Fandom Super Smash Brothers: The Ten Pillars

[Kaiju Cat]

The Zenith knights sound like they were made up of noble warriors and that’s something he could respect. Though Cyan had no clue who Lord Lunaris is. “ Who?” If he’s anything like emperor Gestahl or Kefka it may spell trouble for the smash realm he might be just assuming things about the lord. From his own experience the enemy must not be taken lightly. If Lord Lunaris is their enemy he’ll have no choice except to lend his aid to the former Zenith knights par with him being a former retainer. It’s the warrior's code, or at least something Cyan follows strictly; he can't let innocents die under his nose.

Kameron Esters-

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"The so-called 'Master of the World' who rule's the realm. Following the fall of Galeem and Darkhon at the hands of the 'Warriors from Elsewhere', Lunaris saw fit to instate himself as the ruling power of the land and somehow managed to convince some of the people that he was the one who vanquished them and delivered us from their impending wrath by bringing the opposing forces of the universe into his very being to do so. Some of us knew better than to believe such lies, but also equally knew not to test his might. Others believed and saw him as a deity. Ever since then, churches and monuments were erected in honor of the pretender. This occult call themselves the 'Church of Duality', who have indoctrinating many people, willing or otherwise, from across the land into believing their Master's obsession with dichotomy within nature. From the Sun and Moon, Fire and Water, Day and Night, Heaven and Earth, God and Man, Good and Evil. All this so the Church could amass an army for Lunaris to control and moments notice. I intend to dismantle them all before then." Peregrine explains to the samurai.
Kaiju Cat

 

[Ploegy]

Ｐｙｒａ / Ｍｙｔｈｒａ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Ghost Ship | Interactions: GrumpySwallow Kaiju Cat
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Mythra's head hung low as the tears continued to flow from her eyes and the glow surrounding the gem on her headpiece grew brighter, causing her core crystal to begin glowing as well. It was beyond clear the level of distress she was currently in, and despite how much she hated to let such a thing show, she couldn't help it. Even her attempts to calm herself were all in vain. No matter how hard she tried to mentally tell herself that none of it was real, she couldn't bring herself to believe it. Her mind was too set on how such things had been real in the past to fully let it go, thus she remained how she was.

Fingers curling tighter in her hair, another shrill sob escaped the Aegis' throat as she folded over even more, her face drawing closer to her knees. After a moment longer, her arms dropped down and rested along the ground in front of her. Hands resting against the cool, wooden flooring, Mythra squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stop her crying. That much was at least successful, though she still could not escape the thoughts. If anything they became worse when she closed her eyes.

Despite there being no actual sounds, she could hear the disapproval that had been thrown at her. It echoed in her mind and caused her body to tense up immensely. All she wanted was for it to stop. She didn't want this reminder of how much pain she had caused or how many innocents she had killed- she didn't want to think of herself.

Before another pained sob could escape her lips, the sound of Pit's voice cut through all the negativity that floated around. At first she couldn't make out what he was actually saying, but she could hear him nonetheless. The kind tone of his voice slowly combated the negative comments and after a few seconds silenced them entirely. By then, she could make out what he was actually saying to her.

"Take deep breaths. C'mon, it's easy! Just like this..."

A sharp breath escaped her lips as those words settled in her mind, but even as Mythra seemed to calm down, the glow on her crystals still continued to shine. By now it was clear what it was for- a plea for Pyra to come out. Siren would have long responded to her desperate state by now if she had been trying to connect with it, and if it had responded, beams of light would have been raining upon not only the Ghost Ship, but the ship they had originally come on as well. Luckily, that had not happened.

Another breath slipped out from her mouth and her hands slowly balled into fists as he started to finally regain herself, but as smoothly as things seemed to be going, it suddenly changed. Her cries for escape were finally answered, and in a flash of light Pyra appeared to take the place of the other Aegis.

Her eyes slowly fluttered upon and it was only then that her crystals stopped glowing. Sucking in a breath, she exhaled it shortly after and quietly raised her head. Unlike usual, Pyra's face didn't appear as kind and gentle. Her features were much more heavy. Even as she tried to offer a smile in the angel's direction, it didn't reach her eyes. The sadness still lingered in the back of them, making it clear that even though she had been suppressed, she had still witnessed and felt all Mythra's emotions. She knew exactly how the other felt without even having communicated with her.

Averting her gaze down, Pyra's fiery eyes settled upon the pirate hat that laid before her- the one piece of Mythra's disguise that had fallen off and been left behind in the transformation. Picking it up, she carefully placed it upon her own head, covering her own headpiece in the process.

With that done, her gaze lifted up once more and returned to the group that awaited her. Slowly and shakily, the fire blade rose to her feet and brushed herself off, even though she had gotten nothing on her. It was an excuse to stay silent a moment longer, but even then she knew she needed to speak now. Allowing herself to briefly find some form of composure, she took a step towards the others.

"T-Thank you for trying to help Mythra..." Pyra said quietly once she was close enough to Pit. It wasn't much, but it was a small form of gratitude that she could show for her other half, even if she had fled from what had happened. Honestly, she couldn't blame her, even if it did put her in a rather awkward position, and possibly put her in the wake of whatever it was this ship had to offer. It wasn't as if she didn't have her own fears after all, although many of them aligned with Mythra's.

Pushing the thought off, the redhead quietly ruffled the back of her hair as she cast her gaze away from the trio and tried to find something else to look to- anything at all. Making eye contact right now only felt awkward after what had only just occurred.

"I apologize that we've been slowed down..." she spoke again, keeping her gaze distant. "We should probably get moving again... The longer we stand around, the more opportunity this place has to dig into us..." Her voice still had its usual sweetness, but there was a hint of shakiness to it. She was worried- not only for herself, but for Mythra. The other was eerily silent, though she figured their connection with one another was still messed up. Even so, there was no telling if the blonde was alright and that in itself worried Pyra. Hopefully it wouldn't be possible for this place to drag her back out to experience the horrors it had to offer.

 

[Ploegy]

Ｓｏｒａ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Forest on Floating Island | Interactions: SheepKing Kaiju Cat
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Feeling Pichu fall onto his head, Sora was briefly taken by surprise, but it didn't last for long when he realized it was his friend. A gentle smile formed on his face as the rodent nuzzled against his cheek and soon after a light chuckle rumbled in the back of the boy's throat. "Heh, I'm sorry I worried you..." he softly mumbled. Even if the other couldn't speak his concerns, the boy could see them painted upon his features. He should have known his friends would worry about him, especially after doing something so reckless, although he did not regret his decision. No matter the pain he had to feel, he could at least know that the cub was alright.

