AN: New dungeon is dropping for D2 on the 7th, supposedly it takes place in Rhulk's Pyramid ship. Hopefully it expands more on the Upended, Rhulk glazed that thing way too much. I thought about formatting the Backwards magic so it was easier to read, but it rapidly became a pain in my ass so I abandoned it.

Zavala POV:

The office is quiet, save for the hum of the holoscreen as it replays the footage for what must be the fifth time. I sit, hands steepled as I watch the events unfold yet again. Beside me, Ikora leans forward, her eyes scanning every frame.

On the screen, Mavriel hovers above the ruins of a castle in the EDZ. His voice is excited, almost otherworldly as he begins to chant. The temperature visibly rises; snow melts into steam, stone glows red, and the air itself seems to shimmer.

Then, it happens.

The massive spear he conjured erupts with reddish light, and a pillar of energy tears through the earth, obliterating everything in its path. The mountain doesn't just collapse; it disintegrates, reduced to molten rock and ash in a single, cataclysmic instant. The shockwave ripples outward, shaking the heavens and leaving a crater so deep that it vanishes into darkness.

The video ends with Mavriel standing at the edge of the destruction, his spear casually resting on his shoulder, a grin on his face as he surveys the aftermath, while Spectre chides him for not warning her.

I exhale slowly, breaking the silence. "Pause it."

Ikora waves a hand, and the image freezes on Mavriel's figure, framed by the molten chasm he created. For a moment, neither of us speaks.

"This..." I begin, searching for the right words. "This is beyond anything I've ever seen. No Guardian could accomplish this."

Ikora nods, her expression grim. "It defies every limit we understand about Light. This isn't the Traveler's gift at work, Zavala. It's something else entirely."

"His 'Wizardry.'" I say the word with careful deliberation, the term heavy on my tongue. Mavriel's explanation for his abilities had always been vague, and something I've never cared much to pry about beyond confirming its lack of connection to Darkness.

Ikora leans back in her chair, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "It has to be. Nothing in our understanding of the Light or Darkness explains what we just witnessed. That weapon he summoned, the sheer energy it unleashed, it's like he's operating on a completely different plane of existence. Satellites picked up the energy readings, and they confuse even me."

"And yet, he did this without hesitation." I say, my voice hardening. "He reduced an entire mountain to slag as though it were nothing more than a training exercise. The sheer recklessness..."

Ikora glances at me, her gaze sharp. "Reckless, yes. But deliberate. He knew exactly what he was doing, Zavala. He chose that site, that moment, to test his power."

"At what cost?" I counter, gesturing toward the screen. "Look at this destruction. What if there had been patrols nearby? The Ghost you have spying on him was nearly incinerated by the attack! We don't even know the limits of his abilities; or if there even are limits."

Ikora exhales sharply, rubbing her temples. "I understand your frustration. But we can't ignore the implications of what we've seen. Mavriel isn't just powerful; he's a game changer. If this 'Wizardry' is the source of his strength, we need to understand it. Possibly even learn it."

"Learn it?" I shake my head, my voice rising despite myself. "Ikora, we're talking about a Guardian wielding power on a scale we can barely comprehend. What if he loses control? What if this 'Wizardry' has consequences we don't yet understand? The Traveler's Light is a known quantity; we've spent centuries mastering it. But this..."

Ikora's eyes narrow, and for a moment, the room feels even smaller. "You think I don't see the danger? I do. Mavriel may be unorthodox, but he's proven time and again that he's on our side."

"For now." I say, my tone quieter. "Power like this... it changes people. And it changes the way people perceive them. He's to us as the Warlord's were to the Lightless. Doesn't that frighten you?"

She doesn't respond immediately, instead turning her gaze back to the frozen image of Mavriel looking sheepish as Spectre scolds him. "No."

I grunt softly. "Well he scares me. We need to proceed with caution. I want a full report on his activities, every detail we can gather about his abilities, his history, and this so-called 'Wizardry.' If we're going to continue to trust him, we need to know what we're dealing with."

"I'll assign more of the Hidden to the task." Ikora replies. "Discreetly. I doubt it'll reveal anything he wishes to keep truly private. He's annoyingly perceptive, as of late. Although… We could always ask him about what he did. He trusts us, Zavala."

"I hadn't considered that option." I admit. It's not often that asking actually works, after all. "... What of the Exo that infiltrated the Hidden hangar? It doesn't sit well with me that someone could bypass all our security like that."

