A day of preparation soon passed as Damien and his leaders emerged from the warp and looked to a vast island as he had his army surrounding it on multiple sides.
"All right. We have 5 minutes until the timer goes off and the spell activates. Per your instructions, we have over 200 times the soldiers surrounding the island you have set as the arrival point. Even though I still think this is a waste of manpower." Makima said.
"Your viewpoint is acknowledged." Damien said as he stood there, as he saw the Hero Alliance members waiting for them. "Leave it to the Alliance to get a defense up on such short notice."
"Will we charge once the timer hits zero?" The Chaos Kin asked.
"...Not immediately." Damien said. "I want to send a message. Everyone will understand why they're here…and if Cream is watching…I want her to be afraid."
"...Whatever you say." Makima cringed internally. "Okay…10…9….8…."
The armies were eager as they prepared themselves.
"7…6…5…"
The Chaos Kin and Trillion looked at each other and steeled their nerves.
"4…3…2…"
Damien took a deep breath and smiled wickedly as he eagerly waited.
"1…0." Makima said as the timer reached zero.
"Is everyone ready?" J-Hack asked as the island began to be covered in a sickly blue light.
"Now. We begin!" Damien said. "Prepare yourselves for….the….the…." he said as the light glowed but no people were arriving. "Summoner?"
"The…spell. It did activate but…they didn't show up to the spot we marked." the caster said.
"What do you mean? We had this planned out since yesterday! You can't just…"
"Sir…there's something falling from the sky!" an imp soldier said.
"Finally. Took longer than I planned but….but…" Damien said as they saw what seemed like a massive stamp fall right on top of where the people were supposed to appear and crush the enemy soldiers waiting there.
"Was…was that a stamp?" Asa said in confusion.
"What the hell is going on here?" Damien asked.
"That thing…I've seen this power before. Sir…it seems your plan was leaked to….her." a demon hero said as they saw a small angel in dark purple and holding a pen flying high above.
"Metatron…one of the nine angels." another demon said.
"Now I know what happened. She rewrote the spells specifications." Makima said.
"If she's here then…" an imp said as they looked up to see 8 more figures following her. "The nine angels…the protectors of the Sky Universe!"
"What's going on here? That spell was planned perfectly." a daemon caster said.
"Yeah. It was. I couldn't stop the summoning fully, but thanks to the medium you had set up, I could change where the destination was." Metatron said.
"What?! Then where the hell are they?!" Damien gawked. "And what medium? We didn't have any…." he remarked before looking to the timer. "...Oh my demon god, don't tell me…!"
"Yeah…I used your timer." Metatron said. "As for where they all ended up…"
New World, Center of the Color-Verse…
The Neo Dimensional Heroes looked on in surprise as millions upon billions of people were suddenly arriving out of nowhere, almost knocking them over in shock.
"This can't be happening… my ultimate middle finger to the heroes is ruined!" Damien complained.
"Middle finger? Is that what you call involving those who have nothing to do with this?" Uriel asked. "There are lines where good and evil should never cross. Crossing that for the appeasement of gods who can't even show their appreciation for it, that's nothing but pure ego. If you have something to say…to Heaven, to Miss Cream, to anyone in the Sky Universe…kindly take them up with us." she said, drawing both her swords.
"...Ah, screw it!" Damien cursed. "She better be listening to what comes next!"
Just then, a voice echoed in the minds of everyone in Devaloka.
"Faithful... enlightened... ambitious... brethren. In but a single day, a few mere movements of the pendulum, we have gathered a sacrifice to the gods that will be made legend. Though it was a simpler, weaker being that brought me into existance... ...it was the Gods of the Warp who showed me the true path of freedom from our pathetic destiny. And what is this path? This meaning, this purpose to which we gather the skulls of our foes? It is nothing. There is no meaning, no purpose. We murder. We kill. It is mindless savagery, REALITY IS MINDLESS! In mere hours, billions will die. Innocent! Guilty! Strong and weak! Honest and deceitful! ALL of them! They will scream, they will burn, and for no purpose but that the dark gods may revel in their torment! And united in this void of purpose, fear, or duty... we shall at long last be free! Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne! LET! THE UNIVERSE! BURN!"
Meanwhile, as a portal opened elsewhere to all this…
"You're sure about this? About sending in all us big guns? Do you know what I can do, Liu Kang?"
"Yes, Viltrumite, as I know what all of you gathered forces can do. But the ten of you I find will be sufficient, not including our two chosen Evolution Archons… we may be showing our hand, but in the end…"
"...This is our best play. Got it." FS!Sapphire's voice declared. "Fine then…. Let's give them some fucking hell."
Damien's forces roared in bloodlust and rage at being denied their sacrifice, charging straight into the Nephilim realm and towards its defenders.
"Here they come! Everybody, get ready!" Hope said.
"So, how do we wanna do this? Split em 50/50?" DW typed.
"How about you let us clear a way to make it easier first?" A voice rang out, as a portal opened from behind the gathered forces.
Cue: Chaos Unraveled - Brandon Yates (Death Battle OST)
"Oh, what now?!" Damien asked.
First walking out of the portal would be Sapphire Sukui, who immediately blinked to the front of the army. "Remember me, Damien?"
"Oh not you dimensional buffoons!" Damien snarled. "Stay out of matters that don't concern you!"
"Nah, especially since, well… you pissed us off. And when you piss us off…" FS!Sapphire remarked before suddenly, a light speed attacker wiped out hundreds of foes in a second, as a singular punch took out a thousand more… and his own visage was recognizable to literally everyone who knew modern age media.
"We don't pull our punches." Omni-Man smirked as he cracked his knuckles, as suddenly, Rimuru, Ogera, and FS!Richard all leapt from the portal and wiped out their own massive chunk of forces, as almost a full half of the Future Seekers' force were gathered by this point.
"Always gotta make a dramatic entrance, do you Sapphire?" Hope asked.
"But of course. Gotta make a first impression that sticks. Also." FS!Sapphire smirked, pointing up, as suddenly, a massive amount of magical power was formed in the air in the form of a fire/dark/elemental arcane ball that was being powered by a fox woman named Ceroba, familiar faces in Helga and Sigrid, not to mention FS!Heiwa, as FS!Ruby was also there.
"Finally, time to show my demon lord prowess! Prepare to face the demise of TIME SPLIT!" FS!Ruby roared as suddenly, the massive attack split into 12 arcane circles, which quickly multiplied to roughly 200, before firing the charged attacks, decimating more of the charging opposing armies in chaotic destructive force.
"Lord Damien! Half our forces have been completely wiped out!" A demon said in shock.
"What… who… no… previous question, WHAT are those beings!?" Another demon soldier asked in fear and awe.
"Sorry to say this but you're gonna lose yet another QUARTER!" A voice shouted from above, as a flaming meteor began shooting from where the voice was… no, the voice WAS the flaming meteor! "HAVE A TASTE OF A GOOD OL' FASHION MEGA CHARGED FIRE PUNCH, BABYYYY!" The voice roared as the meteor slammed down, taking down yet another large amount of forces as a woman dusted herself off from her attack, as she could be seen having a familiar figure to that of a Flareon… yet she was a lot different from any normal Flareon gijinka. "Phew, hahahaha! Piece of cake! ….Is Somnus not here yet? Bah, always lagging behind…" The woman growled.
"Whoa, who are you?!" Flamberge asked with stars in her eyes.