Lifting his free hand up, Sora ruffled the fur atop Pichu's head before he noticed Pokey scuttling over to join them, even making his way through the mob of various creatures that surrounded them. Once the boy was close, the keyblade wielder offered him a friendly smile, though upon hearing the words spoken to him, it faltered slightly. The words the boy had chosen were strange for him to hear thrown at him, although he couldn't deny there was some truth to them- albeit a small one. Perhaps he deserved such harsh words though. He had been reckless.

Flattening his brows, an apologetic look was quick to cross his face before he rubbed the back of his head. Such a simple movement was more than enough to make him wince in pain, although he tried to hide it. It wasn't as if it was his first time getting burned. It had unsurprisingly happened many times before- more times than he wished to admit, but most times weren't as intensive as this one. Most heartless couldn't throw out as much fire as this one primid had, thus the experience was different. Still, being used to such a thing should never be normal, and Sora was well aware of it. Even so, he didn't regret his actions. Such pain was only temporary.

Pushing the thought aside, a weak chuckle managed to escape his lips before he uttered a soft sorry to the other boy. It wasn't much of an apology, but it was the best he could offer in the moment. They were still in battle and he couldn't afford to get to distracted otherwise it'd open them for attack.

His focus returned to the primids once more and his grip tightened around his keyblade, though it was only momentary. While he had thought his brief moment of repose was over, he felt the PSI magic circle around his body, quickly soothing the pain he was trying to hide. It felt much like his own healing- a warm and welcoming sensation that brought a cheesy smile to his face. Turning his head for a before moment, he flashed the smile towards Pokey and gave a curt nod of his head. "Much better! Thanks!"

His voice was very sing-songy and cheerful as he spoke, matching the over joyous expression he wore. Everything about him in the moment was so bright and innocent- a real show of his true character.

It didn't linger for long. Sora was all too aware of their current position. His gaze moved back to the scene before them and he once again prepared himself. Pointing his key forward, he almost timed it perfectly with Pichu's call to action. Hearing the pokemon bellow out, the teen was ready to rush forward, but the rushing of the animals kept him at bay.

The various creatures were quick to take action. A few glanced at Sora as they passed him by and offered toothy smiles before jumping at the remaining primids and their allies. He couldn't help but feeling touched. It seemed his small display of compassion was more than enough to gain their trust and make them feel strongly about fighting for his cause. He couldn't blame them though. This was their home after all and the primids had taken it over, and clearly done horrible things. The creatures had every right to want to fight back against that.

​

Letting himself watch for a moment longer, Sora sucked in a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes to compose himself. It's time... he mentally told himself, his eyes flashing open. Bending his knees, he finally pushed himself forward with a growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

Dancing past the various animals which had primids pinned to the ground, the keyblade wielder closed in on the fire one that had attacked him. The once gentle face that he wore was long gone by now, and a genuine look of anger had managed to cross his features. In a way, it was almost as if he could feel an anger that didn't naturally belong to him. Whatever it was, he didn't care. He was too focused on attacking to put much thought into it.

Taking a vicious swing, his weapon collided into the fire primid's side, causing it to go flying across the open space. Sora wasn't done though. Digging his foot down, he pushed upwards, causing himself to becoming slightly airborne as he glided rapidly after his target. His speed was unlike before, though it was nothing all too impressive. It was enough to keep up with his opponent, and for him that was good enough.

Letting out a loud battle cry, the boy lifted his blade up as he closed in on the primid and swung it down just as quickly, causing the creature to slam into the ground while he flew past it. A faint cry of anguish seemed to come from his target, but it wasn't loud enough for Sora to hear as he slowed himself and returned his feet to the ground.

Breathing heavily from his sudden burst, his shoulder rose and fell with each breath, showing he had slightly overexerted himself in his pursuit to take down his opponent. Revenge wasn't what he'd call it, but perhaps that was what it had been. Even so, it would have needed to be taken care of one way or another. It was only fitting it be by him.

Looking back at his work gave him little joy. Actually, it caused a frown to form. None of it felt good, even if in the moment he had felt angry. Still, he had to act because if he didn't, then who would? This was for the sake of the forest around him- and more specifically the animals that were fighting at his side. Feeling sorry for those who had mistreated them would do them no good.

Finding resolve, Sora quickly turned to jump back into action- finding himself aiding several of his allied companions with their battle, whether it was up close or by throwing his key in their direction and letting it do the work. Either way both key and wielder moved about in an almost elegant, yet still chaotic manner, and such would be the case for several moments.

Soon enough the pain had begun to catch up with Sora again. While the healing had managed to temporarily ease it, his quick movements and clear lack of slowing down were enough to make sure it found its way back to him, despite no visible injuries were present. Sliding to a stop and catching his keyblade in the process, he let a soft, pained grunt escape his throat.

"I can't slow down. We're almost done..." he mumbled softly. Flickering his eyes around, he could instantly tell the primids numbers had greatly gone down. By now many had either fled or been dealt with otherwise. Their camp no longer stood either. Tent had been torn to shred in the process of the battle and cages had been knocked around. It was a mess, but that was to be expected. He couldn't blame the creatures for violently tearing it down.

Feeling sweat rolling down his face, Sora lifted a hand up to wipe it away as he steadied his breathing. As he did, his gaze continued to move about, taking in everything he could as he began to formulate a plan, or at least as much of one as a kid like him could come up with. After a moment longer, he found himself satisfied and he quickly moved forward to position him in the middle of everything.

Raising his keyblade skyward, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "My friends, take cover!"

As those words echoed out, Sora's eyes opened once again and moved to find Pichu and Pokey once more, hoping the two of them might join him in one final attack together. His gaze briefly met the gaze of each, and his eyes said everything; they were inviting and shining bright with determination. While he wasn't sure if Pokey had some kind of electrical attack, he was sure they could improvise something that worked together. If not, then he could only hope the combined strength of his and Pichu's thunders would do the job.

Not bothering to wait, he allowed the electricity to begin sparking from his key to indicate the rest of his plan and as it did, he lowered his head, putting his full concentration into it. He could not let this fail.

 

[SheepKing]

---

With bated breath Isabelle watched as the Slayer threw himself into the room not even a second before Lockdown went into effect. And, thankfully, with the big human sized hole where the door used to be, they now wouldn’t have to worry about being locked inside. But still, now was no time to dawdle, they needed to get whatever they could from the room and escape before things got even hairier!