Ikora frowns. "Her description matched with the rumors of the Exo Stranger. The audio sensors were unable to pick up the conversation they had, unfortunately. Technicians believe she used some form of jammer, but for some reason she didn't block the video feed."

I raise my eyebrows. "She didn't care if we knew she was there, she just wanted to speak privately with him."

Ikora nods. "That's the conclusion I drew as well."

"Another mystery. I miss when things were simpler."

Ikora pats me on the shoulder. "Times change. That's the way of the world."

I sigh. "Indeed."

Mavriel POV, minutes earlier:

The landscape is still cooling as I stand at the edge of the molten crater I've created. Smoke rises in great plumes, twisting into the sky, and the air shimmers with residual heat. What used to be Warlord's Ruin is now nothing more than a glowing scar on the earth.

It's then I notice movement; a small flicker on the horizon. A Ghost. One of my regular stalkers. It's fleeing, its shell visibly damaged, warped and melted from the sheer intensity of my attack. I blink, surprised it managed to survive at all.

Even with my eyes and Haki, I still miss things sometimes. To be fair though, the Ghost was miles away, up in the sky. If it had been much closer, I would have noticed it with my Haki, but I don't often have much reason to look up, so my eyes didn't catch it.

I don't really mind the spying though. If you think about it, I'm basically like the Pope, if the Pope could casually talk to God and ask for favors. Of course people want to know where I am.

If I really wanted privacy, I could always escape notice. Chaining a few long distance teleports or going invisible and raising my perception filters would probably work.

I should probably fix the little guy up though.

"Tropelet yps ot em!" I intone, a slight echo in my voice.

A flash of yellow light illuminates the scorched ground, and the damaged Ghost appears before me, frozen mid-flight.

"Crap." It mutters, its single eye darting around wildly.

"Sorry about that." I say, keeping my tone light. "I didn't realize anyone was nearby. Let me fix that for you. Riaper tsohg!"

The magic flows effortlessly, and before my eyes, the Ghost's shell begins to shift. The melted parts smooth out, flowing back into place like molten metal cooling into a mold. The cracked lens repairs itself, becoming pristine once more. In seconds, the Ghost looks good as new, a generic shell adorning its frame.

It blinks, its eye focusing on me. "Ah. Thanks?"

"You're welcome." I smile. "Always nice to know I can repair damaged Ghosts."

The Ghost hesitates, then asks nervously, "... Can I go?"

"Sure." I reply with a shrug, watching as it darts off without another word. "Safe travels!"

"From the gibberish, I assume you got another new magic." Spectre says, drawing my attention.

I nod. "Backwards magic. Very freeform, incredibly useful."

"Backwards-? Oh. Not reversing the whole sentence, but just each word while keeping them in the same original order. Interesting." She says. "Any limits?"

"Can't resurrect the dead-" With this magic anyway. "- And while it's powerful, I still have to manage my energy. If I push too hard, I'll burn out. But in theory, with enough training, I could do just about anything. In fact… Nruter su ot eht rewot!"

Another flash of yellow light engulfs us, and the world shifts. When it steadies, we're standing in the middle of the Tower, surrounded by startled Guardians.

Spectre wobbles in the air, her normally steady flight disrupted. "Woah, that felt odd." She glances around, realizing where we are. "We just traveled thousands of miles."

"Yup." I say casually, though I'm slightly winded. Long-distance teleportation on that scale isn't trivial.

"I'll send instructions for your ship to autopilot back." She says, her eye flickering as she does.

Ignoring the stares and murmurs from the Guardians around us, I begin walking toward a place I rarely visit: my office.

It's a modest room, tucked away in a quieter corner of the Tower. The door slides open with a soft hiss, revealing a space that's practically barren. A desk, similar to Zavala's but less imposing, sits near the center. A workbench lines one wall, its tools neatly arranged but untouched, and the shelves are mostly empty, save for a few trinkets and books I've collected over time.

The room was meant to serve as a place where Guardians could seek me out for guidance, for spiritual matters, or simply to talk. But I've avoided using it, preferring the field to the confines of an office. Still, the window has a decent view of the Traveler, its pale form visible through a large window.

"Kcol rood." I mutter, the door's electronic lock activating with my spell. "Do me a favor-" I say, turning to Spectre. "-and sweep the place for bugs. Disable any you find."