"Me? Hah! I'm not just gonna reveal that to you in the blink of an eye." The divine Flareon chuckled. "Just keep the names on the hush hush for now and let me, let's just say…" The Flareon remarked, flicking her fingers up as an eruption of magma took out hundreds more. "Be a source of Divine Intervention beyond Magina, eh?"
"Looks like we got ourselves some major backup, huh?" Akane asked the others in the alliance.
"Uhm, no on backup, more like demolition crew, is this as strong as this pathetic excuse for a demon's army gets? I've gotten more excitement out of clashing with that old swordmaster, Haku-whatever." Omni-Man remarked dryly.
"Hakurou." FS!Rimuru facepalmed.
"Yeah, him." Omni-Man quipped.
"Don't underestimate them. We still have a long way to go. But now that you guys are here, and Damien's summoning spell has been hijacked, odds are in our favor."
"That, and you have a Viltrumite." Omni-Man quipped. "I slay demons for breakfast."
Damien, in shock that roughly half his forces were wiped out, and that his summoning plan had been completely hijacked, looked at the rest of his army and growled.
"Orders, my lord! Lord Damien, tell us what to do!" an imp requested.
"Sure, command them, O great Lord! Just remember!" FS!Rimuru called as he pointed his blade at Damien. "I owe you a death for Shinsha."
Damien seethed as he looked around the battlefield, before he raised his arm. "Going…up." he said, as the whole of Devaloka began to shake.
"Hey, what's going on?!" Eddy asked.
"No…that can't be possible…" Madoka said in shock. "He's activated the lift. We're going to head towards Heaven."
Just then, the clouds and skies around them began to move down, as the islands shot up into the heavens, the buildings on the islands crumbling from the pressure.
"Everyone! Get in there, and send these heroes to the Warp! I don't care how many daemons it takes, I WILL GET TO CREAM IF IT KILLS ME!" Damien yelled in frustration as the thirteen commanders to Chaos charged into the field of battle.
"Here we go! Let's not fall behind Sapphire and the others!" Ragna said as the daemon army charged again.
"This is our home, and you all are not welcome here." Ace said.
"Damn where is freakin' Somnus when you need him!?" The Flareon said a bit annoyedly.
"How did he even get permission to use the lift?" Madoka said. "It's only usually reserved for the gods and those they approve of."
"Search me. The Chaos Gods must've been able to override the control." Mark said. "You guys should get that looked at after we're done."
"Can we stop it?"
"No. Unfortunately, it can't be stopped once it started unless we either destroy the lift or stop Damien and order an emergency stop." Madoka said.
"Then we'll just have to fight our way to him." Bardock said. "Pick your opponents and give them everything you got."
"It looks like Damien's generals are splitting throughout Devaloka to attack from all their armies." Hope said. "Let's spread out across the kingdom and intercept them one by one."
"Take them down, and the chain of command grinds to a halt!" Mai added.
"I'd wish you guys good luck, but uh… we're all not gonna need it, are we?" DW typed.
It is said that Tzeentch once shattered into ten thousand pieces, each shard shifting to form a spell or incantation. Thus, the Blue Scribes ride their Disc of Tzeentch through realms eternal and mortal, squabbling as they seek lost fragments of their god to bind with parchment and ink. Their mission often draws them towards the tumult of battle, where the most destructive and powerful magics are used. If threatened, one of the scribes starts reading at random from the scrolls they have accumulated, trusting the hand of fate – his master – to guide him to a fitting spell for each occasion. With such powerful magics reeled off at random, a foe is as likely to be struck by multicolored lightning as he is to be drenched by his own personal thunderstorm or transmuted into solid gold.
"I came as soon as I received your signal." Mortimer declared as he descended down with Darius and Elmer. "Give me a sitrep, Richard."
"Well, Morty, we're going to need some firepower for one of the big ones." FS!Richard declared. "You see, there's this pair of Daemons that I would call the Scribes. They're pretty much the cumulation of magic knowledge in this entire realm… and you can see where I'm getting at with this."
"Mm. I see." Mortimer nodded, gauging the crew. "...Wait."
"What's wrong?" Helga asked.
"Why are we applying 'fight fire with fire' to this madness? All of us here use high levels of volatile magic, do they have magic countermeasures?" Mortimer asked.
"They don't have a counter to magic under than the standard magic protection." FS!Richard answered back. All they have is a power that allows them to empower their spells based on the magic density around them… but they can only get so much."
"All of a sudden these guys don't have a threat level anymore…" Elmer mused.
"Still, it hurts to be arrogant, believe me." Darius snorted.
"You aren't wrong. If we interrupt or overcharge their boosts, we can win with relative ease however." Mortimer declared. "Any other dangers?"
"None else, but trying to keep note of the spells they use. They are sporadic in using them. Don't expect the same type of spell twice, that's all I have to say." FS!Richard warned the group.
"Very well." Mortimer nodded, before he then snapped his fingers, as a series of tomes appeared before the group. "In that case, I brought a small amount of useful goods that might help shift things to our favor."
Mortimer procures 10 Busting Arcane Tomes!
Busting Arcane (Unknown Magic Type (Anima/Light/Dark can use))
11 Mt 90 Hit 25 Crit 30 Uses
Brave Weapon. Effective against Magic. Crit increased to 70 against Magic users.
"Wow, you really gave us quite the gift, didn't you?" Helga smirked, sensing the magic within the tome.
"You said 'we're up against magic.' So I brought provisions for us mages… Ruby, you're out of luck, no magic busting scythes. Same for Ahmed, Darius." Mortimer admitted.
"Awww…." FS!Ruby pouted.
"DANG IT! I WANTED TO WHACK EM WITH AN ANTI-MAGIC SWOOOOORD!" Ahmed could be heard screaming, despite not being summoned.
"I'll pass on the tome." Ceroba humbly refused. "There is enough to share between the rest of you… and I am more proficient using my own brand of magic. I hope that you are not offended, Mortimer."
"None taken. That is your choice, after all." Mortimer nodded back.
"No cool swords for Ahmed aside, are we all set?" Darius would ask.
"Yep…" FS!Richard remarked, before they then heard the sound of impish screeching, as the tome-bound imps were rushing towards them. "...And just in time as well. You know the drill, guys!"
"Right! We can do this!" Elmer exclaimed to himself, encouraging himself for the fight.
"Do your worst! We won't lose!" Sigrid roared.
As The Blue Scribes approached, they soon immediately engulfed themselves in a pink light, as they became blood-lusted, hurtling towards the group.
"Of all of the tricks to use, it picks driving itself into a frenzy?" Mortimer remarked. "And here I expected a threat. Darius, bring forth Ahmed. And you, Ruby, join in the fun."
"As you wish, O great Lightbringer." Darius remarked with mock worship, before summoning the head-dress clad skeleton warrior.
"Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh!" Ahmed chortled. "While I might be a simple skeleton for Darius, you should be prepared, because I'm gonna kill you until you die of death!"
"Don't need to tell me twice, Morty!" FS!Ruby remarked, before she then prepared her scythe. "Picked a real bad category to fight us in, you melancholic-coloured shrimps! I especially excel when it comes to fighting up close!"
The two of them began to suppress the Blue Scribes, as Ahmed proved to be enough to weather the barrage of claw and bite attacks from the Blue Scribes, as his bones were rattled, but not destroyed by the attacks, while FS!Ruby was blurring through them, cutting into their book-like sanctuary, and even their own bodies, as their barrier was broken down in mere moments with Ruby's ruthless offence.