First things first the little secretary scanned the dimly lit room, dark save for the blue light that emitted from all the screens that littered the room. Like something you’d find in one of those spaceship films, there were rows upon rows of bulky computers and buttons and all sorts of other technological doohickeys that all screamed sci fi. Thankfully with how dark the room was there Isabelle wasn’t able to make out any immediate signs of the clone’s work in the area, though she knew that if the lights were on, it’d surely be a whole different story.

And true to that, the moment she pulled out her nookphone for extra light she’d be greeted by ugly crimson stains and what appeared to be squishy gross grey matter on the floor. A grimace stretched acorss her face as she stepped over the remains and made her way to the closest computer, hopping up onto the seat and nabbing the mouse.

Isabelle furrowed her brow at the computer requiring a password, but by some sort of luck, its previous user had left a sticky note with the information.

“That’s not very safe of them…” she’d softly tsk while hurriedly typing away, a soft chime as her reward as she was soon greeted to an assortment of files, reports, and manuals all relating to the base.

With just how many there were, it was truthfully a little overwhelming, but taking a deep breath Isabelle cracked her knuckles, scooched the rolling chair inward as she harnessed all of her skills acquired from working a desk job to quickly scan through for anything that could be of use to them.

“Hmmm….no…no…no…gosh they really need to reorganize that-aha!”

Clicking at a certain folder opened up two very interesting files.

>ANNUAL SMASH WORLD STATUS REPORT

>JENOVA-REMNANT RESEARCH PROGRESS

Without a word she immediately got to downloading the files onto her NookPhone. Once they got out of here she’d be sure to take a closer look at them but for now just having them on hand would suffice.

While she waited for the little bar on the screen to fill up, Isabelle swiveled her chair over towards the Slayer. Maybe he had also found something?

---

Interactions: Develius (Doomguy) Kameron Esters- (Military base)
Location: Military Research Base - Inner-Laboratories - Control Room
Map TBA

 

[Kameron Esters-]

As multiple steel doors close all across the hallways and corridors of the facility, the soldiers get into position to corner Doom Slayer and Isabelle. Like on-site troops, they know that like with any hunt, in order to bring the hunt to an end quickly one has to be in sync with the other, hence why they aren’t simply waiting by the outside door but instead guarding their own ground, bringing up a crescent formation. Suddenly, a voice comes over the private channel all the personnel have switched to not alert the esacpees "All personnel, the situation has changed. Subject DS-0320-20 and Isabelle have moved!"

"Moved? Where too?"

"They're in the Data Archives as we speak!"

"Ooooooh no...EVERYONE QUICK! RE-GROUP AND CONVERGE ON THE DATA ARCHIVES!"

With that said, the security personnel opened up the doors that lead to the data archives to allow the soldiers to move in.

As the crescent formation with their guns ready makes it’s way towards the Data Archives, a high pitched buzz carries on over the private channel. "What about Sephiroth? He still has the Jenova-REMNANT, plus, some of us are already too close to his position."

"I get the importance of it but this doesn’t look like the time to waste!"

"All the more reason we gotta stop him while we can." "We couldn't even stop a clone with a fraction of Sephiroth's power, what makes you think you have a better chance against the real deal? Not even your Jenoid forms could take him!" "Even still, it's our job. I'd rather go out on my own terms then to be put the grinder and used for spare parts...Atleast they can't say we didn't try. See you guys on the other side. Over and out. Let's move in and make our folks proud!" With that, the call ends

With that said, the procession of soldiers made it’s way towards the stairs that led towards the data archives.

"Watch my back!"

"Yes sir."

Once all the soldiers had a gap in order to move, they burst through the door and all the doors in a half circle, leaving one to stand guard at the door as a several dozen soldiers closing on the Data archives, the door having be broken through. "Alright, anyone with halothane gas, take point, we'll gas the whole room! Once they're both out-could, we'll detain them. Everyone else, if halothane doesn't work on Subject DS-0320-20, set your firearms on stun."

Before entering the room, the soldiers put their halothane guns on safeties.

-Cauterize Shotguns: Stun-grenade launcher attachment-

Once the three shots were fired and the gas system activated, all the soldiers stood still, knowing they had only one shot to take the two down. The gas released out in a wave similar to what a wave would be caused by a tsunami or storm.
SheepKing Develius Kaiju Cat

 

[Kaiju Cat]

The thirst for blood is overwhelming; it's their own doom. With a light tsk, he cut the door in half in a single strike. Half expecting the army by now, he’s ready for anything. As he waited for the attacks to come. The unmistakable sight of Genesis and Angeal standing there in spirit with him, is the push needed to keep him going today. “ Don’t worry my good friends, we'll have our reunion soon..” Sephiroth once again showed another singular emotion other than negative feelings. It’s foreign to him, sure.

He only showed it to those who are dear and near to him. Although the former general affixed his attention back to the task at hand. He kept on going, the power of the shadow flare felt overwhelming like a rush of energy washing over his body and corrupted spirit.

Indeed, he sensed the soldiers with Jenova cells drawing to a close perhaps to box him in leaving him with only two options, or maybe just nuke them and be done with it. His cold, serpentine eyes flashed the closer he was to the soldiers. Sephiroth felt like a predator closing on his prey. He had a few tricks up his leather sleeve thanks to his awakening. Who would’ve thought his violent anger would be the catalyst needed to invoke Safer Sephiroth? Activating his singular dark wing, he flies up to greet the soldiers, ignoring that the Slayer and he are in the same vicinity.

He liked a fair fight but in due time. But for now he wants to end this chaos quicker than later. He had plans for his next move, which involved finding his dearest mother a proper host. He’d rather see her in her full glory after all. He’s aware she’s the calamity.

Kameron Esters-

 

[Kaiju Cat]

“ Sounds like you got a cult on your hands.” He had seen the Kefka cultists at the base of the fanatic tower chanting slogans akin to restoring Kefka’s glory. It won’t be surprising if the cultists built it to pay homage to the harlequin. The times he visited South Figaro en route to the castle, he noticed graffiti going into great details of their propaganda. Just then Cyan made his decision right then and there. “ I made up my mind. Pereinge I'd like to lend you my aid, it's the least I could do from one warrior to another.” It’s a way he could atone for failing to save Elayne and Owain.

