(AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, quick warning: This chapter turned out much longer than I expected, even after cutting down a couple parts. So unless you prefer really long reads, I recommend reading this one in at least two separate sessions. With that out of the way, hope you enjoy this chapter! It's a pretty damn consequential one...)
"FOLKS, GIVE ME THE BIGGEST CHEERS YOU CAN MUSTER! FOR TODAY IT'S TIME - TODAY WE GO ALL THE WAY TO THE END! TWO SEMIFINALS, ONE FINAL… AND THEN WE'LL KNOW WHO'S THE GREATEST TEAM IN EXISTENCE!"
The air in the colosseum had never been this charged. Whether they'd been here for last year's tussle or not, the 250.000 strong audience were still screaming their lungs out. Nothing else filled their minds right now; in this moment all that mattered was the upcoming fights. Team Full Power vs Team Overdark along with Team Treeshade vs Team Hot Stuff - everyone knew full well just how immense this day would be. No matter what, this day would be recorded in legend.
Of course, the various contestants were riled up as well. But while the remaining warriors among them still aimed to win the whole thing no matter what, every one of them knew what was coming. Or well, they knew next to nothing. That's what made the air around them more tense than ever before. The warped essence in the atmosphere had only grown stronger over the night, and now its arrival was all but certain. It was no longer a question of if, but rather when. But when that moment came, the 16 contestants knew to be ready. They all knew that no matter what, this day would be recorded in legend.
But before that legend would be written, they still had this one to record. The 4 greatest teams in the multiverse still had a fight to finish.
"I SEE WE'RE ALL READY TO GET THIS DONE! SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET THE SEMIFINALS COMMENCE! STARTING WITH - THE REMATCH TO END ALL REMATCHES! AT THE END OF THIS, NOT ONE WARRIOR WILL BE LEFT IN ONE PIECE!"
While the volume outside remained as high as ever, the same couldn't be said about the blue corner's waiting room. A very ironic notion considering its current inhabitants. Ever since arriving to the pocket dimension, Team Full Power had been almost non-stop fired up. But with all the talk of eldritch horrors and broken natural laws going around, even the two martial artists had stopped to think for a moment. Albeit with a lot of confusion thrown into the mix.
"Are you excited, Prime? You're… walking around quite fast" Goh'ji wondered.
Prime stopped walking impatiently in circles for a moment. While his Dragonborn rival had decided to prepare for the upcoming battle with some meditation, Prime himself simply couldn't. Not due to his nature as a robot or the like - he simply lacked the necessary patience for something so still. Nevertheless, Goh'ji knew full well that the blue-clad construct would've usually thrown himself right into some training exercises to fire himself up; walking around in circles wasn't such an exercise. Something was definitely on his mind.
"Oh, you bet I am. I've been itching for a rematch with Pulse ever since last year's finals! But still, you've seen how everyone else is acting. And while Abby made sure to tell me why, I'm left with more questions than answers" Prime explained while gesticulating wildly with his arms.
"They've told you too, right? About how we're supposed to be prepared for some super powerful cosmic force or whatever it was? And while I have absolutely no idea what it is, it's like even the brainiacs only know a little bit more. But even then literally everyone but us are acting like we're about to kick the bucket in some horrific way! I'm just wondering… did we miss something? And it can't be more important than this fight, right?" the confused automaton wondered.
Goh'ji might've not had the answer to that question, but he did know how he'd deal with it. Something he proceeded to explain after briefly thinking over Prime's bewilderment.
"I don't know, my friend. Abigail tried to tell me about the same thing, but I never understood what she was even trying to say. Just that she and the others are acting nervously. But I suppose we'll know eventually. We don't know anything and we can do even less; what we can do is go out and fight. You and me, until the end!" the Dragonborn answered as he stood up.
In hindsight, Abigail should've probably simplified her relay to the dim-witted Goh'ji. With all his fancy words, it was sometimes hard to remember his overall lack of intelligence. But she wasn't here to re-enlighten him, only her similarly perplexed creation was. And that creation quickly slammed his fists together as if to symbolise his ignited fighting spirit.
"Couldn't agree more! Let's do this, pal - it's rematch time!" Prime grinned.
With their excitement rekindled, Team Full Power practically took off in a dash to do what they did best. As long as there was a fight to attend to, nothing else mattered. Not even the cause of mass anxiety creeping ever closer towards them. That's just who Prime and Goh'ji were, and not even the strongest force in the multiverse could ever change that.
"INTHEBLUECORNERWEHAVE-"
By now Googlorp's wish to just finish his tenderly planned introduction speeches in matches involving Prime was all but demolished. This time he'd thought to just deliver it as fast as possible, without even stopping to breathe… in hindsight, he knew he should've known better. Why did he even bother with these two again?
"WE THRIVE IN THE CLASH, WE NEVER STRAY FROM THIS PATH! WE GIVE IT ALL WITH EVERY ATTACK!" Prime shouted as he finished the frontflip that was his dynamic entrance.
As the automaton struck his first of sure to be many dramatic poses, Goh'ji followed suit with a somewhat more subdued one.
"AS LONG AS WE CAN STAND, WE WILL FIGHT! AS LONG AS WE CAN FIGHT, WE WILL STRIVE TO WIN! NO MATTER WHAT FOE WE FACE!" the Dragonborn continued.
The duo had undoubtedly practised for this moment beforehand - this was something that practically every other contestant could attest to. Especially poor Bastion, whose window had been right above their chosen rehearsal spot.
"THE METAL RANGER AND THE SCALE-CLAD THUNDERER… STRIKE FIRST, STRIKE FAST, STRIKE HARD!" both of them declared simultaneously.
Just like before, Prime and Goh'ji struck a dramatic mirrored pose to finish their entrance. Although unlike that finish, this one was considerably simpler; the two simply pointed towards the red corner's entrance with their right respective left arms adjacent to the other. Of course, even this basic pose was delivered with maximum flashiness.
"AHN-001 PRIME AND GOH'JI DAARDENRIAN - TEAM FULL POWER! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!"
Yet another grand holographic explosion in blue and orange behind them, followed by yet another approving surge of roaring cheers. By now Team Full Power's shenanigans had captured the hearts of practically everyone one way or another. Key word being "practically".
"(Whatever did I do to deserve this…) WELL YOU HEARD 'EM, PEOPLE! TEAM FULL POWER ARE BACK TO WREAK HAVOC IN THE SEMIFINALS, AFTER THEY PREVIOUSLY CAME TOGETHER TO TEAR TEAM ACADEMIA A NEW ONE! BUT NOW THEY'RE UP AGAINST A FAMILIAR FACE - THE CHAMP HERSELF, ALONGSIDE HER TRUSTED FATHER! WILL THE MARTIAL ARTISTS TOPPLE THE GREATEST HURDLE OF ALL AND BECOME TRUE MASTERS, OR WILL THEIR BATTLE SMARTS PROVE COMPLETELY OVERSHADOWED BY BOOK SMARTS AND FAMILIAL BONDS? HOLD ON TO YOUR BEHINDS, FOLKS; THIS IS GOING TO BE LEGENDARY!"
As was par for the course by now, the air in the red corner's waiting room was silent as the grave compared to the arena outside. Not just in terms of volume, but in terms of its occupants' minds as well. As Googlorp's equivalent of a head was filled with concealed frustration and defeat, Pulse Cadwalader's was filled with concern.
The Drow's earlier calculation, especially after comparing notes with Molly and Team Academia, appeared more certain than ever. The warped sensation's slow increase in intensity had remained consistent - at this pace, the contestants would have just about enough time to finish the contest. And just as importantly for Pulse, the massive audience would have time to get back to the safety of their home universes. That meant she could put her full focus on the next fight. Focus she knew all too well that she'd need.
"Will you be able to stay calm?" the deep voice asked through Pulse's mind.
