Murder Game IX: Right Hand of the Crimson Moon

[Jeremi]

Epilogue

Well this had been a very eventful few days, or however long it had taken Kizaru had lost count. As he made his way to the portal to take him home he pondered how he was supposed to write up a report about this to explain away his absence.

Plus he was quite sure Fleet Admiral Akainu would not believe anything he was going to write in the report...well all in a days work of an Admiral in the Marines I guess...

And with that he was gone.

~The End~​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

Aftermath

Several days have passed since the Fiamma Incident. That was what the Association and the Church were calling it in any case.

The two organizations were at an uproar, attempting to repair the damages that the magician from the other world had done. But that was something that the higher-ups worried about, while the rest of everyone else simply were happy to still be alive at all.

- - -

Rin Tohsaka sat in her mansion's sitting room, looking out the window as she enjoyed a cup of tea. The girl frowned a bit, looking somewhat distastefully at the tea. It wasn't bad by any means, but how Archer made it was much better. She rather missed the man, but it seemed that the Holy Grail War was simply something that wouldn't be able to go through.

Maybe another time...

Still, it felt strange. It didn't really feel like Archer was gone. It was almost as though he were still with her today, and that didn't just mean that cheesy "always be with you in spirit" kind of thing. It truly felt like he wasn't even dead. Like that person still existed within Fuyuki City today.

But Rin shook her head. Even for a mage like her, those thoughts were just too... off. Ah, well. Whatever it was, it shouldn't be any of her concern, right?

Going through the mail that had been delivered to her in her absence, Rin would discover a letter addressed to her from the Association. Huh, curious. What on Earth could it possibly be for?

Opening the envelope, she would unearth the contents from its cage and read what the letter had in store for her, before her eyes would widen in surprise, and then excitement, before shifting her head back.

"Fraaaaank!" Rin called out, "Have you ever been to London?"

While awaiting a response, she'd look back at the letter with a smile. The chance to learn straight from the Clock Tower, the headquarters of the Mage's Association, in London? She had been waiting for this kind of invitation for a long time! Boo-yah!

"Well. It really is finally all over, isn't it? No more of this Murder whatever business from me..." Rin sighed contently, before looking up at the ceiling, a thought popping into her head.

"... I wonder if I should invite Emiya as well..."

- - -

And thus, Ciel concluded her report on the Fiamma Incident. Her own personal account, that is. Sitting back in her seat, the desk beside her bed, the young woman would adjust her glasses a bit, wiping her brow.

"Hm... Another vacation from work would probably annoy the higher-ups, but this Murder Game business really is a pain. Hopefully, no more of that business in this world. It can happen anywhere else as long as it doesn't concern me," the Executor pouted to herself, crossing her arms, "I suppose I could just think over it during lunch..."

Maybe some curry rice, with potatoes, chicken, and carrots... Curry bread by itself certainly won't do. Especially since I'll be needing all the nutrients I can get ever since that ordeal.

Choices, choices.

Hm... And if I ask Minato, he'll probably just say something like "I'm fine with whatever you want!" But I dunno what I want!

The struggle.

- - -

"Tooooouukooooo..."

"Ah, is that you, little sis? It's been a while, hasn't it? You sound really different over the phone. Maybe I'm just not used to it since you can never afford phone service."

"YEAH AND I WONDER WHOSE FAULT THAT IS?!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about!~"

"If I wasn't dirt broke right now because of all the money you stole from my account, I'd fly over to where you are right now and kill you!"

Touko Aozaki simply laughed in response while Aoko Aozaki raged on the other end of the phone.

"Yep, that's Sensei alright. I can hear her from the other side of this room."

"She's quite lively, isn't she?"

- - -

Meanwhile, within the other world, Motoharu Tsuchimikado stood within the Windowless Building, pockets in his hands as he looked up at Aleister Crowley, the General Superintendent of Academy City.

Many things had changed, for better or for worse, after the whole ordeal. Fiamma of the Right by himself was not something that Crowley had accounted for, but at least the existence of the Murder Games was something he was able to adjust his plans to.

"So... Now that you have the power of the Jeweled Sword of Zelretch and the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon on you, what exactly do you plan to accomplish with it? If someone like me is allowed to know, of course," Tsuchimikado asked, adjusting his sunglasses as he would speak.

"For now... Nothing," Crowley responded, "My interests are limited to this world, and the hidden world of the Magic Gods. But even so, I dare not traverse there just yet."

"Oh, yeah? What's keeping you from doing that?" Tsuchimikado said. He had no idea what this so-called hidden world was, or what a Magic God even was, but perhaps that was none of his business. After all, he shouldn't push his luck with someone usually so secretive like Aleister Crowley, the greatest magician to ever live, and the founder of the luxurious Academy City.

"Tell me, Tsuchimikado. Have you ever heard of a magical spear called Gungnir?"

- - -

Russia was still cold as ever, that much did not change ever since the Fiamma Incident.

Fiamma of the Right's body was stronger than that of a normal human. Even though the Holy Right was something that had faded away after he had become infected with the Right Hand of the Crimson Moon, its protection continued to prevent him from dying on the spot when he had been hit by Mikoto Misaka's Railgun and sent flying out of the Star of Bethlehem.

Even so, just because he was alive didn't mean he was exactly functional at the moment. Even after a few days, Fiamma of the Right was still unconscious. It was a miracle that he hadn't died from something like hypothermia, but then, perhaps that was simply a miracle of God, bestowed upon him by the Holy Third.

