Main Event Right Hand of the Magic God

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

"HEY! HHHEEEEYYYY!!!!" Severa started banging on the protective wall, which was truly doing its job keeping Kyosuke safe from her wrath. "YOU DASTARD!!! OPEN THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!" Even with her extremely limited knowledge of technology, Severa had a good idea of what it was he was doing.

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Crow @Alex Azure @York @Ver @Security Center

---

Libra lowered his hands and released Artorius of his hold on him, in awe of Sorey's transformation. "So...you remember now, Sorey? What really happened?"

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Takumi @Med Bay​

"Take control all you want," Kyosuke said, turning around to face the group. "It's already begun. Not much point to an emergency self-destruct that can be deactivated once started. You don't have long... maybe less than a minute." Kyosuke then sneered.

"You mock me with your naivety. I admit, the show you put on for me was intriguing, but utter drivel. I know very well that despair embodies you all, those who would destroy us all. Did you really think that playing nice would suffice to make me waver?"

Kyosuke only stared as Severa banged on the glass and Schala attempted to open a portal. "... Flee if you want, but I believe you can't leave the station. The self-destruct is for the entirety of Knowhere, so it's useless." Kyosuke then closed his eyes. "My body will cease to exist along with the rest of you, but I will have eradicated despair."

@Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Crow @Alex Azure @York @Ver @Security Center

---

"He does," Billy said, starting to collapse. "It's the least I could..."

"Everyone, please run," Sorey said. "I will clear a path for you... just take Elle and go!"

@Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Takumi @Med Bay​

"No one's getting sacrificed for any greater goods or whatever reason today, and I'm gonna make sure of it. Come on... how many firewalls does this thing have?"

The giant mechanical cat shakes his head.

"Darn it! Well..."

He steps into Schala's portal.

"We'll need to think of another strategy, pronto!"

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Crow @Alex Azure @York @Ver @Security Center
​

"Woah, did he just turn into a Super Saiyan?" Grandpa Max asks as Sorey's hair turns gold. "No time to admire... let's move it! To the rendezvous point!"

Grandpa Max ponders as he grabs Billy.

"Wait a second, isn't Aska, the guy who's granting Sorey's power, supposed to be dead?"

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Takumi @Lucky @Med Bay​

Mason had followed along with the group, blindly following the group, following their sounds and their souls.
lacking sight, he was a bit behind, not realizing the present dangers or betrayals that were occurring until it was already too late. However, he felt something. Close by, there was Schala's attempt at a portal. Elsewhere in Knowhere, he felt a large presence of power, perhaps two strong presences.

"If Knowhere is blowing up, then we need to get away. Far away. How about... an entire universe away?"

"Schala, open a portal to get us to the med bay group. My sis can make portals between worlds. We may have lost Fiamma, but that doesn't mean we're trapped here. There are... caveats, but we don't really have time to worry about that. If we can't portal our way there, then let's start running like hell!"

@Atomic Knight @Yun Lee @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Crow @Alex Azure @York @Ver @Security Center

Meanwhile, Macy took hold of Elle's other hand and rushed her along.

"Sorey, we can never thank you enough. Your efforts won't go in vain, I promise! Let's get running then. Catch up with the other groups, maybe they've found something!"

Macy ran out of the Med Bay, looking for the other groups.

@Atomic Knight @Lucky @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Crow @Takumi @Med Bay​

BOOM!

And just like that, before anyone could help it, realize it, do anything to stop it, Knowhere was gone. And with it, everyone who was in there, blasting everyone with a fiery, overwhelming blast, into Hell.

...

"No, no. Hell does not get to have you just yet."

The next thing everyone knew, they were greeted by the familiar sight of the black void of nothingness. The black world that was in place when Othinus had first destroyed the multiverse on her whim. Anything that indicated they must have died again in the explosion -- burns, bruises, and so on -- were nowhere to be found, as though nothing had ever happened to them.

Standing before the group once more, still holding Gungnir to her side, the Magic God glowered upon everyone with a stern expression, her one eye piercing deeper than any blade could.

"... So it looks like you've recovered well enough from Fiamma of the Right's Fairy spell," Touma commented, meeting her gaze with his own steely eyes.

"Yes. It appears that it wasn't quite as effective as he'd hoped," Othinus shrugged, before continuing to speak once more, directing a question to the entire group. One that she had echoed before.

"Do you realize it now? The answer? Pain is something that is easy to give. Living beings afflict each other with it every second, like nature. And if pain is something that anyone can give anyone else, to that end, what is something that, in its purest form, humans could never give one another?"

@Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @York @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Everybody​

Will glared at Othinus with all the malice she could muster. Her soul burned in her body, and even Xing Jin took notice.Every word that came from The Keeper's mouth was soaked to the brim with venom.

"Save your riddles for someone who cares, witch. It's easy to gloat and ask these stupid questions when you have the tools handed to you, isn't it?"

@Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @York @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Everybody​

"No need to get frustrated just because you can't solve a riddle. I hate these kind of puzzles too, but I've had experience solving them. I think we can work through this."

"If pain is easy to give, then what's impossible to give must be the opposite. Peace? Love? Understanding?"

"I don't think it's that simple. She's been trying to make a point with these journeys into awful recreations of the multiverse. She's shown us how much pain we've been able to cause. What has she deprived us of?"

"Sleep?"

"Now you're overthinking it."

"Well, what's your guess?"

"Well... Othinus... is it forgiveness? To err is human, to forgive is divine."

@Ver @Atomic Knight @Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @York @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Everybody​

"Happiness. It is happiness."

Ben steps forward.

"I learned something from my time with Jiren. Then again, it's something I always knew deep inside me, but it's just my nature to deny it."

He looks at Chise for a bit, then back at Othinus.

"It can't be given, not in its purest form anyways. That's just the way life works. Joys and pain - they're two sides of the same coin. That's what makes life... life.

My answer is correct, but it isn't the only correct answer, Othinus, and I know that you're looking for them all, or maybe just one in particular, because you're missing them. Let's see what everyone else says."

@Ver @Atomic Knight @Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @York @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Everybody​

Libra wasn't happy to see Othinus again, but it was a nice break from being thought of as evil. "Trust. No one was able to trust us, no matter what we did or said. Only when they were given the opportunity to see the truth, did anything change."

"Not really. That one-eyed jerk didn't believe us, no matter what! You know, I guess faith also counts, considering the way he acted. Ugh, what am I even saying?" Getting blown up again had pretty much eliminated Severa's desire for philosophy. "This is all stupid! Why don't you make us all a classroom since you want to play teacher so much?!"

@Ver @Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @York @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay @Everybody​

Schala Zeal
@Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @Ver @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay
@Everybody

Though Schala attempted to open a portal to the med bay... She soon realized that there wasn't enough time.

Just before everything came to an end, she locked eyes with Kyosuke, that determined look returning to her face one last time.

"You're wrong... ... Despair... True... Despair, only sets in once all hope is lost... ... But... I know better than to lose hope... Even if this is the end... ... For as long as Othinus is in power... And even then... Until we truly break... This nightmare... Is never... Over..." She said quietly.

And then... It was over... The explosion ended their lives, but... As she had come to expect, they still lived... But this time, they were back in a void, with only themselves, and Othinus.

Pondering her question... Remembering everything she had talked about, thought about... Everything leading up to this moment... Schala spoke, the answer clear as day... At least to her.

"Above all... Perhaps the answer is... Peace. For what makes a human... Human, is their emotion... Their conviction, their drives... Their hopes... Their dreams, whatever they may be. But so long as one is... ... Human, true, eternal peace can never be achieved." She said quietly.

Though there were other possibilities as to the answer... Peace was the one that jumped out at her the most.

After all... The choice to be good, or evil, or something else entirely comes with consequences... As their perspective on what defines "good", or "evil", more often than not is contested, or outright rejected... And as a result, conflict inevitably emerges, if not from malicious intent, then from a sense of 'good', or 'justice', a feeling that is not shared mutually.

However... Despite these flaws... Despite these complications... Perhaps what Schala valued, above all else... Is the ability to be happy... Truly happy. Striving to get there, even for the briefest of moments was what more often than not carried her on... Allowing to retain a sense of hope... And loyalty, to her cause when it came to protecting the multiverse as it was.

Though, now that it was gone... Even if it did seem a bit unstable, it was hard to say what she was going to do now... But... As long as hope remained... Hope of stopping Othinus, and restoring the power the great spirits once had over the multiverse... She would continue to fight, hoping to put an end to Othinus' manipulation of their fates.