One would think that a man in his condition would ask himself that question first. But not Vuzrak Deate; it didn't matter that he was an undead spectre, if his daughter needed support then he would drop everything else. Although once again, his worries were unnecessary - Pulse simply nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah, I'm good. The glitch won't be a problem for several hours, so all we need to worry about right now are Prime and Goh'ji. And since the former beat the latter and I went and beat him in turn, we got this. As long as Team Overdark remains, we can solve any problem we face!" the mechanic confidently stated.
Vuzrak let out an inaudible bittersweet smile. Apparently his daughter had forgotten how she'd practically gotten blown up and sliced apart in order to beat Prime last year, and that was in a 1-on-1 battle. Now they were up against two heated martial artists - he was worried for sure, but most of that came from how Pulse wasn't worried. But at the same time, that was one of his favourite things about her. That unyielding drive to see things through was something truly special. However, among that pride there was a not so hidden sense of unease. It sounded like Pulse had neglected the mammoth in the room.
"I won't be around forever, Pulse" Vuzrak sternly reminded her.
Unfortunately for Pulse, she instantly knew what her dad meant. He had been dead for more or less her entire life - getting to meet him again, let alone twice, was at its core just a bonus. But that didn't mean she looked forward to seeing him return to the afterlife again. The mechanic had to be prepared for when that happened; that's what Vuzrak tried to tell her. Especially since that would happen right as the tournament reached its end later that day.
"I know. And I'll be as ready as I can when that happens. But right now, we fight side by side. The best father-daughter team this side of existence, all the way to the finals! If you'll excuse my poetry" Pulse earnestly answered.
That was probably the best Vuzrak could get out of his daughter. Right now she was dead-set on getting out and winning the fight - to that end, his return to the other side of the veil and the incoming horror above them would just have to sit down and wait. And if she could be this determined, what excuse did he have? So when the Drow duo got up to gather their things and follow the excited screams from the arena, they did so with dedication. They had a goal in front of them, and neither would give in until they'd reached it. No matter what fate threw at them. That's just who Pulse and Vuzrak were, and not even the strongest force in the multiverse could ever change that.
"AND IN THE RED CORNER, THE REIGNING CHAMPION AND HER FATHER RETURNS! TEAM OVERDARK MAKE THEIR ENTRANCE AFTER THEIR CONCLUSIVE DEFEAT OF TEAM STRAPPER YESTERDAY, AND NOW THEY'RE READY TO GO EVEN FURTHER! AND TO DO THAT, THE DROW DUO WILL NEED TO REPEAT CONTESTANT PULSE'S LEGENDARY WIN FROM LAST YEAR'S FINALS - IT'S THE REMATCH OF THE CENTURY! WILL THIS FAMILY PROVE THAT NOT EVEN THE GREATEST WARRIORS CAN OVERCOME THEIR BOND, OR WILL THEY FIND THEMSELVES THE TARGET OF FAMILICIDE? LET'S HOPE NOT… AND LET'S HOPE THIS BATTLE WILL BE ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS!"
Yesterday the crowd had treated Pulse and Vuzrak like demigods when they'd entered the stage, and today was no different. Immensely loud chants, waving arms, the occasional questions if Pulse had a boyfriend… in other words, the usual. One could even make the claim that the audience might've been a bit hyped up. Of course, this was true for the elven duo as well. Both of them took a moment to answer the cheers with some waving and ignoring the supposed proposals, before turning to the if possible even more excited Team Full Power.
"Aaah, I can't stop shaking! Do you have any idea how long I've been dreaming of this rematch? Like, at LEAST a year! No wait, probably at least two!" Prime practically giggled.
His completely wrong estimation aside, Prime more or less exuded excitement and readiness. At one point Pulse even half-expected him to lunge at her fists-first right that moment. But luckily, the robot appeared to keep himself in check long enough for his rival to add a few words.
"While I haven't had the chance to fight you before, I must say I'm very excited to battle against the champion! So I hope that both of you will honour us by fighting with your full strength!" Goh'ji asked while giving his upcoming opponents a polite bow.
At this point Pulse had gotten used to the people involved with the tournament adoring her, and yet she sheepishly shook her head upon the Dragonborn's simple gesture. It seemed like even now she didn't agree with her almost legendary status - either that, or she was just plain old humble. It was hard to tell. Either way, she showed no sign of even thinking about declining Goh'ji's request.
"Haha, love to hear it! To be honest, I'm itching to start too! And don't worry: neither me or dad will show either of you any mercy! I have my pride as a champion to think about, as you would say!" the Drow chuckled.
One telepathic reaffirmation from Vuzrak later and both teams turned to get into position; probably for the best, since it became visibly harder and harder for Team Full Power to restrain themselves. But right as the two duos geared up and as the unbearable calm before the storm settled, Pulse found herself sporting a worried frown. Because within her brewed a new horrid feeling. Not nervousness, not fear and not even worry about the approaching cosmic glitch… this ominous gut feeling was completely different. Like something terrible was about to happen. But since the battle was about to kick off at any moment, she couldn't do anything but push it to the side for now. She needed all the focus on the here and now she could get.
Prime went down on all fours as if preparing for a dash. Vuzrak finished a quick inaudible prayer to his deity. Goh'ji followed his ally's example with a deep breath. Pulse gently slapped her cheeks to regain her focus. The crowd all held their breaths in anticipation of the battle to end all battles; something that did not include Googlorp behind his microphone. The wait was over, and the most anticipated fight of the tournament could finally start.
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"BEGIN!"
The familiar bright explosion signalled that the first semifinal match was on. And whether or not they knew it, at least one contestant would find this to be their last one.
Unsurprisingly, Team Full Power made their move first. Practically the same nanosecond that the explosion had sounded, both Prime and Goh'ji had taken off into a mad dash. But unlike every single match they'd been in beforehand, they did not start off slow. Prime had immediately unsheathed his swords, while Goh'ji coated his raised palms with electrical ki; against the champion and her father, it appeared even they knew that holding back would be a crucial mistake. Especially since that champion was carefully watching their movements right now.
Pulse's attention to detail was borderline unmatched. Her opponents were rushing towards her and Vuzrak at breakneck speed, and yet she quickly caught a crucial detail. The fact that the martial artists were in great sync, and would therefore get close enough to attack both her and Vuzrak from both sides at the same time. Perfect. That meant that their prepared countermeasure would work its literal magic just fine.
"Dad, cast it right about… NOW!" Pulse shouted.
At that exact moment Team Full Power's vision blurred. The cleric had cast the spell right at Pulse's signal, and thus their fast opponents stumbled to a halt as they clutched their eyes. But despite the Light spell's blinding rays being more hurtful for a Drow's sensitive eyes than for most people, Team Overdark remained perfectly fine. Vuzrak's spectral avatar wasn't as affected by the light as a fully alive Drow would've been, while his daughter was equipped with a pair of dark-glassed goggles. Good for shielding the eyes against anything from leaking oil to shining Light spells. Of course, Prime and Goh'ji's momentum still meant that their elven opponents had to get out of the way. Which they did, though Pulse's… ponderous upper torso and Vuzrak's heavy armour meant that their evasive manoeuvres were a bit too close for comfort. But seeing as the two rivals were right about to collide, Team Overdark's narrow escape was about to pay off.
[WHAM!]
Clumsily running straight into one another is one thing. Clumsily running straight into one another two matches in a row is another. As the disoriented rivals laid in a messy pile on the ground, one couldn't help but wonder what was greater - the pain from the crash or the sheer embarrassment. Regardless of the answer, it was about to be surpassed by even further amplified confusion. Vuzrak had darkened his eyes, and with that the area surrounding his stumbling foes. Now Team Full Power had to deal with not just the laughing audience and their lost footing, but the by now familiar Darkness spell too. Which gave Team Overdark some time to prepare. While Vuzrak merely equipped his trusty spear, Pulse got to work on bringing out her tools. First up the turret; a bit weary after a year of adventure, but functioning just as fine as ever. Next up her Gauntlets of Ogre Power, and after a bit of shuffling around to find them the mechanic was ready to continue. A good thing, considering the bright orange blurr that burst out of the darkness.