Two figures approached him. It really was a pain trying to find him, especially in this blasted cold, but if he still contained traces of the power of the Arch Demon because of that Right Hand, it would all be worth it. Things didn't end so easily like that, after all.

"So we've finally found you... Fiamma of the Right."

- - -

In a world outside of the two worlds, an individual with the outward appearance of a young, teenage girl observed the events that had transpired. Omnipotence wasn't exactly a power of hers, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility for a Majin.

Othinus mused to herself for a minute, before taking a breath.

"A Murder Game... Hmm, interesting."

A crossing between all sorts of worlds. The mechanics seemed unclear, but she seemed to be able to get the general gist of it.

If it could be used for anything she desired... perhaps she could use this to return to the world in which she had once resided.

And nothing would be able to stop her.​

While Ciel was experiencing the existential crisis of deciding what she wanted for lunch, Minato was in the kitchen to solve that all-too common conflict, slaving away at the stove as he prepared curry for himself and the nun. The sizzling sound of his work in progress filled the room, blocking out the occasional growls of the man as he grabbed his own shaking right hand.

Ever since he had been given this new body, Minato couldn't seem to keep control of the hand that had seemingly been destroyed for good. Each moment was a struggle as he worked to be able to do the most basic of things such as writing and stirring with the limb. New body, same old problems... Maybe healing it again might work...? I should probably just suck it and go see a doctor about it.

As the curry began to finish cooking, he sighed as he remembered the friends he had made during the game. It hadn't been long since he had seen them last, and already, he wished they had had more time together. Ilona-chan... Ryan-chan... Old man... I really do miss you guys. It was terrifying to be in another Murder Game, but... I'm glad I met you all.

"Ciel-chan, lunch is ready!" Minato called up to bedroom, hoping to grab her attention while he set out the plates with each of their servings.

Back to being a homemaker for Minato, it seems.​

 

[Khan of the Mardu]

"Well then... that's the end to that."

A content smile on the detective's face now that they were out of that Murder Game. It was all over with now. As if she had enough for one sitting last time. Either way, she seemed rather antsy for some reason. Not wanting to wait on this moment any longer, Erika walked her way towards Robin eagerly.

"Robin-kun! You know, we both need a change of pace after all that's happened. Um... will you go out on a date with me?"

It seemed like Erika wasn't going to hesitate with popping this question when the urge came to her. For the amount of months that they've known each other, the question was going to show up sooner or later.

@The Tactician

Off to the side, the Endless Sorcerer grinned at Erika's question, hearing it from afar.

"Heh... Erika's never looked this excited for a date before. Guess people do change once you give them the time," Battler grinned to himself. He first thought of the detective as a malicious and fiendish opponent, as he has seen in the fifth and sixths games in the Gameboard. However, she wasn't showing that much of her "other side," and it was pretty refreshing to see her acting like the normal teenage girl she appears to be.

"At least we also got that thing done for Ange. Hopefully that's all that we had to do..."

Unlike the others that could return to their dimensions through that portal, Battler snapped his fingers to have a small cluster of golden butterflies conjure up a small blue crystal. The Metaworld wasn't exactly an easy place to get to, since it was a rather awkward dimension with it's own adjustable laws and physics. Even if he were a Gamemaster there, he couldn't let people know the way to that place at all. That's where the usage of Kakeras come in. While Kakeras were just like Fragments, Kakeras were just more than little worlds, and were usually the primary method of travel for dwellers from the Metaworld.

The Endless Sorcerer only tossed the Kakera up and down from his hand, waiting for the detective to finish up her business so they could fetch a ride back to the Metaworld. Unless someone wanted to have a final word with him before they departed, now was the time.​

"Oh, hmmm?" Robin hummed with a smirk, a glint of joy in his eyes as Erika asked her, "Erika-chan, do you even need to ask? You should know by now that I would drop everything just to spend a day with you..." He took her hand into his and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Shall we go now or later then?"​

 

[Verite]

And that was the end, huh? It was a bit painful, but she made it through in one piece. Super. No more (added) chance of death, no more running around doing errands without any payment, no more being lost, no more...whatever else. Hopefully no more fighting Level 5's and people with inexplicable powers, too. Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Yup, super healthy of course," she replied, more or less ignoring the fact she'd just "died." But she came back to life, so hey, she was fine. "...It was..."

She paused to think about it. It felt pretty surreal.

"Clearing the super final boss. I think. There was a super big ship, and then we super crashed. But I guess you super probably saw that much, right Hamazura? By the way, is Takitsubo super alri- oof!"
​

Kinuhata was a little preoccupied, and hadn't noticed the younger girl until she'd been tackle-hugged.

"Huh?! What super happene- oh, hey Ryan."

She actually hadn't seen her new friend in quite some time. Since roughly the time she went to Academy City, if she recalled correctly. Fortunately, it seemed they'd both made it through the game just fine. But she could tell Ryan had been crying, for one reason or another. She looked alright physically, but knowing her that probably meant someone else had been hurt instead. So the young esper figured she'd try to distract her with some small talk, or something.

"How're you super doing? Sorry for super ditching you earlier, it super wasn't on purpose. Got super distracted." She smiled at her friend, patting her on the head before noticing something. "Hm, got a super new cape?"

