After the collapse of the building, the groups were regrouping as they began to plot their counterattack. As they all split off, David was left guarding Invel alone.
"So...this is how you wish to spend your time? Watching me like a guard dog?" Invel asked.
"You heard what Jexi said. The minute you try to run off, I'm coming at you full force." David said.
"You really do have a thing about me, don't you? Well, I will say this...when I am free and back at my master's side...I'll see about starting another war in Tokyo perhaps." Invel said.
"I'll die before I see you set foot there." David said.
"All this time, you heroes made three mistakes surrounding me. One, that Kuvira would be the only master I worship. Two, that I would consider any of you a threat. And finally three, that I was foolish enough to come to this world without back up." Invel said as his ropes suddenly fell apart.
"What?" David said before something pushed him back as he saw two floating figures behind Invel. "What...are those?"
"Spirits from the Undead universe. They are part of a cult that worships my master and his ideals. They happened to have been competing in the same tournament you were when I came. A bit of good fortune on my part. Now I've decided to change things up. Instead of returning to Kuvira's side...I'm going to shatter your frozen body across the ground." Invel said as the surrounding area started to freeze.
(Cue- Tadakatsu- Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends)
"Try me. I won't go down as easily as you think." David said.
"Even when you've been outnumbered." Invel said as two ghostly figures floated down. One blue and the other pink.
"Two Frillish. So they are competitors." David said. "This just got a whole lot interesting. Froslass, it looks like we've got some fight after all. The Frillish are yours."
Both Frillish started by firing Night Shade attacks at Froslass who dodged each one of them.
Froslass charged up and launched a Shadow Ball. While the Blue Frillish dodged, it hit hard against the Pink one, taking it out instantly. The Blue Frillish growled as it unleashed Ominous Wind into the area.
"Oh this is not good…" Froslass muttered. "Think… What would… Ah, I've got it!" she said as she used Confuse Ray. The Blue Frillish was hit as it looked around in confusion. "Now!" she said as her fist was coated in ice as she dealt an Ice Punch-like uppercut. "Ice...Shoryuken!" The resulting impact managed to knock the Frillish out.
"Alright! She did it!" David said.
The two spirits looked at each other before dropping their tokens and vanishing.
"Pathetic…Seems it's all on me!" Invel said as the ice around him intensified and started spreading farther across the city as a dark aura surrounded him. "I'll freeze this entire city solid if I have to."
"What's wrong, Invel? You seem pretty heated up for a supposed master of ice." David said. "But I guess I have no right to say something like that, do I?" he said. "This aura...is this...darkness? Just how evil are you?"
"Darkness is unrelated to the concepts of good and evil. It is a tremendous source of power, one that any human can possess." Invel said entering his True Ice Kamui albeit with it looking more demonic.
"That form again… Wait, something's different." David said.
"This...is the power the master has bestowed upon me. The power of darkness!" Invel said as some of the things the ice had covered started to corrupt and twist, becoming things of evil. "This is...Black Ice!"
"Ngh… So strong… This power is beyond anything I would've realized." David said.
"Disappear in a frozen darkness!" Invel said as the ice rose up like a tidal wave and started moving towards David.
"Such overwhelming power… No… This is exactly what I've been preparing for. It's time I finally show...my true power!" David said as he was bathed in a bright light. When it fades, he was in his Sapphire God Mode, yet his Ice Reaper Claw was active.
(Shift- Magnolia Eclair- Guilty Gear Xrd)
"What.. what is this?!" Invel asked. "I thought you couldn't use Reaper Claw without Kyogre?!"
"Wrong… Take a closer look." David said revealing his glowing eye. "This is Kyogre's way of lending me his strength. Unlike you, who only accepted darkness, as a slayer of gods and demons, I have embraced both Heaven and Hell! Behold, Sapphire God: Armament!"
"Your light...it's insignificant to my darkness!" Invel said. "You'll just be a victim of my black ice!"
David smirked as he swiped with his claw, cutting apart the wave of ice. "Surprised? I'm not the same scrub you kicked to the curb back in Glenwood. I've relived that battle in my head over and over again since that day, like a recurring nightmare that I couldn't shake off. That battle showed my moment of weakness. That's why I've grown stronger over the course of this journey… So that I wouldn't relive such a defeat again!" he said as he launched icicles from his claw.
"Pathetic." Invel said trying to freeze the icicles over before they broke apart bits of his armor. "What? Wait...does this mean...his ice is infused with light?!"