"-SLICER!"
Pulse had barely registered Prime's attack before she was struck in the side by two metal blades. If it hadn't been for her force field, she would most likely have been on the ground bleeding now; that Sonic Slicer attack wasn't just ludicrously fast, but strong too. Luckily it appeared that Prime needed a moment to actually stop after that kind of dash, which also gave Pulse the moment needed to manage the shock. And of course, both contestants regained their senses at the same time.
"Darkness here, darkness that! I can still HEAR you clanking around, you know!" Prime yelled.
The automaton followed up his retort by running up for a dual thrust. But unlike his earlier surprise attack, this one was much more telegraphed. Combine that with the fact that Pulse was deceptively nimble for someone with her build, and one shouldn't be surprised when she managed to sidestep the thrust at the last second. With her opponent right in front of her, the Drow acted fast. Thus she lunged out to grab Prime by the wrists with one hand and around the head with the other. But she wasn't about to do something as simple as slam him down or throw him to the side. Oh no, she had a much more devastating plan in mind.
"Thank you, noted for future reference" Pulse dryly responded as she hoisted Prime down on his knees.
That was when the construct's optics widened in panic. Because mere inches away from him were the humming barrels of the turret, and aided by the strength of the gauntlets Pulse's grip was too strong for him to escape. Prime could do nothing but whimper - this was gonna suck.
[THOM!]
Prime could feel his inner facial wirings practically explode; the turret's force blast sent him flying backwards. The robot crashed on his back several metres away from Pulse. But unlike what most people would've done, he did not remain lying there for long. Prime had faced all kinds of powerful attacks in his day - everything from a dragon's tail swipe to Goh'ji's full-force final attack from their clash last year. A turret blast like this? Not even enough to keep him down. In fact, Prime bounced back up into his next attack almost immediately. The pain would just have to wait.
"CROSS SLICER!"
But right as Prime announced his signature move, he was followed up by another loud sound. Not the sound of swords hitting flesh or even the hiss of the force field, but a loud clang. Because placed between the martial artist's swords was Vuzrak's durable spear. The cleric had put himself between his surprised daughter and her would-be attacker at the last second, and there was no way in the nine hells that he'd let Prime go any further.
"I'm your opponent now!" the telepathic Drow announced.
But Prime simply snickered. Despite lacking a mouth and having only glowing yellow optics for eyes, his confidence was clear as day. He was more than ready to accept that challenge… and to let his best friend have his moment in the spotlight.
"Fine by me, old man! Goh'ji, go have the time of your life!" the construct shouted.
But the Dragonborn didn't join the fray. As a matter of fact, he remained in place with a somewhat frustrated look on his face.
"What do you mean? You want me to go pick up a watch right when we're fighting?" Goh'ji loudly wondered.
"Ah, sorry. I meant you're welcome to fight Pulse now!" Prime sheepishly instructed.
Now that one Goh'ji understood just fine. With a glint in his orange eye, the Dragonborn literally jumped into action in the form of a jump kick. But while Pulse had had plenty of time to prepare herself, she had miscalculated two important things. One: Goh'ji might not have been quite as quick as Prime, but he was still extremely fast. Two: She had been prepared for him to bolt around Prime and Vuzrak to attack, which was why she'd held out her armoured hands in mirrored directions. She had not been prepared for Goh'ji jumping above them to reach her. Which meant that the Drow genius didn't react fast enough to prevent Goh'ji from landing his jump kick straight in her left shoulder.
"NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL BOUNCING BACK! TEAM OVERDARK STARTS OFF STRONG WITH YET ANOTHER DARKNESS SHROUD AND EXTRAORDINARY COORDINATION, WHILE TEAM FULL POWER ONCE MORE EMBRACES THE SPIRIT OF SLAPSTICK! BUT THE POWER OF DETERMINATION PULLS THROUGH - NOW THE FULL-HEARTED FIGHTER AND THE CRACKLING MARTIAL ARTIST HAS GAINED MOMENTUM IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE! ESPECIALLY THE LATTER; THAT SURPRISING JUMP KICK HAD TO HURT! IT SEEMS OUR CHAMPION IS IN A BIT OF A PICKLE… OR IS SHE?"
Googlorp didn't know how right he actually was. Goh'ji might've landed a solid hit, but all he had done was put a dent in Pulse's force field. She had reflexively flinched, but not much more. So the Dragonborn quickly jumped off to try out a carefully aimed blow aimed towards the mechanic's throat; a technique meant to not just deal some serious damage, but leave the enemy stunned as well. There was just one problem… this time Pulse was ready for him.
The nimble Drow quickly sidestepped the swift attack, followed by her diving in to grab Goh'ji by the arms. And just like she'd done with Prime, Pulse managed to lock Goh'ji down by seizing his arms and neck. With a stern look on her face, she proceeded to push the martial artist down to the ground. This manoeuvre had proven quite effective in forcing her opponent back to where she wanted them; there was little to no reason to not do it again. And just like his ally, Goh'ji could do nothing but grimace as the turret began to hum right in his snout. Except for one thing.
[THOM!]
Pulse might've hit her target to big effect - Goh'ji let out a pained scream while blood spat out from his mouth as he was sent flying - and yet the Dragonborn managed to throw in a counterattack. Because with her arms occupied by grabbing his neck and arms, she had no way to account for the heavy tail. Right before Goh'ji had been sent careening towards the ground, he'd managed to slam that tail into Pulse's stomach. And with such a large appendage striking her, her specialised force field hadn't managed to block that much damage. But while the wind had been knocked out of her and she fell down on one knee, the Drow still grinned; Goh'ji was clearly the loser of this exchange. So she capitalised on it. Ignoring the pain in her side, she thrusted her hand into her Bag of Holding. And almost as soon as she'd grasped the handle of her G.U.N. she pulled the trigger.
The bullet struck its target dead-on, and while it hadn't pierced any vital areas Goh'ji was still left with a heavy wound in his tail. The martial artist was still standing, but the pain coursing through his tail was more than enough to make him gag through gritted teeth. No more bashing and smashing with that tail, that much was certain. And that was exactly why he let out an ecstatic grin. Putting him on the backfoot like this, with his one hit being a simple tail slam that was quickly shaken off… Pulse was every bit the champion Goh'ji had hoped to face. A bit unorthodox and unpredictable compared to what he was used to, but overall very much a worthy opponent. So he forced himself to straighten his posture and take on an offensive stance again, with Pulse answering by cocking her firearm - this fight was far from over.
"You're not too shabby, old man! But you can't keep up with me!"
Prime's confidence was very much backed up. Vuzrak might've been a trained cleric of Eilistraee, but his robotic opponent was a highly skilled swordsman; the former was simply outmatched in close quarters. So it was with barely any effort at all that Prime knocked the spear out of Vuzrak's hands, leaving the ethereal Drow almost defenceless. All he had was his hammer that he had no time to reach, his spells that he'd get no chance to cast and his armour that someone of Prime's calibre could easily get around. Something that the automaton was just about to do.
"DANGER FLURRY!" Prime shouted.
What followed was a barrage of slashes, along with the occasional stab, delivered faster than Vuzrak could process. His armour might've been tough, but it still had openings and exposed parts that Prime could cut open. And as Prime finished the rush attack with a cross slash and a dramatic pose, Vuzrak practically burst open. He had no blood to spill, but his spectral form rapidly started to lose its composure. It was as if parts of his body had been completely erased by the damage - regardless, his contorted face and the fall to his knees told just how much damage he'd taken. If he still had lungs, the scream that they'd make would've been deafening.
