The group had reached near the entrance peak of Thule as a jet landed nearby, and stepping out of it was Jeanne along with a bald man inside a liquid tank wheelchair as most of his body had technology grafted to it.
Midmyers Sigurd?
"Doctor, allow me to introduce my good friend Cereza, and all of her friends." Jeanne said. "Everyone, this dashing fellow is Dr. Sigurd. He's come quite a distance for us." she said as she pulled out an ID card.
"Took you awhile to get here with him, huh?" Connor said.
"Well, I did have quite the adventure navigating through the facility he was in when it was attacked by the invaders." Jeanne said.
"Lemme guess, did it all play out like some epic Spy action movie with stealth infiltration and a motorcycle chase?" DW typed.
"Very spot on, my dear." Jeanne said.
"A pleasure to meet all of you. Jeanne has told me so much about each of you during our trip." Sigurd said.
"Did she? I hope at least some of it was actually true. Jeanne has a habit of showing off for the gentlemen." Bayonetta said.
"You bitch!" Jeanne said playfully.
"Oi." Starlight responded.
Sigurd simply laughed. "I can see that you are very close, but that's enough chat. You've brought me here for a singular purpose, yes? To open a portal to the Alphaverse."
"Yeah, we gotta get there to get to Tormal and Singularity." Connor said.
"Tormal and Singularity… We'll knock down their door, wring their necks, and end all of this destruction. It's time to finish this!" Jeanne said.
"Then Cereza. I trust you and your friends have what we need?" Sigurd asked.
"Got 'em right here." Connor said as a few of the group pulled out each of the five Chaos Gears they recovered. "Five Chaos Gears, all from different worlds across our Multiverse. Well, four of them anyway."
"The first, from World B1, home of the Street Smart Witch." Zi-O said.
"The second, from World B2, dominion of the One-Eyed Witch." Simon said.
"The third, from World B3, ruled by the Cloistered Witch." Maria said.
"And the fourth, from World B4, territory of the Phantom Thief Witch." Al said.
"And the fifth one was brought to us by Viola. Likely from the dimension she called home, and the one Tormal called once too." Ragna said.
"Good. Now, follow me to the altar." Sigurd said.
The group soon entered a large shrine as there was a statue of a Lumen Sage and an Umbran Witch respectively as they approached an altar.
Sigurd got close to a monument, and protruded 4 tentacles from his transport as they hooked up to the altar, springing it to life.
"Everyone, place the Chaos Gears in their proper locations." Sigurd instructed.
But before they could do that however, a Fractus appeared, leading a squad of Nebulosus.
"Come to see us off? If you're looking for a ride back home, you'll have to wait for the next one." Bayonetta said.
"The vermin don't know when to quit!" Jeanne said.
"If this device is damaged, we'll never be able to open the portal again!" Sigurd said.
"Doctor, you just keep working." Bayonetta said. "Everyone!"
"Chaos Gear keepaway! Get them where they need to be and don't let the opposing team snatch em!" Connor said.
"Let's go!" Simon called as the group leaped into action, placing the Chaos Gears into their designated stands while fighting off the homunculi before a blue beam soon erupted from the center as a large stone fragment in the distance unearthed, revealing a large mechanical contraption as the altar itself rose. The five small devices around the large device glowed bright before four of them fired lasers down around Thule with the fifth firing down on the large one as it did the same, forming a portal. A few Nebulosus then flew toward the large device and threw their spears, causing the gears to halt as the portal began emitting red sparks.
"Damn! The portal will close!" Sigurd said.
"CIAOFI BALZARG!" Jeanne chanted, summoning Madama Styx as she flew over to the large device, and pole danced on it, moving the gears and stabilizing the portal. "Go, Cereza! You and the others are the only ones who can end this!"
"Then we'll leave this lot to you." Bayonetta said. "Promise we'll be back in time for drinks, all right?"
"Witch, bring the Edens Zero around! We're goin' into the Alphaverse hot!" Connor called in on his comm.
"No need to say anything, cowboy, we see the portal!" Sister said.
"And we're already on our way." Hermit added as the Edens Zero soon came into the as the group then boarded and flew straight into the portal.
The ship flew through a crumbling Ginnungagap before soon reaching the portal as they flew into the portal followed by a vortex as they soon found themselves in the Alphaverse. It was mainly a desolate wasteland below as there was numerous amounts of rubble floating around in the sky.