I’m sorry Mog we’ll see each other someday, but I must to do this.
He can prove his skill on the battleground. Although he may not be technologically savvy with the magitek armor like his friends, he’s just as good as any with his sword. Pereinge would notice the fire in Cyan’s steely eyes, the determination was there. If Lunaris is anything like Kefka he’ll not let this man have his way. He needed a plan and a prime directive indeed. His idea is finding more aid.

Kameron Esters-

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Toon Link & Pit
Where: Ghost Ship on the open sea
With: Pyra/Mythra ( Ploegy ), Jeff ( Kaiju Cat )

"Hmm?"

Toon Link turned to look at the other boy, then looked at his left hand. After a brief moment, he raised it and turned it so Jeff could have a clear view of the symbol marking the back of his hand. It was the mark of the Triforce, the right triangle being a more opaque gold than the other two, designating the Hylian boy as a bearer of the Triforce of Courage. Toon Link had to search the Great Sea for the Triforce of Courage, which had been broken into pieces and scattered long before he was born. In doing so, he proved his worthiness as a hero to the gods and gained his title of the Hero of Winds.

Toon Link smiled sheepishly at Jeff. He never did understand what, exactly, the Triforce of Courage did or how to tap into its power like Zelda and Ganondorf can. In fact, soon after he gained the Triforce of Courage, Ganondorf had extracted it from him. It was only through the quick interference of the King of Red Lions, or King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule to give his real name, that Ganondorf's plans were unable to come to fruition. Oddly enough, whenever Toon Link visited the Smash Realm, the mark of the Triforce returned to his left hand. With it, he could use the Triforce Slash attack, and it allowed him to sense the presence of other Triforce bearers nearby. It was the first time Toon Link's piece had ever reacted as it did when he was in the grasp of that illusionary Bellum. Toon Link supposed it made sense; when fear was about to claim him, Courage overcame it. He wondered if there was a way to use his piece of the Triforce to beat back the Ghost Ship's fearful aura...

Pit's heart lifted as he saw Mythra lower her hands to the wooden deck and begin to take deep breaths. He was getting through to her! He continued to speak to her, using all of his self-control to keep the gentle, kindly tone from raising in his excitement. Just as it seemed Mythra was coming back to them, she was engulfed in a flash of light.

"Mythra!" a startled Pit cried out, hand outstretched. "Wait! Don't go!"

As Pyra appeared, Pit's outstretched hand clenched into a fist and he banged it on the wooden deck. Head bowed in defeat, he let out a deep sigh before raising his eyes to meet Pyra's. Seeing the normally sweet and gentle girl look so tired and saddened broke his heart, and his expression showed it. There was a moment's awkward silence; after Pyra placed the pirate hat upon her head, Pit offered his hand to help her to her feet. Then Pyra quietly thanked him. Normally, the angel would respond with a cheerful, "Of course!" or "Just doing my duty as an angel!" but at the moment all he could muster was a subdued yet earnest, "You're very welcome."

Pit gave Pyra's hand a gentle squeeze; maybe Mythra will be able to feel it.

Toon Link approached Pyra and Pit. Looking up at the woman, the little Link's expression was one of concern before it changed to a friendly smile. He reached out and took her other hand. The boy may not completely understand the situation, but he can still offer his support!

Though Pyra stated that the party should continue their search, both Hylian and angel remained where they were, still holding Pyra's hands. They smiled at her, small but genuine, arms swinging playfully. Pyra was right of course: they needed to keep moving, but they saw no harm in taking a minute, just a brief minute, to make sure she was okay!

 

[Kaiju Cat]

With so many questions racing through his mind it’s going to look like he’ll save those when they’re safe and secure away from the pirates. Though the boy has a theory that Toon Link must’ve gone through trials and tribulations to prove his worth to a deity of some kind, or the latter went through a rigorous test. Both theories sound plausible to him but whichever is true he’ll hear it from Link. Following Link he did notice his friends were zombies, but he knows it’s the illusion trick of the ghost ship now. He sped up to the others who were consoling Pyra and Mythra. Pit and Link are holding hands with her; it's one way to offer a source of comfort to her. Pit managed to guide her back to the present. He did well in using grounding techniques to help them.

Jeff held her forearm. “ Do you feel better?” He smiled warmly, he was trying to be comforting. It didn’t feel right to leave those two after what he witnessed. He may not truly understand what happened, but he can be a source of comfort for Pyra and Mythra. Although he prefers to find the coconut crystal and move on. The ship seems to bring out their worst fears.

GrumpySwallow Ploegy

 

[Kameron Esters-]

"Excellent! I was beginning to think I wouldn't have any luck finding anyone on my crusade." Peregrine chuckles "Just promise not to back-stab me, alright? That'd be very inconvenient for me." Peregrine jests before approaching Chuck and kneeling in front of him "What about you, Chuck? Do you want to go on a perilous quest to assemble an assortment of warriors to face off against "god" and his followers?"

Chuck stares at Peregrine for a moment before looking down at his sap-covered hand, then back to Peregrine. He rises his sap covered hand at the avian-like warrior.

"Yes, there may or may not be sap involved wherever we're going. So what do you say?"

Chuck stares at Peregrine before sucking the sap of its hand again while scratching the side of it's head in contemplation to the question.
Kaiju Cat

 

[Ploegy]

Ｐｙｒａ / Ｍｙｔｈｒａ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Ghost Ship | Interactions: GrumpySwallow Kaiju Cat
───────────────────────────────────────────​

The negativity that circled around Pyra's mind was brought to an abrupt halt when she felt Pit squeeze her hand. Quietly her gaze shifted down to gaze upon the clasped hands and for a moment she stared in silence, her facial features beginning to soften. While she knew the action was more for Mythra than herself, she appreciated it nonetheless and offered a genuine smile towards the angel to show such.

As she did that, she noticed Toon Link out of the corner of her eye. Seeing the young Hylian approach her, she was prepared to offer a smile in his direction as well, but stopped as she felt him grab her other hand. Almost instantly a warm feeling overcame her and a happy, but soft sigh escaped her lips. Closing her eyes briefly, Pyra let the moment settle in. It was calming, and she hoped Mythra could feel it too. Surely she could, even if they couldn't speak to one another at the moment. It wasn't as if the other would express appreciation for such acts anyways. She was far too stubborn, but deep down, Pyra knew she would secretly be happy.

