Before this chapter starts, I have an announcement to make. And not the kind that is infamous in the Sonic fandom. There is gonna be some pretty big chances in my life. I don't know how much they will impact my time as a writer but I will try to keep my weekly update schedule. However, I think will chance my release date to Sunday afternoon for additional time. Again, I am not quite sure as things are uncertain for now.


It went just as the Resistance had planned. They were able to locate Mortar Canyon and keep it under surveillance. Scout troops reported a barren, stony valley surrounded by dense mountains. The valley was divided in two by the canyon that gave it its name. And that's exactly where the construction took place. Apparently, in addition to the new reactor, Eggman wanted to build other buildings there. Factories and what could possibly be a fortress in the middle of it all. Airships flew around, either for guarding or transporting resources.

The whole thing was guarded by an army of Badniks, regular ones like Egg Pawns or more powerful models like the E-2000, and modified Grimm. Because of the latter, the scouting troops had to be particularly careful to always remain calm emotionally and not to let the soulless shadows make their presence felt.

Since the evidence of a new Phantom Ruby Reactor was solid and Eggman put a lot of effort into guarding it, it was quickly decided to carry out a countermove. The Resistance forces were assembled and sent to storm Mortar Canyon. They were flown there with a swarm of their own airships, all equipped with hyper-go-on energy-based defense mechanisms and armament. Not only did they serve as transport, but also as a measure against the Eggman Empire airships that monitored the constructions or, in the event that more came, as reinforcement. It was also good to have art support from the air in case the whole thing turned out to be a trap in some way. Because of this reason, the Chaos Emeralds were also taken and Amy and Knuckles decided to come along too. As leaders, they were responsible for the safety of their troops and the consequences of their decisions. Not only was this mission important and dangerous enough that they needed everyone's help, but after what happened on the Death Egg attack, they no longer wanted to stay in the background.

And so they all flew in their airships towards Mortar Canyon: Sonic, Tails, Ruby, Silver, Team Dark, Knuckles, Amy and countless other mobians and humans. Ready to liberate their world from the tyrannical grasp of the Eggman Empire.

The ships were designed with a cloaking mode, making them invisible and undetectable for most sensors. Unfortunately, emotions were one of the things that couldn't be cloaked. Even though most of the resistance tried to remain calm, the air was filled with nervousness and tension. Here and there there was an underlying fear of possible death, or anger and desire for revenge against the Empire. The negative emotions were a clear sign for the Grimm and the Resistance expected to be attacked by them first.

Which is exactly what happened.

As the invisible airships approached, Griffins and Nevermores became restless before they all turned their heads almost in sync in the direction of the approaching army. The Grimm who could fly flew towards the airships while those on the ground could only jump around agitated and roar. Of course, the Badniks quickly noticed that something was wrong, even if they couldn't find anything. They decided to observe the hate filled shadows first.

Griffins and Nevermore circled the airships before attacking. The former Grimm were, even with their modifications, not much of a threat. They clawed and bit at the outer hulls, even dive bombed at them, but the airships were of a strong construction. It got more problematic with the Nevermores. Since the raven-like Grimm were usually of a massive size and build mostly for aerial attacks, they couldn't have been properly utilized in the corridors and halls of the Death Egg. But in the open sky of Mortar Canyon they were in their element. Their modification were, like for the other Grimm, metal plating and barbed wires on their bone armor and spikes. The claws on their back feet had gotten blade like extensions. But the most prominent change were the metal plating on the Grimm´s chests, fortified with movable canons. The raven-like creatures fired, alongside the sharp feathers on their wings, energy spheres from them and bombarded the airships with the projectiles. When they dive bombed or clawed at the flying machines, they actually managed to damage them or at least tremble hem up. Force fields and canons were activated to block the vicious attacks and shoot the Grimm out of the sky. But by now the machines of the enemy army have realized what was going on and have started their moves. Airships of the Eggman Empire and massive Buzz Bombers started to close in on big clusters of flying Grimm, were able to roughly calculate the position of their targets, and started firing.