@Hospes @Verite​

Well. Good thing Ryan hadn't entirely heard that whole conversation. She was peacefully oblivious to what had happened in the other groups... For now, anyways.

In any case, all was well, now that the kid could ferociously cuddle/hug one of her friends again. How utterly terrifying and horrible.

All of that aside, the girl had definitely cheered up at least a little. Even then, it was unlikely that the events of this game would leave her mind any time soon.. But bliss should be had where it is found, or something, no? So, the little blonde only beamed, wasting no time in responding. "..A lot better, now that I know you're alright," she answered. "And don't worry.. I'm just glad you're okay. You didn't get hurt at all, though, did you?" When Kinuhata pointed out her new cape, the girl looked back at it, as though she'd already forgotten it was there. Which, she had. Ryan had been too upset to really pay her sister much mind. Including the little cape gesture. "..Yeah, Reece conjured a new one for me," she explained, her mind now fully processing what had happened.

"You can keep the one I gave you," she added, cheerily. "Then we can match, and you'll still have something to remember me b--"

Oh.. Right. They weren't here for a reunion - this was goodbye. Suddenly, Ryan was feeling a bit less than cheerful.

@Kaykay @Verite​

She'd been in pain, but now that she thought about it that one incredibly painful last spell didn't seem to have any lasting effects. So technically she'd been hurt, but no injury had resulted. What a strange predicament.

Ah, whatever. No sense thinking about it so super hard. It'd be pointless to worry Ryan over "hurt" that didn't really "hurt" now. Or, something. Magic sucked. Kinuhata shook her head.

"Nah, super fine. Good thing you're super okay too. You had me super worried, I hadn't seen you in a super long time." Even if she hadn't really had much time for worry between all the fighting she'd suddenly encountered. She was still concerned about her friends though. Hamazura, Takitsubo, Mugino, and of course Ryan. Hm, she'd promised a lot of people to not get hurt, hadn't she? Good thing it turned out to not be too hard a promise to fulfill with fairly capable people around her.

But of course, with the fulfillment of that promise came the end. She'd see her former ITEM members as usual. This was her world after all. But these people, most of which she frankly didn't know or really care about, would have to go back. And that included the friends she'd made. Well, everything had to come to an end eventually, right?

"I see. Yeah, I'll super keep it then," she nodded, taking out the cape and draping it around her own shoulders. Maybe Hamazura would make fun of her for being 12 and wearing a cape. She'd just have to put him in his place later, no big deal. "I couldn't super forget you if I tried. Your super overwhelming innocence is super stuck in my head." Perhaps not the most tactful way to put it, but it was true, really. Her association was with the "dark side" of Academy City. Though her friends were kindhearted, none of them had that quality. Even among just people she knew about, it was a pretty rare trait.

"But, I guess super more importantly, we're super friends, right? Chances are, I probably won't see you again, and there isn't super much I can do about that. That's super true. But that chance super isn't 0. So if you super keep yourself alive, I'll do the same. Then maybe, by some super freak of nature, we might see each other again, right?"

The esper was well aware this was, overall, probably a final farewell. That chance might as well have been 0. Even if they both stayed healthy and alive, neither would live past another 100 years or so. But such thoughts were depressing, not just to tell Ryan, but for herself. So she'd cling to that barely existent non-zero chance instead.

@Hospes @Verite​

"... I'd ask where the damned ship came from, but at this point, I just wanna go home. Where I'll meet a hopefully not still crazed Mugino like you say," Hamazura sighed, before nodding, "And yeah, Rikou's fine. She's just resting. Before, she was really sick, but... I think the news about Mugino having a change of heart contributed to making her get a little better. But hell if even I know what goes on in her mind sometimes," the young man said, crossing his arms. And then a wild Ryan would appear.

He silently watched the exchange between the two of them, stifling a small laugh admittedly when Kinuhata would be given the cape, and then raising an eyebrow at her words towards Ryan.

"That's surprisingly nice coming from you," he commented to the Esper, "Why can't you be that nice to me?"

@Kaykay @Hospes​

 

[Kaykay]

"... I'd ask where the damned ship came from, but at this point, I just wanna go home. Where I'll meet a hopefully not still crazed Mugino like you say," Hamazura sighed, before nodding, "And yeah, Rikou's fine. She's just resting. Before, she was really sick, but... I think the news about Mugino having a change of heart contributed to making her get a little better. But hell if even I know what goes on in her mind sometimes," the young man said, crossing his arms. And then a wild Ryan would appear.

He silently watched the exchange between the two of them, stifling a small laugh admittedly when Kinuhata would be given the cape, and then raising an eyebrow at her words towards Ryan.

"That's surprisingly nice coming from you," he commented to the Esper, "Why can't you be that nice to me?"

@Kaykay @Hospes​

Of course, the answer was that he was just too Hamazura-y. But he'd brought something up that couldn't be ignored.

"Ah, you're super right. I should treat you like a super little 10 year old girl. I'm super, super sorry, little Hamazura. Would you super like a cape too? I'm sure her sister has plenty of super capes for you." She reached up to patronizingly pat Hamazura on the head.