Of course, it was going to be impossible to put an end to all the troubles in the multiverse, and still be able to achieve happiness... But... It was something she would rather have the ability to fight for... Than to be stuck in an endless cycle where true happiness could never be reached before it was taken away again by a diety attempting to toy with them for as long as they saw fit.

In the end... She would continue to live... To fight... To restore the future of the multiverse... The autonomy those that lived within once had... And in the end... The very nature of their beings they had fought to protect when they stood against Othinus...​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

" It's Hope. Humans can't give others hope in its purest form. That's was what everyone didn't have in the world she made. Sorey, Artorius, anyone else we came across, they all call us creatures of despair and even when we trying to be hopeful and convince them we weren't, they didn't believe us."

@Hahli Nuva @Alex Azure @Lucky @Yun Lee @Ver @Crow @Takumi @CrunchyCHEEZIT @Jeremi @Kaykay[ @Everybody

 

[Ver]

Continued from here.

Chapter Six
"Shifting and Fluctuating World"

Spoiler: Recap

With Othinus having successfully become the god above all of the multiverse, with the power of Gungnir, Giorno's Arrow, and the death of the Great Spirits, she overwrites reality, casually destroying the multiverse on her whim. Having deliberately spared the immediate group in front of her, Othinus decides to toy with them in hopes of breaking them, promising a fate worse than death. She recreates the multiverse, rewriting it so that the group had turned out to be Revanchist traitors who killed Makoto, among others, within the Coalition, and are forcefully detained by Kyoko, Wanda, and Doppo.

Eventually, Fiamma of the Right manages to break out of containment, conjuring a Fairy Spell on Othinus in hopes of draining her power, though it had little immediate effect, and resulted in his death. During the break-out, Ollerus manages to grab a hold of the Ultimate Nullifier from Knowhere's vaults, but before he can immediately use it, Othinus once again destroys the multiverse and creates a new one, similar to the previous one but with the Coalition and its members left in shambles. Ollerus attempts to use the Ultimate Nullifier on Othinus then, but it seems to have little effect, and he is killed as well. However, Othinus suddenly vomits blood, believed to be an effect of both Fiamma of the Right's spell and the Ultimate Nullifier, forcing her to flee to recover, leaving the group alone. At Touma's suggestion, they split up.

Touma, along with a small group, heads to the Command Center, where they come across Wanda Maximoff and Kyoko Kirigiri, the former of whom is able to use her power to resist Othinus's influence just for the moment, maintaining her memories of the first multiverse. After a brief conversation concerning the nature of Othinus's character, Kyoko directs the group to the Members' Quarters, where they believe they will be able to reunite with Billy, who had gone missing once the multiverse had first ended. Once there, upon meeting Billy, along with fellow Coalition member Kyosuke Munakata, he explains that Othinus must be manipulating the power of the Great Spirits using her new abilities, continuing to speculate further on how she is easily able to manipulate the multiverse. Meanwhile, another group ventures into the Med Bay, a brief fight breaks out with Sorey and Artorius Collbrande.

After the group is tricked into triggering the self-destruct sequence for Knowhere by Munakata, the station explodes, and the group finds themselves once again in the black void of nothingness with Othinus, who poses them a question she had asked them before; if pain is something humans can give each other so easily, what is something they could never give, in its purest form, to each other?

Without immediately answering anyone who responded to her riddle, Othinus raised Gungnir once again and stabbed it into the ground, the tip glowing vibrantly as color began to return to the multiverse, and she created everything anew.

However, instead of Knowhere, the group was somewhere entirely. Some may have recognized where they were, some might not have. It mattered little to the witch either way. A beautiful, peaceful city, where birds chirped without a worry, the wind blew coolly and mildly, and people laughed and talked with each other jovially.

View attachment 3379

"Where... Where are we?! What is this place now?!" Touma exclaimed, at a loss for his new surroundings.

"A haven for those who are lost. A sanctuary for all living beings. It is where your friends and family now live. Avalon. That is the name give to it, I believe," the voice of Othinus responded, running a hand through her flowing hair

Standing before everyone, Othinus clasped her hands together, as though clapping once, a droll smile on her face. "Imaginative answers, all of which are valid in their own right. But I must congratulate Ben Tennyson for uncovering the answer I was seeking most above all," she said, pausing for a brief moment, before confirming it.

"Happiness. It was happiness."

"The eternal human struggle is hoping to fully know -- to fully understand each other. Humans oft spend their entire lives unable to understand one another, let alone provide happiness in any true capacity. No matter what they do, they can never bring back their loved ones. They can never erase all their problems away. They can never be what they need from each other. It is a conundrum that they eternally spend trying to best, and yet... It was so easy for me. How amusing. Perhaps humans were not so complicated as they believed themselves to be."

"What are you talking about?! What's so special about this place now?! Why did you bring us here?!" Touma exclaimed, clenching his fist by pure instinct as he looked up at Othinus, not fully understanding the god's point. So she spelled it out for him.

"My efforts have been focused on breaking you all, on helping you realize just how futile and useless your actions have been throughout your entire lives. Despite your heroic aspirations, I made you all the villains of the world without any effort. Then, I presented to you those whom you could not save -- those whom you had damned because you could not best me. But I realized... It was not any of those notions that would drive champions of justice to realize the futility of their actions."

"The way was not to take away what you fought for, but whom you fought for."

"What...? I... I don't understand!" Touma exclaimed, but before long, it became clear.

Behind Othinus, people continued to walk across the street, all of them with lively expressions on their faces. At first, they were unfamiliar, unremarkable people, but then... That began to change. In the distance, everyone was able to see familiar faces, such as Captain Falcon, Russia, Marcus Wright, Kyle Reese, Gaius, and others walking down, alive as could be. As they passed by each other, giving each other friendly waves as they did so, Touma's eyes widened in shock.

"N-No way..."

"If you curse me for destroying all life within the multiverse, would it still apply as I bring them back and give everyone happiness? Happiness that you never could have truly given your loved ones?" Othinus spoke, outstretching her arm, "Think about it. The ideal utopia of a multiverse with no strife, no war, no suffering. Everyone you've ever lost, everyone you've failed to save, and more. Would this not make me the greatest hero to ever exist throughout the multiverse?"

"You don't have to fight anymore. Resign to your fate... or don't. Continue to oppose me if you wish, if you are fully intend on taking away these people's chance for happiness."

"Do you have that kind of resolve to take everything from everyone you've ever cared for?"

She waited for an answer.

Cast List
@Crow as Ben Tennyson and Max Tennyson (Ben 10)
@Atomic Knight as Billy Kaplan (Marvel Comics)
@Takumi as Chise Hatori and Ruth (The Ancient Magus Bride)
@Minerva as Cordelia (Fire Emblem)
@Hood Rat as Diego Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Gummi Bunnies as Dlanor A. Knox and Willard H. Wright (Umineko no Naku Koro Ni)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Giorno Giovanna and Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Jeremi as Jolyne Cujoh and Ermes Costello (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Donder172 as Jordshan Limbdell and M1-4X (Star Wars)
@Kaykay as Leivinia Birdway (A Certain Magical Index)
@Yun Lee as Libra and Severa (Fire Emblem)
@Space_Candy as Markus and Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
@Alex Azure as Mason Moretti and Macy Moretti (Convergence Series)
@Lucky as Phil Connors and Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day)
@York as Schala Zeal (Chrono Trigger)
@Ver as Touma Kamijou (A Certain Magical Index)
@Hahli Nuva as Will Vandom (W.I.T.C.H.)​

 

[Yun Lee]

Severa couldn't believe she was back here. This stupid city that got her into this whole Multiverse mess... "This town ain't so great..." she half-heartedly muttered, not wanting to give Othinus any satisfaction. But...Russia, the man who had protected her from Pucci...he was okay now? And all the others who'd died...and they were all so happy!

---

Libra couldn't believe his eyes. Gaius...he was alive! Everyone was all right...and they could stay all right, if only...

...

...still. Othinus was the one who had killed Gaius on a whim. He couldn't forget that. His death was her doing. But...did that matter, if he was alive?

"Is this...truly the Multiverse you desire, Othinus?"

@Ver @Everyone​

 

[Macy Moretti]

Continued from here.

Chapter Six
"Shifting and Fluctuating World"

Spoiler: Recap

With Othinus having successfully become the god above all of the multiverse, with the power of Gungnir, Giorno's Arrow, and the death of the Great Spirits, she overwrites reality, casually destroying the multiverse on her whim. Having deliberately spared the immediate group in front of her, Othinus decides to toy with them in hopes of breaking them, promising a fate worse than death. She recreates the multiverse, rewriting it so that the group had turned out to be Revanchist traitors who killed Makoto, among others, within the Coalition, and are forcefully detained by Kyoko, Wanda, and Doppo.

