Jump Force: A Witcher Among Anime

by Laci the Hunter

The world in the 21st century is broken by a new Conjunction of the Spheres, which brings a whole host of new threats. But there are also those who are ready to fight this threat, both from other worlds, as well as our own. One lone witcher fights along side the greatest anime heroes of all time to stop a great evil from destroying everything they know and love. Unite to fight!

Jump Force: A Witcher Among Anime

The day of a new Conjunction

Location: New York

It was supposed to be an easy job…okay well, granted, when dealing with a Zeugl it almost NEVER is easy. But it was still supposed to be somewhat simple: go down the sewers, find the tentacled fish bastard, kill it, don't get too much sewage on my clothes so I wouldn't smell like an unclean toilet for a month and finally get out and get paid. That's how it was supposed to happen.

Now while I admit that being…who I am, nothing ever gets easy down the line, what I'm seeing right now after those giant roots appeared is BEYOND weird. And let me just say that things are just gonna keep getting more and more complicated and soon I'll have more than just monsters to deal with.

Third person POV

The streets of New York were the sight of an evergrowing chaos that seemed to have no ending. As people were running in panic to either get to safety or to help those in need, the skyline of the city was being destroyed by the mysterious white-haired humanoids that were flying in every direction.

All of this chaos and destruction started when clouds as dark as night blotted out the sky and sun and as streaks of lightning appeared every-which-way, giant roots suddenly materialized, beginning at Times Square and then spreading everywhere. The roots themselves were not an immediate problem, but the small dark portals that began dotting the slowly clearing sky were a great problem indeed. From these portals came the white-haired humanoids and almost immediately they began destroying everything in sight. As for the panicking humans, the flying humanoids would mostly vaporize them with the strange laser beams coming out of their hands, however sometimes they would abduct live humans and take them through the portals.

The situation only worsened when a short human male with spiky slicked black hair, red clothing, armored gauntlets, a black spiral mark on the right side of his forehead and a pair of purplish-black wings, suddenly appeared out of the portal.

"You and the others have done well so far."-said the young man, addressing a taller white haired young man, wearing a skintight black shirt and pants, and wearing a black vest over the shirt-"Just make sure there are enough humans left to create more of you."

"Understood, lord Zeldris."-said the white haired being, flying off. However, the being's face bore an angry scowl as his red eyes glowed momentarily and he thought:

'Damn brat! If it weren't for that damn power of his, I'd have just run him through and called it a day. I was – no scratch that – I still AM the boss of a powerful gang from fucking New York! From right fucking here! I should be the one calling the shots around here, not some fucking FREAK!'

The young being stopped for a moment, hovering in the sky before thinking once more-'Whatever, bitching about it won't help me now. I'll just have to prove to the Big Boss that I'm way better than some stuck-up brat. After all…'

A sinister grin made its way onto his face, as he spotted a man trying to open a caved in car, trying to free its occupants: a woman and a little boy. The being's right hand glowed with an aethereal purple and black glow-'…I've got freakin' superpowers now. And they don't call me Jimmy the Reaper for nothing…'-the being then fired a black and purple beam at his targets, that disturbing smile never leaving his face as screams of death and agony filled the streets.

-X-

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, though closing in on the area where Zeldris and Jimmy the Reaper are, a young man in his late-twenties was making his way through the ruined streets of Times Square. Not much can be seen of this man, since he was wearing a black leather trenchcoat, which also came with a black hood, which he had on. Although, what could be seen of him, were the black, fingerless gloves, dark blue jeans, black combat boots and black T-shirt, which had a red wyvern on it that was breathing fire. He was also wearing belt that had a long, black scabbard strapped to it. He also had a pair of pistols with a pair of holsters. There was an interesting looking silver necklace around his neck, comprised of a simple circular amulet with the side image of a snarling wolf emblazoned on it. Finally, he had three diagonal scars on the right side of his face, and he was wearing a pair of black shades, for some reason.

As he was making his way through the wreckages of destroyed cars and building parts, he sighed in annoyance and muttered to himself-"Great. Just great. Well, guess I won't get paid now. And I went through three blocks of sewers and fought a giant, tentacled fish for nothing. God damn it."

"HELP! PLEASE HELP!"-the young man's musings were cut short when he heard the yells of a young brunette girl, who was trying to open the door of a turned over SUV. The young man walked wordlessly closer, and when the girl saw him, she sighed with relief and said-"Oh, thank God. Please, you have to help me open this! My boyfriend...he's…he's trapped inside and I can't – I can't get this door to open!"

Looking over the girl's shoulder, he indeed saw a black-haired young man of similar age with her and of asian descent, desperately hitting the door to try and get out. He gently pushed the girl aside and pulled out a large military combat bowie knife from his right side. He then jammed the blade into a tiny opening and with almost little effort, he used the knife to open the door, which promptly fell off its hinges the moment it opened.

The young man then crawled out of the car and quickly hugged his girlfriend and then turned to address his savior-"Thanks a lot man, really."

"Don't mention it."-the mysterious man said, as he sheathed his knife-"Now both of you, get the hell out of here. Find a place that isn't destroyed, get off the streets and stay there until this whole thing cools off."

Without another word, the young couple made a dash into the direction the hooded man came from. The man went into the opposite direction, and as he rounded a corner, he was now out in the open in Times Square. Looking up, he spotted to his right the winged young man, still hovering in the sky, seemingly not moving and content with just looking down on everything that's happening, like a disinterested god.

'That must be the one calling the shots in this assault.'-the hooded man thought as he made sure to stick as close to the shadows as possible-'He kinda looks like a Fallen Angel, but I can tell that he's as powerful as a god…maybe even more powerful, so I doubt a silver sword will be enough to put him down.'-the man then groaned in annoyance-'I knew I should've taken that Barghest contract in Milwaukee.'

His musings were suddenly cut short, when a loud sonic boom resounded from the opposite end of the winged being. Looking in that direction, the man saw a small figure shoot towards the winged being, shouting a single word, which he guessed was the being's name:

"ZELDRIS!"

*BOOM*

The son of the Demon King was able to catch the punch that was directed towards his face rather easily. It wasn't that difficult, seeing as he recognized the near-identical looking person who attacked him. The only difference being the golden blond hair, the emerald-colored eyes and black and white clothing, along with the short sword strapped to his back. The final and most vital difference between the two was which side of the river they stood upon.

"Hello brother."-Zeldris addressed his attacker with a cold and cruel tone as he batted away the offending fist.

"Tell me Zeldris, was Britannia not enough for you?! Was it truly necessary for you and the Commandments to attack another world?!"-the blond questioned the demon prince, his voice similar to Zeldris', but a bit higher in tone.

"This is none of your concern Meliodas."-Zeldris said once again-"What we do here, we do in the name of the Demon Clan and the Demon King himself. So, if you value your life and the lives of your precious friends, then leave this world this instant."

"No."-Meliodas declared as he tried to kick his brother in the head, but was blocked by Zeldris' forearm, prompting the barkeep to begin throwing punches and kicks at him, each also being blocked-"I won't let you do this! To this world or to yourself!"

'Hmpf, so this is like a family feud, or something.'-the hooded man thought as he listened and observed the interaction between Meliodas and Zeldris, with questions flooding his mind-'Still, at least I have confirmation that he's from the Abyss. And I guess blondie is too, but it looks like he's not with the Dark Side. Though I wonder what that winged prat meant by the 'Demon King'. Guess that means he must be working for one of those abyssal bastards. But which one? Maybe I'll ask him if I can get within stabbing range…'

"Al! Over here! I need a little help here!"-the voice of a young woman suddenly broke the man's concentration, as he looked into the open street, spotting the owner of the voice. It was a young brunette girl with purple eyes, wearing a black overcoat with blue and white stripes, metallic gloves and boots and a large and weird hat that looked literally like a stereotypical witch hat, with a golden number 8 on its side.