@Verite @Hospes

​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

Wow. That was unexpected. Gilgamesh hadn't really seemed like the type to offer to help people up.. But maybe Reece was wrong about him in that aspect? Regardless, she took the offered hand and got to her feet and then that other stuff happened.
​

Exhaustedly, Reece returned the wave, lost in thought. The question posed only raised more thought, and the Sybil took a long moment to think before responding. As she did so, she silently climbed to her feet before crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.. And only then did she reply, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"That's quite simple, really.." she started, exhaling deeply. "I'll be looking into these Murder Games a bit.. Deeper," she explained, ominously. "These events are clearly dangerous, and though if may leave me in suffering, I think it's a reasonable risk. The more knowledge gathered, the better, and the higher the chance of them being stoppable."

There was a pause, before the Caster tilted her head. "..And yourself, Gilgamesh? Since Battler here and I have already spoken our plans."

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Gummi Bunnies​

Gigamesh finished his glass of wine and said "Well, the Holy Grail War is over and Kotomine is gone. I don't have any reason to stick around in this town any more. These Murder Games aren't going to go anywhere though. It might be interesting to follow. Surely another invitation will pop up". Then chiming in to Battler "Perhaps you should do the same, if your plate is so empty. Especially if your Rival is taking off after it".

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes​

"What now? If I got myself involved with these Murder Games more... that just spells more chaos for me to handle with my impatient wife..."

Jeez, Battler sounded like he was a bit tied down with that marriage he's in.

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Hospes​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

"Oh, hmmm?" Robin hummed with a smirk, a glint of joy in his eyes as Erika asked her, "Erika-chan, do you even need to ask? You should know by now that I would drop everything just to spend a day with you..." He took her hand into his and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Shall we go now or later then?"​

"Well, I do have things to settle in the Metaworld first... tight business and all, but I'll have something special planned for the both of us. I'm quite sure that you're going to enjoy it~"

With a shade of red on her cheeks, Erika cheered happily.

"Success!! We're both going to have our first date soon enough!"

Under all of that unsavory actions that she has done in the past... after all of the things that she's caused for Battler and Beatrice... Erika was just a simple girl on the inside, her mind cleared out of her negative pretense towards love. Besides, she appeared so goddamn adorable now.

@The Tactician​

 

[BarrenThin]

"A-Ah, you heard that? It was nothing! Just a passing thought, that's all!" Rin would exclaim in embarrassment. The lady doth protest too much, but that was okay.

"A-Anyway... The Association has invited me to London at their headquarters, the Clock Tower. It's a big deal to be invited to such a place. Think of it like the most extravagant university ever, like Harvard or Yale or whatever those American ones are called, except, y'know, for mages," Rin stammered, still somewhat recovering from Frank catching on to her last comment from before, "I assume that you'd be okay with moving there, right? Of course, we'll have to come back here from time to time to clean up and so on, but I suppose I can just ask my sister to occupy this place for me," she sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"This is the kind of place that gets lonely quickly... If no one lives here, it really will become the haunted house that people around town think it is, y'know."

@BarrenThin​

A wide smile spread over his face at that. "That's great!' He nodded again after considering it for a few moments. "Yeah, moving to London sounds pretty fun, and I'm sure your sister would welcome the change."

@Verite​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Ilona's Epilogue: Part I

"An average human can hold their breath for approximately two minutes. Now isn't that fascinating, Ilona dear?"

The memory was vivid, as clear as the day it had happened in Ilona's mind. She could remember sitting on the floor of the library with her mother, while the queen would read books to her--containing various facts and bits of information about the world. While her mother had always been a wallflower and bookworm, the princess wasn't exactly the same. She was a bit more like her aunt, Princess Anna, or her father, Solaire. Rather than taking the time to read books, she was more interested in going out into the world and socializing.

"Mother, can I go out yet? It's a warm, sunny day!" she would exclaim. In response, the queen would only shake her head.

"Now, now, education is very important. The more you know about the world, the easier it will be for you to take care of Arendelle one day, and just to house general information about the world in general."

While Ilona would protest back in the day, it was in this very moment--after the murder game's end--that she would actually start to realize her mother's advice had some value. She could remember that very piece of information her mother had taught her, racing through her mind as she held her breath and ran along to hunt for her friends.

"I'll hold my breath longer than two minutes. Maybe if I hold my breath long enough, my powers won't make me leave this place. I want to find my friends and at least say goodbye."

Fighting back tears, the princess ceased her running after a moment and finally took a breath when her lungs gave in. "I can't do it. I need to call out to my friends anyhow so I can find them."

"Sir Minato! Ryan! Sans! Papyrus! Dear friends!" she called out, hoping to find some of them. While it was highly likely they had already gone home, Ilona still wanted to say goodbye to some of them... if she had the chance.

@The Tactician @Atomyk @coralprime @Hospes​

 

[DapperDogman]

Ryner sat in silence, his hand clutching the sword he know called his own
Excalibur
Maybe this wasn't the end, maybe there was something he could do

"I've made up my mind...I'll do something about all this...I'll fix it..."
He stands, silver armor covering his blue tabard as he grips the sword tightly
"I'll become a contender in the quest for the Holy Grail, and when I harness it's power...I'll erase all the evil in the mulitverse that priest created..."

"But I can't nap if I'm questing for legendary artifacts..."
"Maybe I'll use it's power to make up for lost time napping?"
"I'll figure that out another time...but for now...I've got work to do"

With that, he'd give Gilgamesh a small nod of respect, or maybe just acknowledgement, who knew what he was thinking

"I'll keep it in mind, Gilgamesh, if ever I feel like gloating, I'll quote those exact words"
"I'll see you all around some time, I'm sure. This isn't over, not by a long shot"

"Until next time, I'm off to erase evil and be a third wheel in my own world!"