However, Prime didn't celebrate. As a matter of fact, he suddenly didn't feel like fighting anymore.
"Hunhh… what- what's going on? I feel kinda… kinda…" Prime murmured.
Despite all the damage from the Danger Flurry, Vuzrak had managed to sneak in a crippling blow. He couldn't compare to Prime physically… but mentally was a different story. And just like the simple-minded Ashes in the first round, the hard-headed Prime was an easy target for the Calm Emotions spell. With the construct out of commission for the next minute, Vuzrak didn't hesitate to take a moment to heal himself a bit. The divine magic of Eilistraee worked wonders; even in this ghostly state, his wounds stabilised enough for him to stop flickering in and out of undeath. He then took a quick gander over at Pulse and Goh'ji, and sure enough his daughter appeared to have it in the bag. Thus the cleric flashed a smirk as he looked back to the suddenly indifferent Prime, before reaching for his solid warhammer. Finally a chance to land a critical strike.
[WHAMM!]
Prime regained his senses right as he was slammed to the ground by the heavy weapon, and thus got to be in his right mind as his chest was smashed. An attack that was enough to cause serious pain and rupture a few inner mechanisms, but the automaton's still glowing optics told that Vuzrak's attack hadn't been enough to take him down completely. But alongside that look of pain was another, steadily stronger emotion. One that eventually overtook Prime completely. His gaze was sharp and narrow, his tightly closed fists were shaking and his voice box let out a seething grunt. In other words, the swordsman was absolutely livid.
"Don't you FUCKING do that again, old man!" Prime yelled.
A loud gasp surged through the onlooking crowd as Prime blew his lid. This was likely true for Vuzrak too, but seeing as the robot followed up his exclamation by charging in with swords blazing it was hard to tell. And before the startled Drow could react, the furious robot has forcibly thrusted his swords straight into his chest and midsection. That was painful enough, but Prime wasn't quite done yet. With the loud hum of his activated arm thrusters filling the air alongside his strained grunt, Prime lifted Vuzrak off of the ground over his shoulder. And as he slammed his opponent into the ground as hard as he could, the construct finished his fuming Giga Seesaw. But unlike every single previous time, Prime did not announce the attack name. Rather, he continued to call Vuzrak out.
"Listen up, you bastard! You can mess me up and beat me down all you want, but don't you ever - EVER - dare mess with who I am! I'm as much of a living being as anyone with a soul, and I'd rather die than have that taken away from me! How would YOU like it if someone just erased your whole personality and turned you into a mindless husk?! HUH?!" Prime snarled.
Vuzrak hadn't known just how seriously Prime took his individuality. Even something so simple as denying him the will to fight, even for less than a minute, was apparently a line that could never be crossed. So the cleric did the only thing he could: attempt to apologise for committing the unforgivable act.
"I'm sorry. I didn't kn-" Vuzrak started to telepathically message, only to be cut off by his seething foe.
"Zip it, holy man! You'd better prepare yourself, 'cause I'm gonna give you the harshest beatdown you've ever imagined!" Prime spat out, before twirling his swords around in preparation.
This angry, vengeful and even crude robot was a far cry from his usual excited and spirited self. Nobody in the arena had ever seen Prime like this before, and that went double for his own teammate. Goh'ji even paused in his tracks upon his rival's explosive retort; he knew Prime put great pride in who he was, but he never realised it was this intense. Then again, he supposed everyone must've had their berserk buttons. He sure did. But that was the moment when the Dragonborn's thoughts were interrupted by the intense electric shock striking him dead-on.
"Hey, we're not done yet! Don't you know better than turning your back on a lady?" Pulse shouted as her spell coursed through Goh'ji.
Now both members of Team Full Power suffered from their mistakes - in Prime's fit of blind rage and Goh'ji's drop of his guard as a consequence, they had both left themselves wide open for Pulse. And to make things worse for them, this huge spell did not only pierce right through both of them like a crackling arrow, but was also very familiar. This was a Lightning Bolt, the very same spell that Pulse had instinctively cast last year out of life-or-death desperation. But unlike the first time where the magical bolt had left Pulse utterly drained of power, this one had been cast at will with no ill effects. The mechanic had definitely had time to master the deadly spell. And with one more follow-up turret blast sending Goh'ji flying back towards his damaged friend, the duo realised that they needed a new plan.
"Hnnghh… damn, that one hurt. Goh'ji, we can't keep messing around. If we wanna win this, then Pulse needs to go down now!" Prime grunted.
"You mean… our secret combination? Prime, I'm not so sure. I know she's a great warrior, but that lightning must've hurt you a lot more than it hurt me. Are you sure we can risk performing such a powerful attack?" Goh'ji hesitantly whispered.
Prime turned around to face his teammate, and the look in his optics told everything. His anger had at least for now been replaced by a certain feeling of determination and respectful worry… perhaps even a hint of fear.
"We have to! If we don't take her out now, she's gonna wreck us both the moment she gets the chance! One fighter is gonna go down soon, and we can't afford to let one of us be that fighter!" Prime hastily continued.
Goh'ji had no good counterargument. Despite his natural resistances to lightning thanks to being a blue Dragonborn, the Lightning Bolt had still done a number on him. Not to mention how Prime, who lacked the luxury of such resistances, must have felt right now. And that was just her (admittedly strongest) magical attack - Pulse still had her firearms, her turret, her defences and who knows what else to fall back on. If Prime and Goh'ji wanted to take the win, they needed to pull out all the stops.
Still, Pulse wasn't as confident as Team Full Power imagined. Her force field was still holding, but if it were to break then a single strong hit might've been enough to seal her fate. And with the speed, strength and determination of these two, that risk would only increase the further they were pushed. Worse, Vuzrak was already on the brink of defeat. Prime's furious assault had left the cleric blurred and flickering, and despite his healing spells the automaton's Giga Seesaw had practically undone their effects. One more good hit and he'd be done for. So Pulse's worried mind quickly formulated the same plan as her opponents - finish them off, as fast as elvenly possible. If Pulse and Vuzrak wanted to take the win, they needed to pull out all the stops.
One way or the other, one team would have their fates decided very soon.
"Oh Prime… I didn't think it was THAT big an issue for you."
Unlike the tumultuous battlefield below and the stands around them, the contestants' watching area remained mostly silent. Tense and static, but silent. At least until Prime's lashing out at Vuzrak; that event had been enough to spark everything from shocked murmurs to impressed small talk. And in the case of his creator Abigail, a substantial dose of worrying. But despite her concern for her artificial friend, her thoughts kept trailing off elsewhere. To something overshadowing all else.
"Dammit, I should be head over heels over this. My prized creation and two of my good friends are out there fighting, and here I am missing half of it. All because of that blasted glitch in the universe!" the Half-Orc grumbled.
A full day had passed since she and Pulse had first sensed the horrid feeling, and the only thing anyone had learned was that it was getting closer and/or stronger. So the two people sitting beside Abigail, one of which being her close friend Ashes, could do nothing but nod in agreement. Or so the mechanic thought. Because by her other side was Root, and she had something to share.
"Yeah, I get what you mean. I'm sorry to hear it. But that's also why I asked the wizards to look into it! Other than you and Miss Pulse, they're probably the smartest guys in this group. So maybe… ah, there they are!" the young Genasi chirped.
As if on command, Gameron and Professor Suss returned to the stands with heaps of scrolls and paper sheets in hand. Now that Root mentioned it, Abigail had completely missed that the duo hadn't been present. She really was deep in thought, huh. Regardless, the reptilian wizards scuttled towards the middle seats as they struggled to maintain the grip on their many notes. But as they eventually got seated, they got to organising said notes while everyone else gathered round to listen. This was bound to be extremely important, after all.
