The group stood before the squad of knights that had confronted them. It seemed like they were interested in the group.
"We are the Rosegard Imperial Knights. We heard a hero was headed into this cave, so we headed here." the captain introduced. "The knights under the command of Captain Rosalie are engaging the Demon Lord's forces at Olga Fortress. We ask that you come with us." he explained as they kneeled.
"We are here to save this world," Ethox said. "Of course, we'll be happy to assist." he declared as the knights chatted among themselves.
"Is there anyone in this world who doesn't need my help?" Seiya asked.
"This world is labeled S-Class. So by design it's in constant peril." Mirror Match reminded.
"We will gladly take you to Olga Fortress." the captain recommended.
"No, we would be endangering you and your men if we accompany you. It would be best we go alone. In which direction is the fortress?" Mirror Match asked.
"North by Northwest." the captain directed as Seiya took flight. "So he can fly. Yes. You all will surely defeat Beel Bub."
"Beel Bub?" Mash asked.
"A demon that looks like a giant Fly. He leads a massive swarm of those disgusting creatures, and they're causing massive damage at Olga fortress." the captain explained.
"So we're in for some midair combat… we'll do some recon first." Seiya said. "Taters, on me. Rista, grab the other one. Hey, can you two fly?"
"Uh, not particularly, no. But Match can teleport the two of us." Ethox said.
"Well, I'd say my shadow form is a combination of the two, but in short, yes." Mirror added.
"Then follow us, and don't get ahead of us. You'll give our position off if you get too close to the flies." Seiya said. "Let's go."
The group flew off to the location provided, the two former Elders following behind in a mass of shadow. They all arrived at a lush, green forest.
"This must be the place. But no sign of those flies those knights mentioned…" Ethox said.
"Hey, there's something weird up ahead!" Elulu called out, spotting a black mass near a tall, dead tree.
"Maybe it's a storm cloud?" Ristarte guessed.
"That's no storm cloud…" Mirror stated as the mass was revealed to be a huge collection of flies.
"Thats a huge swarm of flies….gross!" Ristarte groaned.
The group landed in the cover of the trees and inspected the situation.
"I count 3 to 400 in the swarm." Mirror Match said.
"And they're all over level 30. So the Phoenix is out." Seiya said. "Let's stay back and see what happens."
"Yeah, I'm good with that plan…" Ristarte agreed.
"Bow down before us, humans!" they heard a voice call. They looked to the sky as they saw a tall, humanoid looking demon with a fly head in the air. "Tremble at the overwhelming might of the Demon Lords airborne shock troops, the Aerial Assault flies!"
"That most certainly has to be Beel Bub." Mirror Match said. "He's not one of the heavenly kings, but he must be a threat in terms of other means."
"I'll say. His speed readings outta control." Rista analyzed.
"He disgusts me…" Sieya piped up. "I mean, how can he talk with that mouth?! I don't even wanna know!"
"That question is kinda racist, Seiya. You do know there are non-demon insect men that are totally different from him, right?" Ethox asked.
"As far as I'm concerned, all fly people are disgusting, no matter what side they're on." Seiya said.
Meanwhile...
"Aaaah-zzchooo!" Fly Guy sneezed, drawing the other poker players' attention.
"Gesundheit." Miles said.
"Allergies got your proboscis, Marty?" Scrapper asked.
"No, I don't think zo." FG said. "But I get the feeling that there'z zomeone out there being racizt towards me."
"Huh." Sword spoke. "Something to do later, then. I call."
"You should be careful, Seiya. The walls have ears." Mirror Match said.
"Can we start thinking of a way to counteract that stupid hugh Speed, please?" Ristarte asked.
"Over there!" Eulu pointed. "Those Rosegard nights are being targeted!"
Elulu was right, as some knights in the cover of the forest were shooting some arrows at the flies, but all of them were incredibly fast, picking up a group of soldiers.
"Now, time for a little something I like to call 'reverse fireworks'!" Beel Bub called.
"Reverse fireworks? I don't get it." Ristarte said.
Beel Bub chuckled, and on his command, the flies dropped the soldiers they were carrying from way up high. They plummeted right towards the ground, killing each of them upon impact, leaving large pools of blood.