And then he vanished slowly, giving a nod to anyone he knew as he did

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Crimson Spartan @Hospes​

 

[Hazel-rah]

NYEH!! NYEH HEH!!! THAT WAS SO COOL, BROTHER!!

I MEAN, MY SPECIAL ATTACK IS COOLER, OBVIOUSLY. BUT! STILL!!! SECOND BEST ISN'T BAD!!

LET'S DO THIS AGAIN SOMETIME!!! I DIDN'T REALIZE HUMANS MADE COLD-BLOODED MURDER SO FUN!!!!

Papyrus's ears caught the sound of someone yelling his in the distance. Papyrus then remembered that he doesn't have ears, but turned around anyway. He could make out Ilona running off nearby. He called out to her, waving his severed arm around with his still-attached arm to try to get her attention.

PAPYRUS!!! THAT'S, MY NAME!!! I'M OVER HERE, HUMAN! FOLLOW MY ARM!!!!

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

NYEH!! NYEH HEH!!! THAT WAS SO COOL, BROTHER!!

I MEAN, MY SPECIAL ATTACK IS COOLER, OBVIOUSLY. BUT! STILL!!! SECOND BEST ISN'T BAD!!

LET'S DO THIS AGAIN SOMETIME!!! I DIDN'T REALIZE HUMANS MADE COLD-BLOODED MURDER SO FUN!!!!

Papyrus's ears caught the sound of someone yelling his in the distance. Papyrus then remembered that he doesn't have ears, but turned around anyway. He could make out Ilona running off nearby. He called out to her, waving his severed arm around with his still-attached arm to try to get her attention.

PAPYRUS!!! THAT'S, MY NAME!!! I'M OVER HERE, HUMAN! FOLLOW MY ARM!!!!

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk​

When Ilona heard one voice call out to her, she was relieved. "Yay! Papyrus! You made it back!" she rushed over to the skeleton, quite happy to see him. He still had her flower too, which brought a smile to her lips. When she saw his arm, however, the girl was surprised.

"Uh oh, by the Sun's rays, what happened to your arm?!" she exclaimed, worried.

@coralprime​

 

[Hazel-rah]

OH, THIS??? WOW!! IT WAS SO COOL!! SOME CRAZY GUY WENT AND SHOT MY ARM OFF!!!

HE MUST HAVE REALIZED WHAT A THREAT I POSED TO HIM. LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT I HAD ALREADY SOFTENED HIM UP FOR THE FINAL BLOW.

HA!!! THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!! I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN IT!!

ANYWAY, MY ARM SHOULD BE OKAY. THIS IS WHY I HAVE TWO, IN CASE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS! I NOTICED YOU DO THE SAME THING!!! HA!! WE'RE BOTH SO SMART!!!

WHEN I GET BACK HOME, I'LL ASK DR. ALPHYS TO PUT MY ARM BACK TOGETHER. AND IF SHE CAN'T I'LL HAVE HER MAKE ME A NEW ARM!!! MAYBE A ROBOT ARM??? ARE ROBOT PARTS MADE OF BONE?? OOOOH, OR A GIANT SWORD!!! THAT WAY WE CAN TRAIN TOGETHER ALL DAY AND NIGHT!!!

ALTHOUGH... I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M GOING TO GET BACK YET. I WAS THINKING SANS WOULD FIGURE IT OUT... BUT I THINK HE'S ON BREAK AGAIN. HE'S PROBABLY TIRED. HIS LAST BREAK WAS ALMOST AN ENTIRE HOUR AGO!! SO I'LL PROBABLY JUST STAND HERE AIMLESSLY UNTIL THEN.

...

SO, UH... I GUESS THIS IS IT, THEN? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

OH, THIS??? WOW!! IT WAS SO COOL!! SOME CRAZY GUY WENT AND SHOT MY ARM OFF!!!

HE MUST HAVE REALIZED WHAT A THREAT I POSED TO HIM. LITTLE DID HE KNOW THAT I HAD ALREADY SOFTENED HIM UP FOR THE FINAL BLOW.

HA!!! THOROUGHLY JAPED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!! I WISH YOU COULD HAVE SEEN IT!!

ANYWAY, MY ARM SHOULD BE OKAY. THIS IS WHY I HAVE TWO, IN CASE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS! I NOTICED YOU DO THE SAME THING!!! HA!! WE'RE BOTH SO SMART!!!

WHEN I GET BACK HOME, I'LL ASK DR. ALPHYS TO PUT MY ARM BACK TOGETHER. AND IF SHE CAN'T I'LL HAVE HER MAKE ME A NEW ARM!!! MAYBE A ROBOT ARM??? ARE ROBOT PARTS MADE OF BONE?? OOOOH, OR A GIANT SWORD!!! THAT WAY WE CAN TRAIN TOGETHER ALL DAY AND NIGHT!!!

ALTHOUGH... I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M GOING TO GET BACK YET. I WAS THINKING SANS WOULD FIGURE IT OUT... BUT I THINK HE'S ON BREAK AGAIN. HE'S PROBABLY TIRED. HIS LAST BREAK WAS ALMOST AN ENTIRE HOUR AGO!! SO I'LL PROBABLY JUST STAND HERE AIMLESSLY UNTIL THEN.

...