"So this is the Alphaverse…." Lysithea said.
"Not much of a Multiverse if you ask me. Theres just a lot of nothing." Ragna said.
Just then, multiple lights were seen flying around before homing in on the Edens Zero as it swiftly dodged before the group soon came face to face with one of the Homunculi's battleships. It had three 'arms' extending from its center, able to deploy other Homunculi as needed. A mass of neural fibers extends from its underside.
Mega Aerial Fortress
AUREOLE
"It's one of those flying fortresses we saw in New york!" Makoto said.
"And look who's on top of it..." Jin said, seeing Tormal in the interior.
"Welcome to the Alphaverse, the place where you will finally meet your end." Tormal said.
"How thoughtful of you to meet up halfway. You've saved us a bit of time." Bayonetta said.
"No more games, Tormal! We're coming aboard that massive fortress of yours and finally ending this!" A2 said.
"I think not. I have the advantage with this Aureole's defenses. You will never reach me, or Singularity. You will be blasted out of the sky first." Tormal said.
"Wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions, asshole. This is the ship of the Demon King you're shooting at." Sister said.
"If he thinks he can blast us out of the sky, he's in for a surprise." Hermit said.
Bayonetta jumped out of the Edens Zero and to one of the sky debris, as a long tentacle spawned from one of the ports on Aureole, which ended in a large eye that stared right at the Umbra Witch.
"CIAOFI BALZARG!" Bayonetta chanted as Madama Butterfly soon appeared and kicked the Aureole, causing it to spin as she smirked. Bayonetta then leaped onto her Infernal partner's shoulder.
"Consider this a generous tip. Now, let's see you earn it, shall we?" Bayonetta said before she began dancing as Madama Butterfly entered her rampage form as she now had deep red skin, dark markings and bulging veins all over her body. She also has long horns that sprout upwards from her headdress.
(Cue- Megalomania- Live A Live Remake)
Aureole's eye limbs began attacking Madama Butterfly with lasers and its tentacles, while another one appeared from another exit port and started blasting at the Edens Zero.
"Ready the Star Bringer." Ace said as the cannon at the front of the ship began charging up. "Shiki, Rebecca, Weisz, Homura, to the Battle Stations." he added as they did so.
"So, what's the plan here exactly?" Raphael asked.
"It's simple. Bayonetta and Madama Butterfly will weaken the Aureole from the ground, and we'll get its attention from the sky. Once the Edens Zero's main cannon is charged up, we'll deal some major damage to this thing and we'll be able to board it to finally face Tormal." Leonie said.
"That about sums it up." Simon said.
"Let's get to work, then." DW typed.
As Bayonetta and Madama fought one of the Aureole's eye limbs, Shiki and the ohers opened fire from the Edens Zero's turrets. They gradually wore down the Aureole's limbs in tandem one at a time, and avoided its attacks in turn. Three Cumulonimbus appeared around Bayonetta and Madama Butterfly as two of them were soon destroyed before she grabbed the last one and spun it around before throwing it into the core underneath it, causing the protrusion at the top to dissolve.
"Now, fire!" Ace called as the Star Bringer fired a devastating beam dead center into the Aureole, dealing more damage to it as it soon stopped moving.
(end song)
"The Aureole's weapons are disabled!" Maxwell said. "Quickly, let us board the fortress!"
The Edens Zero soon closed in as the group leaped off onto the top of the Aureole as Bayonetta soon joined them.
"Hmph…I'm impressed that you managed to defeat the Aureole." A voice said as Tormal appeared before them. "Of course, while you were doing that, I was busy with…other arrangements." he said, moving his body to the side a bit as the group saw a defeated Strider on the ground.
"Oh no…" Connor said.
"Luka!" Bayonetta said. "If you've harmed one hair on his not-so perfect head…!" she said.
"Relax, Umbra Witch. He draws breath…for now. Not even the accumulated malice of his counterparts could stop me." Tormal said. "Though I cannot say the same for all of you."
"You've caused a lot of trouble for us, Tormal. Spade especially all those years ago. And now, the bills due." Connor said. "One thing though, we managed to snap him out of his crazy train towards you."
"So, you've managed to bring my significant other back from the brink." Tormal understood.
"Like we were gonna let him turn into a Lord of Dark like you." Shiki said.
"Hmhmhm. But how long will that last when I show to him your corpses?" Tormal asked. "Or… when you strike me down, and my curse is broken? And all your hard work to save the Shadow Knights, who were killed by Spade's own hand, is undone?"