The barrage of attacks forced most of the Resistance to land on the ground, a good distance away from Badnik and Grimm army around Mortar Canyon. A few of the airships remained in the sky. They dropped their cloaking and focused all of their energy in attacking the aerial forces of Doctor Eggman as to keep their focus on them and not on the troops on the ground.

Sonic was one of the first to exit his airship. He saw the approaching enemies, the Grimm running ahead of the robots. He made a few stretches to loosen his muscles a little after sitting for a long time inside the airship and then getting shaken up by the aerial attacks, then he proceeded to sped at the forces of his arch nemesis. During that, he yelled: "No time to wait, let´s do this!"

Soon after the rest followed from the landed ships and joined the blue speedster in the battle.

Tails flew Ruby high in the sky before he spun around in the air and threw the silver-eyed girl toward a massive Ursai Minor. The huntress-in-training put Crescent Rose behind her and shoot several times to gain more momentum from the recoils and sliced past the Grimm. The bear-like creature stumbled around, a geyser of black smoke erupting from a massive cash from its side. It still tried to turn around and attack Ruby. But Tails spindashed against it and then put it to an end with the help of his Double-Wispon. Other foot troops of the Resistance were also using their hyper-go-on based weaponry, many of them new combinations of different kind of Wisp abilities.

Some fired flaming spiked balls while others caused the ground to erupt with electricity trough the combination of Drill and Lighting Wisps. Wispons utilizing the Cube and Rocket versions of the aliens let massive, explosive blocks rain down at oncoming Grimm, crushing the dark beings and destroying their fellow shadows around them with massive explosions.

One human and mobian soldier gunned down several Beowolves when the ground underneath them erupted. The duo lost their footing and a modified Creep crawled out from the hole. It tried to clamp its jaw around the leg of the human but a turquoise glow surrounded it and threw it against the remaining Beowolves that had tried to close in on the living beings.

"Fall back. I will take care of them. You should try a different position," told Silver them. The duo did as he told. Which was a good thing since the Badniks had managed to catch up to their dark sorta allies. The hedgehog from the future saw himself getting surrounded by the Beowolves, the Creep, Egg Lancers and Egg Knights.

Team Dark got themselves busy with three Egg Hammers. Omega got into a steady position and grabbed the on him descending hammerhead. Using all the power he got from Tails´ Chaos Cartridge, the last of the E-Series tightened his grip around the heavy thunk of metal and rotated his upper body. The Egg Hammer found its name giving weapon torn from its grasp and flung away. It then flexed its mechanical fists and tried to go against Omega up close. It ended up electrocuted and torn apart by the superior machine.

Rouge just swiftly and elegantly evaded and dodged the hammer strikes in the air. When the Egg Hammer rotated its weapon around itself, Rouge just flew upward and let several of her heart bombs drop down on it. The massive Badniks found itself covered in the explosives, once it had stopped spinning, before they blew up. While the robot was still standing, it was severely damaged, making it easy for Rouge to descend with a screw kick and pierce through its body.

Shadow just bend over backwards underneath a hammer strike. Once it went past him, he stood back up straight again and wanted to summon Chaos Spears when he heard growling behind him. The hedgehog side rolled and a Beowolf bit and clawed the place where he had been just standing a few second ago. It tried to lunge at him again but the Ultimate Lifeform just grabbed it by the throat and dragged it with him when he started running. When the Egg Hammer raised its weapon over its head for an especially heavy strike, Shadow threw with all his might the still clawing Grimm against the machines head. The sudden impact made the robot pause while the Beowolf clawed at its surface in blind aggression. Shadow used that pause to create several Chaos Spears and fire them at the joints of the Egg Hammer. Its stand and hold on the hammer weakened. The weapon dropped on the Badnik and Grimm and the former crashed forward on to the ground. The Beowolf, even with its lower body and left arm crushed underneath the heavy metal, tried to crawl and slash at Shadow with its right one, gaining the necessary power from the rising negative emotions from the Resistance. The black hedgehog just stared at the mindless monster as he calmly took out a magnum like gun and fired it point black at the beasts head. The bullets, charged with Shadow´s Chaos Energy, easily pierced trough the metal reinforced bone mask on the Grimm´s head and put the soulless shadow out for good.