She was standing near a busted up taxi, the entire front side completely crushed along with the driver. However, a pair of children – a twelve-year-old boy and a younger little girl – were still alive and were banging against the back window, trying to get out. The witch hat wearing girl was soon joined by a person, who was easily three times her size and was covered head-to-toe in a suite of gunmetal armor.

"I'm here Ms. Maki!"-the armored man spoke, but his voice while slightly metallic, sounded like the voice of a young boy. The armored person then stood next to the door of the cab and said-"Alright, stand clear please!"

He then clapped his hands and then placed them on the door, blue arcs of electricity dancing as he did. The door then disintegrated and the kids were gently ushered out by both individuals.

"Don't worry kids. You're both safe now."-the girl said as the two kids tightly hugged her coat.

"Alright, now let's get out of here and get the kids to safety."-the armored one said.

The four of them started running away from the scene, but then a smaller sonic boom sounded, making them and the hooded man look up towards the fighting super beings.

As the fight between the two brothers dragged on, the only result they reached was a stalemate, something the darker of the two didn't like at all.

"You are beginning to get on my nerves, brother."-Zeldris growled, his eyes narrowing.

"I told you I wasn't going to let you go through with whatever insane plan you have."-Meliodas declared, not fazed at all by his brother's increasing anger.

Gritting his teeth, Zeldris had enough of Meliodas' interference and decided to employ something other than brute force: magic.

"I warned you what would happen if you continued to interfere Meliodas."-Zeldris declared ominously, as a large ball of purple and black energy formed in his left hand. He then reared his hand back and threw the ball straight at his brother with incredible force and speed-"NOW DIE!"

On reflex, Meliodas unsheathed his short sword, which had a series of holes along its blade and had a green color on its dull side. He then slammed the blade of his sword into the incoming projectile.

"FULL COUNTER!"

The ball then flew back towards Zeldris, as if reflected, but this time it was twice its previous size. The black-haired brother quickly dodged, letting the ball fly towards the streets below…right towards the girl, the armored man and the two kids.

"Oh no!"-the girl shouted-"We won't have enough time to dodge the brunt of that!"

"Then let's at least keep the kids safe!"-the armored man said as he quickly placed the kids inside his open chest plate…inside which was nothing.

The girl didn't like this, but perhaps the kids would survive the blast inside her friend's armor. They both then closed their eyes and waited for the inevitable, but they then heard the sound of running boots coming in their direction. Looking to the side, they only had enough time to see a man clad in a black trenchcoat with a hood over his head running towards them with his right hand stretched out in front of him. Then a white blast of air and energy suddenly hit them both. It wasn't strong enough to kill them, but it packed enough strength behind it to blast them all the way to the other side of the road they were standing on, landing safely on the street.

While the four of them were now safe, that still left the hooded man with one tiny, little problem…he was now in the path of the black ball.

"Aw shit…"-was the last thing he said as the ball crashed into the ground right in front of him, causing a big explosion.

The explosion kicked up a lot of dust and wind, forcing the two on the street to cover their faces…well at least the girl did, while the armored…being held on tightly to his chest plate, making sure the kids would fall out and get injured.

Up in the sky, the two brothers saw what had just happened and while Zeldris looked like he didn't care about what just happened, Meliodas had a look of shock on his face.

"No…"-Meliodas whispered, still trying to comprehend the fact that someone just died…because of him.

"Well,"-Zeldris said, directing his uncaring gaze back at his brother as he hovered right behind him-"Looks like another soul will soon become a part of the Demon Realm. Tell me, how many times must this happen, before you realize that this is your true nature, brother?"

Hearing his brother's words didn't exactly encourage Meliodas, but instead made him even more angry, causing his eyes to turn black and the same swirling symbol to appear on his forehead. With a furious roar, Meliodas charged as his brother, sword raised, and Zeldris also drew his own sword and was ready to continue the fight.

Back at street level, after the dust cleared, the girl and the armored being looked towards the site of the explosion, still reeling from what had just happened. A stranger, one who had some sort of power, had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and saved their lives, as well as the lives of the kids in their care. The two kids had already crawled out of the armor's chest plate and were now also looking towards the place where the explosion happened.

However, the two adults saw, as the smoke and dust cleared, the form of their mysterious savior, sprawled on the ground. Seeing this and believing that he may still be alive, the armor looked at his friend and said:

"Stay here with the kids Ms. Maki. I'll be right back."

And before he could hear a response, he took off. Arriving to the site, his hopes were immediately dashed away upon seeing the state of the stranger. His body was covered in bruises, cuts, gashes and burn marks, blood everywhere, all of his limbs contorted in unnatural angles, but the most horrible site was the right side of his face being both burned and most of the flesh removed, exposing parts of his skull, even his right eye was gone.

Knowing full well that what he was seeing was evidence enough that the man is dead, Al was about to walk back to his friend and charges…until the sound of wheezing caught his ears.

Looking to where the wheezing came from, he saw that it was coming from the supposed dead man.

"W-wha-yo-you're alive?!"-Al asked incredulously, not believing what he was seeing. However, he quickly regained his composure and said as he kneeled beside the man-"Navigator!"

"Commencing full physical scan."-said a robotic and near-emotionless voice. Beside Al a small, robotic organism suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as if it simply materialized in thin air. The robot itself was small and its metal plating was pure white, with the exception of its ball-like hands, 'ears' and face, which were black in color. It had a small upper body, a pair of thin arms, a long tail and a head that was wider and bigger than the body. It had a pair of yellow lights that served as its eyes and a slit for a mouth. It also had a black capitol J on its chest, and it didn't have legs.

The J symbol on the robot's chest glowed light blue as a cone shaped beam of light of the same color came out of the letter and ran along the man's mangled body. After two sweeps, the light vanished and the robot, Navigator, spoke to Al:

"Heavy damage on 95% of skeletal structure. Massive internal bleeding and heavy loss of blood. Internal organs severally damaged. Chances of survival without aid: 0.5%."

Al's white eyes widened as he looked back at the man who was barely alive and was struggling just to breath. He knew full well that if someone was in such a state and if there was no way to help them, the best and only solution would be to put them out of their misery. A friend of his, a certain colonel, referred to an act like this as 'mercy killing', which basically meant that death would be much more preferable than prolonging the suffering. Being the kindhearted being that he is, Al always had a hard time going through with such a thing, and even his brother had enough dignity to admit the difficulty of carrying out such an act. But, even he knew that a quick and painless death would be much more preferable than a prolonged suffering…but only if there wasn't any other way. And right now, Al remembered that there just might be a solution.

'Shit, why does everything hurt so much?'-the hooded man wondered as he was doing his best to supply his lungs (or whatever was left of them) with oxygen, until he remembered why he was in such pain-'Oh, right…I just HAD to play the God damned hero and get myself killed.'

He was silent for a moment, as he began hearing muffled noises around him as his hearing was slowly recovering. Then he thought further-'Ugh, this sucks so much. Why did I have to go and do that? I knew that if I did something this stupid, I'd die and if I didn't, then they'd die. People die all the time, so why couldn't I have just left this one alone? But now, off course I'm gonna die. And I can't die, not yet. I still have so much to do, so many things to kill and I still have to find that smiley faced bastard. SO WHY DID I HAVE TO GO AND SAVE THEM?!...hmpf, why am I even asking, when I already know the answer: it's because…that's just what I do. It's what I've always done since the start of this fucked up half of my life. But I guess karma's finally caught up to me and now I'll be going to the furnace room downstairs. Well…at least I died saving someone's life…'

The man lapsed into a moment of silence, the ringing in his ears intensifying as he believed that now he was finally moving on, until-

…

"No! I can still save his life!"

