Welcome. Say hello, for the time is nigh and the stuffs are all collected enough. Is it us, the Darkbolts, speaking to you through... That one fanfic writer. So, after the rescue of the full Phantom Thieves of Hearts by defeating the fakes we made, and a bunch of time anomalies on the run by simple interactions between timelines and universes, we have arrived at the intersection of all of existence. Yes, this is Tartarus, reborn. Reshape into true perfection. A Final Shape. Designed for the last dream wish. So all of you, Persona or not, don't tell us that you found out about our... Shadows...!
Witchcraft of the Wishing Star
PECHY COMET (Persona: - )
Dreamcatcher Crystal Reincarnate
IVY COMET (Persona: - )
The Invader of Next Possibilities
SYSTEM NO. XX (Persona: ?)
vs.
The Antisocial Poet of the Hollow Forest
MARIE (Persona: Kaguya)
Free us too! We can't ignore! 2027!Pechy called, which is picked up by Strand.
"Well, our adventure escalated quickly." Ivy Comet noticed.
"My other selves are calling me... They're seeking our help." 2025!Pechy noticed. "Ivy... blast me with your magic."
"Mom!?" Ivy Comet is shocked. "Why would-"
"Do it! We need as much advantage as we can get!" 2025!Pechy shouted. "We don't have much time, so we need to take the fake down as soon as possible!"
Shadow Marie whacked System with all her lunacy, assisted by her own... Shadow monsters. And of course, Kaguya, the persona of Marie, is obligatory. And since System is the most dangerous to currently be on commission here, the fake targeted the machine.
"Do... it!" System pushed weapons from other worlds to shove Shadow Marie. "We have all possibilities to save!"
"Ivy, you can do it!" Ivy Jolicoeur called. "And if you don't, it'll be the end of all existence!"
"Just do it!" Jumpson shouted. "Don't let everything be in vain!"
"Trust." 2009! Akihiko nodded.
"You can do it!" The dancers cheered.
Ziodyne from the cloudy, on Ivy Comet, though she managed to dodge it.
"What?" Shadow Marie has already noticed.
"DO IT!" 2025!Pechy screamed.
Cue the sunny. Then Shadow Marie threw her handbag onto 2025!Pechy, who hasn't transformed to. This caused the princess impactful pain and knocked her hard down the ground.
"Argh!"
"Mom!" Ivy Comet rushed.
"Ahaha!" Shadow Marie gleefully changed the weather to snowy, trying to force cold on everyone on the battle as well as charging herself up. "You end here. This is the end of all! Ahahahaha! DISAPPEAR!"
"Oh my god, that's enough!" Ivy Comet threw the sword on the fake. "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"
The sword managed to lodge its blade onto Shadow Marie's left shoulder and near the neck. She had to pull the sword out with the rain to keep her from bleeding from vibrated cuts.
"I'm sorry! I'm so SORRY!"
Ivy Comet, in her Unity form, blasted her magic onto 2025!Pechy. Cue a massive explosion from her, expanding so strongly and large, and so powerful, it not only reached the invisible walls and to corners, but enough to easily shatter the invisible walls as well as the pillars holding them.
"What the-!?" 2009!Akihiko is engulfed.
"Oh sh-" Jumpson is engulfed.
The entire vault is overcome by a massive iridescent wave with golden hues. Most of the interiors are gone, and only the main structures and the clock remained.
"What... just... happened?" The dancers noticed.
Shadow Marie is left as a humanoid blob of Vex radiolaria, which then reconstructed back as Shadow. She's horrified.
"Oh... no..." She's horrified.
Suddenly, the fake is choked by 2044!Pechy in Goddess of the Wishing Star form.
"Don't mess with the Dreamcatcher!" 2044!Pechy smirked. "Hey, me, me and me! Let's shred her down with our light! All the remaining here, help us with the finisher!"
"Good job, Ivy." 2025!Pechy locked in, and also patted Ivy Comet affectionately. "Now, allow me-"
"FUCK NO!" Shadow Marie screamed. "WE SEALED YOUR TIMELINE, AS SAFETY MEASURES! HOW COULD YOUUUUU!"
Cue a neutral beatdown made of dream magic from all four Pechies. Ivy Jolicoeur, System, Jumpson and 2012!Akihiko approached to help.
"Now!" 2023!Pechy pulsed.
Shadow Marie overloaded, just in time for an All-Out Attack (総攻撃). On the cue, they all joined the beatdown, and all nine unloaded themselves into pummeling the fake, and then knocked up...
"I've been waiting for this moment!" 2012! Akihiko immediately used Theurgy. "Bring it on!"
Caesar surged 2012!Akihiko with electricity. He pummels the Shadow Marie, and then Ivy and Ivy injected their magical powers on the ground, causing the space-time dream blast to thrust the fake up in the air. 2012!Akihiko takes a vertical leap, while System immediately whacked with red lasers to both burn and keep the fake on air.
"Now's the time!" 2012!Akihiko and Jumpson, in unison.
Jumpson hurled and then go for the uppercut, while 2012! Akihiko dives down for a final punch, still empowered by severe electricity.
"DRAGON FIST!"/"龍拳!"
"Earth BREAKER!"
The two crushed Shadow Marie with their thrusting respective fists, causing a massive explosion into a massive explosion of ignore dreams, destroying the fake.
A few seconds later, everyone recovered, while the fake is left as splattered Shadow Vex radiolaria, which evaporated into corrupted Persona fragments.
"Let's sort out the infos and connect the dots." System calc...
And so, everyone sifted through all the informations and speculations everyone here have. Nyx was offered to give insight as to what happened.
"So the Darkbolts got both the Pandora's Box energy and the Zero Point, and then they used that to set up the P-1 Special across all of existence, enveloping all realities and thusly, every single possibilities I am capable of handling, in red fog." System noted. "Then they kidnapped us all right for midnight, merged the Dark Hour, the TV world and the Metaverse with all that into a Dark Metaverse, and set things up so that we would fight our fakes and occasionally and rather potentially, each other, here..."
"When we fight inside the red fog, our powers and energies and aural stuffs are 'carved off' into fragments, which are being harvested at the top of this multiversal tower." Jumpson noted. "In addition, the Darkbolts are there for practically nonexistent vengeance against the Redvengers from a set of wars, whose last war led to the founding of the Continuum Exploitation Authority. Now they have both the Zero Point and the Pandora's Box energy, and the latter leaving for infinite realities could corrupt anything. It is evil, and should never be taken lightly."
"So the whole time, this P-1 Special was just to gather our Persona fragments and energies?" 2009! Akihiko got suspicious.
"And the Darkbolts and fellow culprits are planning on using the gathered stuffs on... whatever it is they're summoning with this tower. They also pulled me in, so I could suffer..." Said the maternal entity of death. "But why go the trouble? With the infinite creation of the Zero Point and the evil of the Pandora's Box, they could've just used it graciously to wipe us out."
"How they intend to use stuffs and the effects, remain to be seen and well..." 2012!Akihiko shrugged. "I believe we should seek help from any detective."
"The red fog scrambled with my navigation, so I cannot answer everything." System shook her human head.
"Yeah... but Hortus mentioned the Final Shape and about how... to reshape everything in the Darkbolts' image apparently." (*1) 2025!Pechy recalled. "We can't let them have their way."
"This is too serious. Even more so than the 9/11!" Ivy Comet recalled. (*2) "Far more serious, in fact. It made 9/11 looks like an actual joke, even when said attack in 2001 killed so many innocent people!"
"If that's what they're up to, we don't have much time left!" The dancing Yukari shouted. "We gotta hurry and stop them!"
"Uh... about the Darkbolts..." 2025!Pechy recalled.
She then explained everything that happened ever since the Hyper Genesis Wave, from her and Ivy Comet's perspectives. This includes her allying with the CXA, stalling the Loop on the Island, learning about paracausality, befriending certain raid bosses, learning from beyond the fourth wall (through Deadpool) and finally, how she got into the Dark Metaverse in the first place. All in excruciating details.
"Seriously!?" Jumpson is shocked.
A heavy silence from all for a moment.
"Either way, hurry now." 2025!Pechy stood up. "If we can review my friends and find the others, they may be able to tell us more."
Everyone nods and then left the vault, heading to the top of the tower, now with Nyx joining. They refused to speak of their missing friends not because of abandonment or something, but rather because they believed in not just themselves, but them as well, as so many of them can fight and look after themselves.
And so, everyone rushed...
...
"There we are! There's a door!" 2012!Akihiko hurled.
Slamming the door open, 2012!Akihiko then braked.
Location: The Final Destination (Super Smash Bros.)