SO, UH... I GUESS THIS IS IT, THEN? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty

"Wow! So you pretty much defeated the enemy all on your own, except for the final blow! You really are amazing, Papyrus!" the girl exclaimed, enthralled by his explanation. "But I hope you get some kind of arm back or at least get it fixed. It's better to have two arms than one."

"But anyhow, I'm... not sure what I'm going to do. I fear the power I have to teleport me against my will may cause me to leave all of you soon. I-I don't want to leave, but it probably will happen. You probably won't get a chance to train me after all. So I was hoping to at least find you and Sans so I could say goodbye before it's too late. We should try to find him..."

@coralprime​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

"....I swear to you that I will find a way to be with you again Saber........or die trying......This is not goodbye......" Lon'qu would state just before Saber would vanish. After she did though he fell to his knees again staring at the ground at which she once stood on. This is the second time someone he loved has been killed because he couldn't protect them. Because he was weak and it ate away at him. It took Donny approaching him to finally snap him out of this.

"You mean 'we' right Lon'qu..? I'll help ya and i'm sure everyone back home will too. I mean we've defied impossible odds 'fore. What's ta stop us now..?"

"You're right Donny..." Lon'qu had spoke before he looked up at Gilgamesh.
​

"..." He would stare at Gilgamesh for a moment before he gave him a simple nod. "...My thanks..." he would say before he picked Excalibur up off the ground. Seems Gilgamesh has a heart after all and with this act Lon'qu silently swore to not reveal Gilgamesh's little secret.

Keeping Excalibur in hand he walked over to where Reece had left his sword in order to retrieve it. In doing so he glanced at Ryner and Ryan before he moved. "I thank you both for doing your best. To you Ryner thank you for everything you've done. I could not ask for a better friend."

"And Ryan. Though I ain't seen you much thanks fer bein' a good friend and patching people up when they got hurt..."​

"T-That's it.... We an really go home...?"

"Seems so....."

Lon'qu paused turning away from the portal.

"..." he said nothing as he silently stared off into the distance perhaps thinking of something.


@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Gen. Gwazi Senpai @DapperDogman @Hospes @Verite




​

~Flashback~

Well.. That was a bit comforting. If Lon'qu wasn't mad.. Maybe it'd be easier for Ryan to let go. She managed a small smile through the tears, and almost went to hug Lon'qu.. Before recalling he didn't like touch, and backing off. But, Donny didn't dislike touch, from what she recalled, so he didn't get off the hook so easy. The child hugged him tightly, looking up at him with a smile. "It's what I'm meant for. I'm just sorry I couldn't help Saber.." she admitted, pulling away and shuffling her feet. "But.. Thank you both, too. You're great friends. Just.. Please be safe?"
​

She'd been in pain, but now that she thought about it that one incredibly painful last spell didn't seem to have any lasting effects. So technically she'd been hurt, but no injury had resulted. What a strange predicament.

Ah, whatever. No sense thinking about it so super hard. It'd be pointless to worry Ryan over "hurt" that didn't really "hurt" now. Or, something. Magic sucked. Kinuhata shook her head.

"Nah, super fine. Good thing you're super okay too. You had me super worried, I hadn't seen you in a super long time." Even if she hadn't really had much time for worry between all the fighting she'd suddenly encountered. She was still concerned about her friends though. Hamazura, Takitsubo, Mugino, and of course Ryan. Hm, she'd promised a lot of people to not get hurt, hadn't she? Good thing it turned out to not be too hard a promise to fulfill with fairly capable people around her.

But of course, with the fulfillment of that promise came the end. She'd see her former ITEM members as usual. This was her world after all. But these people, most of which she frankly didn't know or really care about, would have to go back. And that included the friends she'd made. Well, everything had to come to an end eventually, right?

"I see. Yeah, I'll super keep it then," she nodded, taking out the cape and draping it around her own shoulders. Maybe Hamazura would make fun of her for being 12 and wearing a cape. She'd just have to put him in his place later, no big deal. "I couldn't super forget you if I tried. Your super overwhelming innocence is super stuck in my head." Perhaps not the most tactful way to put it, but it was true, really. Her association was with the "dark side" of Academy City. Though her friends were kindhearted, none of them had that quality. Even among just people she knew about, it was a pretty rare trait.

"But, I guess super more importantly, we're super friends, right? Chances are, I probably won't see you again, and there isn't super much I can do about that. That's super true. But that chance super isn't 0. So if you super keep yourself alive, I'll do the same. Then maybe, by some super freak of nature, we might see each other again, right?"

The esper was well aware this was, overall, probably a final farewell. That chance might as well have been 0. Even if they both stayed healthy and alive, neither would live past another 100 years or so. But such thoughts were depressing, not just to tell Ryan, but for herself. So she'd cling to that barely existent non-zero chance instead.

@Hospes @Verite​

"... I'd ask where the damned ship came from, but at this point, I just wanna go home. Where I'll meet a hopefully not still crazed Mugino like you say," Hamazura sighed, before nodding, "And yeah, Rikou's fine. She's just resting. Before, she was really sick, but... I think the news about Mugino having a change of heart contributed to making her get a little better. But hell if even I know what goes on in her mind sometimes," the young man said, crossing his arms. And then a wild Ryan would appear.

He silently watched the exchange between the two of them, stifling a small laugh admittedly when Kinuhata would be given the cape, and then raising an eyebrow at her words towards Ryan.