"I was thinking of calling them Beel Bub's blood bombs, but that sounds corny." Beel Bub said. "There's no fire, but you get the idea. Now, where's that hero?! Surely this is enough to draw him out, I can do this all day!" he called as he flew off.
"So they weren't killing for enjoyment, they were trying to draw us out." Ethox said.
"Damn…" Mirror Match growled as the display. "Seiya, be honest: are you prepared to fight?"
"Not yet." Seiya said. "Normal flies move faster than the blink of an eye, and these are demon flies, so they'll be faster than that. I'll need to find a way to hit them in the air."
"We'll figure that out once we get to it." Ethox siad. "First things first, we should check in with this Rosalie the knights mentioned before, get some info."
The group headed down to the clearing, examining the carnage up close. They saw a woman in armor paying her respects to the soldiers that were ruthlessly killed, as she got up and spied Ristarte.
"Oh, thank goodness. You've come at last!" she said, removing her helmet. "Listen up, soldiers! The Hero and goddess have finally arrived to save our world. Now stand tall! Prepare to storm the demon's lair!"
"Captain Rosalie, please calm yourself." a man in an eyepatch cautioned. "First we need to regroup and let the men rest."
"We can rest only after we've avenged our fellow brothers in arms." Rosalie said.
"I know the desire to avenge our comrades, but you must realize the situation we're in. The men are beyond exhausted." the man pointed out. "Besides, the hero has just barely arrived."
"I suppose you have a point, Carlo. Let's regroup back at the fortress to discuss a strategy to finally defeat the enemy with the hero. But afterwards, we're heading back out. That is an order, you understand?"
"Man, she's really eager to fight to the last man, isn't she?" Ethox asked.
"Not the finest quality for a leader to have, true." Mirror added.
Seiya just stared at the captain. If the others were to look close, they could have sworn that his eyes darkened.
"Wow, this place is massive!" Mash said in awe as he gazed up at Olga Fortress.
"Olga Fortress is placed at a strategic place on the imperial border. In addition to strong walls, the garrison's elite archers are stationed up on the ramparts." Carlo explained.
"Well those flies could easily sack the whole place if they wanted." Seiya said.
"And yet they did not stray far from their own base." Mirror Match said. "Beel Bub made his intentions clear to draw us out. It's likely they want us to rush into battle with them."
"Even if they were to advance farther, the Empire is protected by the Great Warmaster." Carlo added.
"Great Warmaster?" Ethox asked.
"The greatest living warrior in Gaeabrande." Mash said.
"If that were true, he'd be saving the world instead of me. I don't buy the hype." Seiya piped in.
"Forgive me, but present company excluded, the Warmaster is the mightiest man to ever walk this land. However, he can't leave the capital." Carlo said.
"That makes sense," Ethox said. "Match, you'd want your strongest fighter protecting the heart of the country, right?"
"It is a sound strategy." Match said. "If you sent out your strongest warrior, all the enemy's forces would target them wherever they went. And, unlike Seiya, the warmaster doesn't have access to the Unified Divine Realm to train in."
"Were you passively taking a jab at me there, uni-bro?" Seiya asked.
"Just pointing out a fact, Cautious Hero." Mirror smiled. "Can you deny it?"
"Guess you've got some sense." Seiya said.
The group arrived in the War Room of the fortress, where Rosalie awaited with some of her soldiers.
"The hero and his courageous party have arrived." Carlo announced.
"Welcome, we do appreciate your help. Please, have a seat." one of the soldiers offered, the group taking their places at the table. "Now, we must formulate a strategy to combat these demons-"
"Slow down big guy. First I gotta guarantee our safety." Seiya said.
"What do you mean?" the man asked.
"You'll have to forgive him. Seiya doesn't like to take anything to chance." Ethox said. "Basically, to cut this down to a minimum…. There might be a spy, one of those flies could be listening in on us, or a bomb has been planted in the fortress."
"What?!" Rosalie sputtered before she turned to Carlo. "Carlo, search the ceiling now!"