A corrupted and twisted landing, stuck with trash and props from several different worlds, further overlaid by crosses. And there's a bunch of crucifixes, three of which she recognized...
"Dad? Diana? Gary?" 2025!Pechy noticed.
2025!Diana Jackson and 2025!Gary Jackson, and Pechy's father and the old king, Chadde Comet. These are all limp.
"You will go no further. Rethink you."
"Huh?" The Pechies noticed.
"What?" System noticed.
Cue invisible walls, trapping a large area just before all crucifixes as well as before the door, and thus trapping everyone here.
"I've been waiting for you too, Nyx." A girl also in female's Gekkoukan High, and also with headphones. She is redhead.
"What!?" Nyx is baffled.
"Alternative Great Seal? No, you're fake!" System rebuked. "You're nobody! Just another counterfeit!"
System points at the glowing golden eyes of this girl.
"Indeed, I am a fake." Kotone Shiomi (汐見琴音)? "But does it matter?"
"What!?" System and 2009!Akihiko are shocked.
"I originated from another timeline like yours, but led by female and sealed by female." Shadow Kotone. "Are we not destined to even meet at all?"
"What?" 2009!Akihiko suddenly remembered. (*3)
"Have you forgotten?" Shadow Kotone grinned. "You didn't even initially recognize me."
2009!Akihiko gasped.
"Don't listen to her!" 2012!Akihiko warned his past self. "She's manipulating you!"
"What's wrong, Akihiko?" Shadow Kotone goaded. "Do you not recognize me?"
"I do." 2009!Akihiko spoke up. "But not this one."
"Akihiko?" Shadow Kotone is surprised.
"You look and fight like you, but you're not acting like you. The real you." 2009!Akihiko pointed it out. "Just because I recognize you doesn't mean I won't oppose you... especially when you are just a fake, not the real one from the other time!"
"Yeah... destroying the world we all live in isn't just a no-go. It's disgusting!" Moist of the dancers objected the fake.
"How unfortunate. We would've thought that you could all understand my master, new Pandora's revenge and desire..." Shadow Kotone shook her head.
"New Pandora"... A name nobody recognized.
"Don't waste your breath." Shadow Kotone whipped up her naginata. "I will see you all die here!"
"The Witness... I'm counting on you!" 2023!Pechy called.
Cue a bubble crack. The Witness has arrived. "We are coming."
The being passed through the invisible walls like it's nothing. A resonance has stalled Shadow Kotone, just as she and her Orpheus was about do the first strike.
"You came all the way here?" System noticed. "Good. Now splice off this monstrosity of a counterfeit!"
"Tch... Nonsense!" Shadow Kotone recovered.
"Let's make ourselves clear." The Witness steeples. "As long as we're around, we won't allow you to interfere."
"I don't know what kind of shape do you or your accomplices desires." Ivy Comet spoke up. "But we don't lightly let anyone terrorize our homes!"
"Then there's nothing more to discuss." Shadow Kotone grinned. "Persona."
Orpheus roared in front of the Witness.
"You have wasted enough of our time." The Witness subtly gestures. "We won't fight you. We will erase you."
Cue Shadow Kotone immediately melting down just as she rushes, so everyone else wins the fight just as it started. The fake is left as a Shadow radiolaria puddle, which evaporated into Persona fragments. The ring breaks, and everyone is free to check in the crucifixes. The Pechies and Ivies immediately went to the major crucifixes holding 2025!Diana, 2025!Gary and Chadde.
The crucifixes are removed, and everyone in this scene are free.
"Diana! Gary!" 2025!Pechy got them. "Dad!"
"Nngh... Where are we..." 2025!Diana woke up.
"Pechy... you came..." Chadde woke up.
"What happened..." 2025!Gary woke up.
"Are you all right?" 2009!Akihiko recognized Rei (玲) and Hikari (*3). "These... I remember...!"
Freeing the two Persona Q girls from the crosses, 2009!Akihiko then sent them to the dancers, telling them to take care of the girls.
"Y-Yes... We're..." 2025!Gary responded. "But... aren't you all a bit too... close?"
The surviving victims were exhausted, but finally were fully conscious - both Rei and Hikari woke up, and even recognized 2009!Akihiko.
"I'm so glad... I'm back." 2009!Akihiko responded. "How did you... end up here?"
"Thank you..." Rei smiled.
"Thank you, our new guests." Chadde got up. "I thought our kingdom were erased with me..."
"And who are they though?" 2027!Pechy noticed.
"Oh... it's these two from labyrinths we crossed." 2009!Akihiko revealed. "I met the 2011 guys while I was on high-school. I crossed labyrinths twice before. At least thrice or four if we count P-1."
"From across time, indeed." 2012!Akihiko nodded.
And then, everyone share all infos they shared, revealing to the two girls and the other three freed captives everything.
"Those... Darkbolts..." Chadde realized. "So they actually came to raze our world... our universe..."
The dancers are shocked.
"I see... now tell me..." 2025!Pechy got it. "Father, what movie did you watch with me?"
"Wish. A movie celebrating 100 years of Walt Disney as an entity we enjoyed. In short, a centenary special." Chadde revealed. "The villain of it is King Magnifico, of the kingdom of Rosas. Magnifico was a powerful and charismatic sorcerer who has the ability to grant wishes for the citizens of Rosas and the rest of the world, but he turned out not to be as noble or well-intentioned as he appears to be to all people. His newest apprentice, Asha, managed to learn out of his hoardings of the wishes he was meant to grant to people, and in response, wished out and spawned a being known as Star. Yes... there's more, but I have confirmed this much..."
"And given my past visions and the insider info from a certain fireteam of the Prismatic Fleet, the latter of which were imprisoned in the CXA mothership, the Magnificent is the leader of the new Darkbolts." 2025!Pechy added. "Like the Darkbolts, it seems Magnifico wanted revenge. Revenge on the entire kingdom. Especially Asha. If Magnificent the super-Exo is King Magnifico... maybe he's gone insane since the imprisonment."
"And how do the movie has to do with this?" 2025!Pechy caught on. "What do the kingdom of Rosas had to do with the Darkbolts?"
"That's correct. After having seen the movie, I had recently been shown what remained of the very setting it was." Chadde dropped a bombshell.
"No way... so the kingdom of Rosas really were destroyed by Magnifico?" Ivy Comet is shocked.
"Um... c-can I ask you something?" System called. "Can you confirm the identity of the Magnificent and whatever the Darkbolts are trying to do?"
"No, I can only guess the identity, based on similarities. And no, I know nothing about what those Darkbolts are doing." Chadde shook his head. "But if it involves more than just our family's universe like in the case of Amaya Shadow (*4)... it's nothing welcome."
"That's not exactly surprising at all, since the Darkbolts want to destroy all existence." Ivy Jolicoeur confirmed.
And suddenly, Persona communication rang by. While the Pechies and slightly Ivies (Ivy and Ivy barely knew what a Persona really is by that point), as well as all the Persona users (including System because she's possibility hogging by nature) recognized it, only the Witness were the other one noticing its case - the rest merely heard the comm.
Akihiko-senpai! Those thieves (*3) I know! Everyone! I finally got a hold of all of you! It's Rise Kujikawa. I'm so glad you're all safe!
"Ms. Kujikawa! You're alive!" 2025!Pechy noticed.
Hello! It's me, the Ghost! That one Ghost noticed. Thanks goodness! We finally got Persona comm! We thought Persona users were killed! That's a relief! Also, we rescued many of the captives shown on the projection! Yay!
We're on our way. 2009!Mitsuru called. Ron Davis are accompanying us, as does Miranda Miller and Savathun the Witch Queen. They lend us help.
It's... Pechy! Pechy! Are you okay?! 2025!Penny called. I was worried, you know...
"Penny!" 2025!Pechy noticed. "Where are you other selves!? Mine were sealed onto me, and it took Ivy blasting me off to free them!" (*1)
"Mitsuru!" Both Akihikos noticed. "Oh, we also have Rei and Hikari!"
Akihiko! Wait... you too? And you two as well? 2012!Mitsuru noticed. Thanks goodness... And thank you. You're always such a help to me... and to us all.
2012!Fuuka giggled. I'm fine too. Oh, and the Phantom Thieves from the future as well. Us Persona users gathered by, and have evacuated those extras to safety as well.
"Including my other subjects?!" System noticed.
Yes. Say hello to Miss Juu-san! (*5) 2012!Fuuka confirmed. Oh, In-Birth friends and team RWBY (*6) too!
"Thank goodness!" System is relieved.