Eventually, Fiamma of the Right manages to break out of containment, conjuring a Fairy Spell on Othinus in hopes of draining her power, though it had little immediate effect, and resulted in his death. During the break-out, Ollerus manages to grab a hold of the Ultimate Nullifier from Knowhere's vaults, but before he can immediately use it, Othinus once again destroys the multiverse and creates a new one, similar to the previous one but with the Coalition and its members left in shambles. Ollerus attempts to use the Ultimate Nullifier on Othinus then, but it seems to have little effect, and he is killed as well. However, Othinus suddenly vomits blood, believed to be an effect of both Fiamma of the Right's spell and the Ultimate Nullifier, forcing her to flee to recover, leaving the group alone. At Touma's suggestion, they split up.

Touma, along with a small group, heads to the Command Center, where they come across Wanda Maximoff and Kyoko Kirigiri, the former of whom is able to use her power to resist Othinus's influence just for the moment, maintaining her memories of the first multiverse. After a brief conversation concerning the nature of Othinus's character, Kyoko directs the group to the Members' Quarters, where they believe they will be able to reunite with Billy, who had gone missing once the multiverse had first ended. Once there, upon meeting Billy, along with fellow Coalition member Kyosuke Munakata, he explains that Othinus must be manipulating the power of the Great Spirits using her new abilities, continuing to speculate further on how she is easily able to manipulate the multiverse. Meanwhile, another group ventures into the Med Bay, a brief fight breaks out with Sorey and Artorius Collbrande.

After the group is tricked into triggering the self-destruct sequence for Knowhere by Munakata, the station explodes, and the group finds themselves once again in the black void of nothingness with Othinus, who poses them a question she had asked them before; if pain is something humans can give each other so easily, what is something they could never give, in its purest form, to each other?

Without immediately answering anyone who responded to her riddle, Othinus raised Gungnir once again and stabbed it into the ground, the tip glowing vibrantly as color began to return to the multiverse, and she created everything anew.

However, instead of Knowhere, the group was somewhere entirely. Some may have recognized where they were, some might not have. It mattered little to the witch either way. A beautiful, peaceful city, where birds chirped without a worry, the wind blew coolly and mildly, and people laughed and talked with each other jovially.

View attachment 3379

"Where... Where are we?! What is this place now?!" Touma exclaimed, at a loss for his new surroundings.

"A haven for those who are lost. A sanctuary for all living beings. It is where your friends and family now live. Avalon. That is the name give to it, I believe," the voice of Othinus responded, running a hand through her flowing hair

Standing before everyone, Othinus clasped her hands together, as though clapping once, a droll smile on her face. "Imaginative answers, all of which are valid in their own right. But I must congratulate Ben Tennyson for uncovering the answer I was seeking most above all," she said, pausing for a brief moment, before confirming it.

"Happiness. It was happiness."

"The eternal human struggle is hoping to fully know -- to fully understand each other. Humans oft spend their entire lives unable to understand one another, let alone provide happiness in any true capacity. No matter what they do, they can never bring back their loved ones. They can never erase all their problems away. They can never be what they need from each other. It is a conundrum that they eternally spend trying to best, and yet... It was so easy for me. How amusing. Perhaps humans were not so complicated as they believed themselves to be."

"What are you talking about?! What's so special about this place now?! Why did you bring us here?!" Touma exclaimed, clenching his fist by pure instinct as he looked up at Othinus, not fully understanding the god's point. So she spelled it out for him.

"My efforts have been focused on breaking you all, on helping you realize just how futile and useless your actions have been throughout your entire lives. Despite your heroic aspirations, I made you all the villains of the world without any effort. Then, I presented to you those whom you could not save -- those whom you had damned because you could not best me. But I realized... It was not any of those notions that would drive champions of justice to realize the futility of their actions."

"The way was not to take away what you fought for, but whom you fought for."

"What...? I... I don't understand!" Touma exclaimed, but before long, it became clear.

Behind Othinus, people continued to walk across the street, all of them with lively expressions on their faces. At first, they were unfamiliar, unremarkable people, but then... That began to change. In the distance, everyone was able to see familiar faces, such as Captain Falcon, Russia, Marcus Wright, Kyle Reese, Gaius, and others walking down, alive as could be. As they passed by each other, giving each other friendly waves as they did so, Touma's eyes widened in shock.

"N-No way..."

"If you curse me for destroying all life within the multiverse, would it still apply as I bring them back and give everyone happiness? Happiness that you never could have truly given your loved ones?" Othinus spoke, outstretching her arm, "Think about it. The ideal utopia of a multiverse with no strife, no war, no suffering. Everyone you've ever lost, everyone you've failed to save, and more. Would this not make me the greatest hero to ever exist throughout the multiverse?"

"You don't have to fight anymore. Resign to your fate... or don't. Continue to oppose me if you wish, if you are fully intend on taking away these people's chance for happiness."

"Do you have that kind of resolve to take everything from everyone you've ever cared for?"

She waited for an answer.

Cast List
@Crow as Ben Tennyson and Max Tennyson (Ben 10)
@Atomic Knight as Billy Kaplan (Marvel Comics)
@Takumi as Chise Hatori and Ruth (The Ancient Magus Bride)
@Minerva as Cordelia (Fire Emblem)
@Hood Rat as Diego Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Gummi Bunnies as Dlanor A. Knox and Willard H. Wright (Umineko no Naku Koro Ni)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Giorno Giovanna and Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Jeremi as Jolyne Cujoh and Ermes Costello (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Donder172 as Jordshan Limbdell and M1-4X (Star Wars)
@Kaykay as Leivinia Birdway (A Certain Magical Index)
@Yun Lee as Libra and Severa (Fire Emblem)
@Space_Candy as Markus and Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
@Alex Azure as Mason Moretti and Macy Moretti (Convergence Series)
@Lucky as Phil Connors and Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day)
@York as Schala Zeal (Chrono Trigger)
@Ver as Touma Kamijou (A Certain Magical Index)
@Hahli Nuva as Will Vandom (W.I.T.C.H.)​

View attachment 3380
"They're... They're back. They're just... back! No dark magic, no workarounds, no cheating death. They're just back. This... This is amazing."

View attachment 3381
"This has to be too good to be true. Avalon is a mess. It's full of unhappy people cobbled together from across the multiverse. The United Universes is doing its best to keep control here, but everyone is unhappy. You can't have brought this much happiness and peace, even with the powers of a Magic God. We're not buying it, right Mace?"

View attachment 3382
"Othinus, my family. Mama, Papa, Leon... I want to see them again. If you can bring these people back, then maybe you can bring them here!"

"Macy, it's not worth it. This is all her trick."

"Does it matter if it's a trick if seeing them will make me happy again?"

Mason couldn't find a response this time.

@Ver @Everyone​

 

[Crow]

Continued from here.

Chapter Six
"Shifting and Fluctuating World"

Spoiler: Recap

With Othinus having successfully become the god above all of the multiverse, with the power of Gungnir, Giorno's Arrow, and the death of the Great Spirits, she overwrites reality, casually destroying the multiverse on her whim. Having deliberately spared the immediate group in front of her, Othinus decides to toy with them in hopes of breaking them, promising a fate worse than death. She recreates the multiverse, rewriting it so that the group had turned out to be Revanchist traitors who killed Makoto, among others, within the Coalition, and are forcefully detained by Kyoko, Wanda, and Doppo.

Eventually, Fiamma of the Right manages to break out of containment, conjuring a Fairy Spell on Othinus in hopes of draining her power, though it had little immediate effect, and resulted in his death. During the break-out, Ollerus manages to grab a hold of the Ultimate Nullifier from Knowhere's vaults, but before he can immediately use it, Othinus once again destroys the multiverse and creates a new one, similar to the previous one but with the Coalition and its members left in shambles. Ollerus attempts to use the Ultimate Nullifier on Othinus then, but it seems to have little effect, and he is killed as well. However, Othinus suddenly vomits blood, believed to be an effect of both Fiamma of the Right's spell and the Ultimate Nullifier, forcing her to flee to recover, leaving the group alone. At Touma's suggestion, they split up.