Rouge landed beside Shadow and asked: "Is that the weapon you and Ruby had tinkered on? Doesn't look to impressive in comparison to a regular gun."

Shadow just smirked and pushed a button on the weapons handle with his thumb. Mechanism inside of it activated and expanded and split the barrel, changing it into two, with a sword blade potruding in between them. The Ultimate Lifeform focused his energy into the weapon, causing the blade to surge and virbrate with golden power while from the barrels Chaos-enchanced bullets flew and started decimating enemies in a storm of death. Omega looked at the display in silent awe and slight envy.

Amy and Knuckles stood back to back, hitting and punching robots and monsters away. The echidna felt the earth beneath them crumble and shift, so he yelled, "MOVE!"

He and Amy managed to jump aside as more Creeps tried to use the tactic of attacking from underground. One of the reptilian Grimm charged at the hedgehog of the duo with an open mouth, but she raised her hammer high up and smashed it down, reducing the metal plate on its bone mask to gray pancake and every bit of darkness and bone underneath to smoking mush.

The rest of the Creep pack flexed their massive fore limbs and jumped at Knuckles at the same time. They ended up in a cluster of maws and claws, only damaging each other. The leader of the Resistance had quickly burrowed under the earth. He erupted out of the ground a few inches from the Creeps high into the air and fell down on them with both fists raised.

BAM!

Where there had been a bunch of Grimm just a few second ago, was now just a crater with deformed metal and dissolving pieces of shadow. Knuckles dusted himself of.

"Heh, you´re not the only ones to use the earth to your advantage."

Explosions made him and Amy turn around. They saw many of their troops getting brutally pushed back by Egg Tanks. The two mobians looked at one another briefly and nodded. Amy brawled her way trough any Badnik and Grimm standing in her way between her and her people in need of help. Knuckles traveled towards them by again digging trough the ground, taking out some further Creeps he met along the way.

Sonic was boosting his way trough Egg Knights. The Badniks tried to block the advancing speedster with their shield but he just ran trough them, literally. A Death Stalker came crawling toward him, the cannons on its back taking aim at the hedgehog, alongside a E-2000 hovering close by. But the blue hedgehog just ran straight at the massive enemies, dodging their shoots sideways, and getting faster by the second. Just when he was about to collide with them, the hostile duo raising their shield and stinger, the mobian broke the sound barrier and send Badnik and Grimm flying away with a sonic boom.

The blue speedster stopped and allowed himself to smirk at his handy work. "Hehe, too easy when there is enough open space to run about."

"Does that mean you yearn for a raise in challenge and stakes?" Sonic became quickly serious and his body tensed, ready for anything. Reality buzzed and shifted and Infinite appeared before him, hovering a few feet above the hedgehog. "Be careful what you wish for."

"Well, look who´s decided to show up. And here I thought you would hide away like the cowardly bully that you are. Next thing I know, you will even stop hiding behind that mask."

"Hahaha, there is still so much you don't know about. Not that it matters. What, did you really think I would just let you destroy the second generator and also miss out on the chance on getting back at you for ruining my fun?"

Sonic just rolled his eyes. "Right, for you it is all just boards and games with lives. Let me tell you something." He gestured around to the people fighting for their lives and freedom. "They are NOT your toys! I won´t let you deny their choices for your own sick pleasure!"

"So everyone is allowed to use their freedom and live their life except me? Why am I not allowed to fill the emptiness of this existence I experience?"

Sonic just gave the entity a grim smile. "Oh, but you ARE using your freedom already. To push others back. I may say that everyone should have a choice… but that doesn't mean they are above consequences for their actions."

"Hmm… such deep words… I actually agree with them, even if it may be for reasons different then yours." The reality bending foe smirked underneath his mask. "Want to see the consequences of a Resistance foolishly falling for a trap?"

"What do you mean?" But just as the words leaved his mouth, Sonic realized it: The Phantom Ruby was glowing once again with power. The masked entity was able to bend reality.