This is Morgana, picking up Persona comm from the past throughout to call you. We can confirm you that virtually everyone is safe. Morgana called. We also found the Doctor Doom from comics and a blue woman in golden, named "Hope". They're both alive as well, though Doom's kidnapped, apparently.
"Huh." 2025!Pechy shrugged. "At least everyone we needs are all alive."
Oh no! I forgot to connect you to a woman by the name of Tao! Rise realized. Those who call themselves Arak and Valda are safe too! Just a sec, I and Fuuka-san will put you in contact with them all and more!
The Persona comm ends, as Rise searched for a street artist by the name of Guernica, real name Tao. Few seconds later...
Thanks goodness, you're safe! Yu Narukami came forward.
"Mr. Narukami! It's me, Pechy Comet!" 2025!Pechy called.
Us Investigation Team are fine, too! Yu continued. And I'm glad that both the Great Seal and the Shadow Operatives are safe!
"My dear! You're...!" Nyx is relieved.
"Great Seal? The real one!?" System noticed. "YEEEEAAAHHH!"
It's me and my other version. We'd like to thank Tao and the other two girls for rescuing me. It's the real Makoto Yuuki (結城理), accompanied by the real Kotone Shiomi (汐見琴音). Our combat body may be an illusion, for we reach are the Great Seal, but our powers are real because we ARE the Great Seal. I'm telling you that so you won't be confused once you know what happened to us each. Either way, thanks goodness!
It's no big deal, we're Pretty Cures and we didn't sustain any major injuries! Puca is back.
"Preme! Puca! We've been waiting for you!" 2025!Pechy noticed.
Yo, I'm back! 2025!Amaya revealed herself to survived. Sorry we're late! Team Dreamer extended were stuck in the Earth-0 bleed (*7) while we were against a Great Seal!
You fought against one of our fakes, didn't you? Kotone noticed.
2025! Dreamer is heard facepalming.
My goodness! We're still alive after the Pandora, and so are you! Hope called. I'm golden now! And thank, thank, thank!
Awww, it's so cute when a woman who should be a hero blushes! Kotone cheesed. By the way, the timeline's screwed again. That and a certain attack explains why her arm burned. (*8)
Where's Jones though? Asked Hope.
About time you asked. Kotone smiled.
"My dearest... Thanks goodness!" Said Nyx.
In the front of THE oncoming apocalypse, while still on their own thoughts and hope even when almost nobody could communicate with each other properly, means that because the allies across all worlds and a wide array of moralities believed in each other forward, they gathered by without anyone good directly telling them all to do so. It also helps that those directly got to CXA (basically the Starstorm from there) didn't forget about their mission to save all existence from the Darkbolts. 2025!Pechy recalled about not only what Hortus and General Teddie both talked about, but also the stuffs the Starstorm knows Darkbolts are after.
And as the icing of this cake, another redhead arrived. This one, in male's Yasogami High uniform, is with two katanas, dual-wielded by him, and followed by a dark Persona known as Tsukuyomi.
Sho Minazuki (皆月翔, ミナヅキ ショウ). Turns out he has also received the Persona comm as well.
"Hello, the name's Sho Minazuki!" The redhead revealed himself. "I came to rescue those strangers, but how did you? Huh? Oh, I'm alright! I'm just a bit bummer I can neither save those nor kill that one... yet."
"Sho Minazuki, how did you come here?" Ivy Comet noticed.
Geez man, it's getting crowded here. 2012!Junpei complained. You guys really know who's who?
We're on a time crisis while the Dark Hour is at its final minutes. 2012!Ken Amada (天田乾) noted. I gotta check my past self, since others already have.
2012!Koromaru is heard barking. It is seemingly waiting for his past self.
"Ha... It seems everyone's all right." 2012!Akihiko chuckles. "You have the devil's luck."
Turns out that with the exception of Doom, the Warrior King, raid bosses and involved CXA staffs, are still missing, the entire Starstorm, the extended Shadow Operatives, both versions of the Investigation Team (surviving members) and friends, the extended Phantom Thieves, the rebels and all the System's familiar subjects and co. are all safe. All the survivors had a big round of introductions seamlessly followed by recaps of everything everyone learned thus far. It's an approved ragtag bunch, further muddled by the Persona users being technically from the past of sorts, with the Shadows Operatives having two time windows due to extra time shenanigans reuniting with their labyrinth peers who happened to be from their future altogether. And the more surprising of which...
"How am I back!?" Shinkiro Aragaki (荒垣真次郎), from year 2009, realized. "I was ended (*9), so now I'm in the future!?"
"Oh..." 2012!Ken got relieved. "Thank you. It's alright."
Ken has already been encouraged to live on, and his old vengeance for his mother (Shinjiro accidentally killed her because his Persona went berserk, and 2009!Ken saw that and got traumatized) has already been resolved. System is only surprised that Shinjiro could have been easily be tortured by the fake Shinjiro, who must have been really a berserk guy (Shadow Shinjiro actually is; just ask 2009!Ken and the real Shinjiro, like System would do after this moment in this chapter! (*10))
"Haha... Quite a spirited crowd you are." Shinjiro, Zenkichi and 2012!Mitsuru, all initial unison. "But don't let your guard down yet. The battle isn't over."
"Let alone the war." Ivy Comet agreed.
Bound by strong trust even from an enemy-mine state and standard, with even Sho, who only got the bonds of people by being inspired by Yu, smiling in satisfaction. With this window of levity and relaxation like this, everyone naturally starts having a friendly chat. One more couple of minutes passed, and 2025!Pechy got something to ask...
"Ms. Hope." 2025!Pechy called. "Can I ask you about King Magnifico?"
You want to talk about the Magnificent, right? Hope noticed. From a watch-through, Magnifico seems to be a pretty guy who truly had benevolent intentions once, only to reveal himself as a tyrannical sorcerer that abuses his spells to bring misery and despair to his people. He crossed the line and paid for it. I imagined that he would come back as the Magnificent to lead Darkbolts to greatness by terrorizing all realities.
Hope sighed. Yet... you still haven't concluded that. Correct?
"Not exactly." 2025!Pechy commented. "We still have to confirm who's in the Magnificent frame."
Anyway, things must be settled upon all. Hope reloaded. We should brace ourselves.
"Right... We must win this war." 2025!Pechy agreed.
Another quake throughout the tower.
Another earthquake! 2012!Mitsuru reported. And it's getting stronger!
Hrm...!? Th-This is... Teddie noticed. Careful, everyone! It stinks of Shadows!
"What?!" 2012!Akihiko noticed.
The relaxed mood is completely shattered, and even the Witness scowled.
No way... This can't be...! Rise noticed.
"The Final Shape... against us?" The Witness noticed.
What's wrong, Kujikawa? Both Mitsurus noticed.
Risette, what? Ryuji noticed. Hey! Tell us!
It's the Shadows, reborn as Nightmares... (*11) The Warlock reported. Countless Nightmares are gathering at this tower!
It's turned on us! The Nightmares are turned ON ALL OF US! Nezarec panicked.
"What!?" System noticed.
I'm... picking... up... readings... 2012!Fuuka is exerted in her Juno. 100... 1,000... 10,000... 100,000... 1,000,000... They keep coming...!
No... We can't stop them! Rise is horrified. The Nightmares are passing through here... It looks like they're heading to the top of the tower! Wait... no... no no no NO-
"What's going on!?" The Pechies noticed.
It's all coming together! I have rifts so we can arrive! Hope noticed. While we're still communicating, wait for me!
Suddenly, a colossal horde of Nightmares - Shadows now surrounded by a miasma of crimson reddish-black Darkness, radiating a ghastly aura - erupted from the edge. They're gathering at one spot.
You have to go, miss! Rise called. While Ms. Hope connect the rifts, well hold things here!
You're the closest to the top, so please go! Makoto Yuuki called.
Don't be too surprised. We're still on the way! Morgana reassured. You go first because you have many culprits to stop!
Ha... Alright then. Supreme called. Pechy, this is no time to fool around! Leave this to us so you can get to the roof!
Don't worry! You're tough and so are we! Deadpool spoke up. I'm Logan and are trying to locate Doctor Doom, so we can rift later! You guys go up!
Alright! It's a bit lonely here and there, but I'll do my best for your sake! Teddie saluted.
Go, allies! There's no time to be indecisive! 2012!Junpei called. All bases are loaded, so go out swinging!
"All groups separated right now, gather together with the rifts, and in the meantime, separate and intercept the Nightmares!" System in trust, commanded for the existence's sake.