The metallic voice of a young boy suddenly jolted him back to semi-consciousness and he even found the strength to slightly open his eyes. After a moment of adjustment, he saw two figures standing by him. Well, one who was fully armored kneeled beside him, while the other, which was a small monkey-shaped robot was floating.

'…Okay, what…?'-the man mustered his thoughts, as he did his best to look at the two figures with just one eye and through the remains of his destroyed shades.

"What do you propose for this situation Alphonse Elric?"-Navigator asked, and Al quickly answered:

"The cube Navigator. We have to use the cube. It's the only way to save him."

"You are aware of the consequences for using a device of such dire importance."-Navigator stated-"Therefor I ask the question: why would you wish to use it on a person such as this?"

Al was silent at first, looking at the still wheezing man. It was true, the use of the cube was forbidden, except in the direst of situations. This originally meant a heavily injured comrade, not some random pedestrian. And that was also true. Alphonse knew nothing of this man, especially of his nature and intensions, so he didn't know whether he was a villain or not. However, despite this, he knew one thing for sure:

"Because…if it wasn't for him…those kids, Ms. Maki and me…we'd all be dead if it wasn't for him. So if he risked his life to save ours…then he can't be a villain! So please Navigator, use the cube one him, please!"

Navigator was silent, as if it was processing the golem's words, but after a moment it simply said-"Understood."-and then the J on its chest projected another light beam, but this time it materialized a gunmetal cube with intricate green circuits on it.

Navigator then made it so the cube was placed over the man's chest. After that the cube 'sank' into the man's chest.

"Beginning assimilation program of cube into human host."-Navigator said, as its eyes glowed brighter and it enveloped the man in its cone of light.

The man's body also glowed brightly.

The light was in fact so bright, that Al had to look away and cover his eyes. The brightness of the light even captured the attention of a certain white-haired murderer from the roof of one of the buildings.

"Procedure complete."-Navigator declared and on que the light started dimming, until it vanished completely.

Realizing that Al could see again, he looked back and saw something amazing: the man, who looked like a charred corpse just a minute ago, now looked like he was never in the middle of an explosion. Everything about him was literally spotless; from his wounds being healed, to his limbs being in their right places again, and even his clothes were completely fixed.

'So…this is the power of an Umbras Cube?'-Al wondered, but he didn't have much to think about, because the man suddenly sprang up into a sitting position, screaming in surprise as he did…which also startled Alphonse just a little bit.

"Wha…what the hell?"-the man asked, his voice a bit hoarse, but otherwise okay as he inspected himself-"What just happened? I know for sure I was dead just a second ago, so how…is this supposed to be Hell?"

"Uuuhhh…"-Al stammered, as he's surprised the man regained consciousness and awareness so quickly-"N-no mister, th-this isn't Hell…"

Looking at the talking armor, which was now also sitting on its rump, the man raised an eyebrow behind his shades.

"Well then…how in the Abyss did I, not only get healed super quickly, but also that my clothes are fixed too?"

"Uh…th-that would be the Umbras Cube that's inside you now, mister."-Al said carefully as he slowly got off the ground.

The stranger was silent for a moment and stared at Alphonse. From an audience's perspective, the three of them would be standing in the bright light of a spotlight shinning above them, and three black dots would be appearing one by one above their heads.

"…Okay, I'll just pretend that I understood what you just said…and then ask you to explain to me what you just said after we get to a safe place."-the stranger said as he slowly got off the ground too.

"OH! Uuuhh, r-right!"-Al said after a moment of shock-"L-let's go then!"

"Hold up!"-the stranger abruptly said-"First tell me…those two kids…are they safe? And the girl too, is she safe too?"

Al was a bit surprised at first by this question, but then was reminded that this was the guy who saved them from being blown to pieces.

"Y-yeah, they are both okay. And so is Ms. Maki."-Al's eyes then widened slightly as if he remembered something-"Oh, by the way, my name is Alphonse. Alphonse Elric."

The man was about to respond, but then-

"Heh. Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

All three looked up to the source of the voice, seeing a young man with red eyes, white hair and black clothing slowly descend. But he wasn't alone, because more people with white hair, red eyes and black clothing surrounded them. They were male and female and the only difference between them, were the hair styles and the types of dark clothing they wore: some wore sailor clothes, some had clothing similar to the one who spoke, some extravagant wore medieval armors, some wore mage-like robes which had a dark red ankh on the chest area.

The one who spoke earlier, the ringleader, spoke once more-"Hey. Thanks for the lightshow just now. It was really useful in showing us where you guys were. Oh! Speaking of which…"

"Hey! Let us go!"

The stranger and Al turned to see Maki and the two kids being brought to them by two of these beings. Once Maki and the kids were dropped near Al, the two goons assumed their positions in surrounding them.

"Ms. Maki are you okay?"-Al asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm good. The kids though…"-Maki said uneasily as she looked at the frightened kids, who were clinging on to her uniform.

"Alright!"-the leader, Jimmy, said, drawing everybody's attention to him-"Now that we're all here together, I think it's time we get down to business."-upon hearing this, Al and Maki tensed up and got into a fighting stance-"So! Here's how it'll go: I'll kill the two of you, take the floating robot and prove to the Big Boss that I'm way more useful than a bunch of freaks. Oh, and I'll definitely kill the kids too, as a nice little bonus."

Upon hearing this, the kids started becoming more scared and even started shedding some tears.

"No, wait!"-Al spoke up-"Please, you can do whatever you want with us, but just don't hurt the kids! Their innocent and haven't done anything wrong, so please-"

"Uuurrrghhh GEEEEZZZ!"-Jimmy said with a bored tone-"Look pal, it's not about who did what and whether it was right or wrong. I don't give a damn about what those kids have done in their little shitty lives, or what you and the witch babe did either. The thing is…I just like killing and destroying everything and everyone. That's why I'm called Jimmy the Reaper."

Upon hearing this Al was reminded of a certain disembodied serial killer from where he was from, while Maki narrowed her eyes.

"So, you're a psychotic murderer, is that it?"-the brunette asked, with venom in her voice.

"Got that right, toots."-Jimmy said, his sadistic smile never vanishing-"And while I don't like lookin' like some living cartoon character, as long as I still get to be myself AND have superpowers, than that's just fine by me."

Maki gritted her teeth, since this man reminded her of a certain cult-like group she and her comrades have to deal with, however, her focus was interrupted when the kids started tugging at her uniform.

"P-please miss! Don't let that man take us!"-the boy begged, tears falling out of his eyes.

"I want my mommy and daddy! I want to go home!"-the girl begged, tears falling out of her eyes.

While Maki tried to do her best to calm the kids down, Jimmy on the other hand lost his sadistic smile and now looked both angry and annoyed.

"Oh, for the love of – SHUT THE HELL UP, YOU BRATS! Your mommy and daddy ain't gonna come and save your asses! And you're not going home either! I'll be sendin' all of you straight to Hell!"

Jimmy's hands glowed purple as he was ready to attack, but then the stranger that Al saved calmly stepped in front of Maki and the kids, surprising both them and Jimmy with his sudden appearance (even though he's been there the whole time).

"That's no way to talk to a couple of kids, or even a lady, you jerk."-the stranger said calmly, his hands in his coat pockets and his posture both calm and slightly slacked, as if facing off with a crazy killer was boring to him.