Spectre floats off my shoulder, her single eye scanning the room in measured arcs. I drop into the chair behind my desk, the stiff leather creaking under my weight. Stretching out my limbs, I relish the momentary silence.

After about a minute, Spectre hovers back toward me. "Found three. They're disabled."

"Good." I say, though I frown slightly. "Just in case, though… Liev fo ycavirp!"

A faint, hazy shimmer expands from my position, stretching to every corner of the room. It's a comforting sight; any electronic surveillance still active will have to deal with a whole lot of nothing.

So convenient.

"Spectre." I say, leaning back in the chair. "See if it's possible to requisition a bunch of jeweler-quality diamonds."

Spectre tilts slightly, her version of a curious eyebrow raise. "I can turn Glimmer into diamonds myself. It's an incredibly simple molecular structure to form. Don't even need a matterforge."

Right. Sometimes I forget Glimmer is programmable matter. Amazing what a sci-fi world can pull off.

"Go ahead." I say with a shrug. "A few of my Sorcery spells need diamonds to work." I pause, drumming my fingers on the desk. "Finding someone to test Revivify on will be a pain, though. Maybe an enemy combatant?"

Spectre doesn't respond immediately, but her silence feels loaded with judgment.

I sigh. "I know. It's cruel to resurrect someone right after killing them, but I need to confirm if the spell actually works in this universe. Different metaphysics could screw it up, but I've got a good feeling it'll hold."

My gaze drifts around the room. It's painfully bare; Not exactly the comforting aesthetic you'd want for spiritual guidance or delicate diplomatic talks, but I haven't had much time to care about decoration.

"Lartceps sdnah egassam em." Two spectral hands appear behind me, their ethereal forms translucent and glowing faintly. They knead into the tense muscles in my back, and I let out a low groan of satisfaction.

"Ahh…" I mutter, leaning forward to let them reach the tight spots.

Decorating can wait. Relaxation first.

Spectre interrupts my reprieve, her voice sharp. "Mav, emergency call from Zavala."

I groan, the tension creeping back into my shoulders. "Ugh. Fine. Put it through to the holoscreen."

A screen on the desk flickers to life, and Zavala's stern face appears. He seems annoyed. "Mavriel, could you please explain why and how you blew up an entire mountain?"

I blink. "Have you ever read up on pre-Golden Age Hindu mythology?"

He tilts his head slightly. "I'm not familiar with it."

"I'll keep it simple then. Big spear-" I say, gesturing with my hands. "-lets me convert mystical energy into a big ass laser beam. Scorches the area around me as a side effect. The castle I torched housed the remains of a particularly powerful Ahamkara. If left alone, it would've started gathering Taken, which would eventually corrupt it. I wanted somewhere to test my spear, so… two birds, one stone."

Zavala's frown deepens. "Could others use it?"

I sigh as one of the spectral hands works on a particularly tender muscle. "Highly doubt it. I've got multiple different mystical energies coursing through me at any given moment. Light's potent, but it's not what powers this thing. It's not viable for anyone else."

He grunts, clearly not satisfied. "The Exo who bypassed all our security to speak with you. Who is she?"

The question catches me off guard. I still, my muscles tensing. "Sdnah llepsid." I murmur, dismissing the spectral hands as I sit up straighter.

My voice drops, becoming cold. "She's a friend of mine. Very private."

"I need more than that." Zavala presses, his tone firm but not unkind.

I meet his gaze through the screen. "Ask someone else, then."

"Mavriel." He begins, the faintest edge of frustration creeping into his voice, "A threat like this can't be-"

I end the call with a flick of my hand, the holoscreen going dark.

Spectre hums thoughtfully. "That's one way to handle it."

"Not in the mood for interrogations." I mutter, leaning back in my chair. My fingers drum against the armrest as I replay the conversation in my head. Zavala means well. But I'm not spilling Elsie's secrets without her permission.

Days later, the door to my office slams open faster than it normally moves with a resounding bang, the offender's Ghost vanishing after cracking the lock. I barely glance up from the raw diamond I'm manipulating with my magicka.

"Hello Sora, nice to see you too." I mutter sarcastically.

Sora strides in, her boots clicking sharply against the floor. I can feel the heat of her glare before I even meet her eyes.

"You have some nerve." She says, her voice sharp enough to cut steel.