With that thought settling in her mind, the Aegis opened her eyes once more, and finally offered a kind smile in T'ink's direction. The pain that had been lingering in the depths of her eyes had long faded now and her usual softness had returned in full. Even if those feelings of pain and fear still were in her mind, she knew that she was not alone- she had friends to rely on. Surely Rex would have been preaching the same thing if he was present. It had been him that helped her overcome such fears before after all, and even convince her that she didn't need to let them define her. Perhaps here and now, these three were what Rex usually was to her- her anchor. It was a nice thought, though she decided to keep it to herself.

Instead, Pyra stayed quiet a moment longer and lightly squeezed the hands of the other two Smash Brothers as a way to show her appreciation towards them. Her attention was soon pulled from them though and was brought to Jeff. Much like the others, the Aegis smiled warmly upon him as she gave a simple nod of her head.

"I feel alright," she confirmed before taking in a deep breath. "And I'm sure Mythra is fine as well. While I cannot speak to her, I do think she wanted to force me out because she knew it was the only way she could escape the hold this ship had on her..." Pausing, Pyra's face twisted for a moment and her brows flattened. "She knew it wasn't happening in real time, but painful memories of what she fears most were pulled from her head... I don't think she wanted to run, but the fear was eating away at her too much... It's not easy to fight a fear of yourself after all..."

Pyra's voice was hushed as she spoke those words, unsure if it was right to reveal such a thing about Mythra. Perhaps she had overstepped her boundaries, but what was done was done. It was best they know after all. It would help them understand Mythra's internal struggle.

"I'll try to reach out to her before we leave this place so we can avoid troubles that might arise," she spoke up again. While she would love for such a soft moment to continue, she knew they couldn't afford to stand around idly and let the ship have free rein over them. "For now, let's keep pushing ahead. We need to find that coconut sooner rather than later."

 

[AvidElmV2]

Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach's Castle​

All out war had broken out at the Princess's castle. Washing machines hailed from the sky while bikers, shopping carts, and school buses raced through the royal garden. Meanwhile, a yellow submarine vessel hovered round the castle perimeter, periodically dumping more agents of chaos into the mix. At every corner of Princess Peach's domain, Rabbids were there to rave, as they're wont to do. The dutiful and brave Toadstool servants who stood up to quell the madness were simply swallowed up by it. What was their heroic sacrifice made over? Why had the living misfortune of the Rabbids decided to visit the Mushroom Kingdom today? Merely an envelope with a red wax seal. The kind of item most people would forget in a desk drawer, but one the Rabbids decided they just HAD to get their hands on. The unfortunate matter was there was only one red wax letter for the hundreds of Rabbids who wanted it. Once one Rabbid got his hands on it, the other fraction fell on top of him like a pack of dogs fighting over it. Plungers went flying, Rabbids we're bounced into the sky, and anyone who got between them and their prize was an unfortunate casualty.

Where bikers clashed with shopping carts amidst the very literal game of whack-a-mole happening in the Princess' hedge and statue garden, a sparse number of more sensible Rabbids had gathered inside the castle. Rabbid Peach, Rabbid Mario, and Rabbid Luigi were at the head of the group, leading the search for the princess, among others who understood the news the letter brought: an invitation to join the illustrious Smash Brothers! But just which of the many unique and completely worthy in their own right Rabbids was being summoned in specific? Well, it was the Princess who they hoped would clear that up for them. Instead, they found Toadsworth, fussing with a thick dictionary and shouting Rabbid language out of a window overlooking the courtyard. "Äwbwábwa! Áàn āwbwábwa? Áàn daw āwbwábwaàá lǎāw ā?" The Rabbids snickered as they approached him, sharing some babble and a laugh between each other before Toadsworth waddled up.

"You! You have to stop those, those... MISCREANTS! They're WRECKING the castle! The garden! All of our hard work as servants, squandered! DO something!" He earned a disdainful scoff from Rabbid Peach and a mouthful of hair when she whipped around to turn her back to him. Rabbid Mario puttered up next, slapping their back while Toadsworth choked blonde hairs out of his mouth and face. "Àa ǎlāw zháwdrǎ wa?" Toadsworth sputtered, flipping furiously through his dictionary to interpret for himself. "Seed... Woman? Surely you're not referring to the princess, with that kind of language!" Much to his dismay, Rabbid Mario's response was an excited and vapid smile. Toadsworth moaned his despair, but answered nonetheless. "Oh, it's horrible! She's off in the Smash Realm, facing danger and peril without the brave Mario Brothers! It's awful! It's-" He went on while R.M convened with the others behind him to share the poor news. Rabbid Luigi pushed past his fellows, interrupting Toadsworth's woeful tirade. "Báw zháa zházhā áà zhádrǎdan ba bwàà bāāwadan." He smiled his pride and glee while poor Toadsworth struggled to translate the message. "Um... Once more, kindly?"

---

...Toadsworth's jaw dropped. "A RABBID received an invitation to the Smash Brothers!?" The Rabbids all exploded into laughter and merry making, running circles and bouncing off of each other into the air. Toadsworth hurried to coral them, wary of any precious interior decor being ruined by their raving. "N-Now, this is a time of celebration... for you, I'm sure... But, which of you actually got the letter?" At that, they all stopped and looked between each other, then shrugged while staring hard and expectantly at Toadsworth. "Well I certainly can't tell you! Not without reading the letter, I couldn't! A-And if that's what all the fuss is about out there, I'm not sure I want to be near the thing! J-Just, find out who the letter actually belongs to and leave the castle grounds immediately!" Again, the Rabbids locked eyes with one another, all unsure of what to do about the situation. They started to file out of the castle, stopped when Toadsworth trudged up to them in a moment of realization.

"W-Wait! I have a request of you..." He bowed his bulbous head to the collective or Rabbid Peach, Mario, and Luigi, hands clasped together at his forehead. "It surely isn't your responsibility! And, I know you aren't much, let alone the real Mario Brothers!-" Toadsworth didn't see Mario and Lugui stick their tongues out at him, for better or worse - "But please, I beg of you, find the Princess! Watch after her! I'm so very worried for her, and I shiver to think what may happen if that wretched fiend BOWSER realizes she's alone in the Smash Realm!" The Rabbid Mario brothers were quick to pad up to Toadsworth, each reassuring him with their meaningless babble and a painfully hammed up thumbs up as a duo. It was their moment to be the heroes they knew they were, after all! Toadsworth shivered, at once knowing these two were his and Peach's best hope at the moment, and immensely grateful they were so willing to step up to the plate. He could pray they would hold Bowser off long enough for the REAL heroes to arrive! Rabbid Peach watched the whole scene from behind the three, retching dramatically before she turned to hurry out of the castle. These useless boys and their fatheaded grandpa! They still didn't know who the invitation belonged to, did they? Well, that didn't matter much to her. She stopped to wrench a plunger out of the hands of one of the Rabbids tearing up at Rabbid Luigi and Mario's moment before stepping out into the outside chaos.