Touma, along with a small group, heads to the Command Center, where they come across Wanda Maximoff and Kyoko Kirigiri, the former of whom is able to use her power to resist Othinus's influence just for the moment, maintaining her memories of the first multiverse. After a brief conversation concerning the nature of Othinus's character, Kyoko directs the group to the Members' Quarters, where they believe they will be able to reunite with Billy, who had gone missing once the multiverse had first ended. Once there, upon meeting Billy, along with fellow Coalition member Kyosuke Munakata, he explains that Othinus must be manipulating the power of the Great Spirits using her new abilities, continuing to speculate further on how she is easily able to manipulate the multiverse. Meanwhile, another group ventures into the Med Bay, a brief fight breaks out with Sorey and Artorius Collbrande.

After the group is tricked into triggering the self-destruct sequence for Knowhere by Munakata, the station explodes, and the group finds themselves once again in the black void of nothingness with Othinus, who poses them a question she had asked them before; if pain is something humans can give each other so easily, what is something they could never give, in its purest form, to each other?

Without immediately answering anyone who responded to her riddle, Othinus raised Gungnir once again and stabbed it into the ground, the tip glowing vibrantly as color began to return to the multiverse, and she created everything anew.

However, instead of Knowhere, the group was somewhere entirely. Some may have recognized where they were, some might not have. It mattered little to the witch either way. A beautiful, peaceful city, where birds chirped without a worry, the wind blew coolly and mildly, and people laughed and talked with each other jovially.

View attachment 3379

"Where... Where are we?! What is this place now?!" Touma exclaimed, at a loss for his new surroundings.

"A haven for those who are lost. A sanctuary for all living beings. It is where your friends and family now live. Avalon. That is the name give to it, I believe," the voice of Othinus responded, running a hand through her flowing hair

Standing before everyone, Othinus clasped her hands together, as though clapping once, a droll smile on her face. "Imaginative answers, all of which are valid in their own right. But I must congratulate Ben Tennyson for uncovering the answer I was seeking most above all," she said, pausing for a brief moment, before confirming it.

"Happiness. It was happiness."

"The eternal human struggle is hoping to fully know -- to fully understand each other. Humans oft spend their entire lives unable to understand one another, let alone provide happiness in any true capacity. No matter what they do, they can never bring back their loved ones. They can never erase all their problems away. They can never be what they need from each other. It is a conundrum that they eternally spend trying to best, and yet... It was so easy for me. How amusing. Perhaps humans were not so complicated as they believed themselves to be."

"What are you talking about?! What's so special about this place now?! Why did you bring us here?!" Touma exclaimed, clenching his fist by pure instinct as he looked up at Othinus, not fully understanding the god's point. So she spelled it out for him.

"My efforts have been focused on breaking you all, on helping you realize just how futile and useless your actions have been throughout your entire lives. Despite your heroic aspirations, I made you all the villains of the world without any effort. Then, I presented to you those whom you could not save -- those whom you had damned because you could not best me. But I realized... It was not any of those notions that would drive champions of justice to realize the futility of their actions."

"The way was not to take away what you fought for, but whom you fought for."

"What...? I... I don't understand!" Touma exclaimed, but before long, it became clear.

Behind Othinus, people continued to walk across the street, all of them with lively expressions on their faces. At first, they were unfamiliar, unremarkable people, but then... That began to change. In the distance, everyone was able to see familiar faces, such as Captain Falcon, Russia, Marcus Wright, Kyle Reese, Gaius, and others walking down, alive as could be. As they passed by each other, giving each other friendly waves as they did so, Touma's eyes widened in shock.

"N-No way..."

"If you curse me for destroying all life within the multiverse, would it still apply as I bring them back and give everyone happiness? Happiness that you never could have truly given your loved ones?" Othinus spoke, outstretching her arm, "Think about it. The ideal utopia of a multiverse with no strife, no war, no suffering. Everyone you've ever lost, everyone you've failed to save, and more. Would this not make me the greatest hero to ever exist throughout the multiverse?"

"You don't have to fight anymore. Resign to your fate... or don't. Continue to oppose me if you wish, if you are fully intend on taking away these people's chance for happiness."

"Do you have that kind of resolve to take everything from everyone you've ever cared for?"

She waited for an answer.

Cast List
@Crow as Ben Tennyson and Max Tennyson (Ben 10)
@Atomic Knight as Billy Kaplan (Marvel Comics)
@Takumi as Chise Hatori and Ruth (The Ancient Magus Bride)
@Minerva as Cordelia (Fire Emblem)
@Hood Rat as Diego Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Gummi Bunnies as Dlanor A. Knox and Willard H. Wright (Umineko no Naku Koro Ni)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Giorno Giovanna and Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Jeremi as Jolyne Cujoh and Ermes Costello (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Donder172 as Jordshan Limbdell and M1-4X (Star Wars)
@Kaykay as Leivinia Birdway (A Certain Magical Index)
@Yun Lee as Libra and Severa (Fire Emblem)
@Space_Candy as Markus and Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
@Alex Azure as Mason Moretti and Macy Moretti (Convergence Series)
@Lucky as Phil Connors and Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day)
@York as Schala Zeal (Chrono Trigger)
@Ver as Touma Kamijou (A Certain Magical Index)
@Hahli Nuva as Will Vandom (W.I.T.C.H.)​

"Sweeeet," Ben says, but then he looks around to see Avalon.

"Looks a bit different from when I last popped in to check on my pal Dante, but I think you replicated it pretty good."

Ben walks around the place, pondering.

"... what about your loved ones, Othinus? How about the people you cared for? If you are more willing to make this decision than any of us, where are they? I appreciate the offer you're giving us, Othinus, I really do, but it isn't something I can just accept or reject on a whim. All things considered - it's a heavy choice."

Grandpa Max stays silent during this, all while shifting his eyes to look for Phil.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Lucky​

 

[Ver]

"A trick? Don't insult the power of a Magic God, human. Everything is as real as any reality you've ever known, because I've willed it to be," Othinus placed her hand on her hip as she spoke to Mason, before turning to Macy next, "Your family is alive and well. If you dare to venture deeper within the city, I'm sure you will find who you seek."

As Libra and Ben questioned Othinus's action, honing in on her, she frowned once again, stepping back. "It is not your concern. You don't have to think about anything else ever again. In fact, you should be thanking me, praising me for this."

The Magic God turns her back on the group, gazing far off into the city of Avalon. "But I understand... This must be quite a shock to you humans, hmm? Perhaps you simply require more... time. Time to understand, to accept the new reality. The final reality that you will ever know. For better or for worse."

"After all, in this reality, there are no more lies between mortals. No barriers, no fears. Humans have finally attained the ability to understand one another. To connect and know each other."

"You'd like to see them for yourself, wouldn't you? The people waiting for you to come home."

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Everybody​

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

" I have a hard time believing that. You keep seeing that this would be final, but you are avoiding our questions. Who do you wish to connect with?" Rita asked.

Phil was still nowhere to be seen.

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Ver @Everybody

 

[Yun Lee]

"I..." Libra was uneasy. Home? He really never had been one for home. His 'home' was his faith, and his work. Sure, he had met many on his travels, become close to quite a few...but was there really a home for him? That was something that he was to wait for in death. But...to have it in life...

...no. There had to be a catch. Something more was brewing, he could feel it.

But was there? Was there really? Maybe this...this was truly what Othinus had planned all along.

Why, then, did she side with the Revanchist? With people as sadistic and cruel as DIO or Marian?

Could it be this was the goal of the Revanchist all along? Had he...misjudged everything?

......................................

He had no idea what to believe. It all seemed too good to be true, it HAD to be. There HAD to be something more to this.

...but...what if there wasn't?

---

Severa, though, was having a less conflicted view of this place. "So, what, we each have a home here or something? But what about our old homes? What happened to them?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow​

 

[Hahli Nuva]

"A trick? Don't insult the power of a Magic God, human. Everything is as real as any reality you've ever known, because I've willed it to be," Othinus placed her hand on her hip as she spoke to Mason, before turning to Macy next, "Your family is alive and well. If you dare to venture deeper within the city, I'm sure you will find who you seek."

As Libra and Ben questioned Othinus's action, honing in on her, she frowned once again, stepping back. "It is not your concern. You don't have to think about anything else ever again. In fact, you should be thanking me, praising me for this."

The Magic God turns her back on the group, gazing far off into the city of Avalon. "But I understand... This must be quite a shock to you humans, hmm? Perhaps you simply require more... time. Time to understand, to accept the new reality. The final reality that you will ever know. For better or for worse."

"After all, in this reality, there are no more lies between mortals. No barriers, no fears. Humans have finally attained the ability to understand one another. To connect and know each other."

"You'd like to see them for yourself, wouldn't you? The people waiting for you to come home."

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Everybody​

Will watched as their former allies walked among their number with smiles on their faces. Everything was so bright, and happy, and joyful.