"That is because of the power of my Sapphire God Mode. Now that I learned how to combine both at the same time, there's no way you can beat me now!" David said. "This is the end! If you think this is hell, I'm just getting started!" he said as he rapidly slash Invel with his claw. He then rises to the air. "I'll drag you down...and grind you into earth!" he said as an orb of energy appeared from his claw. "Impulse Desire!" he shouted as he rockets towards Invel and slams the ball of energy on him.
"No...Master...I...failed." Invel said before his armor shattered as he took the full force of the attack. When the dust settled, a large crater was in the ground as Invel was in the center of it, bloodied and unconscious.
(end song)
David was breathing heavily from the attack. Whew… That took a lot out of me." he said as he reverted. "Hey, Froslass! You doing okay over there?"
"Just fine." Froslass said holding the two tokens.
"Alright! This secures our spot in the finals. It was rough getting there, but it was all worth it." David said. "Now come on. Let's catch up to the others."
Meanwhile out in Republic City...
"PDEE BARMA!" Simon called as Madama Butterfly appeared and kicked away a few of the mechs along with punching a few airships.
"Alright, weapons live, Craniamon. Open Fire!" Leviathan called as the Flight Unit flew toward a group of mechs and airships.
"How's it coming with the colossus?" Hope asked.
"Not so good. Nothing we're doing is making a dent in that thing!" Crusadermon said.
"We just need to buy time for the hummingbird unit to make an opening." Jexi said.
"(If only I could use Burst, that would definitely help the others a bit, but…)" Simon thought.
"Simon, get your head in the game!" Spade shouted as Simon dodged an attacking mech.
"Let's see how you like this. Limit Break: AL Type Light Particle Beam!" Mari called as she pulled out the gunblade from before and attached a small piece to it as it fired a huge laser, causing most of the mechs to instantly shut down. "Haha...in your…" she said seeing the large one charging the weapon at her.
"Mari!" Sanji said grabbing her as the weapon destroyed the area she was on.
"Thanks, Sanji." Mari said.
"Appreciate your help but it's probably best you stay outta sight." Sanji said.
"Dammit….come on." Hope said before hearing a crash not far as he saw a hole in the large mech's leg. We have our way in!"
"Come on, it's showtime!" ZS said as he raced into the hole.
"Wait up!" Simon called flying in with Malphas's wings but dismissed them once inside. As soon as Korra entered, the mech slammed its hand on the hole.
"Assignments. ZS, disable the weapon. Simon, shut down this mech's energy supply. Me and Korra...we're settling things with Kuvira right now." Hope said. "Everyone else, keep things under control outside."
"Alright, we'll go help the others once we're done on our end." Simon said.
"No. Just get out as fast as you can." Hope said.
"Huh?" ZS said.
"I'll be honest. Odds are we might not all make it out alive. So...I'm gonna do my best to stop Kuvira." Hope smiled.
"No...NO!" Simon said.
"Simon, relax. He's got this." Tsumugi said.
"Plus, I'm pretty sure they have plot armor." ZS said. "Still, good luck Hope!" He then skated off.
*Glass Breaks*
"... Ignore that." Emo said flatly.
"Alright…. This is gonna end now." Hope said as he ran to catch up with Korra in the control room. Both have broken right in as they started an all out fight with Kuvira inside as the others went about accomplishing their tasks.
"Gotta find the weapon, gotta find the weapon." ZS said as he climbed to the top and found the weapon's supply of spirit vines. "Bingo!" he said attacking the loading mechanism causing all the vines to fall to the bottom of the arm, making a large explosion. "And now…" he said as he skated down the mech. "... It's all up to them."
"That power core has to be in the chest area." Simon said. He soon arrived and saw the power supply was a large mass of spirit vines. "I have to absorb the spirit energy without destroying it." he said holding his hand out as yellow energy flew into it as the light died down. "That should do it." he said before jumping out and summoning Malphas's wings. "Now then spirits…" he said holding the orb of energy into the air. "Be free!" he called as the orb flew up into the air and scattered across the four nations. He smiled before hearing a charging sound from the spirit vines below. "The core...it's overloading. Time to go." he said going down the nearest exit.
As soon as he had gotten out, a loud explosion was seen as the mech fell apart sending the head and right arm flying into the spirit wilds. The groups saw massive firings coming from the wilds before a large explosion was seen.
"Everyone, take cover! Now!" Pit said.
Once the explosion had subsided, all looked out to see a large spirit portal situated where the spirit wilds once sat.