"Due to a few words from a certain friend of ours, we have a tendency to screw fate over." Yuri said. "So I think we can find a way to do it even now."
"That's right, Tormal. If your existence…brings harm to my friends and family, then we will stop you here." Ace said.
The group prepared to fight Tormal, but even so, there was something unanswered.
"Tormal, why are you even working together with someone like Singularity?" Connor asked. "Don't you see what he does to worlds? All he ever cares about is-"
"Working together…? What are you talking about? I don't care for Singularity or his plans." Tormal said. "All this, everything I've been doing, with Singularity, Kaido, Zenos Road…was to further my own agenda."
"So you're saying this was all for yourself?" Connor asked. "Not surprising. You said it yourself that you basically don't trust anybody."
"Of course not, but even I knew not to deceive people like them, all but Zenos Road were pawns, nothing more, nothing less." Tormal said. "But enough talk, you all will die here." he said. "Once you all are out of my way… I'm going to liberate the Color-verse, and save it from your selfishness. So Spirit Force, Darksquad, Teams Revival and XDR… rest easy and die, and know that I will grant your home the peace it deserves!"
"Over our dead bodies, Tormal." Zi-O answered, cracking his knuckles.
"That's enough of that. Let's finish this." Connor said.
"I agree. There is no need to speak any longer." Tormal said.
"You sure sound confident, but don't press your luck. We're familiar with all your tricks thanks to chasing you around for so long." Weisz said.
"Ace… how can you be such an effective team leader of the alliance while having an idiot out of time as one of your teammates?" Tormal asked.
"Huh? Quit bluffing!" Weisz said.
"It's no bluff." Lysithea said. "If he's truly a counterpart of Spade lost to darkness, he's only been using a fraction of his strength up till now."
Tormal chuckled. "I'll tell you all about my true power…while you die. You can take that knowledge with you to the grave." he said as he radiated a dark aura. "Now, at last, the Color-verse will know Salvation… as your traitorous lives cease to exist!"
(Cue: Jena Anderson- Astral Chain)
The combined might of the groups stood across from Tormal as he smiled evilly. He then raised his hands in an inviting fashion as a dark aura of red, black, and cyan green washed over him.
Dark Templar
TORMAL
"The power of my Soul Container Curse is a very strong one. Any soul I've marked with it can be stored inside my body, and I can even make bodies for them. Even though you've severed the link of control to the shadow knights, thanks to my new shadow puppeteer skill, I've done something new…" Tormal then snickered. "That's right! I've combined both my powers! Now I have something even better!"
"He's gonna try something….!" Kokonoe said.
"Allow me to show you!" Tormal said as he used Soul Container and Shadow Puppeter in conjunction to make autonomous construct bodies of the Shadow Knights, these being Pedrol and Nitez.
"What did he do?!" Narve asked.
"He used Soul Container to make bodies, and then used Shadow Puppeteer to shape them into copies of Pedrol and Nitez?" Kokonoe asked.
"He doesn't even need us to do his bidding?" Rugul asked.
The dark versions of Pedrol and Nitez charged right at the group.
"They're just constructs of the real ones, so there's no need to hold back!" Connor said. "Hit them with all you've got!"
Construct Pedrol attacked like the real one, aiming for heavy blows with dual wielding, while Construct Nitez struck from the shadows.
"Boomerang!" Klonoa called as he pulled out a boomerang and threw it towards Construct Nitez, hitting and stunning him before Zero closed in.
"Got this one!" Zero called, dealing rapid slashes with his Z-Saber before finishing with a Ryuenjin followed by a Hyouretsuzan as the construct vanished.
Zi-O and Starlight blocked and parried Construct Pedrol's attacks and when they saw an opening, they delivered a double kick to push him back, allowing Kiana to leap above the two, combined her guns into one large gun and unleashed Gungnir Fire to finish it off.
"Tch, well done." Tormal said.
"Is there no end to how far he'll go to try and defeat us?" Marianne said.
"Damn… this guy's even more nuts than Gardle." Connor said.
"Of course, I didn't expect you all to be defeated by them. You defeated Kaido and the Odio of this dimension, after all." Tormal said. "I wouldn't give up my chance to massacre you all with my own two hands!"
"He's coming…here we go!" Connor said.
"Begone!" Tormal said, forming constructs of dual swords as he slashed towards the group.