10 minutes later…
"Sir, twenty-three soldiers have searched the room above us high and low, but there's no sign of anything out of place." one of the soldiers accounted.
"Did you really have to do that?" Mirror Match asked.
"Hey, I had to make sure it was quickly addressed. Would you rather let Seiya handle it and wait three hours?" Ethox asked.
"Touche." Mirror agreed.
"Enough of this!" Rosalie yelled, slamming her hands onto the table. "What I want addressed quickly is how we're going to take down the demons!"
"Hey, listen Rosalie. I understand you wanna go charging back into the fray, but you should at least think about-" Ethox said.
"I don't need to think of anything! There's no need to think of a strategy, the hero and I will stand at the front lines and charge headfirst into the demon's lair!" Rosalie declared.
"Captain Rosalie, we can't be-" the warrior said.
"She's right." Seiya spoke up.
"So you agree we should charge in?" Rosalie asked.
"Don't put words in my mouth." Seiya said. "What I agree with is that this meeting is pointless. I already know what my next course of action is."
"What do you plan to do?" Rosalie asked.
"...to leave."
…
"HHHUUUHHH?!" Rosalie sputtered in a mix of confusion and outrage.
"Yep, knew that was coming." Ethox said.
"It's back to the Divine Realm again, to find a god to train our hero." Mirror added.
"Classic Seiya move." Elulu said.
"Here I was getting excited to go on an adventure…" Rista groaned.
"This is utterly ridiculous! Are you seriously thinking of abandoning us?!" Rosalie asked.
"Whoa, no one said anything about that." Ethox said. "Seiya's just going back to the Divine Realm to train until he feels he's completely ready to take on the situation. It doesn't really take long."
"Probably about three days." Seiya added.
"What the hell?" Rosalie asked.
"But the fortress will be destroyed by then!" one of the soldiers spoke up.
"He means three days in the Divine Realm. In your world's time, that would be about an hour. Give us that time, and we can guarantee you victory with no more lives lost." Mirror Match said.
"Well, that sounds reasonable." one of the soldiers said.
"But why would he even need to train for this fight? I saw the goddess's wings with my own eyes. If she can already fly, you're ready!" Rosalie said.
"Who, me?" Risarte asked.
"Goddesses don't fight, they support." Seiya said.
"(Is he really sticking up for me?)" the healing goddess smiled.
"But don't get me wrong, she's completely useless. She just kinda floats like a balloon. An actual balloon would be more capable." Seiya continued.
"I'll punch your balloons!" Rista replied.
"Besides, flyings no big deal. I can do that." Seiya mentioned. "That doesn't make us less screwed though. We were watching the battle earlier."
"Wait… what did you say?" Rosalie asked in disbelief. "You were watching? While my soldiers were being slaughtered, you all stood there and watched them die?"
"That's not true. We wanted to help, but then, it was too late-" Mirror started.
"It's not about timing, it's about helping or not helping! I want to know if the hero saw what happened and did nothing to help!" Rosalie asked sharply.
"That's a dumb question." Seiya stated. "If nothing will help, why would I do anything?"
"My men were murdered by demons! You're a hero, doesn't that affect you?!" Rosalie asked.
"With all due respect Rosalie," Mirror Matched jumped in. "But after traveling with this man for so long, we know him better than anyone. His cautiousness and harsh attitude may tell you otherwise, but he does care about people. That's why he's going back to train; so that what happened today doesn't happen to anyone else."
"Is this man of yours really a hero, or some mopey coward?" Rosalie asked.
"I used to think he was the latter." Mirror admitted. "But he's proven his worth as a hero in my eyes. If you just give it some time-"
"A hundred of my men were popped like grapes!" Rosalie yelled. "Have some empathy!"
"I know it's a terrible thing to go through, but-" Ristarte said.
"You don't know how precious life truly is because you're immortal!" Rosalie argued. "As a goddess it will never happen to you. So don't talk to me about matters about life and death!"
"You're not exactly coming from some moral high ground yourself." Seiya spoke up. "Your men didn't get killed by accident. All of that stuff is on you. If you'd came up with a strategy that didn't stuck, they'd still be alive right now."
That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Rosalie.