With a collective roar of rage, blue energy began to gather around the Blue Scribes, before they launched a massive barrage of chain lightning, as it managed to hit Ahmed, causing him to be blasted apart, while FS!Ruby barely retreated back, although she did get momentarily shocked by the lightning, while the mages retreated back, as Mortimer raised a hand to create a barrier of light.
"Awww… And just when I was enjoying the fight!" Ahmed groaned, before his bones melted into dust.
"Well, I assume that this is some powerful spell from that thing's repertoire, right?" Helga remarked, as the lightning danced against the light barrier. "Bah, this sure as hell doesn't compared to Alastor, and I know that girl Lilinette could make far more threatening lightning."
"Still, it would not do well to let us underestimate our foe." Darius remarked, before he then pulled out Umbra. "Now then, how about I see how these imps can handle Dark Magic."
He then cast the spell forward, as a massive void-like sphere appeared above him, before it then fired a barrage of purple flames at the Blue Scribes, as they screamed, scrambling about trying to extinguish them, momentarily stopping their attack.
"You're mine!" Helga growled, before she followed up with a Fenrir spell, as the ring of dark flames engulfed the Blue Scribes, causing their bodies to be ignited, as well as their own book being burnt slightly in the paper pages by it.
With a scream of rage, the Blue Scribes began to glow blue, before a massive ball of lightning began to appear above them, as it then began to multiply before the group's very eyes, as they then hurtled towards the group.
"Oh no, you don't!" Elmer exclaimed, before he then immediately cast using the Tornado tome, as the massive cyclone of wind immediately caught the thunder orbs, as he held the spell long enough to dispel the lightning into the cyclone, electrifying it.
"Here, let me help it move along!" Richard remarked, before he then deftly fired a Arcwind Spell towards the enhanced tornado, as the blades of wind pushed it towards the Blue Scribes, who didn't react in time to avoid the attack, as it engulfed them, with the lightning searing them even further.
However, the tornado didn't last long enough, before the Blue Scribes let out a series of enraged cries, before it then began to go into a spell frenzy, as dark darts of energy began to attack the group, causing them to be left vulnerable, as it then fired several invisible hexes towards the group, as they struck Helga, Elmer, FS!Ruby, as they fell silent for a moment, before dropping to the floor, as they began to laugh uncontrollably.
"Helga!" Sigrid exclaimed, before she rushed over, seeing her older sister rolling on the floor, laughing with tears in her eyes. "Sis! What's wrong!?"
"I-hehehe- I can't-hahahahah stop la-ha-ha-ughing!" Helga laughed, trying to control her speech. "Tha-hahaha-at bas-hahaha-tard!"
"I-ahaha-I can't bre-ehehe-athe!" Elmer wheezed with endless laughter.
"S-ahahaha-son of a bi-hehehe-tch!" FS!Ruby coughed. "Si-ihihihi-ege is go-hohoho-ing to laugh hi-hi-himself at thi-ehehehe-is!"
"Mortimer, cure them." FS!Richard stated, watching at the Blue Scribes were preparing another spell. "I'll give you time to do so."
"Must you leave such a mundane task to me?" Mortimer sighed with a roll of his eye, before pulling out a Recover stave. "Alright, I'll leave the punishment of that daemon to you."
Suddenly, a massive storm of ethereal skulls burst from the ground, swallowing the entire group, before they then beset themselves on everyone, trying to tear their flesh off with their chattering jaws.
"Get the Hel away from my BIG SISTER!" Sigrid snarled, as a expression of fury crossed her face, before she then cast Fimbulvetr, as a massive burst of ice began to exploded from the ground around her, as the icy winds carried it further, until the ice spikes swallowed most of the the malicious skulls, while Ceroba and Richard banished the rest with quick blasts of magic.
"Well, ain't no better time to test this tome." Richard remarked, before he then equipped the Busting Tome, as he then took aim at the Blue Scribes, before he then cast the spell within, as it created a massive barrage of whitish energy that hit the Blue Scribes, causing them to reel back, knocked off-guard by the attack.
"It's done." Mortimer remarked, as the three afflicted members of the group quickly rose back up, their curse of laughter dispelled, before seeing that the Blue Scribes were staggered by Richard's attack. "Well, seems that my tome worked like a charm, don't you think?"
"Yeah, this sure was the perfect 'hammer' for this 'nail'." Richard agreed. "But it's good to know that we can still use the other tomes to counter their own attacks."
"Hold them still." Ceroba stated, before she then closed her eyes, as wisps of red energy began to form at the end of her golden staff. "I have a way to leave them unable to continue their attack."
"Well, that's if we leave you anything." Richard countered, before looking towards Mortimer. "Say, I think that we've let that creature fool around enough with magic."
"I will admit, it has potential for being dangerous, if it truly is capable of using any magic this world can do… and the few examples that we are shown prove to be not something that we can simply brush aside…" Mortimer admitted, before a cruel smirk appeared on his face. "But I believe that their inability to choose their own spells, unable to reliably end their foe without proper support… is their fatal flaw."
Moritmer and Richard looked towards each other, before they then nodded, as they pulled out a Rexaura Tome and Apocalypse tome, as they cast their spells at the same time. The Blue Scribes barely had a moment to notice the sudden appearance of a dark sigil below them, and a ball of shifting light.
When the dark sigil exploded into a ball of dark matter, the ball of light touched it, as the two diametrically-opposite balls of pure elemental might adsorbed to each other, and then completely merging into a orb of swirling light and darkness that covered the Blue Scribes.
"Well… that's unexpected." Mortimer remarked with unhidden surprise.
The Blue Scribes barely had a moment to screech, before the massive ball of energy exploded into a mass of purple and yellow energy that illuminated most of their side of the battlefield, causing them to shield their eyes.
When the flash of energy disappeared, as the group were blinking off the sharp lights that it gave their eyes, they looked where the Blue Scribes were, and saw that all that remained from where they stood, were several scraps of paper.
"Well, that should be the end of them, right?" Elmer answered back. "I mean…they couldn't have survived something like that point blank, right?"
"...No, I can sense that they managed to survive partially from that attack." Mortimer answered back. "...Now I see the other trait that makes them dangerous… they cannot truly die. But for now, they will certainly be unable to even move their tongue with how much damage their vessel and their bodies have taken. I say that this is a clear victory."
They may have been defeated now, but the scribes' eternal quest continues still.
The Blue Scribes Defeated
"Still, what in the Void was that?" Darius remarked. "You two literally combined light and darkness to pull this trick off. How did you two manage it?"
"Well, I did remember that there was a plucky white mage who did the same thing." FS!Richard answered back. "...But I wasn't exactly thinking of replicating it. I just simply wanted to double-up with Mortimer to blast these blue midgets of magic apart, and thought it was thematic to use dark magic while Mortimer uses light to do the same. Who would have thought it could happen this way… Gotta keep note of that."
"For the sake of both of us not getting lectured by Magina for unleashing what amounts to be a weapon of mass destruction in terms of magic power… I ask that we only save that kind of thing for serious circumstances." Mortimer scolded FS!Richard.
"I concur." Helga remarked. "Magic like that seems incredibly dangerous and risky to use in any situation."
"Yeah, I'm glad that I got to see that firsthand myself. You guys were doing it masterfully… and if it was wrong in any way…" Elmer remarked, as he trailed off with a shudder. "...I don't want to think about how terrible it could be."