"Everybody, may we have your attention for a moment? At the request of Miss Root, we've put our minds together to research all we could about this atmospheric anomaly. And I'll be frank here… while we do have some good news, the bad news are much grander. So since the action appears to have piped down for the moment, I hope you can all take our theories to heart" Gameron explained.
The Tortle was correct - right now Prime was about to convince Goh'ji that they needed their secret technique. Something that the onlooking contestants couldn't even hear from up here. So for once, they all agreed on something; for varying reasons, they all wanted to hear this.
"Thank you. Now, neither me or the professor are experts when it comes to the laws of the universe. However, we are versed enough to know what these laws are. We of course have the laws of physics, the laws of arcana and the balancing forces of the gods. Seeing as our respective recollections of these laws proved to match well, we can assume that the same is true for any known universe. Including this pocket dimension, barring perhaps the presence - but not the influence - of the gods. This strange 'glitch'? It goes against every single one of these laws. This thing exists outside all forms of logic and limits" Gameron gravely continued.
Not everyone listening had understood the wizard's big words, but they didn't need to. They all understood the weight behind them. And there was no use doubting them - right now, there were probably none out there who had a better understanding of this… thing. But none of them were any closer to the answer to what exactly it was, other than the fact that common sense just didn't apply. But given how Gameron nudged a hesitant Professor Suss, it quickly became clear that this was about to change. Even if it took a while for the Kobold to share his findings.
"Very well then, I will make an exception and let you all hear the results of my research before it is published. But make no mistake, this is only due to the gravity of this situation!" Professor Suss scoffed.
While the professor had gained some respect and insight for Gameron, his attitude towards everyone else hadn't changed much. So it was with some frustrated looks and the occasional groan that the unnerved contestants kept listening.
"As Sir Gameron explained, we are almost certain that this phenomenon is utterly unnatural. And after combining our lifetimes of findings, we have narrowed it down from three possible explanations to one. Our first theory was that this is the result of some sort of supermassive singularity - or in terms simple enough for you people to grasp, a gigantic black hole that slowly consumes this dimension. But such a phenomenon would have been visible, and this glitch has shown zero visible tracks. Our second theory was that it was the result of a dying divine being, such as a creator god or the like. But the very first hint of our sensation was arcane in nature - if this truly was the result of a dying god, then the cleric and the paladin would have been the first to sense it. Therefore, that leaves only one viable theory" Professor Suss lectured.
Everyone was now waiting for the answer with bated breath. Some out of dread, some out of impatience. And the former even went for the Kobold himself; as if the answer horrified him more than anyone. So it was after taking a deep breath to collect himself that the professor unveiled the final theory.
"This glitch goes against all laws of physics and arcana, and everything about its signature - or rather, lack thereof - is utterly unfathomable. Therefore, me and Sir Gameron have concluded this: The sensation has its source outside this dimension. This is some mystic force from a completely different universe. And through either magical, scientific or most likely unfathomable means, it has forcibly entered this one. As for the feeling of absence and wrongness that we now associate with it? That is the part that should warrant extreme cause for worry" the professor summarised.
"To cut straight to the source: It's breaking down the very fabric of reality. Its very existence results in it corrupting, or rather consuming, all sorts of matter around it. Erasing it completely, as if it had never existed in the first place. That is why me and Gameron have given it the designation of… the Absence" Professor Suss shivered.
The Absence. An indescribable cosmic force that consumed its way throughout the universe, slowly but surely approaching the site of the arena… at least if Professor Suss and Gameron were correct. But seeing as nobody else had any sort of idea at all, they were filled with the same dread as the wizards. So as the Kobold sat down to collect himself, the group's collective fears made themselves known. Either through shaken murmurs, wide eyes or - in at least one case - desperate affirmation.
"By gum… you're talking about the end of everything? You sayin' that this whole universe is gon' bite the dust?" Ashes whimpered.
The otherwise so huge and imposing Tiefling had never looked smaller as her composure melted down. And as Gameron gave an answer, it was clear that he wasn't much better off in that regard.
"We still know nothing for certain. We know it's going to be apocalyptic, but we can't confirm if it's going to reach the levels of universal extinction. For now we have to consider the possibility. Which leads me to arguably the most important point - we need to consider an escape plan. The Absence might get here before we've had the chance to leave, so we need to figure out a pl-"
However, not everyone was quaking with fear. Gameron was, like several times before, interrupted. This time by Molly; the Dwarf had different plans than to just run and hide.
"Running? You mean we just dip before we're beaten? No fucking way, Flippers! If that cosmic son of a bitch can just go between universes, then what's stopping it from just following us? No, I say we at least try to fight it first!" Molly snapped.
At that moment the watching area became filled with arguments. The red-headed sorcerer was far from the only one willing to stand against the unknown, just as Gameron was only one of many who weren't willing to stare into the abyss. Even the intense clash on the field beneath them became all but forgotten for a moment.
"Didn't you hear the man? We're talking the end of a whole damn universe! Staying to fight it is only gonna end with all of us dead!" John argued.
"Argument: There are approximately 250.000 individuals seated in this facility. Escaping to another dimension without ensuring their safe evacuation goes against my prime directive, and with great certainty most of your moral compasses as well" Inferno countered.
"That is true, my steaming friend. But we still need to at least be prepared to run! We might be strong together, but against a threat like this we have to know our limits!" Morgan discussed.
Options for both sides of the argument flew across the room for at least a minute, with neither side gaining any ground. But eventually, two loud gasps pierced through everything else. One from the massive audience surrounding them, one from Root clasping her mouth in shock as she saw what just transpired down there. Something mortifying had just occurred.
"Oh no! What is Mister Vuzrak DOING?!" the Genasi cried out.
"WOULD YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THAT! SEEMS LIKE TEAM FULL POWER ARE DONE MESSING AROUND, AND HAVE BROUGHT OUT THE BIG GUNS - OR SHOULD I SAY SWORDS? THE TIME FOR DESPERATE PLANNING IS OVER, AND NOW THEY'RE ABOUT TO CUT THROUGH THEIR OPPONENTS… WITH CONTESTANT PRIME'S SUPERCHARGED BLADES!"
While the other contestants were still in the middle of their argument, they had either missed or neglected Googlorp's loud announcement. Along with the martial artists' big move. Thus none of them had given much thought to the fact that both of Prime's swords were now crackling with unbelievable amounts of shining ki. Not only had the construct just channelled his own energy into his weapons, but so had Goh'ji. The result? Two sharp swords, each one coated by turbulent sheets of sparking golden energy, with enough power to slice through practically anything. To slice through practically anyone.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that such amounts of ki boosting the swords' power would take down even the most powerful of people, so Pulse's wide eyes and sweat drops were fully understandable. Even her force field wouldn't be able to block that amount of power. Thus her brain quickly formulated a last-minute plan - try to discharge all that energy, and for the love of everything don't allow Prime to hit her. But with all the panic filling her mind, coupled with Prime's blinding speed… would such a thing even be possible?
"Get ready, champion! For our ultimate combination! METAL GIGACHARGE!" Prime shouted from the bottom of his voice box.
And with that, the riled-up robot took off in a mad dash. With composure thrown to the wind, the shaken Pulse did the only thing she could - she fought back with everything she had. And so the Drow unleashed a barrage of lead, fire and force. Countless bullets, turret blasts and the occasional spells blasted through the air towards the charging fighter; a volley that had previously proven enough to take down the much tougher Ashes. There was just one problem… Prime barely slowed down.