"You scum! You better take that back! I should kill you-!" Rosalie said going to knock some sense into the hero, but Seiya blocked her strike….
…..and slapped Rosalie right across the face!
Silent shock abounded in the room as everyone tried to process what just happened.
"...Well...she was the one going to strike him…" Ethox said.
"...I mean, Seiya said she got her men killed, which I suppose is true to an extent, but still…" Mirror mused.
"What are you two saying?!" Ristarte yelled in shock. "Hitting a woman is never okay in any type of world! Seiya, get down on your knees and beg her not to kill you, NOW!"
"It was self defense…?" Seiya tried to defend himself.
"How dare you…!" Rosalie said charging back in, but that only made it worse. Seiya repeatedly slapped her five more times until her face was swollen and she started crying.
"(Is there no shred of feminism in this day and age?!)" Ristarte thought. "(I get that he's old fashioned, but this is the bad kind!)"
"Alright, that's it!" Rosalie growled as she drew her sword. "You're dead! I'll cut you to pieces!"
"Captain Rosalie, control yourself!" Carlo begged.
"You're a fraud, you're no hero!" Rosalie sniffed. "You're just a...jerkface!"
"Apologize, you caveman!" Ristarte demanded.
"Nope, she was comin' in hard, bro." Seiya said.
"You slapped her so hard, she's crying. I think that garners some apology." Ethox said.
"I'm not crying! You're crying!" Rosalie said. "I dont need a stupid hero! I'll take down that demon myself!"
Seiya and Ristarte analyzed Rosalie.
"You do have impressive strength, for a human…" Ristarte acknowledged.
"The warmaster may be your father, but i guess ability ratings aren't genetic." Seiya added. "Youre just gonna kill yourself."
It was at this point, Rosalie was baring her teeth and started growling.
"She's growling like a dog, is she gonna turn into a werewolf?" Elulu asked.
"Master, are you sure you shouldn't apologize?" Mash asked.
"Honestly? I feel he's kinda justified here." Ethox said. "I don't condone slapping women who don't deserve it, but frankly, sometimes people just need a wake up call to their actions."
"See, the Nobody gets it." Seiya said. "Besies, I don't do apologies. Just open a portal already."
Ristarte reluctantly did so, and the group was off to the Divine realm, leaving Rosalie to stew.
In the realm, everyone regrouped.
"While I'm on your side for this one, Seiya, you really shouldn't have gone all Slap-Happy like that, seriously." Ethox said.
"I couldn't stop myself. All that crap she was spewing triggered my slap button." Seiya gripped his fist. "The way she thinks is BS! Hell bent on moving forward with no chance of winning… besides the casualties, it makes you look like an idiot."
Mirror Match looked at the hero. "(This is the first time we've witnessed Seiya lose any sense of composure. Perhaps his approach to everything runs deeper than I thought.)" He thought. "(I'm curious…. What could be the reason he acts the way he does?)"
"Yeah, kinda the polar opposite of your ways, isn't it?" Ethox pointed out. "Speaking of which, any ideas on how to defeat the infestation?"
"I've already got an idea." Seiya said. "Rista, any chance you can introduce me to the god of Patriot Surface-to-Air Missiles?"
"What?! There's no god for that!" Ristarte said.
"How about the God of Guns?" Seiya asked instead.
"There might actually be one around here somewhere…" Ristarte said.
"Highly unlikely." Mirror Match said. "Every world in the Adventure Universe is based on fantasy worlds. Not one comes to mind that includes guns."
"If we can't kill the flies with bullets and artillery… what about a bow and arrow?" Ethox suggested.
"Great idea! I know the Goddess of Archery!" Ristarte said. "She lives in the Verdant Forest, a little ways from here."
The Novice Goddess led the group to a large span of woodland in the realm, the trees growing nothing but apples as far as the eye can see. Up ahead, they saw a white haired goddess in a beautiful dress snipe an apple with an arrow a few meters away.
"Nice shot." Ethox said, garnering the goddess's attention to the group.
"I take it you are Mitis, the Goddess of Archery?" Mirror Match asked.