"Oh right, that reminds me!" Sigird remarked, before turning to see that Ceroba was almost finished charging her staff. "Ceroba, it's alright, we finished the battle."
"That's nice and all, Sigrid… but I can't just dispel this charge." Ceroba remarked. "Any way I can channel this?"
"Why not unleash it over there?" Darius remarked, gesturing towards a large band of Chaos daemons that were trying to head towards where Rimuru, Kanako, Omni-Man and Sapphire were fighting.
"Perfect." Ceroba smiled. "Stand back, I might need to unleash my power a little."
"All clear to engage." FS!Richard quipped, before stepping back, as the rest did the same.
Ceroba closed her eyes, as red energy began to surge to her, before she then opened them, as her eyes were red, as massive tails of red fire began to explode from behind, as she rose into the air.
She then let out a bellow from her throat, before she then began to twirl her staff, as she began to fire a rain of dark red spear-like projectiles from the tip of her staff, as it managed to disintegrate anything that they hit, armor, flesh and metal all. She then immediately began to spin around, as her staff began to blur into a massive wheel of red energy, that fired an unending torrent of fire-balls down onto the daemon group.
Inari's Nine Hells
稲荷の九地獄
Ceroba then pointed her staff forward, as the entire area suddenly erupted with pillars of red fire, before golden bell constructs formed around the daemon remnants, flooding the entire area with showers of fire.
As the last of her power finally released from her body, Ceroba slowly drifted down, as the daemons were completely wiped out to the last creature, leaving not even ashes, only flickering red embers.
"...Phew." Ceroba huffed. "...I hope that this helps my daughter and the others."
"You were damn good, that much I can say." Helga nodded gently. "How the hell did you actually let Richard beat you when you had that much power at your fingertips?"
"You seen how much Richard is capable of just then." Ceroba huffed. "Despite all of my power in my own determination and my own will… he surpasses me. So did Siege. I lost because I did not match up to them, in power or resolve. I am thankful that they did not use that same power they would have shown here against me…"
"...Because you didn't deserve to be treated like an enemy." FS!Richard gently frowned. "...You sure you're fine?"
"Yes. I have moved past my own doubts." Ceroba sighed back. "And I promised you and Kanako that I would be a better mother… and a better protector."
"Alright, who's up for a little competition?" Darius remarked. "May as well kill the time helping the defenders here."
"You think I'd lose?" Helga challenged back. "I like to see you try and kill more of these foul creatures than me."
"Well, since I am here… I might as well do as the duty calls." Mortimer shrugged.
"Heh. Still can't help but have that sharp wit." FS!Richard chuckled.
"It's a part of me." Mortimer chuckled, before the group went off to assist the other fronts.
Exactly when Azazel abandoned humanity and pledged his mortal soul to Slaanesh none can say, but in the distant past he was the chief of the Gerreon tribe, one of the twelve great peoples of Sigmar. After betraying his liege-lord, he fled to the Northern Wastes where he rose quickly in the Pleasure God's favor for his treachery and acts of debauchery. After smashing a ten-thousand strong host of Khorne and slaying its mighty Champion in equal combat, Azazel attracted his master's gaze once more and was elevated to a state of Daemonhood. Under his command, the Dark Prince's armies have enjoyed one blissful triumph after another.
The Brave Adventurers had split into two groups to take on Damien's generals. The first group, led by David Ishihara, is heading towards Azazel.
"Azazel, huh? The only one I know is the one that Kazuya took over to go full devil." Genis said.
"Yes. Azazel is the progenitor of the Devil Gene that resided within the Hachijo clan." Raine said. "When Jin dispelled Azazel from Kazuya's body, the Devil Gene from both Jin and Kazuya were both wiped from them, unable to undergo their transformations again."
"Yeah, kind of sucked we couldn't take on Azazel ourselves. Kazuya kind of spoiled the fun there." David said. "This probably wouldn't be like fighting that Azazel, but… I guess this will have to do."
"Well, let's not keep him waiting, then." Revali said.
The group spent the next several minutes fighting their way through the armies of Warpspawn, cutting down daemons, demons, and cultists alike, before a giant figure with angel-like wings landed in front of them.
"Ah…and here I thought that this would be a mere one-sided massacre." Azazel said as he looked up at the adventures, glee in his eyes. "I've never been more pleasantly surprised at being wrong!"
"Glad we see we meet your expectations. Are you Azazel?" David asked.
"Yes…and I've heard tales of you, even from within the Warp. You remind me of Sigmar." Azazel said, bringing his sword to bear with a wicked grin. "I hate Sigmar. It will be a privilege and an honor to offer your souls to Slaanesh. And having some entertainment as I do so only makes it sweeter!"
(Cue- King of Terrors- Phantasy Star IV)
"Well, good luck getting them out of us. Because we're not going down without a fight." David said.
"...Good." Azazel said, drawing his blade. "Don't fall to me too quickly! I intend to savor this battle!" the Daemon Prince laughed as he dashed towards the heroes.
The Prince of Damnation - Azazel
"Allow me." Revali said as he fired a string of arrows at Azazel.
The Prince simply swatted the arrows aside as he closed the distance, forcing the group to split off to evade his strikes.
"His wings definitely aren't protected by that armor. But I can't get to them while he is on the ground." Revali said.
"Don't worry, Revali. We'll see what we can do on our end!" David said.
Azazel charged at David, making him his prime target, but Alphen got in the way and clashed his sword with him.
"Aren't you being a bit too hasty? There are other people for you to fight here." Alphen said.
"He's right. Why not warm yourself up with us? Black Aura Blast!" Leopardmon said as he shot a beam from his sword.
"Incineration Wave!" Alphen followed up as he emits a trail of lava with an upward swing from the Blazing Sword.
Azazel dodged it by spreading his wings and flying up into the air to avoid most of the damage. A foolish mistake on his part.
"Revali, now!" Leopardmon said.
"Alright, let's try this again!" Revali said as he continued to shoot arrows at Azazel.
Azazel would dodge most of them, but some arrows hit his body. However, that wasn't where Revali was aiming. He was aiming for the one thing that Azazel's armor can't protect. Well… Two things, actually.
"Hah! Are you even trying to hit me?!" Azazel mocked.
"Take a better look." Revali said.
Azazel then realized his flight was being hindered. It was then that he discovered Revali's true target… his wings. They were riddled with arrows, making it hard for him to fly effectively.
"Archers are a flying target's worst enemy. Always." Revali said with a smirk. "His wings are cleared. It's all on the rest of you now!"
"Thanks, Revali! I knew I could count on you!" David said.
"You haven't beaten me yet!" Azazel said as he casted Slicing Shards, which caused a myriad of deadly shards to rain down upon the group.
David took the initiative as he swiftly dodged the shards as he ran up to Azazel and kicked him right in the head, the force causing Azazel to reel back.
"Hahaha…This is proving to be a worthy challenge!" Azazel laughed as he dashed behind David, almost running him through with his Daemonblade.
"Kagetsu, Merrin. You two got Armorslayers on you?" David asked.
"We're ready to go on your command." Kagetsu said.
"We'll end him rather coolly." Merrin said.
"I like the sound of that." David said as he drew Gerik. "Let's go!"
Both Kagetsu and Merrin went to both of David's sides and started clashing with Azazel.
"You should feel honored. You're the first stepping stone as members of this group. Plus…you intended to use the people of Solm as trinkets to your god. The animals as well." Merrin said.