---

The battle for the Smash invitation raged as strong as ever. The servants that had stepped in retired to the sidelines beaten and tired to watch in awe as the Rabbids raved at full strength. There was no stopping them! Their numbers and stamina were limitless! At this rate, the castle would be torn down before the day was over! They prayed for a miracle that was delivered in short time by a rogue plunger shot. No, not rogue. It flew too true, suction cupping the letter out of the air where it floated and sticking it to the hull of the flying submarine above the castle. All the fighting stopped at once, every Rabbid and Toad still standing awing at the sight. Then they all turned in the direction of the shot to see Rabbid Peach dancing elegantly over the heads of her fellow Rabbid, using them to trampoline herself to an elevated position on one of the castle's spires to reach the submarine above. Rabbid Luigi and Mario had a similar, less acrobatic idea, both stuffing themselves into the intake of a vacuum with the suction reversed. The machine blew and bulged until it couldn't anymore, exploding and sending its Rabbid payload into the side of the submarine - painfully. Everyone below cringed at the impact, Toadsworth especially as he watched tearfully from the castle. The Rabbid Brothers clambered up to the top, joined by Rabbid Peach who landed in front of them with a graceful flip onto her knee. Cue more oohing and aweing as she raised the plunger and letter over her head, standing to blow a kiss down to all the Rabbids below while the submarine lifted away from the castle.

The shocked silence didn't last long after that. The war was back on, with the three costumed Rabbids atop the submarine as the new common enemy. Every Rabbid below let loose a bloodcurdling war cry, taking their shopping carts, hogs, washing machines, and else to chase the fleeing submarine for as far as they had to.

To the Smash Realm and beyond!​

 

[Kameron Esters-]

The archers lead the group past the entrance and there, they are met with a settlement with structures sculpted from and into the very trees surround them. "When we Kokiri become of a certain age, we disappear. Never to be heard or...thought of again by our younger brothers and sisters. This is where we go. We made this kingdom from the ground up. It started with tents and huts before moved up to castles and keeps. But now, we're about to return to dust...The forest as been...Turbulent to say the least...There's been an excess of overgrowth and it has made it very difficult to traverse through the woods as of the past several cycles. Normally we'd cut them down but they're growing way to fast are too thick to cut through with our tools." The archer explains as he kinds the fighters on the trial into the settlement.
wigi SirPrompto15 Ploegy

 

[SirPrompto15]

Shadow the hedgehog.
"Interesting..." Shadow listened to the Kokiri's story. "This community...I'm sure Maria would have loved it here." He looked at his allies,waiting for their responses.

 

[SheepKing]

​

---

With Morgana joining in at the last second, the group all flung their hands into the air and cheered out, ready for whatever they’d soon face, and the Inkling certainly wasn’t excluded.

“Woomy!”

The squid watched in awe as Morgana hurdled up into the air, only for their attention to instead be quickly drawn away to the two thieves of the group getting all mushy gushy with each other. Lightly nudging Paula to get her attention, Agent Three mimed wiping a tear from their eye, as if to say “Ah, young love” before sticking out their tongue and devolving into a pile giggles. But all joking aside, Inkling’s smile softened as they really took in the heartfelt moment between Panther and Joker. As much as now might have not been the time for such sweet gestures, they still couldn’t help but be the tiniest bit envious at the sight. Two loving partners facing down danger hand in hand knowing they’ll have each other by their side. That no matter what one could always depend on the other. Who wouldn’t be at least a little jealous?

Maybe they should call Agent 8-

Inkling wildly shook their head, tentacles flying about as they hurried to wash that thought away. Nope nope nope, too dangerous! The poor Octoling deserved to take a break after having to deal with the dumpster fire that was Tartar. Three would only maybe, just maybe consider calling in if things got way too out of control. After all, it’d just make the rest of the Spitoon worry wouldn’t it? Everything was perfectly under control.


The tender moment would finally pass as the two theives summoned their respective personas, meaning that the Inkling should begin gearing up themselves. From who knows where, Agent Three kneeled down to the grass and pulled out one of their many weapons. Which one? Considering their role there could only be one option.

---

The Splat Charger​

---

Naturally as she was going to be a part of the team’s support Inkling couldn’t think of a better weapon for the bill, as although the charge time could be a bit of a pain, the range and power definitely made up for it’s weaknesses. It was a shame that they hadn’t been able to fit it into their arsenal during the actual tournament but now was certainly better than never wasn’t it?

Pulling themself back up from the ground Inkling rested the weapon in their grip as everyone got into their places. The two personas moved to the front of the group, Joker and Noctis followed, then leaving Panther, Prompto, Paula, and Inkling in the backend of the team. All together they formed a sort of lopsided pyramid in formation, with little Morgana at the very back end ready to offer any healing were it necessary. Yep, everyone was ready to go.

It’s time to roll out!

---

Spoiler: Seaskape

---

In a burst of feathers and blue flame Arsene rose to the sky! Even far from the back they could spot the following chaos as the Bokoblins were met with quite the surprise. Inkling couldn’t help but let out a long whistle as Carmen’s flaming glory followed right behind, the duo working together to unleash massive spires of flames and cursed energy all across the battlefield. However Inkling would pull their eyes away from the spectacle as Joker himself didn’t appear to make any movement, instead too looking on at the sight of his and Panther’s personas weaving about. That is, until he’d suddenly pull out his dagger and call for the other black haired boy of the group to join him as he swiftly made his way towards the fray with such confidence that Inkling could practically feel the cockiness exuding from him!

But hey, they couldn’t hog all of the fun to themselves! Nope, Panther’s cheeky voice would snap Inkling out of their admiration, as she tells the group to show those baddies what they’re made of, and who was Inkling to say no to such a generous offer? The only boy of the group would be so kind as to let the ladies of the group get the first hit in, as Ann cracked her whip like thunder, its lashes tearing through the foes before them. Next, Paula let out her own fury of flames as she did away with a crowd of Moblins and Bokoblins, dealing a decisive blow of her frying pan onto any that came too close to their liking. Finally, the non-gals of the group got their turn as Prompto summoned his revolver and shot into the crowd of beasts.