"That is correct." Mitis answered. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Well, I was telling my hero here about your amazing skills as an archer, so we were wondering if there's a possibility of you sharing some tips with him to up his game." Ristarte explained.
"You're supposed to be the best, so how many arrows can you shoot at once?" Seiya asked.
"Hey, ever heard of buttering someone up first?!" Ristarte yelled.
"Uh, I'm no expert, but aren't arrows supposed to be shot one at a time?" Ethox asked.
"Unlike guns, the use of the bow and arrow involves steady and careful precision, not rapid fire ballistics." Mirror Match said.
"Not entirely." Mitis said. "With the use of the Shining Arrow skill, one can shoot in quick succession to mimic simultaneous fire."
"That would kinda be impossible normally. So it must be a magic skill, right?" Ethox asked.
"Yes, but unfortunately the kind of speed and precision it takes for Shining Arrow isn't something a mortal can achieve. Even i can only manage 7 shots in succession at a time." Mitis said.
"We'll see. Let's get to it." Seiya said.
"First, you need to be able to construct a magic bow in your hands." Mitis said. "If you can't do that, there are other lessons I would be more than be willing to teach you personally."
"Elulu. You know Fire Arrow, right?" Seiya asked. "Teach it to me."
"You're good at a lot of things seiya, but I don't think you can easily pick up something like that." Elulu said.
"Elulu, remember who you're talking too." Mirror match said. "Lets not forget. Fire Magic is Seiya's speciality."
"Well...alright." Elulu said. "First, you need to stretch out your hand and visualize a flaming magic bow in it."
"Like this?" Seiya said as he had his left hand out, a flaming bow grasped in it.
"Uh… yeah. The second part is really the hardest, though. Hitting the target is where all the skills stat to-"
Seiya let the arrow fly and hit an apple from far away.
"...Yeah, like that." Elulu deadpanned.
"My, you certainly have some skills. It's clear why you were chosen. I would be happy to teach you. Let's start right away." Mitis said.
Near the cafeteira, everyone was hanging out.
"Well, there goes my dignity…" Elulu dejectedly groaned.
"Poor girl. Fire Arrow was basically her only offensive skill…" Mirror Match sympathetically said.
"Don't feel down, Elulu." Ethox tried to cheer her up. "Not many people can say 'I trained one of the ten isekai heroes!'"
"So why do I feel so depressed about it?" Elulu asked.
"Well, since Seiya's training, what do you think we should do?" Mash asked.
"Dunno. I guess we could try to sharpen our skills as well. Wouldn't want Seiya to leave us in the dust with his training…." Ethox said looking around before seeing Cerceus carrying a bag of flour. "Oh, look who it is! Hey, Cerceus!"
Cerceus looked at Ethox and stammered. "Oh no! You're back already?! Then that means that super berserker is too!"
"Don't fret, Divine Blade, he's found someone else to train with this time." Mirror Match assured.
"That's not what I'm freaked out about! Have you forgotten what happened between him and Adenela?" Cerceus asked.
"Oh crap, I forgot about that!" Ethox paled. "Seiya dumped her before we left!"
"Dare I ask… how has she been doing?" Mirror Match asked.
"'S-S-S-Seiya...I-I'm gonna k-k-k-kill you.' That's all she's said since you left. It's like the worst hip hop you've ever heard!" Cerceus explained.
"Oh man, she's totally gone off the deep end, huh?" Ethox asked.
"She really has, and it's not funny!" Cerceus said. "If she sees Seiya around, she'll gut him like a fish!"
"Harmony's curse….!" Mirror said.
At Ariadoa's house…
"I heard she was upset." Ariadoa said, having been told the entire situation. "I tried to cheer her up a bit, but she didn't want to listen to me."
"I'm jealous you're keeping cool about this, but Adenela sounds really pissed off." Ethox said. "Shouldn't we do something to prevent her from killing Seiya?"
"Adenela may be strange, but she'd never do something like that." Ariadoa assured. "And in the unlikely event she would, I doubt that hero would even be phased."
"Hmmm… good point." Mirror match nodded. "You could have him stared down by the Pony of Shadows itself, and he'd probably just stare back at it until it blinked."