"I feel the same, except with Elusia." Kagetsu said.
"And don't get me started with Tokyo. Long story short, you've racked up quite a rap sheet. And it's time for you…" David said as he underwent Sapphire God: Armament Complete. "..͟.to g̸o ͞b͢ye-b͜y͞e͏!" he said as the three of them charged at Azazel with a Triangle Slash.
Azazel met their charge with a grin of wicked glee on his face as he swung his Daemonblade at them. The opponents met, the blades clashed, the combatants stood back to back…
…and The Prince of Damnation fell to the ground, his form beginning to dissolve.
"Ahh…what a feast, that was." Azazel smirked as he vanished back to his master's realm. "I look forward…to the day where I can gorge myself on your prowess once more. It shall come…it shall come…"
It seems that the Prince of Damnation had his wings clipped by this one's unmatched prowess!
Azazel Defeated
"A͏za̢ze͟l..̶. I s̷hall n҉eveŕ for͢get̸ ̧t̷hi͏s ̀bout͠...̨ Pe̢r̸ha͏ps.̶.. W̢ę ͜could've҉ be͜e҉n r͜i̸v͝als i̕n ano̕t̶he͢r ̴l̴i͝fe...͡or͞ m͡ay͏b̸e̢ ev͝en ͏f́r̢iends." David said with a solemn look before he shook it off. "But ̀n̶o͡w̛ is n̨ot the t̷i͘m҉e͜ ̨to ́pǫnde̢r o̡n͟ what͏-̷if͝s. C͘om̴e on,҉ e͜v̢e͟ŗy̶one͝. ͜Let u͞s d̴ispat͢ch ͟th͜e re̷s̡t ̨o̕f t̢hese ̧de̵mo͠ns.͞"
"Understood!" the group said as they scattered around to confront the demon horde.
The Changeling personifies the part of Tzeentch's psyche that is the meddler, the deceiver, and the trickster. He can take the form of other beings, from the tiniest of insects to the most massive of Greater Daemons. None, save for perhaps Tzeentch himself, know the Changeling's true form, for he goes cowled and cloaked when in his own shape – perhaps even the Changeling himself has forgotten it. That so many of his pranks have caused terrible wars is no concern to him, for he loves the discord of conflict to breed more opportunities to deceive and dismay. When battle begins, the Changeling is wont to adopt the shape and skill of his foes, in turn pounding them to pieces with malicious enthusiasm and borrowed muscle.
FS!Rimuru, FS!Sapphire, Omni-Man, Kanako, and FS!Heiwa were the first formed group of the Future Seekers to take action and fight the Changeling, alas, their search was a long one, trying to locate an opponent who could change his shape and physique at will.
As FS!Heiwa managed to cut down the last Herald of Tzeetnch in her way, the group managed to make a clear path towards their foe.
"Alright, time to get some vengeance on this bastard…" FS!Heiwa growled.
"I owe that bastard the same kind of death that I promised Be'lakor, and that bastard Damien who used him to try and go for his own end-game." FS!Rimuru stated. "At the cost of my daughter Shinsha's life…. Either way, I like to see how he'll stand against all of us."
"Hey, little one. You sure you can do this?" Omni-Man asked Kanako. "I know that you refuse to let yourself sit by, while your mother is fighting, but it's alright to walk away from this. We alone can have this handled."
"...I know, but something is pushing me forward." Kanako responded back. "...I don't know why… but I can't help but be brought here… as if my own SOUL is telling me that I need to help someone in dire need there."
"...Huh, that's something we might to keep in mind." FS!Sapphire remarked. "...If it's SOUL shenanigans… there might be a clue to this."
"A Saiyan, a Viltrumite, a Demon Lord, and two beastkin walk into a bar. This sounds like either an epic tale or a poorly written joke." FS!Heiwa remarked.
"Hey, I was gonna do that." Omni-Man quipped.
"Just quicker to the punch-line, Omni-Man." FS!Heiwa smiled back.
Before the group could speak further, they could sense their foe approaching, as they turned to face them, as the blue cloaked figure stood before them.
"Well, well, if it isn't the 'Demon Lord' and his fellow beastkin children?" The Changeling rasped under his cloak, as their voice was ever-shifting as it was. "Oh look, you even brought a costumed-barbarian, and another child? What's the matter? Has losing your child driven you to adoption?"
"...You're going to wish you're going to die. That, I promise you." FS!Rimuru remarked, as his face was filled with tranquil fury, as he let out some of his own dark aura instinctively.
"Big talk when you can't even bring your ass to fight us with either that blue-bird who thinks he can see everything, or that Daemon Prince you tried to assist." FS!Heiwa scoffed. "What's the matter? Think you're too good to face us with an assist, or do you think that us being fewer in number is going to make your odds palatable?"
"Well, another cloaked figure." Omni-Man remarked, before he then snorted. "Pft, I have seen this cliche many times over. And as for your shapeshifting… Believe me, if your first move is trying to turn into me, you're going to be smashing your head on a brick wall metaphorically. I've faced many people who think that's a solution… and they all perished when I was a far less merciful person. Of course… I have no mercy to give to you regardless for that statement. You don't threaten a parent with nothing to lose."
Kanako did not respond, as she immediately prepared her own staff, as she stared down the Changeling, as there was a flickering fire in her eyes.
"Just the five of you? Just the five of you to beat me? The one who has deceived the Gods themselves? The one who has turned the best of men against each other?" The Changeling mocked back.
"Shut up with your monologues and let's get to killing your ass." Rimuru snarled.
"Very well… I suppose I can simply choose one to control… let's grab a corpse and make it my puppet… Ah…. Yesss. This should do very nicely." The Changeling grinned wickedly as his strings began to descend…
And attached to them, was none other than….
"S… Sh…. SHINSHA!" FS!Rimuru gasped.
"Dad…!" Shinsha exclaimed, as she had a concerned look on her face, while her entire body seemed to be binded by ethereal strings
"She isn't mindless? Bahaha, much better then. She can knowingly watch herself kill you all or watch you all kill her again!" The Changeling laughed.
"Why you piece of-" FS!Heiwa growled.
"Alright, priority first is freeing Shinsha." FS!Sapphire remarked. "...Who knows what that damn bastard might do to her if they're getting desperate. We keep him busy, while we find a way to either prevent Shinsha from being forced to fight… or free her entirely."
"Shinsha, please fight against him! We'll do everything to save you!" Kanako exclaimed.
"I'll try to warn you when an attack comes!" Shinsha exclaimed. "Just trust me, I think I can break free!"
"Now then, which face shall I use first… Ah, I have it!" The Changeling remarked, before he then flickered in blue light, before his entire body changed into Miao Ying. "What better way to make you kneel, than using the legendary Storm Dragon herself? Unlike her, I have no qualms squashing you all like insects!"
The transformed Changeling then shifted into her draconic form, as she then began to swoop down, with her talons raking across the entire field of battle, forcing the group to avoid being in the path, except for Omni-Man, who blocked the talon strikes.
Shinsha then felt herself being dragged, as her own body began to involuntarily manifest her Sticky-Steel Threads.
"Look out! He's dragging my threads out to try and impede you all!" Shinsha warned the group, as the threads headed towards them.
"Thanks, Shinsha!" FS!Rimuru exclaimed, before he then blew himself into the air with wind magic, while FS!Heiwa bounced off the floor with a blast of fire, dragging Kanako with her by the collar of her dress, while FS!Sapphire and Omni-Man flew up out of the range of the threads.