"Huh? Who the hell are you supposed to be?"-Jimmy asked, genuinely perplexed.

"Seriously? I've been here the whole time, you idiot."-the stranger stated, his voice showing small hints of irritation-"What, are you blind or are you just naturally dumb?"

Jimmy gritted his teeth at the insult, before composing himself and spoke calmly-"Listen pal, I'm not sure myself, but I don't think you're taking this whole situation seriously."

"And what's supposed to be serious about some blood-drunk headcase, who kills kids?"-the stranger asked, still as calm as ever-"Honestly, that just shows how much of a wimp you really are."

Jimmy clenched his fists upon hearing this-"Oh really? And just who the hell are you supposed to be, if you've got the balls to talk to Jimmy the fucking Reaper like that?"

At this the stranger simply smirked, surprising Jimmy slightly-"No one special. I'm just a guy from Romania."

Jimmy became further irritated. Usually when people found out who he was, they'd either start panicking or start begging for mercy. In other words, they'd show him the proper respect. So then, why is this guy acting like he's dealing with some rando from a corner pub?

"Oh, a wiseguy, huh? Fine then."-Jimmy said, his face still irritated-"Then I guess we're done talking. *looks to a white haired girl* You! Be a dear and kill this bastard."

The girl in question, had her long white hair in drill-locks, while her outfit consisted of a dark colored female sailor uniform. Upon hearing Jimmy's words, the girl became irritated herself and said:

"What? Isn't he like, your problem or something? Why should I kill him?"

"Because I'm the boss of you dumbasses, and I just told you to, so FUCKING. DO IT!"-Jimmy yelled, his patients slowly running out.

The girl flinched at the tone Jimmy used, but she simply sighed in annoyance and walked forward, until she stood in front of the stranger.

"Alright, well let's like get this over with already. There are some perfectly beautiful clothes and makeup kits that weren't destroyed, and they have like my name written all over them."

The stranger clicked his tongue upon hearing this-"So, instead of the psycho headcase, I've gotta deal with the self-centered valley-girl? Greeaaat."-the stranger then turned to address the two kids, before the girl could say anything-"Hey kiddos! Listen, I need you two to do something for me: I need you two to turn around, cover your ears, close your eyes and think of whatever it is that makes you feel happy and calm, and you keep doing this until I say otherwise. Alright?"

The two kids were surprised by how gently the man was speaking to them, and even Maki was surprised by this. The boy then asked the stranger-"Are…are we going to see our…mom and dad after this…?"

"…You kidding me?"-the stranger asked-"Once this is over, I'll tell your parents to take you out to your favorite eating place, as a reward for being as brave as the two of you have been so far."

The two kids smiled slightly at the man's words but have also calmed down slightly and did what the man asked to as well. The stranger then turned to address the purple eyed girl.

"Hey, Maki, right?"-the afore mentioned girl nodded her head and the man continued-"Watch over the kids. This next part's for adults only."

The man then turned to face the white-haired girl again, who is now more than a little bit irritated.

"Okay, you are officially the rudest bastard I have ever seen, and I have seen plenty in my life."

The man smirked and snorted at these words-"Oh yeah? And which one was the worst? The one who said he couldn't carry a dozen heavy bags for you because they were too much and too heavy, or the one who said he didn't have enough money to buy all your favorite and expensive shit?"

The girl got even more irritated as the man kept mocking her-"Okay, I am like so gonna kill you right now!"

And with that the girl shot forward with incredible speed, her right fist poised to strike at the man's head. The stranger himself was slightly surprised at the speed which girl used, but he still was able to move his head to the left to avoid the punch.

Before the girl could voice her shock, she suddenly felt pain at her stomach, courtesy of the man's knee shooting up with a lot of force. The blow literally knocked the wind out of her, and she felt like she was going to throw up too, but before that could happen, the stranger grabbed the girl by the back of her head with his left hand and pulled her back. Then he pulled up his right hand, which was now holding a Colt MK IV Series 70, with intricate and stylish plant engravings. He placed the gun's muzzle directly underneath the girl's chin and after a moment, pulled the trigger, resulting in the top of the girl's head exploding in red.

But the 'red' wasn't blood, but instead a flood of tiny red Minecraft cubes.

'Ooookaaay…didn't expect that…'-the man thought uneasily, as he wasn't sure what just happened. He became even more surprised when the girl's body exploded into a small tornado of tiny red cubes before it could touch the ground. The tornado spun for a couple of times, before the tiny cubes were sucked into a singular point, creating a larger black cube with red circuit lines on it.

The stranger was more surprised than ever at what he just witnessed, but he then shook his head to get himself back into focus. After all, he still had about a dozen of these freaks to deal with, and he guessed they were probably all made of red cubes, just like the girl. Plus, he could always ask the witch and knight cosplayers about this later, especially if the rest of these white hairs are as easy as the valley girl.

'That, and at least I know that silver affects them.'-the stranger thought-'I guess that explains why my medallion started vibrating when these guys showed up.'

"So,"-the stranger said, directing his words to Jimmy-"Are you gonna let the rest of your Goon Squad take me, or are you gonna man up and fight me yourself?"

Jimmy gritted his teeth at this. That girl was supposed to kill this guy with one blow, and yet not only did he manage to kill her without breaking a sweat but is still acting like facing a legend like Jimmy is no big deal.

"Oh, so you think you're some tuff shit, just 'cause you killed one of us?"-Jimmy spoke up-"Well then let's see how you deal with more than one opponent. All of you! Kill him!"

The other white hairs didn't like being ordered around by a prick like Jimmy. Granted they didn't like being ordered around by their new 'generals' either, because they were either cruel, sadistic or just downright crazy, but they'd prefer to be ordered by them, then to have to face the indignity of being under a man as insane and as petty as Jimmy the Reaper. Reputation be damned, the guy was one of the most unlikable enforcers of the criminal underworld, and no, it wasn't because of his skills.

But if they refused to comply, they most likely would never hear the end of it, so they decided to save whatever's left of their sanities and get this thing over with. Besides, the hooded guy most likely just got a lucky shot in when he killed the valley girl, and luck tends to run out immediately.

"Hmpf, so it's the pussy option then? Fine by me, I guess."-the stranger said, not caring much who he gets to fight first, since he has a feeling that he'd have to kill all of them anyway.

To his right, he shot down three, one bullet for each and their bodies all exploded into red cubes. To his left came another with a punch, but he used his left forearm to push it aside and tangle their arms together. He then brought the bastard in for a headbutt and then shot him in the chest, destroying him instantly.

Looking ahead, he saw a girl with short bowl-cut white hair, wearing black armor charge at him before jumping up. She then delivered and axe kick on the man's right hand, knocking his pistol to the ground and destroying it.

"Hah! Looks like you just lost your advantage, asshole!"-the girl gloated, but the man looked unfazed and simply rubbed his right hand. Then the man suddenly lunged forward and struck the girl's throat with his left fist, stunning her momentarily, before he kicked her left shin, forcing her to kneel, then slammed the right side of her head with the heel of his foot in a roundhouse kick.

Now the stranger admitted that he wasn't the strongest man alive, but somehow, his kick made the girl's head explode into red dust. He wasn't sure how that happened, but he was still gonna take it.

More of those white hairs kept attacking him, but the stranger was using martial art attacks against his foes. One tried to use a downward chop, but the stranger moved aside, grabbed the bastard by the back of his head and slammed said head into his left knee. Another, a girl with long white hair, tried to use a series of kicks on the stranger, but the man either evaded them, or blocked them, until he locked the girl's right leg underneath his armpit, then tossed her over his shoulder, slammed her headfirst onto the concrete, destroying her head.