"Even if she's not murder happy, I'm guessing she's not the best goddess to go for training." Mash said. "Who else can I ask?"
"I've got a crazy idea!" Ethox said. "Aria, maybe you could help out?"
"Oh, I'd love to. After all, I do sense some dormant powers hidden away in you and Mash." Ariadoa said.
"Seriously? More stuff inside me?" Ethox asked.
"You must be talking about Dragon God Metamorphosis for me. They say if I train hard enough, I can transform into a dragon." Mash said.
"Sounds like you both have Seals. If you two want, I can release them." Aria requested.
"Is that wise?" Mirror Match asked.
"Yeah, that sounds like cheating." Ristarte said.
"I'm just going to teach them to unlock powers they already possess. It's another form of training." Ariadoa assured.
"If it means that I can learn more about the extent of my powers, then I'm all for it!" Ethox agreed. "Wanan join in, Elulu?"
"No thanks. I'll just do what I'm best at, shovelling candy." Elulu declined, scarfing macarons.
"Oh, I see you have some hidden talents as well. I would love to draw it out if you like." Ariadoa offered.
"Seriously? If you think I can do something cool, then let's do it!" Elulu sniffed.
"Man, Aria knows her way around motivation." Ethox said. "Still Match… I'm still worried about our creepy murderous ex-girlfreind situation. Would you mind going over to Adenela's to check on her?"
"Certainly, my friend." Mirror agreed as he headed out. "I'll make sure she's alright."
Mirror arrived at Adenela's house, heading inside.
"Adenela, are you in here?" Mirror called out as he advanced into the dark room and saw her sword sharpening equipment. "Hm, I suppose she's away…SWEET HARMONY!"
The reason for Mirror's outburst was the numeros kanji on the wall that spelled out a simple, yet chilling message: Kill you.
"Forget crazy, this is downright psychotic!" Mirror said as he turned to leave...
...only to be met with the war goddess herself.
"GAH!" Mirror jumped back in shock as she manically cackled.
"M-M-Mirrror Match, if you're b-b-back here, that means one thing…" Adenela grinned crazily. Youre-Youre tight-bodied friend is b-back here to, huh?"
"Ah." Mirror said, trying to regain composure. "Well… you see… Seiya is, uh… not here. He's… back in Gaeabrandae, looking for… new Synthesis recipes. The man loves to synthesize."
"You're not a very good l-l-liar…. Seiya wouldn't refuse Training. You c-c-came back because he needed some extra power before another big mission, right? If you tell me where he is… I… won't have to kill you first."
Mirror Match knew that Adenela wasn't kidding. She had the eyes of a deranged killer. So, there was only one thing to do.
"Well, if you insist, I can tell you that he's-"
Mirror instantly turned into his shadow form and bolted out the door.
"-Leaving the Divine Realm immediately, SEIYA!" Mirror Match yelled as he headed towards the Verdant Forest, the war goddess dashing after him.
"Oh no you don't… we're not done yet!" Adenlea said getting in his way and stabbing her sword near his shadow, making him pop out. "I'm gonna kill Seiya, but first… I-Im gonna cut you to shreds to send a message!"
Mirror Match knew he wasn't going last against a goddess, much less an unhinged one. But at that moment, he got an idea.
"Adenela, cease your bloodlust!" Mirror match said. "I understand your desire to kill Seiya for abandoning you, but this sort of revenge isn't the way to go about it!"
"Oh y-yeah? And why should… I believe anything you have to say to me, you f-f-fallen king?" Adenela said.
"Because…" Mirror Match breathed. "I too, was the victim of such a feeling of loss."
Adeniella lost the killer look in her eyes and lowered her sword. "R-Really? You… loved someone too?"
"Yes. You see, I am truthfully the King Sombra of another dimension separate from the true Equestria. But my dimension is a very different place. The heroes of the Equestria universe, including the princesses, are evil. As ridiculous as it sounds, I was in love with the Celestia in the other world. We met when we were young… Those times were the best. However, my versions of Celestia and Luna soon came to attack, and eventually, both our worlds were in jeopardy. It was then I had to make the ultimate sacrifice. I used the Elements of Harmony to extract the Evil from my versions of the princesses, and burden that darkness myself. It saved Celestia… but I could never see her again, for the darkness would eventually take my sanity from me."