"Fool! Now you will become dragon-chow!" The Changeling mocked, as she then turned around, before throttling towards with maw open.
"Sorry, but we ain't got the time to be lunch or dinner!" Omni-Man countered back, before he then shifted above the dragon, and then launched a powerful crushing blow to the fore-head, flooring the dragon against the ground. "Sapphire! Smack this bastard!"
"Guys… I don't know what this attack is but watch out!" Shinsha exclaimed as blue flames began to coalesce around her hands, before they were fired at the group.
"Wha-!? THAT'S THE BLUE FLAMES OF TZEENTCH, WATCH OUT!" Sapphire exclaimed, having to abandon her attack to avoid getting roasted by the blue flames of the Chaos God.
"Oh great, she can also cast the spells of the Chaos Gods." FS!Heiwa cursed. "The Changeling really wants to make us suffer."
"Mmm… that's a curious development." The Changeling remarked from the dirt, indicating even she didn't quite understand how Shinsha got the powers, as she recovered. "But no matter, I suppose that this form might not be enough to force you to submit…"
"If you think that copying any of the leaders of the Old World is going to match us, you're wrong." FS!Heiwa remarked. "You forget who it was that managed to unite them after some fighting!"
"Perhaps, but do you think they're the only ones I can take the form of?" The Changeling smirked, before her form changed once more, as it shrunk down, before revealing FS!Popol in her place. "I wonder how you will-"
With a roar of fury, FS!Heiwa rushed forward with a trail of fire, before she then smashed her fist right into the Changeling's face dead-center.
"Keep his visage… OFF YOUR FUCKING FACE!" FS!Heiwa roared. "Don't you DARE mock my beloved!"
"Guys! Something's coming!" Shinsha gasped, as a mirror began forming up above.
"Oh shit, that's not good." FS!Sapphire remarked. "EVASIVE ACTIONS, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE SLICED TO RIBBONS! That's Slicing Shards, one of Slaanesh's magics!"
"Does she have magic from ALL the Chaos Gods!?" Omni-Man asked as the mirror shattered, raining down glass shards at the group.
FS!Heiwa tried to move, only for The Changeling to seize her hands, as he smiled widely, as a massive blockade of ice sealed her movements.
"Tsk tsk, so hot-headed." The Changeling clicked his tongue. "You know how the stories go: They're the first to die."
"Heiwa, NO!" Shinsha exclaimed.
"HEIWA!" Kanako exclaimed, as she rushed forward in abandon.
"No, Kanako, don't-!" Omni-Man exclaimed.
As the shards began to rush forward, Kanako was about to rush forward, as she rushed forward with a hand out, as things began to slow around her…
As Kanako watched as the world paused around her, she looked around, as the entire world has faded into grayscale.
"What… what is this?" Kanako remarked, as she looked around, as the entire battle had almost entirely paused, as there was not a single sound. "Did I… Did I do this?"
"Well, yeah. But this is only because your mind and spirit slowed your perception down to being almost completely still." A voice that was her own answered back, although it seemed to sound a lot more mature, and a lot more powerful.
Kanako turned to the source of the voice, as she found herself facing a mature grown-up version of herself, as she seemed to have grown out her dark brown hair to be like her own mother, with the same pink robe that she wore.
"You are…" Kanako remarked, as she noticed that her counterparts' eyes were blue. "...Are you the blessing of Ursun within me?"
"Not just that. I'm basically your potential." The older Kanako remarked, before she then chuckled lightly. "...God, I sound so cliche saying all of that."
"...I…" Kanako answered back. "...But I won't grow up. Because dad is…"
"Dead? Yeah, we can't change that." The older Kanako shook her head with a sad expression. "But that doesn't mean that you're condemned to live like this forever. Hell, the god's blessing fixed our SOUL up. No slow death for us. Trying to channel it to help develop ourselves isn't out of the realm of possibility. After all… you wouldn't be here, if you didn't feel the call to go beyond."
"But how?" Kanako remarked, as she looked at the shards frozen in time, as they were aimed at her and Heiwa. "...I'm not like… I'm not like mom. I'm not like Richard. Or Chara. Or Pappy…. Or even… Even… her. I can fight… but compared to everyone else… I'm still just a child…"
"Yes… Yes, you were." The older Kanako sighed, before a visual recollection of the time she was attacked by the Integrity SOUL wielder out of sheer instinct, as Kanako winced slightly at the terrible memory. "It really must have hurt you deep down… because you wanted to reach out… only for the human to react adversely to it."
The memory then faded away, before revealing the memory of Kanako, who was Falling Down, with Ceroba holding her in her arms, frantically pleading and sobbing.
"...And then… there was this." The older Kanako remarked. "...It seemed like it was the end for us, wasn't it?"
"...But that's no longer the case. Richard… Siege… Heiwa… they saved us." Kanako declared, as there was some hope in her eyes.
"...And that's why you're not as hopeless as you seem. Think about it." The older Kanako nodded, as a determined smile crossed her face. "You're the only known Monster that literally fought against her own fate, defied all conventions by literally coming back from being Fallen Down. And you literally held your own back there! You could have died before you got blessed, with all of those daemons. But guess what? You didn't! You survived, because you gave it your all! So why stop here? Why let this hooded freak push you around?"
Kanako was silent, before she then clenched her fists, as she took a deep breath.
"...That's right. Ursun chose me because he must have believed that there was something in me that he found worthy." Kanako told her counterpart. "...I might not know what it is… or what it means to me… but that's reason enough to keep fighting… because if Heiwa is doing this to protect and care for me like mom does… I can't just let her be the one protecting me everytime… I'll… I'll fight!"
Kanako then grasped her older counterpart's hand. "So please…! Please, give me the strength and courage to fight for her and everyone's sake!"
"...That's all I need to hear from you." The older Kanako smiled back, as time began to resume, while Kanako felt power surge within her.
Suddenly, a massive blast of blue and red energy burst from Kanako's place, as it immediately caused the mirror shards to either combust into liquid, or become so brittle that the winds broke them apart.
The same energy erupted from Kanako's hand, as it hit both FS!Heiwa and the Changeling, as it sent both flying backwards, even blasting Heiwa through the ice blockade that trapped her, although she was able to recover, as the attack didn't hurt her as much as the Changeling had been.
Ceroba, who's maternal instinct sensed danger for her child, had warped to the outskirts, when she saw the blue and red fiery energy erupting from Kanako, causing her to stop and look at her from afar.
"Kanako….!?" Ceroba gasped.
"Holy hell…" FS!Heiwa remarked, taking a look at Kanako, who had transformed into a state similiar to her own mother's empowerment, as she even grew two or three years in physical age, while her eyes were a mix of ice-blue and fiery-orange, while there was a quintet of tails of energy that were orange with icy-blue tips bobbing and weaving behind her.
"It's…. It's amazing…" FS!Sapphire gasped.
"Save that for later, he's getting up!" Omni-Man declared, as the Changeling rose up, as his body was slowly rising up, with burns everywhere.
"Oh…what a surprise…" The Changeling started with interest. "So this is what that decrepit God entrusted in you…"
"I will not allow you to continue this." Kanako declared. "I'm tired of watching people get hurt for my sake, or because I allowed it. I don't care if you're some almighty demon from beyond… I won't let you do as you please. I won't let you kill any of my friends, nor will I let you torment them any further!"