A combination of Pulse's rapidly dropping composure and Prime's sheer speed meant that most projectiles went right past him, and those who hit weren't enough to make him stop. Nothing the inventor had did the trick. And that was the moment, that critical moment, that Pulse realised she couldn't stop this. Goh'ji might've been left exhausted after channelling his ki into his ally's weapons, but as it turned out Prime alone was all that was needed. Pulse couldn't stop him and he was way too fast to avoid. So the Drow closed her eyes to prepare for the inevitable, all the while mentally apologising to her dad.
This was the end for Team Overdark.
[SHNNK!]
Everything appeared to stop as the loud gasp surged through the stands. Not another sound was uttered, no moves were made and every set of eyes were focused on the same spot. All of this barring the last point went double for Pulse. The inventor's eyes were still shut tight as her attacker had landed the supercharged thrust… and yet, she hadn't felt anything. All she knew was that Prime had pierced something - she had heard the loud metallic sound, the audience's gasp and the sharp boom as the ki had detonated inside the attack's target in a big burst. But she had felt nothing. And as she slowly opened one eye, she realised exactly why. She realised who Prime had actually hit.
"D-dad? Oh no, DAD!"
Everyone's attention had been either on the charging Prime or on the panicking Pulse. Nobody had paid any attention to Vuzrak as he'd recovered from his robotic opponent's furious assault. They had all missed when he'd gotten back on his feet, just in time to see that opponent run towards his daughter with dynamically amplified blades. They had all missed when he'd instinctively run up towards them… but they had not missed when he desperately threw himself in front of Pulse. Vuzrak had taken not just the full brunt of the Metal Gigacharge, but the violent burst of ki from the centre of where the swords had struck him. All without a second of hesitation.
Time appeared to completely stop for a moment. Both members of Team Full Power remained standing in place; neither of them had expected the cleric to do this. And as for Pulse, she was still left wide-eyed in horror as she realised what had just happened. But that was the moment that her earlier gut feeling returned in full force. She hadn't been able to place it when the match had started, but now the reason was clear as day. Her entire body was filled with anguished dread as the avatar of her smiling father started to fade away.
"Wh-what's going on? No. No no no no. Stop it, old man! I didn't mean to…" Prime stuttered as his swords went right through the fading image.
The construct was left horrified. He'd meant to take Pulse out of the match with his supercharged blow, not to possibly erase Vuzrak's soul. He had no idea what would happen now, and he'd never really wanted to find out. But as much as Prime was left in shocked horror, that was nothing compared to Pulse. Not even close.
"N-no… dad, stay with me! You can't let this happen! Come on, please!" the young Drow choked as she feebly tried to grasp Vuzrak's arm.
Pulse had already lost so much in her days. She'd lost her right hand to a childhood accident, leaving her with a cold metallic prosthetic. She'd lost her faith in people after a lifetime of persecution based on her looks, not regaining it until the events of last year's tournament. She'd lost all her remaining innocence on her and her friends' adventure back in her own universe. She didn't want to lose her dad too, especially since this time might've been for good. But right as the tears started falling, a deep caring voice cut through it all. Vuzrak's voice.
"Do not grieve. Soon, I shall be one with Arvandor… Lady Eilistraee's realm. But this is still goodbye, starlight. Like I told you; I wouldn't be around forever. The best father-daughter team this side of existence has fought its final battle" the weakening image of Vuzrak reassured.
That shouldn't have been possible. The cleric hadn't been able to utter a single sentence since his temporary return, yet here he was now clearly saying farewell. Pulse could only chalk it up to a miracle courtesy of Eilistraee. Of course, she was still too choked up to answer. So Vuzrak continued as his voice slowly dimmed.
"My only regret is that you will have to go on alone. But then again, you're never alone. Not with all the good people you've surrounded yourself with! By Eilistraee, I am so proud of the woman you grew up to be. And I am so pro…"
That was as far as he got before his avatar completely disappeared. Vuzrak's avatar had been broken, finally cutting his last ties to the mortal realm. The champion of Eilistraee had fully left this plane, leaving behind only his silent daughter. Leaving behind his legacy.
"I-I never meant for this to happen. I didn't think he'd just… I thought he'd just shut down until the fight was over! Dammit, I'm so sorry. Th-this is all on me" Prime stuttered after moments of devastated silence.
He wasn't lying; he might've still been mad at the Drow for messing with his head, but he never wanted to go this far. Nobody had known for sure what would've happened if Vuzrak's avatar was killed, least of all Prime. But as there was nothing left of him to apologise to, all eyes were on the kneeling Pulse. Until she slowly stood up, gaze still locked to the ground beneath her.
"He knew this could and would happen. We both did. We knew he was likely to be defeated eventually. I just… I just didn't think it would happen so fast. Or that he would be fully… gone. Without any sort of trace" the young Drow lamented.
Her sickening gut feeling had been joined by two new ones. One was grief; grief at having her dad taken away yet again, this time without time for her to say goodbye. The other one was all too familiar. The same feeling from several times last year; from when she'd had her ribs broken by a supercharged Alva, when Ashes' piercing question had made her lose sight of her goal and when Prime had been careening towards her after critically wounding her. The feeling of hopelessness. Right now, Pulse saw no chance at victory nor a reason to go on. And yet, she gritted her teeth as she raised her head.
Pulse was done giving up.
"But I ain't gonna surrender now. Dad wouldn't want me to give up like this, and you know what? Neither do I. You might be outnumbering me, but I'll make damn sure you won't outgun me. I am the champion of the first Multiversal Tournament, and I'm gonna make my last stand right here! This isn't over - not until I win or until I drop dead!" the champion declared.
Finally the crowd started cheering again. And given the sorrow-filled shock that had up until now reigned supreme among them, Pulse's defiant declaration was something very needed. It seemed that this revitalising surge of energy affected Team Full Power too; Prime wordlessly stood up while clutching his swords tight, while Goh'ji flashed a relieved grin as Pulse reignited her fighting spirit. A grin that quickly turned upside down as Prime was suddenly knocked towards him at high speeds.
"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY… OTHER THAN TO MOURN IN SHOCK AT CONTESTANT VUZRAK'S ACT OF SELF-SACRIFICE! SUCH AN EXPERIENCE MUST'VE BEEN A GREATER BLOW TOWARDS CONTESTANT PULSE THAN ANYONE COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE, AND YET SHE'S STILL FIGHTING ON! WE WILL MOURN THE SUDDEN LOSS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT WHILE HIS DAUGHTER KEEPS GOING WE CAN ONLY MARVEL AT SUCH DETERMINATION! TEAM OVERDARK ISN'T DONE JUST YET - NOT WHILE THE GADGETEER CHAMPION CARRIES ON ITS WILL!"
Prime and Goh'ji would've shared Googlorp's admiration if they hadn't been sent crashing to the ground for gods know which time. Not only that, but yet again they found themselves in complete darkness. Team Overdark had really gotten a lot of mileage out of that spell. It took a moment to untangle themselves and jump out of the dark dome, but jump out they did. And just like always, Pulse had used this moment to bring out her latest tool. But this time she'd held nothing in reserve. Strapped around her arm: the Photon Shield, fully lit up and active. Held in her hands: her Ranged Infra-Focus Life Extinguisher, or R.I.F.L.E. for short. And hovering around her head was something new. A roughly head-sized copper sphere adorned with 4 metallic barrels in the same vein as her turret, coupled with two magical insectoid wings. Her latest invention that had yet to be introduced.
"I'm gonna put this in a way you two theatre kids can understand. Dad might be gone, but I'm still gonna win this. Why? I'll tell you why! I am the smartest Drow my world has ever known! I am among the only handful of people who's both willing AND capable of saving my universe from demonic forces! I am the champion of the first ever Multiversal Tournament! In other words? I'm what you get when the stars align!" Pulse announced in her loudest tone.
With that, the inventor's many creations all began to click and hum. The turret vibrated like it always did before unleashing its blasts, the barrels of the hovering sphere lit up in four differently coloured lights and the firearm was pointed straight towards the careful duo. This was the champion holding nothing back. This was Pulse's everything.