So why did Will still feel that dread in her stomach, like it was all a ruse?

Xing JIn had been silent as of late, no doubt resting to gather her powers from the cosmos around them. Will saw it with her eyes, but she couldn't believe it in her soul.

This had been the exact same plan Nerissa had, but this time, Othinus had succeeded. A world- no, a UNIVERSE where there was no war, or fear, or darkness, or death. Everything Nerissa had wanted came true. Had the old hag been here now, Will didn't doubt that she'd be celebrating.

The Keeper lowered her gaze to the grass and marble stone structures. This was a lot to take in, so much so that she needed to rethink her plans. Maybe Wanda had been right. Maybe all of this was just Othinus needing a hug. Or maybe, this was another lie to break them down and see just how weak they really were.

Will walked up next to Othinus, looking at the golden horizon with her.

"What did this cost you, Othinus? Don't you see that your logic is flawed?"

@Ver @Crow @Yun Lee @Everybody

 

[Crow]

"A trick? Don't insult the power of a Magic God, human. Everything is as real as any reality you've ever known, because I've willed it to be," Othinus placed her hand on her hip as she spoke to Mason, before turning to Macy next, "Your family is alive and well. If you dare to venture deeper within the city, I'm sure you will find who you seek."

As Libra and Ben questioned Othinus's action, honing in on her, she frowned once again, stepping back. "It is not your concern. You don't have to think about anything else ever again. In fact, you should be thanking me, praising me for this."

The Magic God turns her back on the group, gazing far off into the city of Avalon. "But I understand... This must be quite a shock to you humans, hmm? Perhaps you simply require more... time. Time to understand, to accept the new reality. The final reality that you will ever know. For better or for worse."

"After all, in this reality, there are no more lies between mortals. No barriers, no fears. Humans have finally attained the ability to understand one another. To connect and know each other."

"You'd like to see them for yourself, wouldn't you? The people waiting for you to come home."

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Everybody​

"You call yourself a hero, don't you, Othinus? Take it from another person who does. Heroes, they don't expect anything in return, but they're still people with desires, people with wants, and I know that you're no exception. I call myself a hero, but I want to respect other heroes too - with concern for them. I can't promise that I can't think of anything else again, not as long as you don't accept my gift of concern and return it with words."

@Ver @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva​

 

[Ver]

"Hero, Ben Tennyson? No. Hero is a term for humans. I am a God; your human sentiments are beneath me," Othinus spoke in a gruff manner to Ben, before turning around to face everyone once again, opting to address Will and Rita next.

"Godhood always has a price. It is the burden of absolute power. But everything I've ever done has been a means to an end. The ends of returning -- ultimately -- to the beginning, to the first phases of the multiverse," she spoke in cryptic manner.

To Severa, she breathed softly. "Home is where you wish it to be. It is just as it is in this world. War-torn and overwhelmed by strife your world might have been before, but now, without exception, it is a prosperous world with just as prosperous people. A future attained by the common understanding of people."

"But then... Everyone who ever died...? Everyone I fought so hard to protect, to save... They're just..." Touma murmured, still barely able to process the final step in Othinus's moves. His knees went weak and he suddenly sank to a bench behind him, looking downcast at the ground. Swiftly appearing behind him like teleportation, sitting atop the bench from behind, Othinus looked to him and the rest of the group from her new position.

View attachment 3383

"And it was all so easy. Your struggles may have been all in vain, but... Be glad that there was a destination like this at all. A hero's journey always ends in sadness, after all."

"..."

As though disturbed by the implications of what Othinus had said, the boy put his hands to his face, shaken beyond belief.

"As I said, I imagine this must all be a shock. I shall let you... explore this city on your whim, to meet with the ones you've lost along the way, with those who had always been waiting for you to come home. And after all that, if you still intend to oppose me... I'll be right there."

...

And just like that, Othinus was gone, leaving everyone to themselves.

"It can't... It can't be true... But why am I denying it...?" Touma mumbled to himself, "And to fight her, to want to take it all away... What was it all for, then?"

@Crow @Yun Lee @Hahli Nuva @Lucky @Alex Azure @Everybody​

 

[Crow]

"Hero, Ben Tennyson? No. Hero is a term for humans. I am a God; your human sentiments are beneath me," Othinus spoke in a gruff manner to Ben, before turning around to face everyone once again, opting to address Will and Rita next.

"Godhood always has a price. It is the burden of absolute power. But everything I've ever done has been a means to an end. The ends of returning -- ultimately -- to the beginning, to the first phases of the multiverse," she spoke in cryptic manner.

To Severa, she breathed softly. "Home is where you wish it to be. It is just as it is in this world. War-torn and overwhelmed by strife your world might have been before, but now, without exception, it is a prosperous world with just as prosperous people. A future attained by the common understanding of people."

"But then... Everyone who ever died...? Everyone I fought so hard to protect, to save... They're just..." Touma murmured, still barely able to process the final step in Othinus's moves. His knees went weak and he suddenly sank to a bench behind him, looking downcast at the ground. Swiftly appearing behind him like teleportation, sitting atop the bench from behind, Othinus looked to him and the rest of the group from her new position.

View attachment 3383

"And it was all so easy. Your struggles may have been all in vain, but... Be glad that there was a destination like this at all. A hero's journey always ends in sadness, after all."

"..."

As though disturbed by the implications of what Othinus had said, the boy put his hands to his face, shaken beyond belief.

"As I said, I imagine this must all be a shock. I shall let you... explore this city on your whim, to meet with the ones you've lost along the way, with those who had always been waiting for you to come home. And after all that, if you still intend to oppose me... I'll be right there."

...

And just like that, Othinus was gone, leaving everyone to themselves.

"It can't... It can't be true... But why am I denying it...?" Touma mumbled to himself, "And to fight her, to want to take it all away... What was it all for, then?"

@Crow @Yun Lee @Hahli Nuva @Lucky @Alex Azure @Everybody​

"..."

Ben was speechless for a bit, before snapping back to reality.

"I have a lot to say to Othinus, but first, we should explore her brand new city, see what's rolling. If she's describing this place as Paradise, there has to be a Mr Smoothy's somewhere."

Ben looks towards Schala & Mason.

"You guys coming or what? If we find a good place to eat or drink, my treat unless everything's free."

@Ver @Alex Azure @York
​

 

[Yun Lee]

This was something Libra had to see for himself. As he had said, trust was not easily given, especially considering all Othinus had put them through. So, he set out to wander Avalon himself, and see just what kind of "home" there was for him.

Severa was silent, the weight of what Othinys told her really hitting her. So...all she had been fighting for...all her friends, her mother, father...it was all okay now? How was that even possible?

Hold on...there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. One thing that was unresolved. But she couldn't talk about it in earshot of Othinus (who even knew if she was listening), so...

"Oi, don't just sit around, Touma!" Severa tugged on his wrist, the iron grip indicating that she was not taking no for an answer. "I bet a paradise like this has a TON of chocolate!"

@Ver @Everyone​

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

Continued from here.

Chapter Six
"Shifting and Fluctuating World"

Spoiler: Recap

With Othinus having successfully become the god above all of the multiverse, with the power of Gungnir, Giorno's Arrow, and the death of the Great Spirits, she overwrites reality, casually destroying the multiverse on her whim. Having deliberately spared the immediate group in front of her, Othinus decides to toy with them in hopes of breaking them, promising a fate worse than death. She recreates the multiverse, rewriting it so that the group had turned out to be Revanchist traitors who killed Makoto, among others, within the Coalition, and are forcefully detained by Kyoko, Wanda, and Doppo.

Eventually, Fiamma of the Right manages to break out of containment, conjuring a Fairy Spell on Othinus in hopes of draining her power, though it had little immediate effect, and resulted in his death. During the break-out, Ollerus manages to grab a hold of the Ultimate Nullifier from Knowhere's vaults, but before he can immediately use it, Othinus once again destroys the multiverse and creates a new one, similar to the previous one but with the Coalition and its members left in shambles. Ollerus attempts to use the Ultimate Nullifier on Othinus then, but it seems to have little effect, and he is killed as well. However, Othinus suddenly vomits blood, believed to be an effect of both Fiamma of the Right's spell and the Ultimate Nullifier, forcing her to flee to recover, leaving the group alone. At Touma's suggestion, they split up.