"GUYS! JAIL SHAKE'S INCOMING, I DON'T KNOW WHO I'M TARGETING!" Shinsha gasped, knowing Jail Shake could spell doom for whoever got grabbed.
"Don't get grabbed, whatever any of you do!" FS!Rimuru warned.
"Sheeeesh!" Ogera exclaimed, dashing and dodging to avoid any giant hand grabbing her.
"Damnit… how much that damn bastard can make Shinsha do!?" FS!Heiwa growled, as she barely ducked under the swiping appendage of magic-string. "If we don't find a way to exhaust that connection somehow, Shinsha could…"
"I know, Heiwa… We just need to keep dodging, and smashing the Changeling until he is weakened enough to loosen Shinsha's control… even only slightly!" Kanako answered back.
"I like to see you try… little kits." The Changeling taunted back, before his form shifted again, as he transformed into a copy of UF!Richard. "Perhaps using the form of one of your precious little leaders will prove to be far more effective. After all… thanks to my vision… I know almost every trick in his arsenal… especially his control over rifts."
"You're kidding me…" FS!Heiwa growled. "This bastard can escalate this far!?"
"No…!" Shinsha gasped as she saw this, knowing things were going wrong left and right, as she had to do SOMETHING! But what!?
Inside Shinsha's mindscape…
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"The Children of Nurgle welcome you with open arms…."
"Sleep gently in the embrace of the Dark Prince, little girl. Let your worries fade in the mist of desire."
"Why continue? It's what you're fated to be, little slime. Why deny yourself? Be mine… and I shall make you the greatest instrument of my will! To my own plan!"
Shinsha was being bombarded by persuasion after persuasion in her head, groaning as she felt the presences of Chaos trying to overrule her and control her, to make her one of their puppets, while still battling each other for her, as she saw what was happening outside, and knew with the Changeling being UF!Richard, there was no time to be under control…..
Shinsha, frankly, was tired of being anyone's puppet. Izis, the Changeling, she was done with it all.
"No. I'M THROUGH!" Shinsha screamed in her mind, her eyes flaring as she suddenly grabbed all the chaos presences by their entire being. "I'm Rimuru's daughter! There is no reason I can't control you all! I am my own person, I am my own being! I'll become MY OWN GOD!"
The presences began to coalesce and merge, the voices of the gods shrieking in indignation of being put into servitude by this girl, but Shinsha would have none of it, as their presences formed an orb so black, it became radiant with light, as Shinsha absorbed it within herself…
Back at the battle…
"Damnit… and Shinsha's still on us! Are we gonna…!?" FS!Rimuru gasped as Shinsha charged… only to suddenly stop, as she herself stopped her charge.
"What…? I commanded you to obliterate them!" The Changeling roared.
"Sorry, pal. But the agenda isn't in your hands anymore." Shinsha remarked. "It's time for me to come back with renewed vigor. I owe my father that much for dying on him." Shinsha growled, as suddenly, dark rainbow miasma began to surround her, as the strings snapped from the surge of power erupting from Shinsha.
"What!? …This… this… power!" The Changeling gasped.
Cue: Super Saiyan Vegeta Theme Remake - Gladius
Shinsha grit her teeth as she felt the power coursing through her, pitch black lightning sparking around her as rainbow lightning shot up into the sky, as she began to be surrounded by a swirl of miasma that could only be described as what might be inside a black hole, swirling and churning around her as she soon roared, as a pillar of pitch black erupted into the sky, the pitch black coalescing with rainbow colors and a pure white center due to how black it had become, before eventually settling down as Shinsha would be revealed to be in her Serpent Slime form, with some markings present on her body, complete with a pair of demonic wings, as well as her attire from her Serpent Slime form. The only change? Her eyes. When she opened them, one eye was the darkest of dark purples, almost looking like staring into the center of a galaxy, the other, a rainbow, a sign of the pure heart of Shinsha Tempest, fighting for her friends.
"Shinsha…!" FS!Rimuru gasped, as for the first time: Shinsha's power level was nearing FS!Rimuru's, perhaps surpassing it once she honed the craft.
For now, Shinsha Tempest was resurrected. And she was now an embodiment of Chaos.
Purified Chaos Slime - Shinsha Tempest
"Well, seems like that's another card in the hand." Omni-Man remarked with an amused look on his face.
"That'll even the odds on our side." FS!Heiwa remarked, before turning towards the Changeling. "It seems that you ended up giving us the gun in this case. Egg on your face much!"
"Heh. Impressive. Now I see why the Chaos Gods are so careful with the likes of you heroes." The Changeling remarked. "But I still have the mighty potential of this body on my side. You cannot stop me!"
"Take a lesson I learned from one of dad's manga: Just because you got the body, if you don't know how to use it: It's absolutely meaningless!" Shinsha yelled as she looked towards Kanako. "You feel like ripping this guy a new one?" Shinsha quipped, as she summoned a magma coated war axe thanks to Khorne's powers.
"Yes, let's do this." Kanako nodded, before she then channeled her power in the staff, as a flowering illusion of orange and blue formed at the end of it.
"Don't count us out of this!" FS!Heiwa remarked. "We still ain't out-classed against this bastard yet! Hope you're ready for the ass-beating of your life, face-stealing bastard! You get the privilege of getting beat by a bunch of pissed-off younglings, and their guardians!"
Switch: Find Your Flame - Sonic Frontiers OST
The Changeling then immediately summoned several distorted sukima, as they began to fire sprays of danmaku right at them, as the group broke apart to evade the projectiles, despite the Changeling redirecting them around.
Kanako then twirled her staff, before she then fired a large blast of magic that knocked the Changeling off-guard temporarily, before Sapphire rushed in for a Rush Combo that managed to knock the Changeling to the ground, followed by Omni-Man elbow-dropping the imposter into the ground hard enough to crater it.
However, in response, the Changeling immediately created a massive dark cyclone that knocked them away from him, before he then began to summon massive magic circles with the symbol of Tzeentch around it, as they began to fire massives gouts of Tzeentch fire.
Shinsha would capitalize on his mistake of using Tzeentch's magic, as she would suddenly raise her hand, grabbing the very flames he was firing and slamming them right back into himself, as Shinsha's new power even granted her a Spell Card Deck, likely from influence from others as she brought it out.
"Declare Spell: Volatile Sign: Megiddo Combustion!" Shinsha yelled, as the residue of flames left on the Changeling suddenly began bursting while spears of fire rained down from the heavens on the Changeling, shredding it apart at the seams, or at least attempting to, as FS!Rimuru would stab his sword to the ground to summon his Unique Skill.
"MEGGIDO INFERNUS!" FS!Rimuru yelled as the Changeling proceeded to become skewered by earthen spires of pure magma, as they exploded on him as well, managing to actually burn his own body.
Before the Changeling could even react, Omni-Man suddenly flew up to him, before clapping his ears hard enough with his open palms, as the concussive force blew out his own ears, which was to little effect to the creature of Chaos, and yet left him completely dazed by the attack's force.
"BURN AWAY!" FS!Heiwa growled, before she then zipped around the Changeling, who quickly tried to create a barrier of magic around him, as FS!Heiwa left behind a trail of fire, before she then stopped.
She then slammed her brush on the rim of the circle of fire, before it created a massive pillar of hell-fire that sent him flying, as the barrier that was around him began to crack.
"Here! SPATIAL CUDGEL!" Ogera shouted, slamming her club into the barrier harshly.