"HOLY MOLEY!" Eddy shouted. "HOPE! KORRA!"
"Come on!" Ace said as the group quickly ran to the crater. Upon rushing towards it, out of the portal stepped out Hope and Korra carrying Kuvira on their shoulders.
"Phew, thank God." Mark sighed. "You made it."
"You jerk, you nearly scared us to death!" Simon said lightly punching his arm.
"I'll be honest, I thought we were dead too. Kuvira tried to fire the cannon again, but it went out of control. Korra then bent the beam to protect me and Kuvira, and that's how the spirit portal appeared." Hope said. "Don't worry though, cause Kuvira was able to see how wrong she was. She surrendered."
"How nice. But still…" Emo said, looking straight at Kuvira. "You're going to pay for what you've done."
"Not your way, Emo." a voice said as they saw David walking towards the group. "Looks like I missed the whole thing. Still, I knew you guys could do it."
"David. What happened to Invel?" Ace asked.
"A bloody mess, but still alive." David said. "And look what his goons dropped." he said revealing two tokens.
"Great Scott! I forgot about the tournament!" CP said. "I need to find some other competitors!" he said.
"Should we tell him all the remaining competitors on this world already fled?" Jexi asked.
"He'll find out eventually." Simon said.
It was days later at a special wedding/celebration that the group unwound a bit except for the leaders.
"I'm glad things worked out here. But...something still troubles me about the situation." Jexi said.
"What is it, Jexi?" Hope asked.
"It's about Invel and this so called master. If he really was following someone else...what would he have had to gain by partnering with Kuvira and pretending to be only her subordinate." Jexi said.
"I know what you mean. It kind of unnerved me a bit. I was really looking forward to being in a tournament without some kind of conspiracy." David said.
"Don't worry. It's probably unrelated." Mark said.
"Yeah...it's definitely unrelated. The tournament and this scheme just happened to occur around the same time." Jexi said. "David...I saw all the corruption in the area you fought in. Did Invel do that?"
"Yeah. He said that he melded his ice with some kind of dark power. He was pretty vague about it, though." David said.
"Darkness...I could feel it from where you stood. It wasn't just some dark power...he somehow managed to have power over true darkness." Jexi said.
"That's why that presence felt familiar. It felt almost similar to Vanitas's Lingering Spirit, but stronger." Ace said.
"Well...to be fair...he said it was from his master." David said. "But...can we be sure it's the same thing?"
"Probably unrelated, but his master...so whoever this master was….Ah!" Jexi said grasping his chest upon realizing something.
"What is it?" Hope asked.
"I really hope I'm wrong about this but...I think I know who his master was." Jexi said.
"Really? Who?" Mark asked.
"Someone who could have given Invel that power...as well as target someone who was dark hearted like Kuvira was. He's finally starting to make his move." Jexi said.
In a dark place, a figure was sitting at a large chess board as he knocked over a piece on his side. "Seems Invel has failed. Kuvira did not have what it took. Such a sad truth, but the truth nonetheless. Still, with each day, the time draws ever closer. When their seven lights...meet my thirteen darknesses."
Back on Korra's World…
"Hope, we made a second cake!" Pinkie-2 said. "Do you know where Korra is?"
"I'm pretty sure she's busy with...other things." Indigo said pointing to the spirit portal where Korra and Asami stood facing one another.
"After all this, they deserve to be happy. Right, Hope?" Ace said putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Hope… This will probably be the last time you'll see her. If there's anything you want to say to her, now's your last chance." David said.
"Hey, where're you going? You forget your cake!" ZS said as he grabbed the cake and raced over.
"No… I think I'm good." Hope said. "Korra doesn't need to be said goodbye to. I know for a fact that she already wanted to leave the team to defend Republic City like Aang did. It's just a feeling I have that comes from avatar to avatar. But I did promise that I would win the tournament for her."
"Then as soon as we reach the next world, you better get cracking." David said.
"Wonder where our next adventure will take us." Simon said.
"I guess we follow the other competitors." Mark answered. "Anyone know where they went off to?"
"Well according to the charts, there's a large influx of them in the Disney Heart Universe. Near this...unknown world." Tails said. "Weird, there's no info on it."
"Probably some kind of deserted or unidentified world. It should be interesting to check out." Omnimon said.
"Let's go then!" Ace said.
"Yeah, why are we standing around talking about it! Let's go!" Luffy said.
And so the groups got into the Galaxy King as they took off, heading for this newly discovered world.
To be continued...