"That's surprisingly nice coming from you," he commented to the Esper, "Why can't you be that nice to me?"

@Kaykay @Hospes​

Of course, the answer was that he was just too Hamazura-y. But he'd brought something up that couldn't be ignored.

"Ah, you're super right. I should treat you like a super little 10 year old girl. I'm super, super sorry, little Hamazura. Would you super like a cape too? I'm sure her sister has plenty of super capes for you." She reached up to patronizingly pat Hamazura on the head.

@Verite @Hospes​

Well, at least there was one good thing about this. Kinuhata was still okay.. Which led Ryan to assume that everyone else was(or, at least, would be) alright, too. Even if Saber wasn't. Trying to shake off that thought, the little girl simply rocked on her heels, mustering a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright," she replied, the sincerity in those simple words ringing loud and clear. "Yeah.. Reece protected me," she explained, though that recollection was rather painful, too. Her sister had gotten hurt because of her, and it weighed heavily on both Ryan's heart and mind. But, right now, it'd be no use to worry about it. It wouldn't change what had happened.

She seemed to have briefly gotten distant, lost in less than cheerful thought. Reece saving her wasn't the only painful recollection she had from her time here. Saber being possessed and then dying, the corpses of countless friends of hers, the fighting and bad occurrences.. The list went on and on. Luckily, though, Kinuhata's next words snapped her out of it.. And she brightened a good bit when the other girl went as far as putting on the cape. That meant a lot to Ryan, and, even though she didn't say it, it was likely quite obvious.

It seemed that Ryan was also glad Kinuhata said she couldn't forget her. As much as she hated saying goodbye.. Knowing that somehow made it feel just a sliver easier. Even if the other girl said it was because of her innocence... Whatever that meant. "I couldn't forget you, either. You're too super good of a friend for that," she chimed in response, flashing one of those signature bright smiles. However, it faded to a more serious expression as Kinuhata continued, and the child felt her heart sink just a little. But, she was ever the optimist, and she wasn't considered that by so many people for nothing.

"I'll make sure I do my best to stay alive," she mused, though she was being totally serious. "Just.. You be careful, too, okay? Promise?" she asked, a hopeful tone entering her voice again. "I bet we'll see each other again.. Maybe, someday, you can even come visit..! I bet my family would love to meet you." Poor kid had too much hope sometimes.

@Kaykay @Verite @Whoever​

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

"What now? If I got myself involved with these Murder Games more... that just spells more chaos for me to handle with my impatient wife..."

Jeez, Battler sounded like he was a bit tied down with that marriage he's in.

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Hospes​

"A normal life then?" Gilgamesh mused, "Though if you truly fear your wife's chaos after what we've just been through then she must something at least".

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

"A normal life then?" Gilgamesh mused, "Though if you truly fear your wife's chaos after what we've just been through then she must something at least".

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes​

"Yeah... being married to a Witch is a lot of work, but doesn't mean that I'm not okay with it."

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Hospes​

 

[Kaykay]

~Flashback~

Well.. That was a bit comforting. If Lon'qu wasn't mad.. Maybe it'd be easier for Ryan to let go. She managed a small smile through the tears, and almost went to hug Lon'qu.. Before recalling he didn't like touch, and backing off. But, Donny didn't dislike touch, from what she recalled, so he didn't get off the hook so easy. The child hugged him tightly, looking up at him with a smile. "It's what I'm meant for. I'm just sorry I couldn't help Saber.." she admitted, pulling away and shuffling her feet. "But.. Thank you both, too. You're great friends. Just.. Please be safe?"
​

Well, at least there was one good thing about this. Kinuhata was still okay.. Which led Ryan to assume that everyone else was(or, at least, would be) alright, too. Even if Saber wasn't. Trying to shake off that thought, the little girl simply rocked on her heels, mustering a small smile. "I'm glad you're alright," she replied, the sincerity in those simple words ringing loud and clear. "Yeah.. Reece protected me," she explained, though that recollection was rather painful, too. Her sister had gotten hurt because of her, and it weighed heavily on both Ryan's heart and mind. But, right now, it'd be no use to worry about it. It wouldn't change what had happened.

She seemed to have briefly gotten distant, lost in less than cheerful thought. Reece saving her wasn't the only painful recollection she had from her time here. Saber being possessed and then dying, the corpses of countless friends of hers, the fighting and bad occurrences.. The list went on and on. Luckily, though, Kinuhata's next words snapped her out of it.. And she brightened a good bit when the other girl went as far as putting on the cape. That meant a lot to Ryan, and, even though she didn't say it, it was likely quite obvious.

It seemed that Ryan was also glad Kinuhata said she couldn't forget her. As much as she hated saying goodbye.. Knowing that somehow made it feel just a sliver easier. Even if the other girl said it was because of her innocence... Whatever that meant. "I couldn't forget you, either. You're too super good of a friend for that," she chimed in response, flashing one of those signature bright smiles. However, it faded to a more serious expression as Kinuhata continued, and the child felt her heart sink just a little. But, she was ever the optimist, and she wasn't considered that by so many people for nothing.

"I'll make sure I do my best to stay alive," she mused, though she was being totally serious. "Just.. You be careful, too, okay? Promise?" she asked, a hopeful tone entering her voice again. "I bet we'll see each other again.. Maybe, someday, you can even come visit..! I bet my family would love to meet you." Poor kid had too much hope sometimes.