"Wait, if the second generator is still under construction then how come-"

Sonic was interrupted when Infinite showed him. The Phantom Ruby´s glow became brighter and he raised a hand.

Only to then lower it.

Like a curtain, a membrane like structure fell from the area of the canyon where the massive mechanism were currently build. Only that Infinite´s glitching construct fell and shattered away, revealing the true reality of the situation. Countless factories and other buildings nestled among the canyon walls, fully built and functional. Their gates opening and releasing fresh waves of enemies from their confines. Standing proudly between all of them, raising from the center of the Mortar Canyon itself was a mechanical tower overseeing the area.

"Reality is often disappointing. You expected us to be weak but we were using them to lure you in a false sense of security. The Doctor send false yet authentic Data to different parts of his Empire for a construction long finished. He hoped for all of you to believe he was in a struggle when he still had an ace up his sleeve."

Sonic was shocked but quickly shook himself out from it. He glanced up up at the hovering entity with a determined expression.

"I´ll admit that this will complicate things. However, we aren´t as gullible as you think we are. You lack the Chaos Emeralds, so the new generator, and in return you, aren't as strong as previously. And we? We have all seven of them."

"And you will need them." Sonic was confused at the rather warning and concerned tone of voice from the jackal. But his focus shifted when the Phantom Ruby buzzed with power, preparing something. Infinite teleported away. A red flash over the tower gave his position away. Reality started to glitch as something was changed… wait a minute.

What is that?, Sonic wondered to himself as he noticed something gray clinging to the tower´s top.

Ruby and Tails, on their part of the battle field, noticed it as well. They had been surprised by the sudden reveal of the whole and functional structures inside Mortar Canyon. But the silver-eyed girls anxiety heightened when she saw the gray thing and Infinite doing something to it. The massive… figure looked familiar.

Even from the distance, Ruby could see that at the top of the industrial tower was some kind of dragon statue. Deep holes had been drilled into its stone body, deep enough to reach the unpetrified darkness inside it, so that black sludge could drip out, or in other circumstances, be extracted from it. When Ruby was able, despite the red haze and glitches partly distorting the view, to see the shapes of Grimm emerge from the sludge and what may be a skull-like mask on the statue´s head, her anxiety turned into fear.

"What is Infinite doing to that dragon sculpture?" asked Tails, more to himself then Ruby, not really expecting an answer to this weird scene. He looked at his friend in worry when she actually gave one.

"That is neither a dragon nor a sculpture. That´s… but I don´t understand how and why… wait, is that what Cinder meant with-"

"Ruby," Tails snapped her out from her nervous muttering. "What are you talking about?"

Before she could answer, Infinite was finished with his work. The Phantom Ruby gave one last flash of blood red light and then revealed what it had done.

Gray stone had been changed back to black scales and white bone. The outer layers of flesh-like darkness had been freed from their petrified state, now able to regenerate the holes drilled into it. The Grimm equivalent of muscles twitched and tensed after having been forced to become still by a burning, holy light. Six eyes lit up with a red burning light full of hatred for all things living.

But unlike the time when the massive and ancient creature had been awoken from its slumber by the mass panic of Vale, having been rather lethargic from just waking up from hibernation, Infinite had made sure that it was fully awake and alert in body and mind.

The Grimm Wyvern craned its neck to look over the battle field of Mortar Canyon. All the fear, nervousness, despair, helpless anger, hate and other negative emotions the Resistance had experienced over the course of this war, rising during this attack and now reaching its climax with the reveal of the working Phantom Ruby and the appearance of the colossal Grimm, it was intoxicating for the soulless darkness. The Wyvern roared and let go of the towers surface, falling down alongside its height. Before reaching the ground it spread its red, leathery wings and flew over the troops, the massive shadow of the flying beast falling over humans and mobians like the lid of a coffin. With each movement of its wings, black sludge tripped from the scales of the Wyvern and fell to the ground, forming additional Grimm. While lacking the modifications made to the older ones, they were still vicious beasts unleashed to the soldiers of the Resistance. Two of their allied airships aimed their weapons at the draconian Grimm and fired lasers at it. The Wyvern pulled its wings toward its body and served between the attack, before unfurling its limbs and fly past the ships. The tail of the Grimm lashed out and its trident-like end slashed trough one of them. Damaged, it fell trough the air and crashed into the ground, but the crew of this airship got away easy.