"Young Master!" Hydra said, tossing a strange weapon to Simon with one of her heads as she appeared. It looked to be a fusion between a chakram and a shield as the front of it was fitted with one of her heads and the outer rim adorned with razor-sharp teeth to give it the appearance of a buzzsaw as a rope attached around Simon's wrist. He then got in front and blocked the attack, and when it landed, the head on the front let out a wailing cry as it sent Tormal flying back. "Use Lenure wisely, young master, may it serve you well." Hydra said before disappearing.
"Ngh… so, neither of us has shown their true strength yet, have they?" Tormal chuckled. "Don't underestimate me!"
"Funny, that's just what we were gonna say to you!" Raphael said as the battle continued.
"Warrior Maiden Single-Sword Attack: Snake Strike!" Homura called as she held her sword in her right hand and repeatedly thrusted it at Tormal in rapid succession.
Bayonetta followed up to get some revenge for Luka. She executed a lengthy combo that combined Abracadabra's magical attacks with Taratarus's multiple weaponry. She started by blasting Tormal with electric bats and hitting him with magician mechanisms via Abracadabra, and then finished with heavy firepower and hits from Tartarus, ending in a Masquerade finish. "Bingo!" she called as she slammed down with a flail.
"I am not finished yet!" Tormal said, materializing a large greatsword construct as he raised it up and prepared to swing it down before something pierced through his shoulder.
"It's over." Simon said as he had Zero's Blade stabbed through Tormal's shoulder. He then pulled it out and slashed Tormal upwards across the chest, slicing his robes in half, but not killing him as he crumpled to the ground.
(end song)
"Damn it…!" Tormal cursed.
"What did you expect was gonna happen? Weve faced guys like you before, at this point nothing surprises us." Connor said.
"I still can't believe he's Spade from another dimension, but turned out like this…" Noel said.
"I'll kill you… all of you shall die by my hand…!" Tormal said.
"Stop it already Tormal! There's no need to keep fighting like this!" Rebecca called. "You've still gotta be the same spade we know deep down! Why did you have to throw it all away like this?!"
"Destroying us and an entire dimension won't satisfy you." Lysithea said.
"But…I…!" Tormal tried to say.
"This isnt about destruction at all is it? You're just trying to save something in your own twisted way, you know you're still a hero!" Makoto said.
"Damn it…!" Tormal cursed again.
"You don't really hate any of us, do you Tormal?" Shiki asked, making Tormal gasp. "That smile you had, isn't that how you really feel? Follow your true feelings! You know deep down you miss the alliance and your brothers, what you really want are friends! Even if you think everybody in your dimension betrayed you and your own brothers, thats-"
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Tormal screamed, getting back up. "Friends!? Alliances!? To hell with that! Why can't you all see the truth?! I saw through the lies so clearly, the slander, the baseless claims of friendship, as Corona, Tsuki and my brothers were killed before my very eyes! I see the Hero Alliance for what it truly is… a miserable pile of lies!"
"Tormal-san…" Hibiki said.
"But all of you… you're all just merely random pieces of trash thrown together by backstabbers pretending to be virtuous leaders! So how… How do people like you put so much faith in traitors?! How can all of you have trust when I couldn't?!
"Because no matter what, we all believe in the strength of our bonds…!" Connor tried to declare.
Tormal chuckled. "Don't give me that cliche bullshit!" he said as the darkness around him burst forth.
"Did you actually think that would get through to him?" Leonie asked.
"No, but it was worth a shot." Connor responded.
Tormal chuckled. "Oh, this is great… I'm surprised. This is actually a first for me. I might actually have to try my hardest against all of you. You know… I just came up with a grand idea… I wonder how far I can take this…"
"Grand?" DW typed.
"You're not satisfied with this ending either, aren't you? Isn't this what you all really want? We're all going to strike and strike each other until one of us is dead! To hell with holding back!" Tormal said.
"Get ready guys…" Makoto said.
"Ah…just picturing the ways this fight will end sends chills down my spine…" Tormal said. "Turning Spade Neptune into me? Hahahaha! I don't give a shit… all I care about now, is killing all of you…and make you experience the despair I have endured!"
At that, the group prepared themselves for round 2.
"Here… I'll show you who I really am. Sing my name! Embrace me!" Tormal said as the area was engulfed in darkness. "ODIO!" he cried as darkness blasted out from around him as everyone buffeted against the pressure that was blown away, everyone then seeing the visage of the Sin of Odio behind him.