Each group are assigned to intercept the lanes of Nightmares, to only chase only themselves and proper rifts, and not whatever else get past. Especially: Rise, both Fuuka's, Futaba, wielding Strand (the Guardians) and also the anti-Shadow weapons are to retain the communication between groups. Hope, Taylor Jolicoeur, Eric Jolicoeur and Lily Pilgrim are commanded to collect the rifts so everyone can arrive. And finally, Pechy's gang would remain on the top floor and intercept everything.
"...as Pechy Comet, Ivy Comet and Ivy Jolicoeur advance to the highest point of the tower!" System concluded. "Pechy, Ivy and Ivy, get to-"
"Huh?" The six are dumbfounded.
"You're the least injured of us true combatants." System added. "And considering your experience, your skills and your drive, you're the most logical choice to send."
"Please go, my children!" Chadde declared. "We'll protect this place!"
"Yeah! This is getting epic!" Jumpson laughed in excitement. "Go ahead, Comet-san!"
"Go get them! I believe in you!" Said Nyx.
"I'm counting on you! The Club Velvet is counting on you!" Dancer who's apparently Akihiko has spoken. "You cannot let the Darkbolts get away! Go put an end to this!"
With everyone supporting Pechy and Ivy on this...
"You understand, right? Don't do anything ridiculously reckless, and-" System added-
"Alright. Just give me mythical craps we can use." 2025!Pechy gave a thumb-up. "We'll come back... If we can't do it by ourselves, them we'll ask for help. We can lend help with each other whenever we want. Also, oh Pouchy!"
"We won't give up." Ivy Comet got it. "Now then... oh Pouchy!"
"Oh Pouchy!" Ivy Jolicoeur screamed.
The rest of Pechy's gang steeled on and against the Nightmares, with System joining in. The hex called Pouchy, and...
"We'll clear a path for the six... and Pouchy, I guess?" System stepped in. "Is everyone in place?"
Yes. Said them. System gave the orders, and everyone is ready.
"Oh hi!" Pouchy appeared, wear by 2025!Pechy.
2025!Pechy is now armed with the two-round-burst Emma Frost's Striker Burst Assault Rifle loaded with Strand and the Machinist's Combat Assault Rifle with Arc Light and Cerberus' Gatekeep Shotgun loaded with Void Light, 2023!Pechy has dual-wielding Doombot's Monarch Pistol and the henchmen's Monarch Pistol both with Golden Gun's Solar radiance as bullets, 2027!Pechy has Iron Man's kits and War Machine's Auto Turret as well as Megalo Don's Combat Shotgun with Stasis shells, 2044!Pechy has Nisha's Striker Assault Rifle loaded with Void Light and Oscar's drum-loaded Frenzy Auto Shotgun loaded with Stasis shards, Ivy Comet has Black Panther's claws infused with Strand and a Taken Wire Rifle, and Ivy Jolicoeur has Gwenpool's Dual SMGs electrified with Arc Light and Mysterio's lever-action Sovereign Shotgun with Strand weave and Zeus's Huntress DMR imbued with Golden Gun's radiance. All six are armed with a lot of Transcendent grenades and a lot leftover Persona fragments that the gang gathered.
More hordes of Nightmares approached.
Once we give the signal, everyone attack! 2012!Fuuka called.
Here goes! Rise called. One, two...
And scream. Everyone all over the place dashed on the spot, coordinated to fend off the Nightmares. Each group attacking forms powerful shockwaves of power to push back the limitless mad and mow each and every single one of the corrupted Shadows on their way. Pechy's gang's coordination also created a path forward, and the remaining six rushed on the way.
"Go, my children!" Chadde shouted.
"We're all counting on you!" Jumpson charged up then. "Kamehameha!"
"Let's go!" 2025!Pechy led the way.
"Yes!" 2044!Pechy followed.
The six rushed on.
Location: The Final Shape
A calcified landscape made of spliced terrains and forcibly and wrongly reshaped carcass in time, pinned by a bunch of crucifixes of a certain version of the Greek mythology. (*12) And behind them... a glowing blue mothercrystal floating on mid-air. Up way above is a swirling vortex that is the Taken Storm - the same one that Took nearly all the mechas - only this time swallowing countless Shadow-Nightmares and fighting Spirits (*13). And there's a high-narrow Pyramid for her to hide in and go closer.
"You bitch... What're you thinking!?" Hortus is scolding 2025!Renee Jaillet. "You know how important this shit is...? Are you trying to ruin our plan!?"
Hortus forced resonance into 2025!Renee, threatening to calcify her. She then kicked the former bully down.
"Urgh!" 2025!Renee groaned.
"I knew it... Why would you torture Pechy now..." 2025!Renee objected. "I tried to sabotage this shit... I tried to destroy those Persona fragments... and divert our energies..."
"What a worthless bitch, even worse than your past self!" Hortus briefly refers to 2023!Renee (who was captured before the P-1), and argued. "I knew you weren't worth any more than humanity's shit-poop... but to think you were biding your time for this... let alone, for sake of your pathetic former victim... Well!?"
Hortus furiously knee-punt 2025!Renee's face, knocking her down again.
"You asked us before..." 2025!Renee got up. "You talked... about Pechy... Pechy Comet..."
"Huh!? That's right! Well, you remember you picked Pechy up and served Amaya Shadow?" Hortus recounted. "Well well well, you were just trash we were going to use from the start, because of your past actions! Once everything was ready and us Darkbolts cut up the rest of them... we were going to execute you on public! Still... we have you the chance to truly atone, by 'bullying' Pechy again, this time for our sake! We were gonna let your pathetic crap slide until we showed you the last dream wish, the Final Shape akin to this-but-better here, starting with the end of the world you and Amaya were meant to achieve but never got to... Why not, right!?"
Hortus kicked 2025!Renee again.
"Nngh...! Gah..." 2025!Renee still defied. "Don't... think we're the same, you true witchcraft."
"What...!?" Hortus is pissed. "What was that!?"
"You think you're a good girl just because your 'parents' treated you well..." 2025!Renee dropped a bombshell. "I learned that you got some combat characters killed. Those 2,014 Darkbolts casualties are deserved - in fact, the Darkbolts you spoke dream-fully of are just terrorists. Nothing more."
2025!Renee laughed, treating Hortus like a target she should've bullied instead of 2025!Pechy. 2025!Renee defended her Pechy and laughed off. "Boo hoo! You true witchcraft! At least Pechy saved me and-"
"ENOUGH!" Hortus went mad, her voice compressed into one furious echo akin to the Witness but wrathful female. "You're finished, you motherfucker...! I'll kill you just like you WANT!"
"Haha, sure, I've been a bully, whatever." 2025!Renee doesn't flinch there. "But... none of you know yet, do you?"
Hortus seethes in murderous rage contained just barely.
"Nobody even play around anymore..." 2025!Renee smirked. "You better be prepared."
"Die, you piece of shit." Hortus' tone reverted back to legion, and she pulls out the Golden Gun.
The six leapt in.
2027!Pechy used Unibeam. "NO MORE!"
The Unibeam hit the paracausal girl, knocking her away.
"Stop it! You have no right to destroy my friends!" 2025!Pechy reached her Renee. "Renee! What have you become..."
"It's... fine." 2025!Renee coughs up blood. "Just... get... her..."
Hortus hatefully started at the ones ambushing her.
"What... were you... up to?" 2025!Renee collapses.
"Merely a blunt trauma." Ivy Comet spotted.
"I get it. Thanks to Renee." 2044!Pechy knew. "Renee used to bully me. Not anymore. So brave of her to stand up against that monster of a girl."
Hortus let out a psychotic laugh, akin to a Dread laughing in human language.
"Not funny!" 2023!Pechy aimed both pistols.
"What's so funny about it?" 2044!Pechy pointed the DMR to Hortus.
"What're you all getting desperate for...? It's disgusting...!" Hortus is going insane. "It makes me sick! I hate it when you peasants get all goody-goody!"
Hortus started raging while just standing there, speaking loudly in degenerate tone of a female variation of Witness's rage. And then all of the suddenly, she fell silent. And then she rises, floating mid-air and constantly grinning.
Our daughter's getting too worked up when it comes to push the shove. The Great Warlock (神のウォーロック) spoke up. It's a bad habit of hers.
"Are you the Second Knife? You created this girl!?" Ivy Comet noticed.
We didn't think you would put up this much effort in defying everything. The Great Warlock commented. Perhaps it would've been better if you never took Atheon away.
"You didn't answer me. And why would you all do all this!?" 2025!Pechy objected. "You're just destroying all existence!"
And she said that's your perspective on the matter. The Great Warlock dismissed. All we're doing is to become the ultimate legends by changing all systems in existence.