Everyone was playing their part to deal with the onslaught of monstrous foes, and the Inkling was just as eager to play hers as well.

A beaky smile stretched across their face as they readily aimed the charger into the densest clump of Moblins. Coming to a stop, they held their breath and narrowed their eyes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And the poor Moblins, too absorbed in getting a lick in against the heroes, failed to notice the bright orange dot that fell onto their temple. Or rather, by the time they did it was much too late to do anything but accept their fate.

*WHAM!*

Like a firework, the Splat Charger let out a piercing roar as a pressurized stream ink shot out from from the weapon, cutting clean through the poor Moblin and any sorry sap that has the misfortune of being behind it. If this had been a Turf War that certainly would have been a team wipe right there! But Agent Three wasn’t going to celebrate just yet, as even taking out four did little to really cut down on crowds of enemies before them. They needed to get serious!

Swimming through the path of ink left from her shot, Inkling steadily refilled their ink tank and rose out from the sea of orange, somersaulting into a full charge as they took aim and fired!

*WHAM!*

*WHAM!*

*WHAM!*

Each time Inkling let go of the trigger she was greeted with a piggish squeal and a small explosion of purple…gas? Energy? Whatever it was that came out from them. Her comrades may have had reservations about finishing the job but Agent Three held no such thing herself as she rather unintentionally picked off the creatures that Joker had paid kindly to spare. After all, Octarians, Moblins, Bokoblins, what was the difference in the heat of battle?

Wiping away a stray band of ink from their cheek, Inkling realized they had fallen far towards the back end of the group than intended, so they hurriedly plopped into squid form to catch up with the rest. As they dashed through the ink Ageng Three took in the ongoing battle. Towards the front the Inkling would be able to spot Joker continuing his deadly dance, as his dagger (non-fatally) tore through any Moblins and Bokoblins that came too close. All the while Noctis joined in on the slashing as his sword cut away at whatever beast it came into contact. As Inkling got closer to the group she’d spot that Paula meanwhile seemed to be chow down on some dark circular thing before throwing herself back into the battle. As Inkling caught up with the girl they began walking backwards in order to face the girl, letting a supportive smile stretch across her cheeks and popping a thumbs up in her direction. However in this moment of blindsight Inkling suddenly tipped over something, earning a surprised yelp as they fell hard on their back.

“Skeeee!..Yawee?”

Pulling themselves up from the dirt, her eyes scurried about for the culprit, as they would soon land upon a large orange orb harmlessly floating on the ground.



“…Nahwa?”

Cautiously they bent down to pick it up, examining the object closely before shoving it into their pocket.

If this is what they thought it was then that could only mean two things, and neither one would be something they’d actually enjoy encountering.

1. Octarians
2. Salmonids

Cupping an ear, the fin-like appendage wiggled up and down as they took in the sounds of the battle. The closest to them were the snorts and squeals of Moblins and Bokoblins but far towards the front where Arsene and Carmen continued their onslaught, Agent Three could hear the faint cry of a third manner of enemy.

Their eyes narrowed.

Looks like the correct answer was option 2.

Now, Three had never dealt with the Salmonids personally but man on man did Agents 4 and 8 have a lot to say about them. Aggressive, violent, and eager to perish in the glories of war, Salmonids were nothing to laugh at. While just as smart as any Inkling or Octoling, these slippery fish truly held the advantage in numbers, as a school of them could easily overwhelm even the toughest of squids. But, Three could be thankful that when it came to the regular small fry, chum and cohocks the strategy in taking them down was just like with any other enemy. Splat them till they pop! And a quick glance at the ground showed no signs of any golden eggs meaning they were probably just dealing with lesser Salmonids. However, one couldn’t be too careful as who knows what those Salmonids could be planning.

Inkling shook her head and readjusted her Charger. They could mope all they want about Salmonids after dealing with them! Not to mention there were still plenty of Moblins and Bokoblins to take care of first. And so Inkling held up their weapon, took aim, and fired once more.

*WHAM!*

---

Interactions: SirPrompto15 (Noctis & Prompto) Kaiju Cat (Paula) Ploegy (Joker and Panther)
Location: The Plains

Spoiler: World Map

 

[Ploegy]

Ｊｏｋｅｒ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Plains near Stadium | Interactions: SheepKing
SirPrompto15 Kaiju Cat
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Things were going smoothly for the group much to Joker's own surprise, though he was grateful for it. Maybe his concerns of possibly being overwhelmed had been for nothing. Even so, he couldn't let it get to his head. Overconfidence was a real killer after all. He knew it all too well.

Pushing the thought aside, the thief continued to move with the upmost purpose, making sure he was hard to catch. The less damage he took, the better, especially since he had Arsene to worry about as well. It would only be a matter of time before he'd begin feeling the effects of letting his persona run rampant once more, yet he knew he couldn't afford to let it show either. If he started showing cracks in his own armor, the others might begin to crumble as well. Ren was well aware of that, thus he had to remain mindful of how often his other self was throwing out any magical based attacks. If he stuck to simple slashes and swipes, he was confident things would continue to move along smoothly, but the phantom thief also knew things could change in the blink of an eyes.

His mind momentarily seemed to become clouded by such thoughts, though his movements hardly hinted at suchs. Joker still gracefully darted about the battlefield, attacking and dodging in perfect harmony. However, his mind wouldn't stay distracted for much longer. The sound of Inkling's charger firing its first shot was more than enough to snap him from his thoughts. Feeling a sudden jolt of anxiety run through his body, the thief cocked his head in order to see what had occurred.

Seeing orange paint splattered on one of the moblins he had previously attacked gave him enough of an idea of what it was, though upon looking at the fallen enemy, he could also see the intent behind the action. Perhaps taking some moral high ground wasn't worth it. Here his companions were accepting they had to take lives while he danced about merely wounding them- albeit in a rather brutal manner. Still, he needed to think of the bigger picture. Could he afford leaving enemies alive? As much as he wanted to see yes as the answer, Ren couldn't see it as such.

A soft sigh escaped his lips as the thought passed him by and he quickly ducked under the club of an oncoming bokoblin. His mind continued to process such an idea all while hearing three more shots ring out- each one taking yet another life. There was no hesitation. Agent Three was merely doing her job. It was time he follow suit.