"Again… it's his final form!" Maxwell remembered.
"Hrgh…URRRAAAAAAAAAGH!" Tormal called, fusing himself with the monstrous visage behind him and taking on a monstrous new form, starting to be grafted in malicious armor similar to Sin of Odio's own.
"What's going on…?!" Noel asked.
"Don't make me laugh! Fellowship? Camaraderie?! Keep that shit to yourselves! You and your traitorous friends anger me to no end!" Tormal said.
"He's amassed this much darkness and hatred already?! Then all this time… even all those years ago, he was at the very height of his power!" Rugul said.
"You're going down… I'll destroy you… go down with me!" Tormal said as the darkness burst around him.
"No way…!" Ajna said.
"That bastard… He made himself go psychotic!" Chris said.
Tormal maniacally laughed as a helmet similar to Sin of Odio's face appeared on his head. "Now, let's see you all cast into the depths of despair one at a time, in front of your precious 'friends'!"
(Cue- Lunatic Tears- Ayane)
"Dammit, he's lost it! Here it comes!" Connor said.
"DIE!" Tormal yelled as he clashed with Simon before being pushed back, as Tormal manifested a dark sword and stood in a crazed position.
THE ABYSS OF DARKNESS
SIN TORMAL
"I will kill you! Destroy you! Crush you…!" Tormal said. "Alliances are nothing but lies!"
"Could this… have been me?" Spade asked.
"Sure glad it isn't. Tormals looking like Akechi on his worst day." Connor said.
"Regardless, the nightmare ends here." Adrebil said.
"You will be devoured!" Tormal called as the shadowy manifestation of Odo appeared behind him as he thrusted both his arms forward, launching a projection of Odo's jaws right at the group to chomp down on them.
"Upheaval!" Pedrol called, slamming his war hammer down onto the ground as a pillar of light erupted upon impact underneath the incoming jaws.
"Perish!" Tormal called, summoning dark constructs of spears as he launched them towards the group.
"Oh no you don't!" Narve said as he blew away the spears and cleared an opening with a windstorm for others to attack him.
"(Pierce through, light!)" Elisabeth called, thrusting her hand out and creating a localized explosion of light around her hand which blasted Tormal dead on.
"Pretty Cure, Final Starlight Beam!" Cure Starlight unleashed a powerful beam as she followed up from Elizabeth, pushing Tormal back before Zi-O leaped above Starlight and initiated his finisher.
=FINISH TIME!=
=TIME BREAK!=
Pink katakanas for 'kick' surrounded Tormal before they flew onto Zi-O's right foot and delivered a powerful dive kick onto Tormal's face, causing cracks to form onto it.
"You're just…. Despicable fiends … who take advantage of each other!" Tormal said, his helmet destroyed in the last attack. "Anything goes… if you say you are 'comrades'...!" he said before his helmet reformed.
"How did you get so deluded in another dimension?" Hitomi asked Spade.
"I do not know, but I will never allow myself to turn out as an outcast such as him." Spade said.
"How dare you…look at me like that…! I have…I have succeeded until now…all by myself…! I don't need…comrades…I don't…" Tormal uttered.
"You never would've gotten this far if you were alone! You forgot who helped you!" Connor said. "So don't act like Kaido, Zenos and Singularity were nothing but people you used! You enjoyed working with them!"
"Me?! Enjoy working with a warring brute, a bodiless demon and a reality destroying creation?! Don't be a fool! They were nothing but pawns in this!" Tormal said.
"That is why you lost." Spade said as the fully complete crystal floated in front of him. "Because you lost the trust of those around you, you never saw the full value in the allies you've had here."
"How…dare you…lecture me!" Tormal said. "I haven't lost yet! This will only end when one of us loses!"
"Unfortunately…it won't be me." Spade said as he crushed the crystal and a purple light washed over him, the light then died down as Spade stood there in a new appearance, his armor was a brilliant onyx black as he had a visor with top of it looking like a crown with the tips bended backward that covered his eyes as it went around his head like a headband and a waist cape made of chains along with a long white cloth around his waist, in his right hand was a large blade that looked to be split down the middle. "For unlike you, even a stray such as me has pride along with comrades, friends, and family that look to him for guidance!" he said, holding the blade up before splitting it into separate ones as he held one in each hand, one in his left in a reverse grip, and the other in a normal grip.