The Wyvern swerved around and flew toward the other one. It started charging energy for another laser but the hate filled shadow opened its grotesquely long maw and spewed a column of black fire with a dark reddish tint toward it. The airships tried to dodge but it was hit. The unnatural flames spread over the surface of the machine and burned trough the mechanisms. But when they reach the crew, instead of burning, mobians, humans and even Wisps started to wither away into gray husk before turning to ash and dust. The airship, still covered in the dark fire, fell to the ground and exploded, sending flaming shrapnel everywhere. The Wyvern roared and the unleashed more attacks against the Resistance.

Infinite watched the chaos unfurl and looked a this hand. All of this… only thanks to his infinite power. The entity smirked over his control of life and death and threw his head back to laugh, allowing himself to indulge himself in a power trip, to bask in the glory of what he was capable of doing.

Yet he was completely unaware that the heroes wouldn't be the only ones experiencing such dark surprises on this day.


Inside the tower there was a spacious round room whose walls were mostly made of glass in the front half. Eggman stood in front of the huge window and triumphantly watched the skirmish unfolding outside his base. Not even Cinder, who burst into the room with her eye blazing, could spoil his mood. The Cyborg Maiden was still lacking additional arms, part of the reason why she was currently angry.

"Eggman! Why am I still here when Infinite and your tin cans-"

She stopped both with her speech and agitated walk when she got a view of what was happening outside.

"Ah, I can see that the fulfillment of my plan has left you speechless," said the mad doctor with a self-satisfied grin. "Or maybe it's the fact that you see something familiar from your world and how it brings our enemies to their knees."

Cinder didn't say anything at first. She just took a few steps closer. Watched how the Wyvern unleashed its hatred onto the world of Mobius. Back at Beacon she had been able to control the massive creature with the Grimm Beetle inside her arm, the soulless insect having been specially designed by Salem to steal magic energy and allow its bearer to somewhat control other Grimm. But seeing the Wyvern rampaging around with full force made the Fall Maiden doubt even the Beetle would have been able to protect her if the draconian beast had been fully awake. Still, watching it from the confines of the tower…

"It´s incredible. Even in the Land of Darkness you barely see such old and gigantic Grimm fully displaying their power. Especially against enemy forces. But… what is it with the red glitches whenever it is hit by something?"

"I ordered Infinite to give the Wyvern an artificial aura when it was awakened. Less for physical protection and more as a security measure against little Miss Rose." Cinder´s face darkened when she heard the name of the person she blamed for her fall, but Eggman just continued on. "Hehe… even if they pull out the seven Chaos Emeralds, Infinite has gotten a command for that as well. Yes, he and the creatures of Grimm, alongside my glorious creations, will be the perfect counter against the Resistance´s biggest weapon. It will force them to use up their Super Forms, and once that´s the case, the Emeralds will disperse and leave my enemies to the mercy of my Empire. Or rather lack of. I have perfectly used your´s and Infinite´s failure to my own advantage to turn the tides around. Ohohohohoho!"

Cinder growled at these words, still remembering the pain the Doctor made her suffer trough just because Infinite had made a lapse of judgment and the mad man´s so called `incredible technology´ hadn't been able to put a stop to the Resistance. But that was just the tip of the iceberg, wasn't it. Once again, Cinder had to squirm underneaths someone´s thumb and was forced to do their bidding, even though she deserved better for she had been to one to claim her power.

Cinder´s organic eye glowed with magic and she gave Eggman a mirthful look. And that was when she realized her opportunity. Currently, she and the Doctor were as good as alone inside the tower. His troops and the Resistance were busy outside, including Infinite. Eggman himself was to busy laughing at the suffering of his enemies and bask in his plan´s glory, striking his own ego, as to call and force the reality bender for help. Or incapacitate Cinder if she were to…

Walking in an angle so she was closing in on the Doctor, so that he could barely see her in the reflection of the glass, she put one hand behind her back and the other tapped its finger against the Fall Maiden´s chin.