It was becoming clear that their numbers were dropping.

"Hey! What the Hell's up with his guy?! How is he killing us like this?!"-a young man with a buzzcut and a sailor uniform asked Jimmy, as they were standing next to each other.

The serial killer himself was also astonished by the fact that this no-name nobody was making short work of all these lackies using just martial arts and the environment around him. This also infuriated Jimmy, as he directed a venomous glare at the lacky who spoke to him:

"Well then, use your fucking superpowers, dumbass!"

The young man flinched at the words spoken to him, but understood, nonetheless. So, he used his hands to perform a series of hand sings in rapid succession and after he finished, he lunged forward, his right hand engulfed in a veil of black electricity.

"Lightning style: Lightning Blade!"

The stranger heard that and what he did next surprised everybody: he slammed his left hand to the ground and a dome of aethereal orange energy immediately appeared around him. The sailor suited man's electric hand then slammed into the dome, and while it didn't destroy the dome, it made him loose his momentum, making him hit the dome a second time, this time face-first. The dome then disappeared, and the stranger then kicked him in the back of his right knee, and then grabbed his head with his hands and with a sudden movement and a loud snap, the attacker fell limp to the ground, body disintegrating into red dust.

The remaining white hairs saw this and went about using some of their abilities as well. A girl wearing a crystal-studded armor did a series of rapid hand signs as well, but the effect this time was different, as a small torrent of water gathered around her, taking the shape of an Asiatic dragon.

"Water style: water dragon jutsu!"

The water dragon then lunged towards the stranger, who was discretely activating an ability of his own, with silver wisps of energy gathering in this concealed left hand. Once the water apparition was close enough, he shot his left hand out and a large burst of magical energy shot out, destroying the apparition and scattering bits of water everywhere.

Suddenly a guy with medium white hair that covered the left side of his face and wearing formfitting clothes and a dark vest appeared in front of the stranger and chanted-"Hunter Fest!"-and then it looked like he was gathering energy from everything around him, even his own comrades, and as this was happening the guy's muscle mass seems to have grown. The stranger even felt a bit of fatigue coming in, suspecting that this guy was absorbing some of his energy too, most likely physical energy and/or stamina.

"Alright tuff guy let's see how you'll survive being half awake!"-the white hair shouted as he jumped up and launched a downward punch to the stranger, who somehow managed to avoid it by jumping back.

The white hair then looked up and saw the stranger doing something unexpected: he pulled out a syringe from one of his small satchels on his belt, which contained a red liquid within, then he plunged the syringe into his left leg, injecting the liquid. The stranger groaned for a moment, before his skin turned pale white, black veins started appearing at his neck, wrists and around his eyes, the last of which turned completely black.

After the 'transformation' was done, the man then stood up and looked like he wasn't weak from the energy drain anymore. He then looked the white hair dead in the eye and spoke, his voice slightly deeper:

"Don't know. Guess I'll just start by kicking your ass."

With that being said the stranger shot forward, but this time it seemed to have happened with much more force behind it, as the ground beneath him slightly exploded when he lunged forth. Even the stranger's speed seemed to have increased, as he was now instantly in front of his attacker, and he quickly followed it up with a powerful punch to the gut. The white hair leaned forward, spit coming out of his mouth and shock filling his eyes.

For a moment both combatants were still, both in shock over something: the stranger was shocked that his movements were now so powerful and fast, as the serum he injected himself with didn't give him this much arm and leg power before. The white hair was surprised because his opponent, not only was able to move normally, but he was now somehow more powerful than before.

But a moment later the white hair recovered first and raised his right fist and was about to bring it down on the stranger, but he managed to jump back before that could happen. The white hair then proceeded to go after his target, but said target pointed his left index and middle finger upward and in an instant, three large ice spikes shot out of the puddle of water that was right beneath the white hair. The attacker was then impaled and suspended in the air, after which his body disintegrated.

The stranger didn't stop there though, as he made a sweeping motion with his right hand and a blade of wind shot out, destroying the ice spikes and reducing them to smaller spikes. He then performed certain hand motions with his fingers*, to which the spikes responded by levitating in the air and shooting towards the girl with the water jutsu from before, destroying her. What remained of the ice spikes, now surrounded the stranger like a halo, as he was ready to attack once more.

Either the stranger didn't see it or he was prepping for an attack, but he wasn't paying attention at the white hair who jumped high into the air and was ready to deliver a flaming axe kick onto his head.

"I'm gonna fry ya, you freak!"-the white hair yelled as he kept descending…only to be intercepted by a strange metal object that shot at his face like a rocket, destroying his head.

"Huh?"-the stranger asked, as he turned to see the object fly down and he was certain he heard it say-"Sputter"- in a high-pitched and distorted voice.

He then heard a loud noise behind himself, and when he turned around, he saw the arm of a white hair sticking out from between two slabs of stone that obviously crushed its body. Turning back around, he saw the armored man with his hands on the ground – blue arcs of electricity sparking around them – and not one, but two of those metal contraptions, hovering next to the girl with the witch hat, her purples eyes now shinning.

"Don't worry mister, we've got your back!"-the armored man declared, with the girl nodded with a determined smile.

The stranger however remained impassive and even shot a couple of ice spike in their direction. The two of them were shocked by this and didn't have enough time to defend themselves…not that they needed to, since the ice spikes shot right passed them and impaled some white hairs that tried to sneak up on them. Stunned by this once more, the two looked to the stranger who simply said:

"Just keep the kids safe."

Al and Maki were a little taken aback by this, but understood, nonetheless. But then-

"Hey! LOOK OUT!"-Maki shouted, pointing behind the stranger, but when he turned around it was already too late.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"-a white hair girl in simple armor shouted as her elongated right arm and fist connected with the stranger's head, right in the middle.

This action pushed the stranger back slightly, but moreover, the attack completely destroyed his shades, bending the frame in the middle and glass shards flying out. The white hair looked smug about what she did and was ready to attack again, when the stranger looked up, revealing his jet-black eyes and making the girl flinch upon seeing this.

"Wha-WHAT THE FUCK?!"-the white hair shouted, shooting her left arm out, but the stranger stepped aside, and impaled the extended appendage with an ice spike, anchoring it in place.

The stranger then commanded the last of his ice spikes to fly low and then impale the girl's head, below her chin. Once the girl disappeared, color came back to the stranger's skin, the black veins disappeared, and his eyes returned to normal. Or, somewhat normal…

Looking over his shoulder to see if the others were okay, Al and Maki got a good look at the stranger's eyes, which surprised them greatly, since not only are his irises golden-yellow in color, but his pupils were narrow and vertical, like a snake or a cat.

'Could he be a Chimera?'-Al wondered, but his thoughts were cut short by Jimmy's voice.

"Well, I'll be damned. Guess this explains a lot."-the stranger turned to face the only remaining white hair, with a scowl on his face-"You're that merc freak I've been hearing about, aren't ya? The one with the magic tricks and the fancy weapons, right?"

The stranger was silent after that and as he was waiting, Jimmy started to feel annoyed, as if the stranger was ignoring him.

"What? Are you too high-and-mighty to talk to a legend like myself? A REAL legend of the underworld?"-Jimmy said, to which the stranger responded with more silence, but eventually said:

"No. I just don't feel the need to dignify a piece of shit like you with a response of any kind."

This only served to anger Jimmy further, as he clenched his fists tight, and the glow of his red eyes seemed to have increased.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter now, since I'm gonna kill you right here and now."-Jimmy said, a sadistic grin making its way onto his face.