Touma, along with a small group, heads to the Command Center, where they come across Wanda Maximoff and Kyoko Kirigiri, the former of whom is able to use her power to resist Othinus's influence just for the moment, maintaining her memories of the first multiverse. After a brief conversation concerning the nature of Othinus's character, Kyoko directs the group to the Members' Quarters, where they believe they will be able to reunite with Billy, who had gone missing once the multiverse had first ended. Once there, upon meeting Billy, along with fellow Coalition member Kyosuke Munakata, he explains that Othinus must be manipulating the power of the Great Spirits using her new abilities, continuing to speculate further on how she is easily able to manipulate the multiverse. Meanwhile, another group ventures into the Med Bay, a brief fight breaks out with Sorey and Artorius Collbrande.

After the group is tricked into triggering the self-destruct sequence for Knowhere by Munakata, the station explodes, and the group finds themselves once again in the black void of nothingness with Othinus, who poses them a question she had asked them before; if pain is something humans can give each other so easily, what is something they could never give, in its purest form, to each other?

Without immediately answering anyone who responded to her riddle, Othinus raised Gungnir once again and stabbed it into the ground, the tip glowing vibrantly as color began to return to the multiverse, and she created everything anew.

However, instead of Knowhere, the group was somewhere entirely. Some may have recognized where they were, some might not have. It mattered little to the witch either way. A beautiful, peaceful city, where birds chirped without a worry, the wind blew coolly and mildly, and people laughed and talked with each other jovially.

View attachment 3379

"Where... Where are we?! What is this place now?!" Touma exclaimed, at a loss for his new surroundings.

"A haven for those who are lost. A sanctuary for all living beings. It is where your friends and family now live. Avalon. That is the name give to it, I believe," the voice of Othinus responded, running a hand through her flowing hair

Standing before everyone, Othinus clasped her hands together, as though clapping once, a droll smile on her face. "Imaginative answers, all of which are valid in their own right. But I must congratulate Ben Tennyson for uncovering the answer I was seeking most above all," she said, pausing for a brief moment, before confirming it.

"Happiness. It was happiness."

"The eternal human struggle is hoping to fully know -- to fully understand each other. Humans oft spend their entire lives unable to understand one another, let alone provide happiness in any true capacity. No matter what they do, they can never bring back their loved ones. They can never erase all their problems away. They can never be what they need from each other. It is a conundrum that they eternally spend trying to best, and yet... It was so easy for me. How amusing. Perhaps humans were not so complicated as they believed themselves to be."

"What are you talking about?! What's so special about this place now?! Why did you bring us here?!" Touma exclaimed, clenching his fist by pure instinct as he looked up at Othinus, not fully understanding the god's point. So she spelled it out for him.

"My efforts have been focused on breaking you all, on helping you realize just how futile and useless your actions have been throughout your entire lives. Despite your heroic aspirations, I made you all the villains of the world without any effort. Then, I presented to you those whom you could not save -- those whom you had damned because you could not best me. But I realized... It was not any of those notions that would drive champions of justice to realize the futility of their actions."

"The way was not to take away what you fought for, but whom you fought for."

"What...? I... I don't understand!" Touma exclaimed, but before long, it became clear.

Behind Othinus, people continued to walk across the street, all of them with lively expressions on their faces. At first, they were unfamiliar, unremarkable people, but then... That began to change. In the distance, everyone was able to see familiar faces, such as Captain Falcon, Russia, Marcus Wright, Kyle Reese, Gaius, and others walking down, alive as could be. As they passed by each other, giving each other friendly waves as they did so, Touma's eyes widened in shock.

"N-No way..."

"If you curse me for destroying all life within the multiverse, would it still apply as I bring them back and give everyone happiness? Happiness that you never could have truly given your loved ones?" Othinus spoke, outstretching her arm, "Think about it. The ideal utopia of a multiverse with no strife, no war, no suffering. Everyone you've ever lost, everyone you've failed to save, and more. Would this not make me the greatest hero to ever exist throughout the multiverse?"

"You don't have to fight anymore. Resign to your fate... or don't. Continue to oppose me if you wish, if you are fully intend on taking away these people's chance for happiness."

"Do you have that kind of resolve to take everything from everyone you've ever cared for?"

She waited for an answer.

Cast List
@Crow as Ben Tennyson and Max Tennyson (Ben 10)
@Atomic Knight as Billy Kaplan (Marvel Comics)
@Takumi as Chise Hatori and Ruth (The Ancient Magus Bride)
@Minerva as Cordelia (Fire Emblem)
@Hood Rat as Diego Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Gummi Bunnies as Dlanor A. Knox and Willard H. Wright (Umineko no Naku Koro Ni)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as Giorno Giovanna and Jotaro Kujo (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Jeremi as Jolyne Cujoh and Ermes Costello (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
@Donder172 as Jordshan Limbdell and M1-4X (Star Wars)
@Kaykay as Leivinia Birdway (A Certain Magical Index)
@Yun Lee as Libra and Severa (Fire Emblem)
@Space_Candy as Markus and Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
@Alex Azure as Mason Moretti and Macy Moretti (Convergence Series)
@Lucky as Phil Connors and Rita Hanson (Groundhog Day)
@York as Schala Zeal (Chrono Trigger)
@Ver as Touma Kamijou (A Certain Magical Index)
@Hahli Nuva as Will Vandom (W.I.T.C.H.)​

Severa couldn't believe she was back here. This stupid city that got her into this whole Multiverse mess... "This town ain't so great..." she half-heartedly muttered, not wanting to give Othinus any satisfaction. But...Russia, the man who had protected her from Pucci...he was okay now? And all the others who'd died...and they were all so happy!

---

Libra couldn't believe his eyes. Gaius...he was alive! Everyone was all right...and they could stay all right, if only...

...

...still. Othinus was the one who had killed Gaius on a whim. He couldn't forget that. His death was her doing. But...did that matter, if he was alive?

"Is this...truly the Multiverse you desire, Othinus?"

@Ver @Everyone​

View attachment 3380
"They're... They're back. They're just... back! No dark magic, no workarounds, no cheating death. They're just back. This... This is amazing."

View attachment 3381
"This has to be too good to be true. Avalon is a mess. It's full of unhappy people cobbled together from across the multiverse. The United Universes is doing its best to keep control here, but everyone is unhappy. You can't have brought this much happiness and peace, even with the powers of a Magic God. We're not buying it, right Mace?"

View attachment 3382
"Othinus, my family. Mama, Papa, Leon... I want to see them again. If you can bring these people back, then maybe you can bring them here!"

"Macy, it's not worth it. This is all her trick."

"Does it matter if it's a trick if seeing them will make me happy again?"

Mason couldn't find a response this time.

@Ver @Everyone​

"Sweeeet," Ben says, but then he looks around to see Avalon.

"Looks a bit different from when I last popped in to check on my pal Dante, but I think you replicated it pretty good."

Ben walks around the place, pondering.

"... what about your loved ones, Othinus? How about the people you cared for? If you are more willing to make this decision than any of us, where are they? I appreciate the offer you're giving us, Othinus, I really do, but it isn't something I can just accept or reject on a whim. All things considered - it's a heavy choice."

Grandpa Max stays silent during this, all while shifting his eyes to look for Phil.

@Ver @Yun Lee @Alex Azure @Lucky​

"A trick? Don't insult the power of a Magic God, human. Everything is as real as any reality you've ever known, because I've willed it to be," Othinus placed her hand on her hip as she spoke to Mason, before turning to Macy next, "Your family is alive and well. If you dare to venture deeper within the city, I'm sure you will find who you seek."

As Libra and Ben questioned Othinus's action, honing in on her, she frowned once again, stepping back. "It is not your concern. You don't have to think about anything else ever again. In fact, you should be thanking me, praising me for this."

The Magic God turns her back on the group, gazing far off into the city of Avalon. "But I understand... This must be quite a shock to you humans, hmm? Perhaps you simply require more... time. Time to understand, to accept the new reality. The final reality that you will ever know. For better or for worse."

"After all, in this reality, there are no more lies between mortals. No barriers, no fears. Humans have finally attained the ability to understand one another. To connect and know each other."

"You'd like to see them for yourself, wouldn't you? The people waiting for you to come home."

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Everybody​

Rita Hanson

" I have a hard time believing that. You keep seeing that this would be final, but you are avoiding our questions. Who do you wish to connect with?" Rita asked.

Phil was still nowhere to be seen.

@Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Ver @Everybody

"I..." Libra was uneasy. Home? He really never had been one for home. His 'home' was his faith, and his work. Sure, he had met many on his travels, become close to quite a few...but was there really a home for him? That was something that he was to wait for in death. But...to have it in life...

...no. There had to be a catch. Something more was brewing, he could feel it.

But was there? Was there really? Maybe this...this was truly what Othinus had planned all along.