"And you? Face it, you're just an enemy!"
With those words, Pulse let loose everything she had. Countless bullets, force blasts and streams of elemental magic crashed through the air towards the prepared Team Full Power; even one of those projectiles would've been enough to seriously hurt any regular person, and the martial artists had to face down hundreds of them. So they counterattacked the only way they could - they stopped playing around. Prime and Goh'ji focused all their attention on the surrounding volley, using every ounce of effort they had to avoid it. And to their credit, they did a remarkable job. But against such a cacophonous storm of bullets and magic, nobody could escape unscathed. By the time the dust began to settle, its effects were clear as day.
"Gnngh… th-that's all you've… all you've g-got?" Prime stuttered as he struggled to keep himself standing.
The martial artists had taken countless hits from the mechanic's unshackled assault, and it showed. Prime's body was covered in dents and even some holes from the many bullets, not to mention how parts of his armour had been blasted clean off. All the more visible thanks to his gi being left in smouldering tatters covering not much more than his upper legs. And the just that little bit slower Goh'ji was arguably worse off. With all those bullet wounds in his limbs and tail, in addition to his marred torso from icy and fiery blasts alike, it was a wonder he was still even standing upright. Even his two horns had been practically shattered, and as the more eagle-eyed onlookers noted he even appeared to be missing the tip of his tail. Team Full Power were still in the fight, but as soon as that adrenaline - or Prime's equivalent to it - wore off then that was sure to change.
But judging by the steam emanating from the orange glow of Pulse's weaponry, it was obvious that she wasn't that much better off. Both her turret and her hovering magical sphere had been pushed past the brink, and with how much more difficult the ammunition for the R.I.F.L.E. was to make compared to the G.U.N. the weapon was already completely out. In other words, her biggest guns were all spent. So the Drow simply shoved her hand into her Bag of Holding to quickly pull out her trusty Photon Shield, and after re-equipping her Gauntlets of Ogre Power she glared back towards Team Full Power. They still had to break through the defences of the Gadgeteer Champion.
"You're truly worthy to be called the champion! But we are not defeated yet, and we never will be! Prime, let's finish this with all we still have!" Goh'ji stated.
The automaton didn't answer - partly due to his laser focus, partly due to his damaged voice box - but he still flourished his swords. His systems reported an estimate of 84% damage to his outer armour and about 9% power remaining, but his determination might as well have exceeded 100%. Either he and Goh'ji fell here or they defeated the reigning champ - one way or the other, things would end here and now. With this one final charge towards Pulse.
"FOLKS, THIS IS IT! THE MOURNING WILL HAVE TO WAIT, BECAUSE NOW THE FINAL CLASH IS ABOUT TO OCCUR! WILL CONTESTANT PULSE EXCEED HER OWN LOFTY REPUTATION AND WIN THIS ON HER OWN, OR WILL TEAM FULL POWER PUSH THROUGH THEIR LIMITS TO TOPPLE HER AND WIN THE REMATCH OF THE MILLENNIUM? I CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS - CONTESTANTS, GIVE US ALL THE GREATEST SHOW THE MULTIVERSE HAS EVER SEEN!"
Even at the eleventh hour, the two martial artists were still displaying steadily improving teamwork. The comparatively more agile Prime rushed up towards Pulse first to direct as much attention he could to himself, while Goh'ji followed behind him while preparing for his own big attack. The construct reached Pulse first, and after narrowly dodging a shield bash he dashed behind her back. But all the damage he'd taken was notably showing itself; Prime's dual slash never got to be executed before Pulse grabbed his head with her free hand. Now she was free to crush his head and seal her victory… if it hadn't been for Goh'ji. Prime had just enough time to direct Pulse's attention towards the bigger threat before he'd be forcibly taken offline.
"Now or never, Goh'ji! BLAST HER!" Prime shouted.
Pulse's eyes went wide with shock behind her goggles as the crackling blue light got brighter by the second. The Dragonborn had just finished charging his lightning breath, and as long as she clutched Prime she wouldn't be able to block it in time. So the Drow muttered a silent curse as she threw the weakened robot to the side, before hoisting up her shield at the last second. And with a thundering boom, Goh'ji's final surge of energy collided with Pulse's most effective defence. The scaled martial artist's last shot at victory.
[THOOMM!]
Pulse gritted her teeth as her shield rapidly started to lose energy. Goh'ji had very little energy left to put into the blast, but it was still enough to put the inventor on the backfoot. But after 6 long seconds of defending, the pressure finally let up. And as it turned out, nobody had won the fight. Pulse had successfully prevented the lightning from busting through her… but at the cost of her shield. The broken frame was left dulled and unusable from the damage - nothing but dead weight. Which meant that all the Drow had left were her gauntlets, one or two spells and a force field to save her from being instantly slashed apart or broken down. Odds that didn't discourage her even for a second.
"Fine then, one more hit it is! Come on, you two!" Pulse shouted.
By her quick calculations, she was right on the money; by this point Prime's outer armour and Goh'ji's… more or less everything were beaten within an inch of their life. And yet despite this, the determined duo remained much faster than her. Reaching for her G.U.N. or preparing a Chaos Bolt or Scorching Ray would take too long, which meant that the mechanic had to rely on her gauntlets and force field. So when Goh'ji came close enough to go for a desperate palm thrust, Pulse was ready to deliver her coup de grace. There was just one problem… she hadn't taken her own dropping energy into the equation. In other words, her unexpectedly slow uppercut missed.
Pulse's durability had never been that impressive; with the adrenaline starting to wear off, the earlier blows she'd taken began to take their toll. And with her turbulent mindset right now, she'd not even noticed it. But she did notice the Dragonborn's relentless flurry of blows crashing into her, each strike hitting harder than the last. Not because Goh'ji was getting stronger - quite the opposite, he was running on fumes at this point. But rather because her force field was getting pushed closer and closer to its limit. Until finally, after one last reckless headbutt, the shimmering field shattered into innumerable pieces. Pulse had at last been left defenceless… but so had Goh'ji.
"Bad move, Goh'ji!" the Drow grunted.
That was the last thing Goh'ji heard before his vision finally went black. Pulse's following backhand was too much for his broken body, knocking him down motionless to the ground without as much as a whimper. However, Pulse knew full well that she couldn't afford to celebrate just yet. Prime was still online, and it was only a matter of time before he'd-
"F-FINISHIIING… MOVE!"
And with that cry piercing the air, Pulse only had a brief moment to realise what was about to happen. So as her eyes went wide and her back was torn right open, a crushing reality made itself clear.
Pulse had finally been defeated.
"LETHAL…"
With her force field down, Pulse had nothing left to defend with. But at the edge of defeat, Prime didn't dare leaving anything up to chance. So he followed up his first slash with another one, then another and yet another. He would not stop until he physically couldn't slash anymore.
"DANGER…"
The onlooking crowd watched on in a mix of amazement and sheer disbelief. The seemingly unbeatable champion, who'd just recently overwhelmed two martial artists on her own, was now getting sliced apart. And up in the contestants' watching area, all the talk about the Absence was all but forgotten. Some saw a friend getting mauled along with her almost legendary status, others saw another friend overcome his hurdle once and for all. Either way, they watched on. Watched as the most anticipated battle of the tournament came to a shocking end.
"FLURRY!"
By now Pulse had taken more sword slashes than anyone dared to count, and yet Prime didn't stop. That was the whole point of his finisher variant of the Danger Flurry - don't stop until you physically cannot continue. But eventually, the attacks slowly began to cease. Prime's arm hydraulics had been completely worn out by now, and thus both of his arms had gone limp. He barely had enough power left to stand, let alone fight. But despite all this, despite the sheer damage from the Lethal Danger Flurry, he did not stand alone. Pulse was still on her feet.