The stranger scoffed at this, before saying-"Oh please. I fought kittens that were more vicious than you, asshat. Tell me, exactly what chance does some knuckle-dragging shithead like you have in actually killing me?"

But that insult seemed to be the final straw, as Jimmy shot forward, fist ready to fly through the stranger's chest. But the stranger sidestepped that first strike and what followed was a pattern of Jimmy trying to land a punch with the stranger either dodging or sometimes parrying every strike.

At one point Jimmy tried to go for a kick to the head, but the stranger quickly dropped down and did a leg sweep right at that moment. This managed to knock Jimmy off balance, allowing the stranger to blast the transformed criminal away with a blast of fire from his right hand.

Jimmy was knocked a couple feet away, but he looked like he wasn't even in pain from the fires, as he calmly got up to his feet.

He even smirked in the stranger's direction and said-"Thanks for the fuel, pal."-he then proceeded to inhale deeply and in the process suck the flames into his mouth.

"Ms. Maki…"-Al said uneasily, knowing what comes next.

"I know Al."-Maki responded-"That guy's got Natsu's powers."

Once Jimmy finished absorbing the flames he looked at the stranger with his sadistic smile and said-"That was cute. Now let me show ya what real fire looks like."

He then took a deep breath before shouting:

"Fire Dragon ROAR!"

And that was when he let loose a torrent of fire out of his mouth towards the stranger, as well as Al, Maki and the kids.

For a full minute, while Jimmy was still letting his fire breath rage on, it seemed that there would be nothing left of the five people the wave of hot plasma engulfed. However, what is actually happening within the fire, is that the torrent was literally split down the middle, like how Moses parted the Red Sea, and everyone was safe.

The reason for this was due to a certain girl of the group, who was doing her best to keep the flames parted for as long as possible.

"Way to go, Ms. Maki!"-Alphonse cheered, as he held the two kids closely, who were still doing as the stranger instructed them earlier.

"No sweat!"-Maki replied, though she was straining in her speech as she was concentrating-"I'm a…second generation fire soldier…this…is what I'm good at, ugh…"

The stranger meanwhile was staring at Maki, particularly at what she was doing, eyes wide in astonishment. However, he willed himself to recover, as he pulled out a grenade from within his coat, and after pulling the pin, he threw it up and shouted:

"You two! Shut your eyes and cover your ears!"-he shouted as he did so himself, with Al and Maki doing the same.

The grenade sailed up and over the firestorm and it was then that it began descending in Jimmy's direction. While the serial killer was still blowing fire, as soon as the grenade was in front of his eyes, it exploded, sending out an extremely loud burst of sound. This caused Jimmy to stop his attack and cover his eyes as he screamed in pain.

"AAAAHHHH, MY EYES! AND MY EARS WON'T STOP FUCKING RINGING!"

Upon hearing this, the three fighters uncovered their eyes and saw what was going on.

"Wait…was that a flashbang?!"-Maki questioned, surprised that the stranger would have one of those on hand.

"Yeah, obviously. I wasn't gonna use a frag grenade, for obvious reasons."-the stranger replied, which only served to shock the other two.

"B-but isn't carrying around explosives like that dangerous for civilians like you, mister?"-Al asked, having been told that unless one has had special military training or ANY kind of combat training, it would be dangerous to carry around something like a grenade.

"Do you really want to talk about weapon safety RIGHT FUCKING NOW?"-the stranger snapped, not liking when people question his choice of weapons WHILE he was fighting a dangerous opponent.

Surprisingly, both Maki and Al flinched at the tone the stranger just used. The stranger meanwhile turned back to face Jimmy, who was just recovering from being stunned.

"You son of a bitch…that was a cheap move you just pulled…"

"It made you stop vomiting fire, so it worked, didn't it?"-the stranger retorted, getting ready to attack.

"Pfft, whatever! I don't need that move to kill you! I'll just beat the shit out of you, like I've planned from the beginning!"-Jimmy shouted, as his hands were now covered in flames.

"Fire dragon IRON FIST!"

Jimmy then launched himself forward with his right fist cocked and ready to kill the stranger. However, the cat-eyed man swiped his left hand up – index and middle fingers out – and water from the previous battle shot up, following his hand and collided with Jimmy's fist. The water extinguished the flames momentarily, but the stranger still had to sidestep the criminal's incoming fist. The man then got behind Jimmy, grabbed him by the back of his outfit, roughly turned him around and then swiftly kicked him in the chin before he could react.

Jimmy stumbled back a bit, only for the front of his outfit to be grabbed by the stranger, who then proceeded to punch him in the face. At the fifth punch Jimmy grabbed the offending hand and managed to land a flaming punch himself with his other hand.

This made the stranger step back, as his face was now screaming in pain as his skin was now a sizzling mess. However, he didn't have time for this as Jimmy was onto him again, but the stranger did manage to trap Jimmy's arm under his left armpit. He then brought his right hand down on the trapped appendage and with a loud snap, Jimmy howled in pain as his arm went limp. Jimmy then jumped back to gain some distance between himself and the stranger.

"You fucking bastard…"-Jimmy said through his teeth as he cradled his busted arm-"…I'm gonna kill you for that…"

"Okay, well…you've already said that."-the stranger said calmly-"And surprisingly I'm still here. So, I guess that means you just suck at killing people. I mean, that other guy couldn't do me in, and he's a demon."

This off course infuriated Jimmy further, since the stranger was talking about Zeldris. But then he started laughing. It started softly at first, then it evolved into the cackling of a madman.

"Yeah?! Well then I guess this just shows that that brat is useless after all!"-Jimmy hollered in joy, while red energy spiraled around him-"Then that means, if I kill you and those two Jump Force fuckers, and bring your heads to the boss, I'll finally get the respect I deserve!"

During this moment of lapse in sanity the stranger slowly dropped his stance and his right hand hovered over the hilt of the sword that was strapped to his hip. The transformed serial killer then launched himself forward with the intent in punching a hole through the stranger, but his target also lunged forward and once the two were close enough, the stranger pulled out his sword with quick reflexes.

The two stopped just a few feet away from each other, with the stranger holding his sword, which is a katana with a shinning, silver blade, out on his right side. Both combatants stood still, silence enveloping the battlefield. Then, the sound of cracking was heard as a red horizontal line with wide cracks branching at its sides appeared around Jimmy's midsection.

"…N…no…I…I c-can't-"-that was all Jimmy was able to sputter before the cracks spread across his body, which split in two and then broke apart into red dust just like the others, before transforming into one of those red and black cubes.

The stranger stood up straight and sheathed his sword, while also cracking the back of his neck a few times. He also pulled out another syringe, this one with redish orange liquid and injected himself with it, the burns on his face healing almost immediately. It was then that Al and Maki approached him with the two kids, who still had their ears covered and their eyes closed.

"Okay, I will admit, that was some pretty impressive fighting that you did back there."-Maki said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah mister, that was amazing! And your powers were also really impressive. Just what kind of powers do you use anyway?"-Al asked excitedly, like a little fanboy.

The stranger did not answer and instead looked to see the two kids still heeding his instructions. He then eyed the two 'adults' in front of him for a moment…before his left hand shot out and grabbed Al's 'head'. He then pulled with enough force to both pull off the helmet as well as make the boy lean forward so that the stranger could pear into the empty armor. Ignoring Al's surprised-"Hey!"-the stranger then threw the helmet at Maki, who protected herself by using that flying machine from earlier, by hitting the piece of armor up, making it land back into the stranger's hand.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"-Maki asked with righteous indignation, to which the stranger just starred with wide eyes and said slowly:

"Well…I'll be damned…"-this response surprised the two heroes, as the stranger handed Al his 'head' back-"Sorry about that. Had to make triple sure that you guys are the real deal and not some hyper elaborate cosplayers."