"What?! What…is this?!" Tormal asked.
"This…is the resolve that those close to me have helped me regain. Now… By my sword!" Spade said, fusing his blades back together and swinging it as he sent Tormal and himself into a pocket dimension before a mix of elemental energy gathered in his hands. "Know this pain!" he called, launching it forward as Tormal was engulfed in an explosion.
Fulminating Oblivion
Spade then followed it up with a set of punches as the area around Tormal cracked.
Ruin Unflinching
"Let this see my resolve through!" Spade said as a circle of swords with different elemental auras floated out from behind him before launching forward as they stabbed into Tormal from different directions before dissipating.
Elemental Purge
"You are finished!" Spade said, slashing his combined blade downward as Tormal let out a scream of pain as his armor vanished.
The two soon exited the pocket dimension as Tormal collapsed to his knees and held his stomach while Spade stabbed his blade into the ground in front of him as the darkness around the area soon vanished.
(end song)
"I will not let the sins of my past haunt me any longer." Spade said.
"No…how?" Tormal asked.
"Because you only had yourself. You turned your back on everyone who ever worked with you, and you had no one to help you." Connor said. "I know this could be cliche… but having friends you trust by your side always sees anybody through the day."
"No.. that can't be true! It was they who turned their backs on me! Those wretched fools in my Hero Alliance! They let Tsuki and Corona die! They killed my brothers!" Tormal said.
"Nothing we say is going to convince him to change his mind. It looks like hes far beyond salvaging any good." Zebei said. "And now to finish what was started all those months ago."
Tormal chuckled, stil knowing he had the advantage. "Do what you will with me. It won't matter. Let me live, and I'll continue to torment all of you until the end of your days! But strike me down, and the Shadow Knights are sent to Inferno with me! You may have won the battle, but in the end, it is I who is the winner of this!"
Just then, a small orb of light was seen flying to where the group was before floating down as it turned into Viola as she was on one knee.
"Kitty?" Bayonetta asked as Viola looked up and saw the group.
"Guys!" Viola said, before looking at the defeated Tormal. "Whoa! You guys beat Tormal?"
"How did you make your way here, you foolish child? I was sure they left you behind on Thule! Surely they wanted nothing to do with you and have all the glory to themselves! " Tormal said.
"Why would we do that? Viola's our friend." Raphael said. "We had a feeling she'd catch up to us some how."'
"So how did she find her way here?!" Tormal asked.
"It was I who led her here, twisted dark knight." a voice said as another orb of light floated down, and appearing out of it was Lukaon.
"You! You still live, infernal Faerie King?!" Tormal asked.
"Did you honestly believe mortally wounding the Arch-Adam Origin and destroying the Dark Adam would sever my connection to them?" Lukaon asked.
"Then I'll personally kill you myself…!" Tormal tried to move at Lukaon, but with the damage he'd accumulated, he was out of strength as he collapsed to his knees.
"Heroes from across the multiverse, you have done well to defeat Tormal and leave him this vulnerable. But he is correct. Striking him down will only undo what you all have done for the brave Shadow Knights, as they are sent to Inferno with him thanks to the power of his Curse." Lukaon said.
"So what do we do? We can't just let him live, he'll escape if we leave him alone for even a second!" Viola said.
"If I may." a voice said as everyone looked to see Woz behind them, coming from absolutely nowhere.
"Whoa! Where'd you come from!?" Viola exclaimed.
"Ah, Woz. Perfect timing." Zi-O greeted. "I take it that you have a solution to this problem?"
"Indeed I do, leader." Woz nodded. "But first, could you restrain him for a bit?"
"Leave that part to me." Starlight complied, unleashing her Starlight Sphere onto Tormal, trapping him inside an energy sphere.
"Thank you." Woz nodded before facing Tormal.
"I don't know who you are… but you're a fool if you think you can undo a curse from the Darkness Universe! They are as one with a person as Quirks are to people who have them! You'll never be able to break it, and even if you do, the Shadow Knights will cease to exist on the mortal plane!" Tormal said, until he heard Woz chuckling. "...What's so funny?!"
"A fool, you say?" Woz responded. "The only fool here… is you." He then pulled out a familiar container from his robe. "I believe you remember creating this?"
"That's…! The Soul Container?!" Tormal exclaimed.