"HAVE THIS! ARCANA EXPLOSERA!" FS!Sapphire shouted, blasting the barrier to pieces with a large sparking arcana blast.
As the attack penetrated through the barrier, FS!Heiwa and Shinsha looked towards Kanako, before they both nodded, as Kanako rose into the air, flying right above the Changeling, who barely had the chance to look up.
"For mother… for father! For everyone in the Underground and all else beyond it!" Kanako chanted, as ethereal visages of her father and mother appeared behind her, as a massive swirl of blue and orange energy began to form at the tip of her staff.
Kanako breathed in deeply, before sighing out wisps of orange and blue, as she then threw her staff downwards, as the flower expanded to the size of a house, as a large orb of ice and fire energy fell from it, descending down towards the Changeling.
As soon as it touched his skin, everyone's instincts flared, as they quickly backed away from the Changeling's position, except for Kanako. The orb then burst open in a sparkle of flame and ice, with crystals of ice, and embers of fire emitting from the contained explosion, before it then imploded forth with a massive sucking sound.
暁と黄昏
Dawn and Dusk
A massive explosion of fire and ice engulfed the entire surrounding area, as it left behind a massive glacier of ice in one end, a burning fire on the other. When both sides of the attack faded away, the Changeling's body dropped, as his body was half ash and half flash-frozen.
Kanako slowly came down, as the tails of energy disappeared from her back, while she collapsed forward, only to be caught by FS!Heiwa and Shinsha.
"...Did I… do well?" Kanako asked tiredly.
"...You did more than well… you absolutely rocked." FS!Heiwa declared with no restraint whatsoever.
"Heh…" Kanako meekly answered back.
"...Finally, the damn bastard is dead." FS!Rimuru remarked, before he was about to raise a hand to devour the Changeling, before he then lowered it. "...No, he doesn't even deserve to be a stepping stone. Not after what he had done to Shinsha…"
"Dad." Shinsha would say, flying down and landing next to him as her tone sounded apologetic and longing. "...I…. I'm sorry-"
Shinsha's only response was for FS!Rimuru to hug her tightly, gripping her tightly as he sobbed, as Shinsha began to shed tears, hugging FS!Rimuru back.
"Don't apologize… you did what any of us would have done… I'm just so happy you're okay…." FS!Rimuru sobbed as Shinsha clung on to her father tighter.
"Well, that's one for us, and minus one for them." Omni-Man remarked. "But frankly, I'm glad that you got your kid back, Rimuru. And she's stronger than ever, more determined as well. I doubt that there will be a second time she'll go through this."
"I hope you're right…" FS!Rimuru remarked as he and Shinsha let go of each other, smiling.
"KANAKO!" Ceroba exclaimed, before she rushed over, before embracing Kanako, already accounting for her new size by shifting her stance slightly. "Oh god, are you okay? Did… Did it hurt-"
"Mom! Calm down!" Kanako exclaimed firmly, as Ceroba stopped for a moment. "It's okay. The process didn't hurt a single bit. And it's not like before… I'm not falling apart at all… in fact, if anything, I feel stronger than ever!"
"So… that blessing really helped you out." Ceroba remarked, before she teared up out of joy and relief. "...While I'm scared that this power means that you'll have to fight even more… I'm still truly proud and happy that you managed to find your conviction."
"I won't let you fight alone, Mom." Kanako remarked, before turning to FS!Heiwa. "...And I definitely won't let you fight alone anymore! Now, I'm more than strong enough to be able to help you alongside all of your missions!"
"Heh, like a kit from the nest, growing up to face the big bad world." FS!Heiwa chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye. "Makes a big sis like me proud as hell. You really grew up in maturity, along with your body."
"W-What's that supposed to mean!?" Kanako exclaimed, blushing slightly. "Are you saying that I'm going to actually grow up to have a figure more alluring than my mother?"
"Kanako, sweetie? Who taught you that?" Ceroba remarked, as she smiled, although there was a dark look in her closed eyes, and her smile seemed dangerous.
"Oh… Oh, my sins are crawling down my back right now." FS!Heiwa paled.
"So… I think you and I need a little talk about what you talk about with my little girl." Ceroba remarked with a dark chuckle, as FS!Heiwa flinched slightly.
"...Hell hath no fury than a mother scorned." Omni-Man remarked, shaking his head. "Sorry, kiddo, you brought this on yourself."
"Now then, with this matter done and dusted, we should-" FS!Sapphire stated, before they then heard cracking and broken laughter. "...Oh, you've got to be-"
The group turned around, before seeing that the Changeling was laughing with whatever remained of his vocal cords, as his eyes were looking at the group.
"I'll admit it… I'll admit it." The Changeling rasped. "You got me real good with that. I never felt so much pain… so much agony from all of this attacking. Nobody… nobody ever got this close to destroying me this thoroughly… Kudos to you… you magnificent creatures…"
"So you haven't died off yet." FS!Heiwa growled. "Well, it sounds like you're already beyond repair. So do us a favor and just roll your eyes back and embrace the oblivion that's waiting for you."
"Heh… heh heh heh… So confident… as you heroes always are…" The Changeling hacked and coughed. "Yes… this will be the end of me… but for all of you… it is not my end for you…"
"What the hell do you mean by that?" Ceroba snarled.
"...I get it." FS!Rimuru remarked. "...You're dying… but there's always going to be a Changeling. Your name… it's more of a title, than an actual name. You might not even have one at all…"
"Astute as always, Demon Lord…" The Changeling cackled in a broken manner. "You will never be free of betrayal… there will always be a Yuri Barkov… There will always be a Takeshi Toramoto… and there will always be the Changeling. No matter what form it takes, no matter what name it has… you will never be free of deceit."
"Then let this be a message to all Changelings who try to usurp us." Shinsha declared with a snarl, thrusting her hand open. "May the flames of Tzeentch burn you alive, and your blood please Khorne."
"Hahaha… AHAHAHAHA!" The Changeling cackled, as if he heard the most hilarious statement of irony, before the Blue Flames of Tzeentch consumed his entire form, leaving nothing behind but the scorched silhouette.
And thus, did the Changeling die, as he lived: Laughing in the face of demise.
Fortunately, playing dead isn't another one of his pranks... Er, hopefully.
The Changeling Defeated
"Now then, what's our next step?" Shinsha asked, looking at the group.
"Hard to say. Now as for you, Rimuru, why the HECK did you leave minion duty to me!? I wanted some action and only got the tail end of it all!" Ogera shouted.
"Didn't really feel like seeing someone so close to me bite the dust." FS!Rimuru remarked.
"What, you thought I couldn't handle it!? Oooooohhhhhh!" Ogera growled.
"I'm sure that you'll do real good." Kanako smiled warmly at Ogera, trying to encourage.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Damien snapped the neck of an Imperial General, while Makima used her finger guns on any enemy who dared to approach her.
"Not as fun as you were expecting, Lord Thorn?" Makima asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Get off my back, how was I supposed to know the angels could reroute that spell?!" Damien demanded. "It doesn't matter, we can always try the spell again once Cream is dead. How long until we reach the Sky Universe?"
"I'd say a half-hour from now." Makima said.
"Okay, good. We can hold them for that long. We'll just have to make a beeline to Cream once we're there." Damien decided. "We'll head to the edge of the battle. That way, we'll be ready to break off and run once the time comes."
"Whatever you say." Makima replied. "(And hopefully, that will give me time to break off, grab Denji, and get out of here.)"
And so, the war continued…