"You know, Doctor Eggman, I have to admit that this was indeed a well-thought out plan. It is visible how much our enemies are struggling." Glowing, volcanic glass started to form a dagger inside Cinder´s hidden hand. "If this is really what your genius extends to, then it really was just Sonic´s insane speed and luck that pushed you constantly back. On Remnant you wouldn't have faced the same hurdles."

She hid a smirk when Eggman reacted to her flattering, keeping his focus on himself and her words, and not on what her hands might be doing. Or the Fall Maiden getting a tad too close…

"Ohoho, why thank you! Indeed, even Salem and her ex-husband wouldn't be able to keep up with me. And as irritating of a literal chaos factor the rodent has been, even Sonic will soon no longer be able to deny the dream of the most incredible, most brilliant mind of all- ARGH!"

She had been quick. Once Cinder was close enough, glassy blade flashed and struck true, burrowing itself deep into Eggman´s bag. The Doctor´s cry of anguish barely left his lips when heat was channeled trough the dagger and his entire body lit up orange and then crumbled into a pile of smoking ash.

Cinder blinked and took a step back, her weapon dropping to the ground.

"That´s… it?" A wide smile broke upon her face. She laughed. "Of course it would that easy. The Madame and her spawn were just as easily to shut up despite all their claims of superiority. Hahaha! I knew it, no one could keep me down for good. Beings like me or Infinite, we are the ones with power, the ones in control. What was one fat doctor supposed to do other then delay the inevitable."She spat on the ashes. "That's what you deserve, believing you're better than me even though you have no power to show. That's what would have happened one way or another. This is your destiny."

Cinder turned around and prepared to leave the room.

"And now it's time to finally prove this to Ruby…"

She trailed off when suddenly, just when the black-haired woman reached the middle of the room, mechanical wiring was heard. The white metal panels of the ground and ceiling opened up, revealing rising contraptions. Cinder took control of the wind and threw to fly away but she wasn't fat enough. The mechanisms activated and trapped Cinder inside the contraption with ring-like surges of energy. The Fall Maiden tried to use her power to break free, only to stop when loud and megalomaniacal laughter echoes trough a hole that opened up in the ground in front of her. Out from it ascended a platform and on it was standing Eggman in a triumphant pose.

"Ohohohahahahahaha! Don't bother struggling Cinder! With this machine I was able to hold Super Sonic himself in place and I will use it for a similar task back then on you!"

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MEANING OF THIS! WHAT´S GOING ON!?"

Cinder was utterly baffled at this development. How was… how could… "I killed you! I was-"

"You!" Eggman pointed downward at Cinder while his platform was still ascending higher while the Fall Maiden was at her lowest. "You had just killed a decoy! Oh Cinder, getting back-stabbed by `allies´, I have been doing this song and dance for a long while now. Even if I could have never foreseen someone doing it in a literal sense."

The Doctor leered at the dagger discarded on the ground, but regained his triumphant grin and looked back to Cinder.

"What is the meaning of this!", she yelled and still tried to break out. In vain.

"I´m glad you asked," Eggman said, never missing out a chance to gloat. "You see, knowing how my scuffles with Sonic and his friends usually go, I knew I wouldn't be able on keeping hold on the Phantom Ruby´s power forever. I needed a certain kind of energy that was only, somehow, usable for me. I instructed Infinite to search for energy in other realities, and lo and behold, he sensed a spike of power going upward somewhere. The Phantom Ruby had grasped toward it with its power and what does get sucked into Null Space? Alongside some unintended side passengers. The Fall Maiden, whose magic can only be gained and used under certain circumstances, limits. Limits me and my machines don't have! You said I don´t have any power? Wrong! With my genius I am able to take any power I desire!"

Cinder growled in anger. Was this bastard suggesting he would just take HER well-deserved power?

"Of course I had to keep you and Infinite around for a while, collect data on exactly how your abilities work. This was the only way I could prepare everything for my true, ultimate plan!"