@Kaykay @Verite @Whoever​

Whatever had happened while Kinuhata wasn't there, the esper was fairly sure she couldn't undo it. If the kid with healing powers couldn't fix it, the girl with the ability to hit things hard probably couldn't either. It wasn't like Ryan was the type to cry because she couldn't damage something, after all. She felt a bit bad about it, but what couldn't be done couldn't be done.

"I super promise," Kinuhata nodded. A family, huh? She didn't have that herself, really, outside of maybe ITEM. But that was disbanded...

Or maybe not. Mugino was a little messed up in the head like most Level 5's, but she had definitely cared for her teammates, at least to an extent, before. And she definitely seemed super serious about restarting ITEM. Frenda may he gone, but at least the rest of them could stick together. Almost like a family unit themselves, huh? It wasn't the same, of course, but it was the closest thing the young esper had.

"That'd be, uh, super nice," she replied, not actually totally sure she'd get along with the rest of that family based on what she'd heard. Dark, light, whatever, it'd probably be almost like going to a cult. But still.

"You can super meet my...friends, too. Oh, and our super lacky, Hamazura." She continued patting Hamazura as she mentioned him. "Guess I should super introduce you two, though. Villager A, Ryan. Ryan, Villager A. Now, Hamazura, don't try to put a super bunny costume on her, okay? I know you can't help yourself, but I'll super break your kneecaps if you do it."

She quit her mocking of Hamazura to say one more thing.

"Really, though. I super won't forget you. So don't super worry about anything. If anything super bothers you, I can always super blow it away for you. Okay?"

She'd made a lot of promises during this whole game thing. She'd been able to keep every one of them, so far. That one...would be broken, almost undoubtedly. But though she couldn't undo whatever happened where Ryan was, maybe she could at least ease the pain for her friend.

Send her back with good memories of this time, and not with just the weight of her failures.

@Hospes @Verite​

 

[Midnight Maiden]

Gigamesh finished his glass of wine and said "Well, the Holy Grail War is over and Kotomine is gone. I don't have any reason to stick around in this town any more. These Murder Games aren't going to go anywhere though. It might be interesting to follow. Surely another invitation will pop up". Then chiming in to Battler "Perhaps you should do the same, if your plate is so empty. Especially if your Rival is taking off after it".

@Gummi Bunnies @Hospes​

"What now? If I got myself involved with these Murder Games more... that just spells more chaos for me to handle with my impatient wife..."

Jeez, Battler sounded like he was a bit tied down with that marriage he's in.

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Hospes​

Ryner sat in silence, his hand clutching the sword he know called his own
Excalibur
Maybe this wasn't the end, maybe there was something he could do

"I've made up my mind...I'll do something about all this...I'll fix it..."
He stands, silver armor covering his blue tabard as he grips the sword tightly
"I'll become a contender in the quest for the Holy Grail, and when I harness it's power...I'll erase all the evil in the mulitverse that priest created..."

"But I can't nap if I'm questing for legendary artifacts..."
"Maybe I'll use it's power to make up for lost time napping?"
"I'll figure that out another time...but for now...I've got work to do"

With that, he'd give Gilgamesh a small nod of respect, or maybe just acknowledgement, who knew what he was thinking

"I'll keep it in mind, Gilgamesh, if ever I feel like gloating, I'll quote those exact words"
"I'll see you all around some time, I'm sure. This isn't over, not by a long shot"

"Until next time, I'm off to erase evil and be a third wheel in my own world!"

And then he vanished slowly, giving a nod to anyone he knew as he did

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Crimson Spartan @Hospes​

Even though Reece had a feeling that Gilgamesh was right about the games not going anywhere, she wasn't about to admit that. After all, she wasn't one to give others the satisfaction of admission of defeat. That just wasn't her nature. No, Reece was stubborn, determined, and sassy to the bitter end. "Hmph. I don't think it's wise to actively seek to participate. After all, there's no saying that- if you die again -you'll be brought back. Sure, you were, here; but who's to say the other games will be the same?" she pointed out. She was trying to seem indifferent about the matter, but at the same time, those words could be interpreted in one of two ways: either Reece was arguing for the sake of arguing, or she really didn't care for the idea of Gilgamesh getting hurt. Who knew?

Regardless of the intent, Reece moved on quickly, chuckling softly at Battler's statement. "Well, you don't seem the impatient type, yourself. So it seems that the saying 'opposites attract' reigns true in this scenario... Though, personally, I don't believe such silly statements. Love and affection aren't decided by such factors as those sayings imply."

On another note, Reece did notice Ryner, as well. She admired his clear determination to stop these games, and nodded her understanding as he explained himself, flashing a small smile. "Well.. I wish you the best of luck, Ryner. Be careful, alright? It wouldn't do for you to get injured further," she remarked, half-playfully. But, then she got a little more serious. "...Really, though - be careful."

@Gen. Gwazi Senpai @Gummi Bunnies @DapperDogman​

 

[Atomyk]

Welp. That was a neat diversion but there were more important matters to attend to. Like, going home and all that stuff.

Sans appeared first to Stubbs, hands in his pockets.

hey, bud. just wondering if you were still up for hanging out.

because, it'll be pretty easy. the underground is actually pretty swell. i'm sure you'll like it there.

Then, suddenly, he was next to Papyrus and Ilona. Folding space and time was really convenient for talking to multiple people.

you two seem lost. need some help?

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @coralprime​