"Do you still not get it!?" 2025!Pechy objected. "This is not salvation, this is terrorism!"
Are you delusional? The Great Warlock dismissed. Darkbolts are a mean to an end. It is necessary, and it is right. Therefore, we are all right. All correct. We figured out that the last dream wish is the true Final Shape, for it is the way for us to transcend and free everything from all its shackles. A shackles once reinforced by the way effort of monstrous armies that you all considered heroes.
The six are shocked.
Our leader... the Magnificent... rebelled against his preordained fate and escaped, bringing ruins to his very own kingdom that betrayed him. The Great Warlock mentioned the Magnificent. He is the one to grant every wishes necessary. It took more eternity, but he finally got the chance. Vengeance is merely a bonus. The true last dream wish you should've been thought of, are our true purpose.
A vision of the kingdom of Rosas flashed through everyone from all groups, nearly distracting all. This is the kingdom that betrayed him.
And then, a vision of Pechy's ultimate victory against Amaya. (*4) And this is your greatest mistake, in hindsight.
The Great Warlock then cut off the visions, returning the sight on mind while the hordes are flying. That's why this king came for revenge, and in the process resonated with the spirit of the Darkbolts, who now wishes for all existence to be at mercy of us all.
"No... What the Magnificent did are horrific beyond morality! Worse than amorality!" 2025!Pechy refuted. "What would the kingdom of Rosas be if he continued hoarding the wishes, or worse yet, managed to oppress all the people for the rest of his evil life!?"
You're ultimately utterly mistaken, shut up! The Great Warlock denied. We know what we are. We are among the chosen ones. And in the case of the Prismatic Fleet... We are salvation itself. If the Darkbolts desires the destruction and final death of all, then so be it!
"You're far beyond lost cause." Ivy Jolicoeur scowled.
Experiment No.14, destroy these six! General Teddie groaned. My beloved, you can do it!
"Oh hell no!" Ivy Comet is enraged.
"Shit... So you killed the Vanguards!" 2025!Pechy realized. "And you have no remorse!?"
Very well... The Great Warlock declared. Come and fight!
Immediately, Hortus opened her glowing eyes, still grinning.
A volley of Shadowshot rained down half of the fighting area, and the area morphs and shift to force all to move. The Stasis fog (Winter's Wrath) covered the entire battlefield, contained within the invisible walls. With a deadly swipe, Ivy Comet started tangling the floating girl with Strand, followed by the six shooting on her with paracausally enhanced guns for sale, plus the Iron Man kits, while all evades the tether blast from Void.
Then from the Shadowshot hit spawned Lucent Threadlings, leading to a ground swarm in seconds to attack the six. The girl freed herself with a blink, tagging Ivy and Ivy and attempted Bladefury surged with Arc Light - the two barely avoided. A few Bleak Watchers all over the place fires Hellions, using paracausality-laden flash-freeze as a mean to shatter - The Pechies actually blocked some, but is briefly burned as a result, while being slowed down by lingering Stasis. 2025!Pechy propped a Sentinel version of the Captain America's shield - like the one 2025!Earla Sky uses - to whack controlled Hortus down, then threw it to ricochet the turrets, destroying them. More Threadlings.
"I guess I can be... Striker Dual!" 2023!Pechy suggested directly dual-wielding and pull triggers with both Monarch Pistols aimed.
"But that's not accurate of it. It's a larger pistol, not a small SMG like Jolicoeur's SMGs!" Ivy Comet pointed it out. "Just aim one at a time, then shoot and alternate. That's much more accurate."
"Uh... thanks."
2023!Pechy did just that, and alternated aim and shoot, leading to much improved accuracy compared of what would be if one were to aim both at the same time and shoot. (*14) Ivy Jolicoeur joined the akimbo, but did it with basically Gwen's dual-Uzi.
A couple of seconds into the akimbo hail, the girl created a Void force field with a Well of Radiance on the middle. Cue the storm from Arc.
"Watch out!" Ivy Comet rolled away.
The well disappeared, and the girl is back to bombarding the six with Threadlings.
"Take this!" 2044!Pechy grabbed one Threadling, crushing it into a rope dart.
The oldest Pechy Comet threw it to the Hortus commanded, who blinked out.
"Oh shit!" Ivy Comet noticed.
Stasis walls rise and arranged into a snowflake-like structure, separating each one. A massive swarm of flame wisps targeted all six.
"Grenade!" 2025!Pechy shouted.
As if on cue, the six threw a few grenades each to singe the girl with absolute hailstorm of paracausality with all five elements bombing on, shattering the Stasis walls and allowing the six to reload and fire on.
Meanwhile, under...
Location: The Defaced Pyramid, Metaverse
Cmonjustdiedammit! Howthefuckdidthey!? Marie complained.
"Ahhh... Argh... Argh!" Hope rifted her own right arm with scraps. "I'm doing my job. Wait for me..."
The golden armor encasing her burned right hand - canonically from the fight with Doctor Doom on the Island - swelled with rifts.
"Finally! Another survivor!" Xivu Arath, the Hive God of War have arrived. "I am XIVU ARATH, the God of WAR! Now, help us-"
"You think you're Ares?" Hope is baffled. "Well... how about you locate the rifts-"
2025!Earla and 2025!Akia rushed. "Wait for us, Xi Ro!"
"My guests, what do you have?" Xivu Arath cheesed.
"The Rift Gate! Previously broken (*15), now somehow it is restored, so now you can-" 2025!Earla spotted.
Cue Xivu Arath rushing to the gate and grabbing the edge, absorbing its power, in hope that the Hope herself can absorb her absorption and thus amplify the rifts for the use to get everyone gathered.
Location: The Final Shape
"Now!" 2025!Pechy leaped.
The six finally fully restrained Hortus, this time by themselves. Then a dream special with all six's might and strength behind it blasted the girl, and she hunches over. 2025!Pechy knocked her down and did gunpoint, with her Gatekeeper Shotgun on her hand.
"Gaaaaaah...!"
Hortus still got up from trembling muscles slowly overloaded by the six's attacks. She glares at the Pechies and about to go for another blast just to kill.
"I'm not... done yet...!"
"Experiment No.14, why do you have to kill the Coalition, and now try to us?" 2025!Pechy, still on the shotgun, questioned about.
"A foolish question..." She denied. "I came to existence thanks to the support Darkbolts gave my parents. It's only natural for me to grant their desires!"
"You're pretty strong. We goddesses struggled against you. You're determined as well, to give us a good brawl." 2027!Pechy commented.
"And you has some ego as well. You're just like humans." 2044!Pechy commented. "You're very human, that's for sure."
"Hortus. You are strong. But you don't realize it either." 2025!Pechy called. "Your strength... it was founded... on your burden, and the bonds you have with those villains."
"That's right..." The girl confirmed. "You must understand as well. I am a Shadow. I am merely dark ego reshaped into the ultimate Dread: something the Guardians can call... daughter."
"We've came here to save the day, and we wouldn't be here without my allies. My friends, both old and new. And of course-" The Pechies, kinda unison, in hope of convincing Hortus-
"I'll repeat it as often as necessary: I'll do anything for them!" Hortus called.
"Horty!"/"ホルタっち!"
"Huh?" Ivy Jolicoeur noticed. "You're...!"
The six noticed.
"Hmph! What's with this sappy drama, roping my beloved on this cliche!?"
It's General Teddie. "Aha, so you finally beat Horty. What a crazy shit, even though you're uneven!"
"Yikes..." Ivy Comet is disgusted.
"Nyarlathotep, what're you doing!?" Hortus noticed.
"The Crawling Chaos!?" 2025!Pechy is baffled.
"Oh god no!" Tatsuya Suou (周防達哉) (Walking Doomsday Trigger of Shattered Timeline) has arrived. "This is that thing!? We're too late!"
"Oh no... They've gone critical mass..." Hope has arrived.
"We're too late... At this rate, all existence is going to end!" Rise has arrived. "What should we do!?"
Everyone has gathered together, and the horde were now only rising up. All the survivors arrived on the top of the tower - the new Tartarus. The 2025 friends finally reunited, but at how far of an incident this is?
"Oh god... can't believe we're seeing this together." 2025!Ron noticed. "Pechy! I'm back!"
The 2025 couple then gave themselves a hug. At the same time, the 2025's Fantasy Dreamer reunited again. The emotional was brief, for there's a far more pressing matter here.
"Heeheehee, did you think nobody knew?" General Teddie proved. "Of course we did!"
"What the...!?" Tatsuya suddenly had it.