As the golem put his head back on, he was the first to respond to the stranger's words:

"Uhhh…mister, we don't even know what a 'cause-player' is…"

"Plus, you've seen us in action earlier."-Maki added, to which the stranger merely shrugged.

"When you live my life, ya gotta make sure to quadruple check things, to make sure nobody's trying to royally screw you over."-he then approached the two kids, and after leaning down to their level, he said-"Alright you two, the adults-only parts are over now."

The two kids opened their eyes and looked around, seeing that the bad people are gone now and that was when they both lunged at the stranger, giving him a big hug each and thanking him profusely. They then thanked the other two as well, and while they were doing this, the little robot appeared once more and Al turned to address it.

"Navigator, retrieve the cubes, please."

"Acknowledged. Commencing Umbras Cube retrieval."-the robot simply said, and that was when a beam of light shot out of the J from its belly pulled in all of the cubes that were scattered about. The cubes then disappeared as they neared the robot and once the light beam turned off, Navigator said-"Retrieval complete."

"Wow. Talk about a magic vacuum cleaner."-the stranger remarked.

"Yes, well…it's really dangerous to leave those cubes alone as they are."-Al explained, when he suddenly remembered something-"Oh! You were gonna tell me your name before all of this started, right?"

The stranger didn't answer immediately, although he knew what Al was talking about. Then Maki spoke up first.

"Well, if it's introductions we're talking about, then I guess I should do it too."-she then turned to face the stranger, straightened her posture and gave a salute-"First class fire soldier of Special Fire Force Company 8, Maki Oze! It's very nice to meet you!"

The stranger was once again silent, not expecting such a formal greeting, neither was he too used to such greetings either. He then spoke:

"Allllright, well guess I should say something too. Name's Lazarus Hunter and I'm a Witcher."-he paused but only momentarily before saying-"Oh, and for the record, I already knew who you two are. *turns to Al* You're the cautious little brother, who lost his body and ended up as a golem, because of your big brother's desperate plan to bring your mother back from the dead, which by the way, failed miserably and humiliatingly. Yet even after that, you never blamed your brother for what happened, and you continue to support each other. *turns to Maki* And you're the girl who ran away from the army, because you'd rather save human lives, rather then end them. Although why would there still be war between humans in your world, I have no idea. Anyway, you're also a bit too self-conscious about your muscles and you tend to lose it if someone even mentions them."

Now the two stood stock-still and their eyes were as wide as dinner plates and as white as sheet paper, after hearing such personal details – which they haven't even mentioned at all – come from this stranger that they have never met before.

"H-how do you-"

"Wait, Ms. Maki…didn't the Director mention something like this when we arrived here?"-Al asked Maki, getting her back on track.

He wasn't sure if Al meant to whisper that part, but Lazarus was able to hear the word 'director', as well as the part about them arriving here, which raised some questions that he was definitely going ask later. However, he didn't forget that there was one more major threat in the vicinity, which is why he directed his gaze up and looked directly into the eyes of a floating Zeldris, as the demon prince was looking directly at him as well.

"Hmm, how interesting…"-Zeldris muttered, having witnessed the battle against Jimmy and his subordinates. He was actually grateful that Jimmy perished, since he knew that the former serial killer was trying – a little too hard – to become the leader, instead of Zeldris or any of the others. However, the demon prince also sensed an odd abnormality within this newcomer's soul, which only served to further intrigue him.

"Zeldris!"-Meliodas shouted, bringing his brother out of his thoughts and floating behind him. The leader of the Seven Deadly Sins looked no worse for wear, as he only had a few scratches and bruises.

"It would appear that you have won this battle Meliodas."-Zeldris declared, not turning to face his brother just yet-"Your friends have completely decimated a big chunk of the Venoms assigned to me, so I think I'll take my leave now."

"Wait! You can't just-"-Meliodas shouted, but quickly shut his mouth, when his black-haired twin suddenly appeared before him and whispered into his ear.

"Just take your friends and leave…and make sure you don't lose that new ally of yours out of your sight. Because the next time my path crosses with his…I won't miss."

And that was when Zeldris disappeared in a momentary air distortion. Meliodas couldn't even sense his presence anymore, so that confirmed that he all but retreated.

'I will find out why you've turned on us brother. I swear it.'-Meliodas thought, but then he looked at where his two companions, plus three locals are, and his gaze softened considerably-'But for now, I guess I should do as he says for once…'

He then flew down and when he touched the ground, he sheathed his short sword and his black wings disappeared. In fact, the moment he touched the ground, his face was all sunshine and rainbows, even as he spoke:

"Yo! How's it goin' everybody?"

"Mr. Meliodas! We're okay now. We were able to save these two kids here, and we also met this stranger who saved us and who fought off a bunch of Venoms, and-"

"Alright, alright, take it easy Al."-Meliodas cheerfully said-"I think the results speak for themselves."-the short blond was about to approach the stranger, when suddenly the flying robot-thing that belongs to Maki crashed right in front of him, but this time it said-"Flaaaareee."-in a high pitched and angry voice.

"Hey, hey! YOU stay right there!"-Maki suddenly shouted, angrily pointing at Meliodas-"You know the rules: five meter-minimum distance from me and every other female member of the team, you little pervert!"

"Awww, I just wanted to say hello to the new guy."-Meliodas pouted, though that didn't really work with the fire soldier, and Lazarus only looked at the scene with an unamused look.

"Well, given how you tend to act around women, especially a certain angel girl, can you really blame Oze over here for being this defensive?"

"See, he gets it."-Maki announced proudly, happy that the witcher is on her side, before turning to address the witcher in question-"Oh! And by the way, you can just call me Maki."

While the fire soldier smiled in his direction, Lazarus simply nodded, while still having an impassive look on his face.

"Anyway,"-Meliodas said, as he approached the witcher, before extending his right hand for a handshake-"I'm Meliodas. It's nice to meet you."

As the little demon gave his signature cheeky smile, Lazarus' expression remained the same, but he shook the sin captain's hand, nonetheless.

"Lazarus Hunter, witcher."-Lazarus responded-"And I also know who you are, Meliodas, captain of the Seven Deadly Sins magic knight squad, dragon sin of wrath, son of the Demon King of your world and the 'good twin' of the guy who almost did me in."

Meliodas slightly stiffened upon hearing all of this information being spilled by a complete stranger, before relaxing just as quickly.

"Wow sounds like you know quite a lot. But let's save the explanations for when we get back to base."

"Not yet."-Lazarus said, halting Meliodas as he spoke further-"First and foremost, we have to find the parents of these two kids."

Looking at the kids in question, Meliodas saw how nervous and scared they looked and how much they wanted to be with their parents right now. With his face bearing a neutral look, the little demon looked at the witcher and asked:

"Okay…buuut, why do you want to help them?"-that question garnered looks of surprise from Al and Maki, as well as the kids, while Lazarus' face remained impassive-"I mean, they're not your kids. They're complete strangers, who you know nothing about. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, my brother is still on the loose and there will be more of those white-haired people, and the longer we delay, the more damage they could inflict upon the world. So why would you waste your time helping a couple of complete strangers?"

While Al and Maki were shocked to hear Meliodas say and ask such things, Lazarus meanwhile remained as still as a pole and his face remaining as impassive as before, while in his mind he said to himself:

'Seriously? Now he wants to test my conviction?'