"While the heroes are fighting in their battles, I took my time to study the Color-Verse through the Color Codex, including learning about their enemies." Woz explained. "That is how I learned about you, and the Soul Container you used to not only control the Shadow Knights, but even inflict your curse and steal their powers."
"Wait, Woz… are you saying what we thought about Soul Container was a lie?" Volta said.
"Yes. It's true that Curses of the Darkness Universe can be applied to one's body and be one with them… but the Soul Container was never a curse to begin with. It was to steal one's powers." Woz answered. "But I think the Shadow Knights have waited long enough. Tormal, I believe it's time for me to take those powers back, with a bit of my special touch." Woz' hand glowed brightly before plunging it onto the container, causing it to extract all of the power Tormal stole from the Shadow Knights.
"N-No! What're you doing?! M-My hold on the Shadow Knights…!" Tormal said as he felt his sense of the shadow knights slipping away.
"You of all people should know that everyone has a weakness, including you." Woz stated as the container resumed the extraction.
"My dreams! My salvation! It was all…but an illusion!" Tormal said before directing his gaze at Ace before seeing another figure in his place, this one having black markings spread across his body to underneath his eyes as they were a golden yellow color before it switched back to Ace. "Ace! Help me! We can still make the Color-Verse how we want it! Don't let them know the truth! If the three of us can just conquer the Color-verse and destroy all heroes, then…!"
"The truth is, no matter what they know about me…. The Hero Alliance will always have my trust, and I with theirs. Our friendship and brotherhood will never be torn apart by a tyrant such as you." Ace said.
"No… no!" Tormal cried as Woz finished extracting the curse from his body. "I…I am the Dark Templar…I see the truth…I know the real faces of the heroes…. They are the true enemy…! Believe in me…. Believe!" he said just before a glitch-like portal opened behind him as it began sucking him in. "Is that… no! A portal to the Lost Universe?!" he said, trying to walk away from it, except that he's still trapped inside the energy sphere.
"It makes sense. It's collecting what you've become… a broken prince, forever alone, who's lost himself to his own delusions." Connor said.
"Sorry it had to end like this, Tormal. But from where you're going, there's no finale or climax for you." Zi-O said, approaching the energy sphere and raised his leg. "Forevermore… adieu." And with one more kick, the trapped Tormal was sent into the portal.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tormal screamed as he fell in, the portal closing soon after.
"That fate seems more fitting for you… death was too good for you." Woz said before facing the Shadow Knights with the Soul Container in hand. "Now then, do you still need this to have your powers back, Shadow Knights?"
"A chance for us to continue living on, you have our thanks." Rugul said as he took the container.
"It's my pleasure." Woz bowed. "I'm merely a passing-through chronicler, recording legends of adventurers and heroes, especially Kamen Riders."
With Tormal finally defeated for good, Lukaon then tended to Strider as Viola looked up to see something attached to the Aureole. "Mu…" she started before quickly covering her mouth. "Guys, come here!" she said as the group walked over.
"This must be the central nerve center that controls all the Homunculi." Kokonoe said.
"So it would seem." Bayonetta said. "He must have sacrificed one of his own counterparts to control the Homunculi from here."
"His own counterpart?" Viola asked. "Then this man has to be…" she said as she looked up.
"Hmm?" Mari asked as she saw something on the ground and picked it up. "What the…? Guys!" she said, holding it out for the others to see as they looked in surprise, as this item was…
The identification card of Dr. Midmyers Sigurd!?
"That's the doc's ID…. wait a second!" Connor said as everyone looked up to the corpse hanging above them. "That's not singularity up there… it's Dr. Sigurd!"
"And that means the real Singularity is…!" Lysithea said.
"Fuck!" Viola cursed in shock.
"Goddamnit, he pulled an Ultron or Doombot on us!" Zi-O muttered.
"Wait…" Maria's eyes widened in horrifying realization. "Jeanne!"
"We've been had." Bayonetta said as she looked up at a window that showed their world.
"Apologies, Bayonetta. But your sister's fate has been sealed." Woz whispered sadly.
Back in World B-Prime, Jeanne was recoiling in shock, as Dr. Sigurd with her, now revealed to be Singularity, had stabbed a Beam Saber straight through her chest, killing her.
"Cereza…" Jeanne muttered before crystallizing and shattering as her essence flowed into Sigurd.
"Once its purpose is done, all life must fade away. Now…mine begins." Singularity said as he soon reversed the portal's effects, causing energy to flow into it. "Come children, let's go home."