"You will do no such thing!" hissed Cinder. "You are nothing! You haven´t earned anything or suffered for it! Power is MY destiny, not yours! You are nothing but a fatso called `Eggman´ by a rodent that beat him over and over again!"

One would think the addressed person would have a fit but instead… Eggman was actually smiling."

"You are right. But I don't need to be more than that. I have torn the planet apart, unleashed gods, subjugated aliens, and even bent space and time to my will. Ecosystems and entire cities were reduced to ash so that my marvelous Empire could rise from it like a phoenix! I have achieved all of the above-mentioned feats and more. Even if one day I experience final defeat, Mobius will forever remember the nickname Sonic gave me. Only they won't feel any amusement. No, they will be afraid and in awe of the man who had accomplished all these things. The Eggman. Tell me, what did 'Cinder Falls' have accomplished? Be a stray that was picked up by the ones above her. Killed the previous Maiden with help. Destroyed Beacon with even more help. You were only able to do great things with the support and direction of others."

"No! I-"

"You are not a visionary! You're just a soldier. A simple terrorist, that's what you'll be remembered as in Remnant's memory. Nothing more than one of many puppets of your immortal mistress!"

Cinder´s wrath wanted to boil over, manifest itself in the form of burning fire and sharp blades, to tear apart the fool in front of her. Just like with everyone that dared to ridicule her! But nothing happened. And when Eggman calmly pulled out a remote similar to the one he used to shock her and Infinite, never loosing that haunting, wide smile, realization started to sink in for Cinder. Even with all of her power, she had lost to a child, never had been able to get her revenge on Ruby. And now, unable to use her abilities in any way to defend herself, she found herself helpless in the grasp of a mad man who not only wanted to steal her power, but could do so. Right. Now.

The flaming inferno inside Cinder died out into a trail of ash from which only the smoke of fear could rise.

"N-no I- I- i-it c-can´t-" The Eggman pushed the button. And the machine was activated.

Cinder started to scream as it started pulling energy from her. Just like she had done to Amber, the Fall Maiden magic was taken from the black haired woman in an unnatural way, getting torn from her very being. Cinder´s Aura flickered, cracked and broke away as an indicator how this process was damaging and tearing apart her soul.

Before the pain completely consumed her mind, Cinder´s last clear thoughts were about cursing the people she blamed for her suffering.


Quite a lot happened in this chapter, don't you agree? So here we have the truth of why everything happened: Eggman needed a power source that could only be used under certain circumstances. And the Maiden magic was just the things and he is sure to have a way around its rules and limitations. Cinder was sucked inside Null Space after falling unconscious from having the Grimm Beetle burned out from her body, alongside an equally unconscious Ruby and a petrified Wyvern. The latter being the source of the Grimm Sludge the Eggman Empire used for the modified Grimm. And now it has been unleashed onto the Resistance. What I wanted to make not of is that, aside from the Phantom Aura mentioned by Eggman, Infinite gave NO OTHER improvements to the Wyvern. The black fire and other abilities the creature will display are, in this version, natural. Like I mentioned in a previous chapter, I want to make the Creatures of Grimm more of a threat and giving big, ancient specimens devastating powers is, in my opinion, a good way of doing so. This will be explored more in the sequel.

Now, onto the reviews.

To Guest: Infinite added them after he got confirmations that Ruby escaped from Null Space. Which was after Team ROT battled the Egg Dragoon. I, as an author, added them because having nothing happen inside Null Space, even if it kinda is the nature of this place, would be pretty boring, so I gave some mental challenges to the heroes. Specially the ones that had some hurdles during the journey in that apartment already.

To Grand Chaos Master: Your question will have its answer next chapter.

If I may ask, how can it be too long if I announced last chapter that we are in the final battle?

To Monster King: Thanks for sticking by up until now. The end is near but it wont be an easy road for the heroes.

To SuperSaiyanFever: I think you will get some satisfaction next chapter. And a surprise.

To quirky2023: Thank you. When I wrote the scene I realized the reference would fit right in with some slight modification.