Adenela looked shocked by this explanation. "B-But… if that's true, then w-why are you still sane?"
"That's a story in of itself. After the events of my corruption, I was resigned to lose myself in the darkness… until they arrived."
Flashback…
Sombra sat in a cave, trying in vain to keep the darkness out of his head… but it was no use.
"(I can feel it crawling away at me…)" the former king thought. "(I don't have much time left...Celestia...I'm so sorry…!)"
"Hello? Hello, is someone in here?" a voice called out.
"Leave. There's nothing for you here." Sombra warned, wincing at the sharpness in his tone. He turned his head to face the intruders...only to see the strangest creatures he'd ever seen.
They walked on two legs, all of them. One wore a suit and was carrying a briefcase, one wore what could only be described as pirate clothes, and the last wore a lab coat. Behind them, about three to five people wearing grey cloaks stood, blocking off the cave's mouth.
"What… what are you?" Sombra asked.
"Your salvation, hopefully." the man in the suit said. "My name is Sigumd. I am the founder of and Standard Universe Elder for the Anarchy Kings. You are King Sombra, correct?"
"Former king." Sombra said. "If you know who I am, then you know how much danger you are in by being here. Please, leave."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." the thing known as Sigmund said, opening the briefcase and pulling out some sort of sphere. "I think this will give us a chance to talk."
He then pressed a button on the side of the machine, creating a sort of field that filled the cave. Sombra felt weaker, the darkness less overbearing in the cave.
"My magic… how…?" Sombra asked.
"It's an Anti-Magic Field Generator. It blocks any and all magic in a 5 to 10 feet radius." Sigmund explained. "Now you have no way to hurt us… so can I make you an offer?"
"...I'm listening." Sombra said.
"I've heard of the sacrifice you made for your kingdom, and your loved one." Sigmund said. "I found it very inspiring. It's not fair that your story should end so tragically… so I'm here to offer you a second chance. A chance to be with Celestia again. But first… there's something we need your help with."
"(A chance to be with Celestia again? Is it even possible?)" Sombra thought. "...What do you need?"
"The Anarchy Kings is a group made up of those who want to make a difference in the Multiverse. Those who want to make things better." Sigmund said. "Le Kraken wants the seas to be free for all to explore, without fear of being arrested. Doctor Revive wants people to be accepted, no matter what abilities they have. And I… want to make sure that no one will ever have to live in fear of losing everything they love. We want you to become one of us; a representative of your universe in the Anarchy Kings. Please, Sombra, will you leave your past behind and join us in our quest to make the Multiverse a better place?"
"If it means being with Celestia again… a chance to see her smile once more…" Sombra said. "I will join your cause."
"Very good. However," Sigmund said. "There is an evil Sombra around the Multiverse. We cannot let him be compared to you. You will require a new name, one that inspires hope. What do you want your name to be, Elder of the Equestrian Universe?"
"...Mirror Match." Sombra said. "My new name… is Mirror Match."
"Very well." Sigmund smiled. "I promise we'll do everything we can to help you. Welcome to the Anarchy Kings, Mirror Match."
"You...went through all that? And you were then saved by that blue haired boy? That's… that's…" Adenela said before all anger from her face was completely gone. "... so romantic!"
"In a way, I suppose." Mirror said. "Even if the Anarchy Kings were just an elaborate plan by Color God Black, the bonds I shared and the experiences I went r weren't fake. And, even if you're hurting now, I promise you things will get better. I don't know when, or how, but they will for you. Until then… you just have to have hope."
"I believe you… I'll keep my love for Seiya, even though it's not meant to be." Adenela replied. "Thank you for sharing your story, Mirror Match…." then giggled as she ran off.
Mirror Match then breathed a hearty sigh. "That was scary. That woman is truly a monster when she gets angry. Even still, telling my story to someone that wasn't in the Anarchy Kings… hm. I feel just a bit calmer now. Best I return to the others."
With that, Mirror Match started to make his way towards Ariadoa's house, his heart feeling lighter.