I sigh, placing the diamond down gently on the desk and leaning back in my chair. "If this is about the Hive Guardians, I'm not in the mood."

Her eyes narrow. "The Hive Guardians? No. I like them. They're freaky and weird and kind of neat, actually."

That throws me off for a moment. Most people I've dealt with lately can't shut up about how horrifying the idea of Hive Guardians is. It's partially why I've been keeping my office door locked.

"Well, then what is it?" I ask, folding my arms. "Because I was kind of in the middle of something."

She jabs a finger toward me, her voice rising in indignation. "You know the Exo Stranger!"

I blink, my annoyance replaced by a sudden wave of caution. "So?"

"So?!" Sora's hands fly up in exasperation. "So why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I?" I counter, keeping my tone deliberately flat. "That's none of your business."

Her glare intensifies, and she crosses her arms tightly. "None of my business? She's this big, mysterious figure who barely talks to anyone, and when she does, it's all cryptic and vague. I spent years trying to figure out what her deal was, and you, you just know her?"

"Yes." I say simply.

Her jaw tightens. "And you didn't think to mention it?"

"No." I reply, matching her stare. "Because, again, it's none of your business."

Sora groans, throwing her hands up. "Of course."

I lean forward, resting my elbows on the desk. "Why are you so worked up about this?"

"She said 'I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain.' And even when I did see her, she never actually did explain!"

I tilt my head. "Sounds like her."

{Vanguard Interlude +100 points

Rolling…

Benevolence - Superhuman Body (T1) - Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes (100 points)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 100 Points.

Purchase Superhuman Body?}

Superhuman Body

The strength to punch giant monsters and the durability to get punched right back. This can be purchased up to four times; the first purchase will let you lift around 5 tons and tank small arms fire.

Cheap, and a serious strength enhancement. Reinforcement should let me push it even further.

Yoink.

Sora's frustration shifts, becoming something sharper and more personal. "You're really going to play it like this? After everything?"

"Who told you?" I ask, cutting through her anger with a calm that I know will only irritate her more.

Sora hesitates, just for a second. "Lakshmi."

That makes me pause. How did she learn of it? She shouldn't have access to Hidden intel.

"Lakshmi." I repeat, my tone dripping with disdain. "Should've known. She's becoming a real pain in my ass."

Sora narrows her eyes. "Don't try to deflect this onto her. I'm talking about you and your secrets."

"And I'm telling you." I say firmly, "It's none of your business. She's a good friend and I don't spill my friends secrets. Unless they annoy the shit out of me."

Her glare softens just a fraction, but her frustration is still evident. "I thought we were good friends."

"We are, you idiot." I reply. "I don't talk about all the stupid shit I know you've done. And if you called me up to do more stupid shit, I'd probably tag along instead of trying to convince you not to do it. But you're not my only friend."

She flinches, and for a moment, I think she might storm out. But instead, she lets out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.

"Fine." she says quietly, though her tone is still laced with frustration. "Keep your secrets. I'll figure it out on my own."

"Sure you will." I reply. "So, was there something else-" I freeze, my eyes snapping toward the ceiling at my Observation Haki's warning

A wave of Darkness, imperceptible to mundane sight, washes over the City- no, the whole planet. I look down at Sora, who seems surprised by my sudden change in demeanor, and oblivious to the cosmically significant event.

Dozens of calculations are begun and abandoned in my head over the course of the ensuing seconds, thought acceleration giving me subjective minutes to flex my enhanced intelligence as I triangulate the wave's origin point.

The Moon.

Someone woke up Nezarec's Pyramid. That's Nightmare energy that just swept through the entire Solar System.

"Shit's going down." I say, rising to my feet. "Ekat su ot eht ragnah!"

In a flash of yellow light we vanish.

CHAPTER 23 END

AN: Mav is enjoying his newest magic, and the ability to do mundane shit with it. Not a very eventful chapter, but it serves as a decent bridge into the next arc. Shadowkeep is happening way earlier than in canon.

Mavriel is now really strong, all the better to wield his melee weaponry with. I cut the description for [Superhuman Body] down to only the effects Mav will have, to prevent any confusion.

Failed Rolls

[Lore - Willing Pawn - Dark Souls 1 (600 points)] (Insufficient Points)
[Illusion - Sublime Performance - Kill Six Billion Demons (400 points)] (Insufficient Points)