"We knew from the very beginning about your averted defeat!" General Teddie dropped a bombshell. "Remember the Other Side?" (*16)
This got the notice from Tatsuya and the Starstorm members, as well as Maya Amano (天野舞耶) (The Whoop-Apocalyptic Dual-Wielding Reporter).
"So you're here for revenge!?" Deadpool noticed. "Who knew you would become so pretty decades after the shit!" (*16)
"You...!" Maya noticed. "What in the hell..."
"You're even worse than Kagutsuchi!" Sho noticed.
"Oh, aaaaand..." General Teddie glowed golden eyes.
Cue a moment of silence.
"Pechy Comet... You defeated my love and everyone else, and was the first to go to the top directly!" General Teddie smiled. "So you're the champion of the P-1 Special. Congraaaaatulations! Your prize is... your Taking."
Everyone gasped. Then suddenly...
"ENOUGH!"
BGM: Omega Ewigkeit (Dies irae)
Maya rises her Persona: Artemis. She whipped out her pink dual pistols on General Teddie, while P2!Artemis pulled out a frozen-cold bow-and-arrow combo. Hortus noticed, and tried to save General Teddie by getting in the way - her flesh is Pyramid and thus could just block General Teddie from the projectiles. But Sho noticed the strange girl trying to save the shitty announcer, so he sicced Tsukuyomi and...
"AAARGH!" Hortus is knocked out by Tsukuyomi's strike.
Cue Maya and P2!Artemis unloading on General Teddie, projectiles run through the mascot body.
"Oww... What do you think you're doing?" General Teddie is annoyed.
"What do you intend to do with this timestream, Nyarlathotep!?" System questioned. "The Sumaru ones suffered enough!" (*16)
General Teddie just laughed. "What am I going to do? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to Take her, then help Darkbolts remake everything! I am grateful for Darkbolts for giving me wish of vengeance! Negative will triumph in the end! Soon, we will become gods of the last dream wish!"
General Teddie floats up in the air, also grabbing Tatsuya and Maya up.
"You are up. You have survived, so I had to kill you. BOTH!" General Teddie erupted.
The Longinus. Spear of Destiny. Except there's dozens of them, all from different depictions originating from different worlds. All of them skewed on Maya, instantly killing her.
With an ominous hate-drenched echo, General Teddie spoke up: "This body had reached its limit anyway. It's only a fake made with Shadows and Vex radiolaria. It was never meant to support itself and me for long."
"No...!" Tatsuya ended up glaring at Maya's blood-spurting corpse. "Fuck you...! I'll destroy you, NYARLATHOTEP!"
"Hahaha... And one you, Tatsuya, dies, your Other Side self will die as well. It's all me, Nyarlathotep, who rigged the P-1 Special!" General Teddie(?) then crushed Tatsuya's skull, killing him on the spot. "And fortunately, with the help of the Darkbolts, a horde of Shadow-Nightmares to create a 'vessel' and all those powers to control it have been gathered."
"That includes my datas? The Keystones!?" System realized. "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!?"
"YES!" General Teddie(?) confirmed. "That's why I sent you to this P-1 Special."
Every survivors objected - only the dead and the remaining crucifixes didn't because they weren't awake there to get the shit...
"What!?" Even Sho is pissed.
"Well done, everyone..." The being smirked. "It is thanks to you and the Darkbolts' support that everything came together so splendidly."
"Damnit! We've been on a glorified goose chase!" Kanji is pissed. "I knew it! This tournament is rigged from the start!"
"All that's left is to fuse with the energy of the Pandora's Box in this storm, with the Shadows and rifts as a collective base, and then devour all those powers to inhabit my new corporeal form!" The being revealed. "Hahahahaha! The Continuum Exploitation Authority... I was ready ever since the Darkbolts rescued me... I know who they were and what they're up to. For they understand me as well."
"What!?" The Pechies are shocked.
"I pay no heed to all others! I am the crawling chaos, risen in the shell of neutrality!" The being declared. "I will incinerate everything you held dear! I will shatter everything you stood for! I will shred down your conception, and cast you rebels down into THE oblivion, beyond the depths of despair...!"
"Oh no, you don't!" Toshiro objected.
"Stop it!" Makoto Yuuki is pissed.
"I was Philemon. I am Nyarlathotep. My name is Arche-Kandori!" (*17) The being revealed, rifting himself to be surrounded by Pandora's Box energy, and so the horde fuses with the scarlet fog of brick-like density surrounding him. "Herald of true Last Dream Wish!"
The body disintegrated into Shadow-Vex mixture, the same kind as the Shadow-types that were encountered. The storm of Nightmares then entered the rift.
Mm... How I love to hear the update of the Final Shape, hm? What do you think? The Great Warlock called. We Darkbolts set this up, but this... this very masterpiece... is a bit different.
"Ngh...! So you're serving for King Magnifico now!?" 2025!Pechy figured out.
Don't worry, old trash. The woman spoke up. She's the same as the one came for the coliseum. (*18) We won't let you die so quickly like those two sacrifices from earlier. You will all live to witness our advent. As for you, Pechy Comet of 2025, the one who started snowballing on us... you will be the first major sacrifice to our power.
"Not this again!" Angela of the Library recognized this.
"We won't let you do this!" System objected.
"Yeah!" People and co. agreed.
Hahahaha...! Your nerve astounds us. But we wouldn't be so sure. The Great Warlock scoffed. All of existence is going to end. We will reshape its remnant into perfection yet. You all fought so long within this red fog, just as we all planned, and all of you are all exhausted to your very core of your own beings. None of you have any real hope of defeating any of us now. All hail Darkbolts, our fellow saviors!
"Darkbolts evil!" Hope objected. "You have no idea your villainy could run so deep it eventually consumes you! Just like with the Pandora's Box!"
They are right. Do you remember constantly denying my vengeance over abandonment of the Origin, a.k.a. the Cube King. Then, you wiped the ones who finally accepted me from existence, bringing me down once again!
"You're the Zerobreaker!?" All the once-involved survivors realized.
Zerobreaker was my real identity, but that name's just an alias. I have forgotten my real name, but it doesn't matter. The woman responded. Thinking about it though... had I took the Pandora's Box from the start, any attempt of defying me back then would've turned you 'evil'... turned you into my friends, by force. I should've noticed the future you created using your tricks! (*19) The woman explained. That's where the Darkbolts came in. The Hypertime received the wishes spawned by the so-called forbidden magic that the Magnificent made. It plucked me and my old boss, the Queen of Hearts, and reshaped us into the new me. Just like that Ivy Comet, I am my own clone. I got all the powers... and I got a new purpose.
"You inflicted my trick on yourself without me knowing you existed!?" The Amayas are baffled.
"You got to be kidding us!" 2027!Amaya is pissed.
"Now I think I know why I'm considered a savior." 2025!Amaya chuckles.
Suddenly, the Dreamcatchers are taken away. Now these, Taylor's Smash Ball, the Winter Crystal, the Emerald-Diamond, the Legend Emerald, the Wishing Star and the Unity Crystal Light, all are circling around the corrupted rift.
We'll take it all. We believe you didn't need them anymore. The Magnificent(?) spoke up.
"Magnifico!" Chadde and the Pechies called.
"The Magnificent is King Magnifico?" Ivy Jolicoeur is confused.
"That's the Exo's identity!?" Ivy Comet is baffled.
The Magnificent(?) then let out an absolutely evil laugh. Arche-Kandori floating in the rift way above, with the the McGuffins and the Pandora's Box energy swirling in, and then all consumed by all. The horde of Shadow-Nightmares followed.
Now is the time for despair! Hmph! Arche-Kandori declared. This new form that you have given me... Behold it!
BGM now Ahnenerbe rock remix.
A colossal explosion from the rift knocked literally all active survivors away and completely destroyed the tower.
"Aaaaaaaah!" The Pechies are flung away together.
So are the respective friends - the non-2025 were knocked off the 2025 body, and ended up floating alongside literally everyone else, mid-air. Arche-Kandori laughed, as the rift erupted into a humanoid being with draconic wings and Philemon's face. The body of black of Shadows with the masks of Shadows all over the place, and those masks are all glowing with Pandora's Box energy. And a central black mask with little gold trims, covering his face.
He showed through the extreme gust of wind and low gravity, while the extra masks are dripping with Nitro.
"Everyone... lend us your strength!" Yu roared in rage.
"It's too late! Hi-no-Kagutsuchi was dumb enough to not finish the shit fast enough, you FOOL!" Arche-Kandori scoffed. "I'm smarter than him! With that and the Darkbolts' help, I am now the herald to the last dream wish! There is no longer anything you can do!"
"It's still the end of all..." 2025!Ron fell down slowly, to...