Why, then, did she side with the Revanchist? With people as sadistic and cruel as DIO or Marian?

Could it be this was the goal of the Revanchist all along? Had he...misjudged everything?

......................................

He had no idea what to believe. It all seemed too good to be true, it HAD to be. There HAD to be something more to this.

...but...what if there wasn't?

---

Severa, though, was having a less conflicted view of this place. "So, what, we each have a home here or something? But what about our old homes? What happened to them?"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow​

Will watched as their former allies walked among their number with smiles on their faces. Everything was so bright, and happy, and joyful.

So why did Will still feel that dread in her stomach, like it was all a ruse?

Xing JIn had been silent as of late, no doubt resting to gather her powers from the cosmos around them. Will saw it with her eyes, but she couldn't believe it in her soul.

This had been the exact same plan Nerissa had, but this time, Othinus had succeeded. A world- no, a UNIVERSE where there was no war, or fear, or darkness, or death. Everything Nerissa had wanted came true. Had the old hag been here now, Will didn't doubt that she'd be celebrating.

The Keeper lowered her gaze to the grass and marble stone structures. This was a lot to take in, so much so that she needed to rethink her plans. Maybe Wanda had been right. Maybe all of this was just Othinus needing a hug. Or maybe, this was another lie to break them down and see just how weak they really were.

Will walked up next to Othinus, looking at the golden horizon with her.

"What did this cost you, Othinus? Don't you see that your logic is flawed?"

@Ver @Crow @Yun Lee @Everybody

"You call yourself a hero, don't you, Othinus? Take it from another person who does. Heroes, they don't expect anything in return, but they're still people with desires, people with wants, and I know that you're no exception. I call myself a hero, but I want to respect other heroes too - with concern for them. I can't promise that I can't think of anything else again, not as long as you don't accept my gift of concern and return it with words."

@Ver @Alex Azure @Yun Lee @Crow @Hahli Nuva​

"Hero, Ben Tennyson? No. Hero is a term for humans. I am a God; your human sentiments are beneath me," Othinus spoke in a gruff manner to Ben, before turning around to face everyone once again, opting to address Will and Rita next.

"Godhood always has a price. It is the burden of absolute power. But everything I've ever done has been a means to an end. The ends of returning -- ultimately -- to the beginning, to the first phases of the multiverse," she spoke in cryptic manner.

To Severa, she breathed softly. "Home is where you wish it to be. It is just as it is in this world. War-torn and overwhelmed by strife your world might have been before, but now, without exception, it is a prosperous world with just as prosperous people. A future attained by the common understanding of people."

"But then... Everyone who ever died...? Everyone I fought so hard to protect, to save... They're just..." Touma murmured, still barely able to process the final step in Othinus's moves. His knees went weak and he suddenly sank to a bench behind him, looking downcast at the ground. Swiftly appearing behind him like teleportation, sitting atop the bench from behind, Othinus looked to him and the rest of the group from her new position.

View attachment 3383

"And it was all so easy. Your struggles may have been all in vain, but... Be glad that there was a destination like this at all. A hero's journey always ends in sadness, after all."

"..."

As though disturbed by the implications of what Othinus had said, the boy put his hands to his face, shaken beyond belief.

"As I said, I imagine this must all be a shock. I shall let you... explore this city on your whim, to meet with the ones you've lost along the way, with those who had always been waiting for you to come home. And after all that, if you still intend to oppose me... I'll be right there."

...

And just like that, Othinus was gone, leaving everyone to themselves.

"It can't... It can't be true... But why am I denying it...?" Touma mumbled to himself, "And to fight her, to want to take it all away... What was it all for, then?"

@Crow @Yun Lee @Hahli Nuva @Lucky @Alex Azure @Everybody​

"I have a lot to say to Othinus, but first, we should explore her brand new city, see what's rolling. If she's describing this place as Paradise, there has to be a Mr Smoothy's somewhere."

Ben looks towards Schala & Mason.

"You guys coming or what? If we find a good place to eat or drink, my treat unless everything's free."

@Ver @Alex Azure @York
​

This was something Libra had to see for himself. As he had said, trust was not easily given, especially considering all Othinus had put them through. So, he set out to wander Avalon himself, and see just what kind of "home" there was for him.

Severa was silent, the weight of what Othinys told her really hitting her. So...all she had been fighting for...all her friends, her mother, father...it was all okay now? How was that even possible?

Hold on...there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. One thing that was unresolved. But she couldn't talk about it in earshot of Othinus (who even knew if she was listening), so...

"Oi, don't just sit around, Touma!" Severa tugged on his wrist, the iron grip indicating that she was not taking no for an answer. "I bet a paradise like this has a TON of chocolate!"

@Ver @Everyone​

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee
@Others?

As the surroundings around them changed... A pained smile on her face, masking the weight of her failures.

"... So this is what Jiren wanted... ... This is... 'Heaven'..." She said, closeing her eyes for a moment, she breathed a small sigh... Seeming to be trying to take in the environment around her.

"But yet... Nothing like this... Ever lasts forever... Does it?"

Her mind went back to what Toppo and Jiren had discussed, before they were gone...

"Even if penned by you, no one can write a perfect world. The Gray will have just as many holes as this world..."

"Can happiness truly exist when sadness is gone?... Will we even know... What it is when it is all that we feel?"

But by this time, Othinus was gone... Shaking her head, she decided to enjoy the moment while she could... Putting a hand on Touma's shoulders.

"It's true that Othinus gave us paradise... At least for now... But I don't think it will last... ... Even if the Great Spirits were gone forever, and Othinus's control over the multiverse would never fade, as long as there is free will amongst those in the multiverse... It is inevitable someone will make the choice to leave this paradise... Or perhaps... Destroy it, but... ... Until that time comes... We should enjoy this while we still can..." She said, casting her eyes around the area.

To be honest, she was just about as conflicted as Touma; was it even worth fighting against Othinus in the first place? She had after all, granted them everything they had ever wanted... But at the same time... Was it really healthy to be in this kind of state for an eternity? Assuming things never changed, it was very likely even happiness would lose its luster, without anything to contrast it with... And in the end... Things will return to their 'natural' state... The 'grey' that Jiren had once spoken about.

Looking up at Ben when he invited them to entertain Othinus' request and explore the brand new city, Schala opened her mouth to speak... And then, she stopped for a moment, something suddenly occurring to her.

"... Wait... Jiren... Toppo... Marian... Everyone we've lost... If Othinus was right... They MUST be here... And... ... Alive!" She exclaimed suddenly.

Throughout the role she had assumed in protecting the multiverse, she would sometimes forget her own feelings and desires... Throwing it away in favor of protecting the multiverse as it was. Though now that things have changed... She no longer had to worry about such responsibilities, at least for the time being... And as a result, she was beginning to feel a little more... Human, for the better or worse, at least for now.

Only time would tell how long this could last, given the circumstances...​

 

[Crow]

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee
@Others?

As the surroundings around them changed... A pained smile on her face, masking the weight of her failures.

"... So this is what Jiren wanted... ... This is... 'Heaven'..." She said, closeing her eyes for a moment, she breathed a small sigh... Seeming to be trying to take in the environment around her.

"But yet... Nothing like this... Ever lasts forever... Does it?"

Her mind went back to what Toppo and Jiren had discussed, before they were gone...



"Can happiness truly exist when sadness is gone?... Will we even know... What it is when it is all that we feel?"

But by this time, Othinus was gone... Shaking her head, she decided to enjoy the moment while she could... Putting a hand on Touma's shoulders.

"It's true that Othinus gave us paradise... At least for now... But I don't think it will last... ... Even if the Great Spirits were gone forever, and Othinus's control over the multiverse would never fade, as long as there is free will amongst those in the multiverse... It is inevitable someone will make the choice to leave this paradise... Or perhaps... Destroy it, but... ... Until that time comes... We should enjoy this while we still can..." She said, casting her eyes around the area.

To be honest, she was just about as conflicted as Touma; was it even worth fighting against Othinus in the first place? She had after all, granted them everything they had ever wanted... But at the same time... Was it really healthy to be in this kind of state for an eternity? Assuming things never changed, it was very likely even happiness would lose its luster, without anything to contrast it with... And in the end... Things will return to their 'natural' state... The 'grey' that Jiren had once spoken about.

Looking up at Ben when he invited them to entertain Othinus' request and explore the brand new city, Schala opened her mouth to speak... And then, she stopped for a moment, something suddenly occurring to her.

"... Wait... Jiren... Toppo... Marian... Everyone we've lost... If Othinus was right... They MUST be here... And... ... Alive!" She exclaimed suddenly.