"Tsk, simple,"-Lazarus said, looking at Meliodas dead in the eye-"They're kids and helping them is just the right thing to do. I don't need any other reason than that."

Meliodas remained silent for a moment, his face as neutral and blank as before. Al and Maki waited with bated breaths the demon prince's response. While the two of them were surprised that Lazarus gave such a simple answer to an impactful question that Meliodas asked, they were glad nonetheless that his answer was also on the positive side, so that earned him some trust points at least.

After a full minute, Meliodas's neutral look instantly morphed into his signature smile and said-"Alrighty then. Then let's go."

"Wait, what?"-Lazarus asked, not expecting such an answer-"Just like that? I thought you'd want me to give some long and heart-wrenching speech and prove myself or something."

"Naaaah, we're a little pressed for time right now and I suppose I can afford to take your word for it right now."-Meliodas said so casually, which surprised Lazarus further-"Now don't get me wrong, I don't fully trust you, since we've only just met, and no offence, but ya kinda look like one of those shady assassin types that like to hide in dark alleys and ambush the first person to cross their thresholds."

Lazarus narrowed his eyes at this, while Meliodas' teammates were a bit more vocal about his choice of words.

"Hey!"-Maki said.

"Isn't that a little harsh Mr. Meliodas?"-Alphonse asked with concern.

"That being said…"-Meliodas continued, ignoring his teammates-"…I never really judge someone based on their looks, and you've definitely done some good by saving my team and the kids, so you're good in my books. For now, at least. Tehehe."

The witcher was still scowling at Meliodas, but he was thankful that he was able to at least earn the former demon prince's trust. With a nod, Lazarus turned around and began leading everyone to the next destination.

The destination itself turned out to be Central Park, which was still a pretty hefty walk from Time Square. The walk was mostly silent, with Lazarus keeping quiet while leading the group, and the kids sometimes breaking the silence by asking their saviors questions.

Once they got to the park, a police officer showed them to a relief camp, where the two kids found their parents almost instantly. The mother and father rushed to their two lost children and hugged them hard, as if they'd disappear again if they let go. While many kisses and tears of joy were shared and shed, the saviors of the children remained a few feet away from them, silently smiling warmly at the scene, with the exception of Lazarus, who's face remained in a scowling look.

Without speaking a word, the witcher was the first to turn around and start walking away, an action that was immediately noticed by the alchemist of the group.

"W-wait, Mr. Hunter! Shouldn't you, say something to them or-"

"No."-Lazarus said stoically as he continued walking-"I did my part, now it's your turn, so let's go."

However, before he could hear a response from the three newcomers, the witcher felt a tug at his left sleeve and when he looked down, he saw the little girl looking up at him.

"Thank you for bringing us to our parents, mister. Please take care of yourself and don't get hurt, okay?"

Before a response could be said, the little girl ran back to her now-complete family. While they saw her and her brother smiling and even waving in Lazarus' direction, the three heroes saw that their parents were looking at Lazarus with, what could only be described as fear, as they even held their kids closer and tried to make them stop waving.

While Meliodas, Alphonse and Maki could understand why they would look cautiously at them, since they look, almost like three dimensional images of 2D drawings, they were wondering why they would look fearfully at one of their own. Looking towards Lazarus' direction, they noticed that he was already walking away from the crowd, and while they had some questions of their own, they decided to simply follow him and ask them later.

Once they were outside the park, Lazarus turned to face them with his stoic gaze and spoke:

"Alright, now we can go to your 'base'."

The three of them wanted to ask some of their questions as well, but-

"Just one thing."-Meliodas suddenly said, his face now looking serious-"Why were all those people looking fearfully at you?"

Lazarus didn't answer immediately and there was a solid minute of tense silence, before the witcher finally spoke-"Let's just say it has to do with my obvious looks. Now let's go."

Meliodas, as well as the other two were obviously unsatisfied with that response, but they realized that now was probably not the right time to start prying for answers. Plus, they did promise him answers of their own first and foremost, once they were completely done here.

"Well then, it's your call."-Meliodas said to which Lazarus looked at him in utter confusion.

"Oh, uhm…"-Al said nervously to gain Lazarus' attention-"Navigator's the one who can take us back to Umbras Base, but uh…there's something that we may have…forgot to tell you…"

Al's nervousness was clear by the tone of his voice and the way he pressed his two index fingers together. While Lazarus could understand this, given how he clearly looks like he's scowling, he still wondered what it was that they forgot to mention.

"Please allow me to explain."-Navigator's voice suddenly resounded-"When I have inserted the Umbras Cube into your body to save your life, you have been designated as my control unit. This means, that you are essentially my 'master', if you will. This also means, that you now have full access to any and all applications that I possess. This includes teleportation, long-distance communication with other members of your team, access to research archives related to-"

"Alright, alright, I get the gist of it."-Lazarus stopped Navigator's monologue/explanation-"Well then, get us to wherever it is you guys are based."

"Yes, Master."-Navigator replied-"Commencing teleportation."

Before anything else could be said, a column of neon blue light appeared around the team and after a moment both it, and the team disappeared into thin air.

-XXX-

?

However, unknown to literally anybody, a dark presence was closely watching everything that's been unfolding, ever since the assault over New York began.

"Well, well, this is certainly a very…interesting turn of events."-spoke a being, wreathed in shadows, with a voice that sounded like a million blades scraping against one another, and observing the heroes disappear in the column of light-"So, we've got some new players on the board. Hmmm, this will certainly force me to accelerate my plans, but I can already tell that the coming future is about to be…fun."

The mysterious being chuckled in amusement, his voice capable of freezing the very souls of the living, as he started plotting his next move in this Great Game.

Whatever the case may be, events have been set in motion, who's ripples will shake the very foundations of both our world and of many, many more. The greatest change in the Multiverse has begun and the players are ready to act.

A/N: Alright, to make some initial things known.

This is both an experiment and something I'm doing for fun. I know full well that 'Jump Force' isn't exactly on everyone's 'top 10 best games of all time' lists, but I personally like it. The concept and the story are both things that I like about this game, and yes, I will admit that there are a lot of things that can be improved upon, mainly some of the animation sequences, but otherwise, if you look past these things, it actually has some potential. Also, as you have noticed, I will NOT be including the 'Dragon Ball' franchise into the story, mainly because there is already a number of super strong characters and the series just isn't my cup of tea, so I'm sorry. Other series that I will not be adding include from the core game are as follows: 'Fist of the North Star', 'City Hunter', 'Saint Seyia', 'Dragonquest the adventures of Dai' and possibly 'YuYu Hakusho'. However, I will instead be including other Shonen anime, to both replace the ones that I have excluded and to add to the story.

And yes, I am crossing it over with the 'Witcher', since it's my all-time favorite fantasy world story/game (followed by 'The Lord of the Rings'/'The Hobbit' and 'The Elder Scrolls' series). However, I am saying it here and now, the world of the 'Witcher' will actually be the basis of a world I wish to portray, which will also include elements from other fantasy horror works (ex. 'Supernatural', 'Devil's Hunt' and so forth) as well as elements from real-life folklore. This isn't me trying to rewrite the world of the 'Witcher', I simply wish to expand upon it, as well as expand upon the lore of some of the monsters, since some of them are SOOOOO vague.

* the hand and finger motions when magic is being used, are the same as the ones in the Netflix adaptation of 'Castlevania', when Sypha uses magic. That type of magic casting looked so cool that I just had to incorporate it into this story. However, the magic signs will still be there, along with the appropriate hand gestures.

That would be it for now, so I do hope that some of you will at least take the time to at least give this story a chance.

Sziasztok!