"We... no...! No!" Yu fell down slowly, to...
A sea of Vex radiolaria, contained in a makeshift singularity. Hope managed to deploy a glider and catch 2025!Pechy, but even then...
"Hello! We are back!"
The eclipse opened, revealing a giant red-burning eye.
"Aku-Bill from Team Teen Cartoon Heroes Unite!?" Deadpool noticed. "How much further can it go!?"
"We already have a deal. Black Hat and co. are sponsoring-"
"Fuck no! How did you get into the Darkbolts!?"
"We came together and struck a deal. Now more and more will-"
"NOOOOOOOOOO!"
BGM mellows out.
"The omniverse is dying. Only we remain, for we won this war." Arche-Kandori declared. "Us Darkbolts dark now eternal. Today, everything ends."
You might have won the P-1 Special, but we will destroy all from now on. The Magnificent laughed.
As everyone falls into the void, with Hope and 2025!Pechy falling the slowest.
BGM fades.
Behold. I have lost everything first. Now, you've lost everything. We've all lost everything. My existence believed in better days ahead, no matter what I do. I wished. I believed. In tomorrow. In the hope that's being devoured by our very own hands. Now the die is cast. And I hope... I believe... in... The. LAST. DREAM. WISH.
Fortnite Battle Royale
2017-20XX
Taylor Jolicoeur's Dreamcatcher Crystal Universe All-Stars
2014-20XX
The Dreamcatcher awake Universe
2022-20XX
Team Teen: Cartoon Heroes Unite
2014-20XX
Wesley the Red Vyonder.
2012-20XX
The Walt Disney Company
1923-20XX
Crisis.
1985-20XX (*20)
...
Location: the Velvet Room
"Mom!" Clover Comet. "Wake up!"
"Uhhh..." Pechy Comet. "Where... am... I...?"
She woke up on a war room.
"What... happened?" Pechy got up.
Ron Davis. Ivy Comet - now in the sleeveless appearance that 202t!Pechy first got to work with. (*21) Ivy Jolicoeur. Taylor Jolicoeur. Eric Jolicoeur. Mike Smith. Clover Comet and Clarie Anderson.
"My dear... All worlds are gone. Again." Pechy hugged Ron. "Ron... we were too late. This room is all that's left."
"Don't worry, Pechy." Ron reassured. "We were fooled by the Darkbolts. We fell into their traps. But we will rise up and undo all the damages. Together."
"Yeah, but how?" Pechy have no idea. "All of existence is no more. Only this room and we are left."
"Mom, we have to get out of this place." Ivy Comet determined. "Ivy? Guys? Any ideas?"
"I think this place exists between consciousness and the subconscious!" Taylor pointed out. "Oh. I excels at real-life infos, and thus fourth-wall breaking, compared to you guys."
"Taylor... We're stuck. How do we get to the fight?" Pechy called. "The Darkbolts have risen. If they continue like this, we won't even exist as we knew anymore."
"They just tried to wipe us all out of existence." Clarie revealed. "That Arche-being dumped us down. The P-1 was complete, everything was collected, and all... all... all..."
"Ok, let's digest together." Pechy suggested. "The new formation of Starstorm, us, is here. Now..."
The new variation of Starstorm has discussed about literally everything they all experienced ever since the Hyper Genesis Wave as well as after the Master Void incident. (*22) Pechy and Ron ended up showing that they have memories of their timed selves from time points, forcibly diverged and then going on the run as separate beings until P-1 Special, and then back to before the moment of destruction of all existence (when and whenever the four of each were brought back). In addition to this strange deja Vu resulting from now-possible merging again, the couple also noted about every phenomenons surrounding the adventures thus far. And ultimately, the gathering of identities in discussion...
"So the Magnificent really is King Magnifico as a risen Exo. The Zerobreaker has returned once again and got a new name to her. Hortus is experiment No.14 of the Weapon Z facility." Pechy recalled. "The Second Knife and Nyarlathotep worked with the Darkbolts for both their villainous gratefulness and willingness to help rise the vengeance. Oh, and the Aku-infected Bill Cipher and the Black Hat Organization (*23) struck a deal with the Darkbolts. Not to mention the backstories."
Suddenly, a holographic display, in front of the Starstorm.
Welcome to the Velvet Room.
"Lavenza?" Pechy recognized her.
If you saw that "me" on P-1 Special rigged by those terrorists... she's fake. (*24) A fake made with Shadows and Vex fluid.
"Goodness!" Pechy is baffled.
I'm cutting the chase because I am going to be executed!
It's the real Lavenza. She's in an execution event in the Hollow Forest - the home turf of Marie of the Velvet Room - and in a staged concert broadcasted.
Hello there, Risette's here! This is the Midnight Festival, and today is the execution of... Lavenza of the Velvet Room!
"Ms. Kujikawa!?" Pechy and Taylor are both shocked.
Rise has a literal satellite - modeled after that of her evolved Persona, Kanzeon - seamlessly integrated on top of her head, blending in just enough on her hair. She's also wears the same clothes as her initial Persona, Himiko. She's using a microphone modeled after her actual Shadow self (pole included).
Why execute Lavenza though? According to the councils, and agreed upon by a vast majority, Lavenza knows too much! Rise explained why the execution has to happen. Ourexecutioner will be... my dear Yu-senpai! Say hello to Arche-Izanagi! Or alternatively, Yu Narukami! Yu-senpai, over here!
"Mr. Narukami as well!?" Pechy is shocked. "Wait... those Prismatic Fleet! Why the Second Knife!?"
Lavenza is suspended by Strand, courtesy of the Prismatic Fleet.
"Oh crap. This might to be family friendly." Clarie commented. "Like, remember Ms. Amano of Sumaru City? Those dripping lances ain't...! Damn...!"
Yu approached Lavenza, wearing the same attires as his ultimate Persona, Izanagi-no-Okami. Accompanying him is Marie - or rather, Kusumi-no-Okami (熊野久須毘命) but with normal eyes.
BGM intensifies at the right moment.
In the name of the myriad truths, we keep the peace. Yu declared. Lavenza of the Velvet Room! You deceitful attendant, who knows too much about the forbidden!
"Nooo!" Ivy and Ivy.
This plane is a perversion of all that be! I am innocent! We are innocent! You're being deceived! Lavenza objected. Please... heed me!
No one in the right mind gets to question the gods way above. Yu thrusted down. Begone!
A radiant pillar of light is charged on Lavenza's spot.
"NOOO!" The Starstorm guys and girls screamed.
Go forth... avenge us all. Lavenza entrusted.
The light vaporized the attendant, killing her completely. The audience in the Hollow Forest cheered and celebrated the execution.
Nothing remained of her. BGM stops in time.
"No..." Taylor grieved.
"Miss Lavenza... is dead." Ivy Jolicoeur tears up.
"How dare they...!" Mike is pissed. "The Investigation Team... has betrayed everything! Urrraaagh!"
It is done. Marie spoke up. The next time Lavenza come back, she'll be ours. Fixed for our sake.
Marie smiled in the same evil style as any Shadow Marie.
That conclude today's Midnight Festival! Rise exclaimed.
Suddenly, the display turned off.
"Damnit! The Investigation Team... how could they!?" Mike is furious. "I mean, how many time have they really met Lavenza before? Poor Lavenza... The Investigation Team will pay-"
"The Darkbolts turned them into puppets!" Pechy spoke up. "You know? The Darkbolts wanted the ultimate revenge... by reshaping existence into whatever they wanted, just to mock the Redvengers!"
"Right. The only way the Investigation Team could truly turn evil so easily is because somebody forcefully manipulated them. Somebody... like those from the Darkbolts!" Taylor pointed it out. "The Investigation Team are great comrades. They protects and search truth. They are not evil by themselves! Maybe possibly except Adachi by technicalities... uh... but yeah."
"So you're saying that the Investigation Team were brainwashed?" Mike is confused.
"Precisely! That's the only viable option!" Pechy confirmed. "Now... We must leave this place... now."
"I am a Shadow... the true self." Behind Pechy is someone who looks like Pechy in that villain uniform of hers. (*4)
This Pechy has glowing golden eyes. The real one noticed her from the back, and immediately got excited.
"Yes! Finally! Someone to help!" Pechy exclaimed. "Ok, since rejecting you would make you dangerous and cruel with your magic, let me say that I accept you and I need your help. I know about my experience as some who's bummed and who had to save my universe with my own dreams. So..."
"What!?" Mike is baffled.
"My Shadow self, I really need help from the likes of you." Pechy hugged her.
"Shadow... you?" Ron noticed.