Throughout the role she had assumed in protecting the multiverse, she would sometimes forget her own feelings and desires... Throwing it away in favor of protecting the multiverse as it was. Though now that things have changed... She no longer had to worry about such responsibilities, at least for the time being... And as a result, she was beginning to feel a little more... Human, for the better or worse, at least for now.

Only time would tell how long this could last, given the circumstances...​

"Alright!" A smile decorated Ben's face. "I've been waiting to see them again. First thing on the priority list has been changed to - looking for them. We're getting that table of six, second of all!

... or ten, or the entire restaurant..."

Ben grabbed Schala's hand as he prepares to run.

"I just know they'll be excited to see our faces again. The sooner we reunite with them... well... the sooner we see them. Time's a-wasting!"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee @Sark​

 

[Gummi Bunnies]

This wasn't expected to be the next thing they were going to be shown. All of this was confusing. Willard didn't understand the motive here. After those previous instances of the multiverse meant to break them, Othinus gave them a perfect rendition of the multiverse. It was conflicting. To think that the very person they were assigned to take down... would go ahead and do this? The exact opposite of what they expected her to do with her power as a Magic God. Why show this now? Wouldn't it be more effective to break them by stripping this peaceful instance away before them? Willard couldn't wrap his head around the meaning of this, nor did he feel the need to find any familiar faces in this newly created multiverse of peace.

However, the feelings on the situation were entirely different for Dlanor. She didn't know what to make out of this, but she had an urgent need to see someone fast. Her silence had been prominent for most of this, but she didn't forget those words that Willard told her before she would fall apart.

Survive for Erika.

If this was the grace period that the Magic God was granting them, Dlanor didn't want to lose this chance. She's almost lost herself once realizing what she's lost, but she didn't want to experience this twice. Not until she saw her. Without a word spoken, Dlanor immediately made haste to explore this recreated Avalon, searching for that renowned detective she's devoted herself to for who knows how long.

@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee @Sark @York​

 

[Hahli Nuva]

Will could only ponder Othinus' words as she turned to look at the man sitting on the bench. Was this really it? For all their efforts and planning, they ended up failing, trapped in her world of madness and so called 'peace'?

Impossible.

Will didn't believe this illusion for a second. Ben had suggested finding their old allies. Perhaps she could look around, and gther important information?

"I will join you, Ben. Maybe we can find something here that Othinus missed."

@Ver @Alex Azure @Crow @Yun Lee @Everybody

 

[Lucky]

Rita Hanson

Rita paused when listening to her and noticed that she mentioned wanting to return to the beginning. " I think we are only going to find answers if we enter the city and as much as I hate to say this, we are going to stay guarded in this place of eternal happiness and not be broken."

@Ver @Everyone

 

[Macy Moretti]

"Macy, wait!" Mason cried in vain. It was too late. The girl had already ran off, getting lost amongst the crowd of revived friends and loved ones. He gave a few steps of chase, but quickly slowed to a halt. A hand, outstretched with hope of holding her back, fell to his side. He saw the bright blue ponytail bob up and down above the crowd of people before ducking away out of sight.

With a deep sigh, Mason resigned, "Whatever makes her happy. You're right about one thing, Othinus. I can't give her that. A loving family, alive, well, and functional? That will make her happy. She'll ride off the utopia you've given her. It's not the same for me though."
​

"Hero, Ben Tennyson? No. Hero is a term for humans. I am a God; your human sentiments are beneath me," Othinus spoke in a gruff manner to Ben, before turning around to face everyone once again, opting to address Will and Rita next.

"Godhood always has a price. It is the burden of absolute power. But everything I've ever done has been a means to an end. The ends of returning -- ultimately -- to the beginning, to the first phases of the multiverse," she spoke in cryptic manner.

To Severa, she breathed softly. "Home is where you wish it to be. It is just as it is in this world. War-torn and overwhelmed by strife your world might have been before, but now, without exception, it is a prosperous world with just as prosperous people. A future attained by the common understanding of people."

"But then... Everyone who ever died...? Everyone I fought so hard to protect, to save... They're just..." Touma murmured, still barely able to process the final step in Othinus's moves. His knees went weak and he suddenly sank to a bench behind him, looking downcast at the ground. Swiftly appearing behind him like teleportation, sitting atop the bench from behind, Othinus looked to him and the rest of the group from her new position.

View attachment 3383

"And it was all so easy. Your struggles may have been all in vain, but... Be glad that there was a destination like this at all. A hero's journey always ends in sadness, after all."

"..."

As though disturbed by the implications of what Othinus had said, the boy put his hands to his face, shaken beyond belief.

"As I said, I imagine this must all be a shock. I shall let you... explore this city on your whim, to meet with the ones you've lost along the way, with those who had always been waiting for you to come home. And after all that, if you still intend to oppose me... I'll be right there."

...

And just like that, Othinus was gone, leaving everyone to themselves.

"It can't... It can't be true... But why am I denying it...?" Touma mumbled to himself, "And to fight her, to want to take it all away... What was it all for, then?"

@Crow @Yun Lee @Hahli Nuva @Lucky @Alex Azure @Everybody​

A response meant for Touma show down Mason's argument before he could make it. He wanted to challenge Othinus's paradise, saying it was boring and lacked adventure. However, she was right. The Hero's Journey always brought more pain to him than joy. As much as he wanted to play hero he wondered if it was good for him. Perhaps the UU was where he belonged, not in adventures at the end of the multiverse. A simple officd job that let him help others wothout getting into danger. Maybe Paradise had room for him yet, but he wasn't about to admit it.
​

Schala Zeal
@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee
@Others?

As the surroundings around them changed... A pained smile on her face, masking the weight of her failures.

"... So this is what Jiren wanted... ... This is... 'Heaven'..." She said, closeing her eyes for a moment, she breathed a small sigh... Seeming to be trying to take in the environment around her.

"But yet... Nothing like this... Ever lasts forever... Does it?"

Her mind went back to what Toppo and Jiren had discussed, before they were gone...



"Can happiness truly exist when sadness is gone?... Will we even know... What it is when it is all that we feel?"

But by this time, Othinus was gone... Shaking her head, she decided to enjoy the moment while she could... Putting a hand on Touma's shoulders.

"It's true that Othinus gave us paradise... At least for now... But I don't think it will last... ... Even if the Great Spirits were gone forever, and Othinus's control over the multiverse would never fade, as long as there is free will amongst those in the multiverse... It is inevitable someone will make the choice to leave this paradise... Or perhaps... Destroy it, but... ... Until that time comes... We should enjoy this while we still can..." She said, casting her eyes around the area.

To be honest, she was just about as conflicted as Touma; was it even worth fighting against Othinus in the first place? She had after all, granted them everything they had ever wanted... But at the same time... Was it really healthy to be in this kind of state for an eternity? Assuming things never changed, it was very likely even happiness would lose its luster, without anything to contrast it with... And in the end... Things will return to their 'natural' state... The 'grey' that Jiren had once spoken about.

Looking up at Ben when he invited them to entertain Othinus' request and explore the brand new city, Schala opened her mouth to speak... And then, she stopped for a moment, something suddenly occurring to her.

"... Wait... Jiren... Toppo... Marian... Everyone we've lost... If Othinus was right... They MUST be here... And... ... Alive!" She exclaimed suddenly.

Throughout the role she had assumed in protecting the multiverse, she would sometimes forget her own feelings and desires... Throwing it away in favor of protecting the multiverse as it was. Though now that things have changed... She no longer had to worry about such responsibilities, at least for the time being... And as a result, she was beginning to feel a little more... Human, for the better or worse, at least for now.

Only time would tell how long this could last, given the circumstances...​

"Alright!" A smile decorated Ben's face. "I've been waiting to see them again. First thing on the priority list has been changed to - looking for them. We're getting that table of six, second of all!

... or ten, or the entire restaurant..."

Ben grabbed Schala's hand as he prepares to run.

"I just know they'll be excited to see our faces again. The sooner we reunite with them... well... the sooner we see them. Time's a-wasting!"

@Ver @Alex Azure @Lucky @Crow @Yun Lee @Sark​

View attachment 3384
"Alright, let's get going then. I'd take a stiff drink over a slushie and Robin over Jiren, but sure, let's find our old enemies and grab some junk food. Maybe we'll be lucky and find Phil. That would surely be a hole in Othinus's logic of Paradise."

Mason followed Ben, Schala, and Will deeper into Avalon.

@Crow @York @Hahli Nuva @Ver @Everyone​