The Drow was covered head to toe in deep crimson wounds. Her bloodied body had been stained as red as her hair, and her clothes had been left in shredded tathers. She had even lost her organic left arm completely, the limb lying motionlessly before her in a red puddle. And yet there was a glint in her eye. One that refused to give up, that refused to stop this close to the finish line. One that still hadn't admitted defeat. But that glint quickly faded as what was left of her body finally gave in. Pulse fell to the ground with an undignified thud, and as the silence settled in so did the reality of the scene. The battle was over, and the champion's undefeated status with it.
If Prime hadn't been teetering on the edge of going offline, he'd have still been
unlikely to make a sound. He and his rival had actually done it. They'd overcome the one that had beaten Prime on her own last year, all with purely their own strength and prowess. The wall was overcome. Of course, the consequences of that win prevented the robot from celebrating; he could barely move a gyro, let alone dance around in victory. At least he was better off than the decimated Goh'ji and the surely dying Pulse. But before anything could be done about that, the results needed to be announced. Just like always, one of the tournament's hired fairies fluttered in to do her job before it was too late.
"10!"
"9!"
"8!"
"7!"
"6!"
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"K.O!"
"BY ALL THE GODS OUT THERE, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! AT THE LAST MOMENT, THE GADGETEER CHAMPION GETS OVERWHELMED AND DEFEATED… MEANING THAT TEAM FULL POWER TAKES THE WIN! IN THE END, THEIR NUMBERS ADVANTAGE PROVED TO BE TOO MUCH EVEN FOR CONTESTANT PULSE'S FIREPOWER! THREE CHEERS FOR CONTESTANTS PRIME AND GOH'JI - OUR FIRST FINALISTS!"
The shock plastered across everyone's faces could not be understated. Not just because of Pulse's defeat, but because of just how suddenly it had happened. But eventually all the emotions started to settle in. Some disappointment, some repulsion at all the blood and even some anger. But most of all: undying excitement. The cheers had returned in full force, completely blotting out whatever negativity still present.
Of course, Goh'ji was badly wounded and Pulse was hanging on by a thread. So when the familiar white healing field turned on beneath the arena floor, more than a few people breathed a sigh of relief. Pulse especially so, even if she only regained consciousness by the time her clothes and wrecked tools repaired themselves. Probably for the best - seeing your many wounds and severed arm heal up would've been a rancid sight for anyone. Goh'ji and Prime didn't miss anything about their own recoveries however, barring the former missing some bullet wounds even out and Prime's busted arms regaining their mobility. And by the time they were fully restored, they could finally fully realise what had just happened. Which of course meant some thrilled celebrations.
While Team Full Power practically danced around in tune with the crowd's cheering, the recently awoken Pulse remained sitting where she was. There were so many thoughts that wanted to fill her mind; too many for just one to take hold. Surprise and disappointment were the first to disappear, however. Her loss hadn't come out of the blue - any hit stronger than a basic kick would be enough to fell her without her defences, and in the end it had still been two against one. Plus, her win from the first tournament was still intact. It was just her undefeated status that had gone down the drain, along with Team Overdark's role in this tournament. Of course, that thought quickly started to gain ground in her turbulent mind. Along with the blue light shining beneath her.
The cheering started to quiet down a bit as the tournament staff tried what they could for Vuzrak, which meant that the revival field was activated. To no effect in the slightest. When it disappeared, there were still only three people on the battlefield. And at least Pulse wasn't surprised. From what she'd gathered about the field, it worked by way of healing a deceased contestant's lethal wounds before resuscitating their still attached soul… but with no body to heal, Vuzrak's spirit was already too far gone.
"WELL THEN, EVERYONE… we can do no more. Contestant Vuzrak has truly left us. Let us all have a moment of silence for the fallen hero, and pray that his spirit remains somewhere out there. Such a selfless final act deserves at least that" Googlorp lamented.
The otherwise turbulent audience followed that advice. Hundreds of thousands of people all closed their eyes as they fell silent; either praying to whatever gods they revered or just somberly remembering the departed. Even Prime and Goh'ji stopped their fired-up frolicking to join them. And by the time it ended and the steady murmurs filled the air again, Pulse was visibly struggling to keep it together. But even as the victors approached her, she managed to put the matter to the side for now.
"We're… so sorry about this. I never thought this would ever happen, and if I did I wouldn't have rushed in like that. We're really sorry about your loss, Pulse. You don't have to forgive us, just know that we regret everything about what we've done" Prime sighed, with a visibly saddened Goh'ji behind him.
Pulse would've been lying to herself if she claimed to not hold anything against the duo. They might not have wanted or even predicted that her dad would've been destroyed, but it was still Prime's hand that had done the deed. It was her grief against their regret, and she didn't even hesitate to decide which one to listen to.
"Both of us knew the risks. Dad would've always struggled against most people in the tournament, and he never once backed down. And I should've been ready to agree with him from the start. What I'm saying is I forgive you, and I'm definitely certain that he would do the same. But still, thank you. I'm glad you said that" the Drow murmured.
"But other than that, you've won! Congrats on the finalist spot, you two. Go win the whole thing now, you hear?" Pulse added in a more uplifting tone.
She extended both of her hands for a dual fist bump; something that the martial artists responded with eagerly. But among the excited exclamations and gratefulness, Pulse felt something else. A hint of… security. Pulse had never been the religious type, but she had her guesses as to what this was. The Dark Maiden's own way of reaffirming that Vuzrak was safely returned to her. At least, that's what she hoped. Any other answer was too crushing to imagine. But that hope was enough to make Pulse smile just a little bit.
"AND WITH THAT, WE'LL THANK CONTESTANT PULSE FOR LIVING UP TO HER TITLE OF CHAMPION AND AS THE GREATEST LEGACY HER FATHER COULD'VE ASKED FOR! AND WE'LL CONGRATULATE TEAM FULL POWER FOR A NARROW, BUT ASTOUNDING VICTORY! BUT WITH THAT WIN, THEY'VE ALSO BECOME OUR FIRST FINALISTS! THEIR POSSIBLE OPPONENTS WILL BE COMING RIGHT UP, BUT WHOEVER THEY WILL BE THEY'LL NEED TO CONTEST WITH THE POWER OF ULTIMATE FIGHTING SPIRIT! THE BURNING STRENGTH OF LOVE OR FRIENDSHIP OUT OF THIS WORLD - WE'LL GET TO SEE THE STRONGER FORCE VERY SOON! HOLD ON TO YOUR BEHINDS, FOLKS: WE'RE NOT DONE JUST YET!"
Unlike her many friends, Pulse had to leave the battlefield on her own. And that meant that she could finally address her many thoughts in full, especially the hurtful ones. She was out of the tournament. She'd lost in front of so many people that had wanted her to pull through. She had lost her father again, this time almost certainly for good. And among all of this was that godsdamn impending doom coming ever closer. Pulse managed to keep these thoughts in check long enough to hype up the passerby next team, but as soon as they were gone her thoughts returned in full force. Until she couldn't take them anymore. Until she finally broke down.
"Dammit. Damn it all. Dad… this is all too much. I can't… I can't handle all this" Pulse sobbed.
Not even the bravest facade can be kept up forever. And not even the strongest soul can handle everything without crumbling. Thus, as soon as she was certain nobody was around to see her, Pulse finally let herself start crying. In her own mind, the supposedly greatest in the multiverse was nothing more than an overwhelmed mess; one that was once again left alone as annihilation came ever closer. An annihilation that she knew she had to figure out, but still had no idea as to how. And as the action kept going just a few metres away, Pulse's broken crying was the only sound filling the dark and empty room.
The Multiversal Tag-team Tournament was about to reach its climax, but its contestants were slowly becoming less and less ready to keep going.