"Uhhh... You knew?" Shadow Pechy is confused.
"Yep! We must act now!" Pechy cheesed. "I'm not giving up. I believe in my Dreamcatchers. And I am ready. But we have to hurry. The Darkbolts have risen."
"You had to accept your Shadow? Very well... no complaint here." Mike shrugged.
"I am thou, thou art I." Shadow Pechy quickly pulsed.
The Starstorm fell. They're all leaving the Velvet Room. Finally.
Note: Hoo boy, that's even more hectic in the whole long run than I initially anticipated. There's a lot to unpack for, even for a massive multi-cross! And given the focus towards the Pechies and the ending based on Dreamcatcher: The Legend of The Emerald (2023), this is a wrap for "Tales of four Pechies"!
Starting with Shadow Marie fight, Pechy Comet finally split herself back up, to give her gang a quick chance against the fake. Akihiko's Theurgy-enhanced Instant Kill is enhanced by the extra participants, just to destroy Shadow Marie who did make use of weather manipulation. The dancers from Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight (2018) also joined as well.
Then, Shadow Kotone. Another counterfeit Great Seal. Speaking of Kotone Shiomi, the fact that she's an alternate timeline version of Makoto Yuuki is reflected on her nickname, which in P-1 is similar to his: "Deadbeat Messiah of Another Timeline". (Note that the door of the Great Seal and consequently the nickname Door-kun doesn't apply to Kotone, because she wasn't seen in "The Answer" at all)
Next up, all of 2025 friends are finally, finally rescued, plus Pechy's father and King, Chadde Comet, who accidentally set up a bombshell by explaining Wish (2023). Then, turns out most of everyone are safe and coming, but there's the Shadows becoming Nightmares (much to Nezarec, Final God of Pain, 's horror) and flying to the Taken Storm alongside the Smash Bros. Spirits and the Pandora's Box energy. The six of Pechy and Ivy are chosen to get to the very top of the Final Destination floor: the Final Shape, a.k.a. the Witness's originally envisioned world. There, two last fights, both against Hortus. (Also, P-1 Climax/P4AU parallel, which is intentional, as you can see all around this chapter)
And turns out, Persona Nyarlathotep is BACK! A wish-fulfillment plot twist here, Nyarlathotep is now fused with Philemon and prepared to leave the body of General Teddie. With the Zero Point rift capturing him and all the stuffs collected and gathered into, leading to a new form of the crawling chaos, transcended into the herald of what the Darkbolts deemed as The Last Dream Wish. That's the words you should be taking notes of if you were doing research while reading this fic (I'd be glad you would read and note stuffs in my fics, except for those NSFW tests that you should just ignore). And the P-1 Special was set up from the start, so the Darkbolts finally got the CXA, and is finally in the right state to enact their desired vengeance!
And to top it all off, I finally was able to reveal more. The mysterious woman in the previous chapters are the Zerobreaker in the body of the lost Queen of Hearts, now under the new name - she's a combination of the two biggest antagonists of the previous two major installments, Beyond the Edge and Successor of Anti-Life - and the king, the Magnificent leaving the Darkbolts? He is King Magnifico, escaped from the dungeon, destroyed the original version of the kingdom of Rosas (the setting of the Wish movie) and now as an Exomind powered by forbidden magic that Magnifico used late into the movie. Now, he will call himself... Omega Magnifico!
And all of existence is finally destroyed, and that means everyone actually failed to prevent true omniversal destruction altogether, a very rare occurrence among the CXA, though so far all had been able to bounce back and restore everything back every time destruction completed. But the Darkbolts wouldn't allow that to properly happen anymore, so they created a new, corrupted reality that you'll learn in the oncoming chapters. They would keep the remnants of the infinite existence - greater omni, Hypertime, Retconnian, blah blah blah - corrupt and ridiculous. And the Darkbolts also got the CXA technologies (thanks to the plan involving P-1) and kidnapped the commanders, including Ms. Continuum (again, thanks to P-1). Given everything though, all hope isn't lost yet. But the Darkbolts has outwitted (if not outright outgambitted) the CXA, and if nobody comes to get the opposition going, it will indeed be the end... no matter how you slice it. Indeed, Pechy Comet and co. are to be in hurry, so Pechy herself quickly accepted her Shadow self the moment she noticed her. Smart move, Pechy; if you deny your Shadow self in front of them, your Shadow will go mad berserk.
As solemn as it is, the "Tales of four Pechies" end here. The next chapter will delve into a whole new version of Latverion from 2015!Secret Wars, and consequently, Battleworld! But not a single cosmos... a multiverse! Be sure to promote the entire crossover project as well! Confused? Here's how you can do it: share the project and the fanfiction to social media, TV Tropes pages, appropriate forums and conversations, and get everyone to know and help! (No drama please!)
Until next time...
Cross-trivia:
(*1) - See the previous chapter (#9).
(*2) - In #5, the gang (consisting of friends from across time around the 2025 gang that became Starstorm) found the old World Trade Center towers in the Corridors of Time. (Do not joke about 9/11. Seriously, don't. A tasteless joke is not worth your hilarity, please respect the Americans.)
(*3) - See Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth (ペルソナQ2 ニュー シネマ ラビリンス, 2018).
(*4) - See Dreamcatcher: The Last Dream Wish (2023).
(*5) - Nu-13 from BlazBlue (2008-).
(*6) - Team RWBY (pronounced "Ruby") is a Huntress team of (former) Beacon Academy students, which is comprised of RWBY (2013-)'s titular protagonists: their leader Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long. Originally unable to even hold a proper conversation together, the team eventually develops a familial bond and grows into a tightly-knit group, willing to risk their futures and even their lives for each other. They have no qualms breaking the rules to do what they believe is right.
(*7) - May have involved the Multiversal Gate that's shut down in Absolute Power (2024), part of which were to physically cut Earth-0 off from the rest of the DC multiverse.
(*8) - The Absolute Doom event on October 5th, 2024, in Chapter 5 Season 4: Absolute Doom (2024).
(*9) - Shinjiro Aragaki died on October 4th, 2009. Or alternatively, by maxing out his Social Link, he instead survives the gunshot for now and is instead in coma.
(*10) - I once again breaks the fourth wall, to show you that yes, about Shinjiro Aragaki (Brooding Alleged Casualty from Other Day). No way he'd be awake as of 2012, so yes, Shinjiro is pretty much in the future, accompanied with by both versions of Ken Amada (and Koromaru).
(*11) - Nightmares are apparitions of Darkness used for psychological warfare and as a security system for the Black Fleet; manifested as past figures and enemies to exploit the trauma and worst fears of Guardians and other victims. First appearing following Eris Morn's discovery of the Pyramid beneath the Moon, the Nightmares include phantoms of some of Guardians' deadliest foes up until Shadowkeep expansion (2019), including Crota, Fikrul, Ghaul and Uldren Sov.
It is believed that Nezarec, Final God of Pain co-opted the Nightmares in the past and wove them into his Pyramid as a security system, which was then expanded to other Pyramids.
(*12) - First appearing in Chapter 5 Season 2: Myths and Mortals (2024).
(*13) - From Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (大乱闘スマッシュブラザーズ SPECIAL, 2018).
(*14) - Wildly different results depending on how you dual-wield guns. While it's absolutely possible (and has been demonstrated) to concentrate your fire on one target with two guns, tracking multiple targets at the same time is nigh impossible. The latter has been tried and tested exhaustively (including by MythBusters), and the consensus is that a normal human being cannot accurately track and shoot two targets in two different locations at the same time (though that doesn't necessarily dispel the cool factor).
(*15) - See Chapter 4 Season 1: A New Beginning (2022).
(*16) - See Persona 2 duology (1999-2000).
(*17) - References to Takahisa Kandori (神取鷹久), the main antagonist of Persona 1 (1996).
(*18) - See chapter #5, where the woman arrived to raze the 2023 universe.
(*19) - See the Big Bang event (2023) and then Battle Royale Chapter 5. Also applies to meta as well, since Beyond the Edge took place before the Big Bang.
(*20) - DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985).
(*21) - The after scene from Dreamcatcher: The Last Dream Wish (2023). (*4)
(*22) - IVY: World of The Future (2024).
(*23) - Black Hat Organization are the main villainous protagonists of Villainous (2017), secretly (at least in-universe) serving as the overarching antagonists of the entire Cartoon Network multiverse.
It is the biggest secret evil organization and most powerful villain's network corporation of the Cartoon Network multiverse which was founded by Black Hat. It dedicates itself to sell products and services to help villains across said multiverse to achieve their goals from building empires to simply having new decorations.
(*24) - See chapter #7.