity was no man. In the purest, most unadulterated sense, this being was demonic. It was infernal.

In other words, it was pure evil.

"Diablo...! I know not who you are... but what you are... I can only believe you to be a being of evil and nothing else. Are you the one who--?!"

"Determined that this chain of events were to transpire? Perhaps so. Manipulating causality through humans is but something idly done," the demonic entity known as Diablo interrupted, "I need not explain myself to mere insects like you. You have all nearly outlived your usefulness... though perhaps there is something that can be salvaged. You all have strong wills... for humans, that is. All the more gratifying to crush when I overtake it all... Your fear is delectable."

"You... You will do no such thing!" Riesbyfe exclaimed, clenching her fist, "I promised to myself that I would return home, and I will not let any wicked creature stand in my way, be it man or devil! I've felled many monsters before you, and you will not be the last!"

"... Hah."

Diablo let out a humorless laugh, caring little for the Holy Knight's words. As though preparing for a confrontation, he raised his arms, beckoning for the group.

"If you desire my head, then here I am. Come. I will show you terrors beyond your deepest nightmares, the likes of which you never could imagine. I will make you yearn for death as your minds are slowly eaten away at forever. The Tesseract is mine and only mine. To even dream of taking it from me... I will have to make an example out of you indeed."

And with that, he stood, awaiting the group.

Here it was.

The end of the road. The end of the line.

As the curtain began to close, the ties that bound this tale to the heritage of the future tightening, Riesbyfe readied her mighty shield and prepared herself for the battle that, unbeknownst to everyone, even to Diablo himself, would shape the multiverse forever, as it cried out like a bittersweet chorus.

"You are no better than Anankos and the man that was once my father, but even divine dragons and monsters meet their fate!" Azura stood back to watch thr others attacks for the moment, before spinning her Naginata in hand, pendant glowling for the one more time in this horrible world.

Taking a breath she began to sing, this time drawing much more power than before. And if she had to....she'd use her last resort.

[media]

As Azura sang, water began to float and spin until it became a whirlpool, moving around to crash into Diablo's side with force the others would also feel rejuvenated with her voice as she would charge forward and bring her Naginata down in a powerful arch, a ripple of glowing magical water in it's wake.

@Hana @Sen @Crow @Azuremoon @Verite @Atomyk @The Myrmidon @Reunion/Everyone