Despite the internal struggle, the thief swiftly darted behind his opponent and jumped it quickly- this time making sure he made a fatal slash to the poor creature in his way. Seeing the bokoblin drop before him, Joker sucked in a deep breath before averting his attention. He couldn't let his mind linger on the fact for too long. If he did, the negativity of it all would begin eating away at him.

Push forward. Take no chances... he mentally told himself. That was the mindset he needed to have, especially if it was the one his team was going to uphold. He knew Arsene had no problems sticking to that. If anything the persona was likely thriving on being let loose upon a horde of enemies. It was him that always preached killing however he liked and running wild to his heart's content. Maybe he didn't understand the morality behind that in a situation like this though. Maybe that was for the better though. Being hindered with such hesitation would do them no good, especially on the front lines. He could learn a thing or two in that aspect.

Shaking the feeling off, Joker began to move forward yet again, while flicking the droplets of blood from his dagger. As his push forward continued, he took note of all else that was happening- mostly taking in the sounds of battle. Beside the sound of high pressured ink shots, he could hear bullets from a normal gun being fired as well. He could only assume that was Prompto's doing. Moving past those sounds, he could also hear the crack of a whip- Ann's doing for sure. He knew that sound all too well. The last thing his ears could pick up was a metallic echo as if something metal was being smacked against something else. While he wasn't sure of the source exactly, he could presume it was either Noctis or Paula's doing.

Allowing him to let the sounds of battle pass him by, Ren broke through the line of moblins and bokoblins, leaving very few left as he did. That was good. One wave dealt with- many more to come.

Before he could prepare himself for his next enemy, the thief found himself being swarmed by the smallfries. Gasping, Joker nearly lost his footing among them as he carefully stepped through the mob of anklebiters. "Tsk!" he hissed before bringing a boot up to kick one of the salmonids back. "Get off me!" Kicking yet another one, Joker was faced with his first real challenge thus far. How was he to attack something so much smaller than himself? Kicking would only get him so far and it was nearly impossible to slash at them.

A whack to his ankle from the frying pan of one of the smallfries was enough to force the thief to lash his foot out yet again all while growling in annoyance. Unlike his persona who was slicing through them with no worries in the world, Joker was stuck, and despite his attempts to jump around, more blows came in on his ankles.

"Dammit!" he spit out. Managing to gather some space, the teen briefly composed himself before beginning to rack his mind for some kind of solution there had to be one.

​

Looking up from her own fight in the middle of the two groups, Ann quickly noticed Joker's struggle. Giving a shake of her head, she gave one last lash of her whip at the bokoblins around her before she turned her head back to look towards the backliners.

"Joker looks like he needs help," she quickly stated. "I'm going to hurry ahead and help him out real quick!"

Before any of them could object, the blonde darted forward. Moving through the few enemies that remained from the first wave, Panther showed no sign of slowing down. Her whip violently lashed out at anything that came her way and quickly deterred other enemies from approaching her, which allowed her to continue on her path forward.

It was only a moment longer before she neared her fellow Phantom Thief and with no warning, she flicked her whip at the smallfries that swarmed his ankles. The sound of the whip was enough for him to swiftly dodge it himself, but he did turn his head to give her an unamused look. "You're lucky I'm quick."

Those words caused a soft giggle to escape Ann's throat before she gave a roll of her eyes and swatted her whip once more to knock the rest of the salmonids away, allowing Joker to be free from his struggle. "You're welcome, sweetie."

That broke the serious expression painted upon his face, though it was accompanied by a shake of his head. Still, Ann could see traces of a smile upon his lips. That was enough for her. Her moment as the hero was short lived though. While the smallfries had been dealt with chums has begun wiggling their way toward the pair, some even slipping past them and moving towards their backline.

Letting out a sharp gasp, Ann turned quickly and prepared to dart back to assist the others, but before she left, she gave one last look towards Joker and smiled. "Keep up the good work, Joker!" Giving him no chance to respond, the female thief hurried off again, this time with a loud rallying cry.

Hurrying back to her previous position just ahead of the backline, Panther once again prepared her whip, but not before address the group behind her. "More enemies incoming! These ones are more annoying to hit once they get in so try and keep your distance!"

And with that, she launched herself back into battle once more, whacking the chums left and right as they came towards her. Luckily, unlike the smallfries which had ambushed Joker, these weren't as hard to hit, but they still were plentiful and annoying, nevertheless. Still, they were easy enough to deal with.

​

Up ahead, Joker had begun pushing his way forward again, picking off chums as he did. Thankfully slashing them was far easier than the smallfries had been, though he still had to get low before attacking. He hardly minded though. As he powered his way through, he could see Carmen and Arsene not too far ahead dealing with the biggest of the salmonids- the cohocks. The pair seemed to have no struggles. While the cohocks easily stood over the height of someone like Joker, they hardly were a match for the personas. That was good.

As Ren was preparing to avert his gaze from the persona's work, he was quickly blindsided, but not by any of the salmonids. No, a new set of enemies had come rushing through the enemies ranks.

Grunting in pain, the thief staggered to gain his composure once more and his eyes quickly darting to find the assailant that had come for him. Gray orbs were quickly met with an odd, humanoid shaped figure. It bore no features, but instead its body was entirely red wire framed. Joker would have quickly brushed the figure off, but as he continued to look upon it, he was hit with an odd realization. This was no simple wireframe- no, this one mimicked his own appearance.

Confusion rushed over him as it settled in. The wiring of the figure's coat flowed much like his own and the more his eyes graced over its shape, the more he could see in common with his own appearance. "What the..." he uttered, allowing his voice to trail off before he finished his sentence. While he was clearly baffled, the figure didn't wait to continue its attack. Much to Joker's own surprise, he watched it perform an action he had done so many time before. The wire frame placed a hand over the red mask shape resting where its face would have been and tore it off, much like the thief would have done.

"ARSENE!" Joker quickly bellowed out, expecting the worst to come. As expected, a second wireframe seemingly formed behind the other, this time mimicking that of Arsene, although much smaller in size.

Feeling panic begin to rise in his own chest, the thief had no choice but to engage in solo combat against the wireframe replicas of him and his own persona. His own companion was far too busy to join him in the fight.

Readying his dagger, Joker allowed the copy to make the first move. Seeing the makeshift version of himself move forward, he quickly picked up on its movements. First thing he noted was how the Arsene figure moved along with him rather than moving more freely- they were directly connected some how. That was good, but still it posed its own problems, or so he had expected. As the replica lashed out at him with its wireframe dagger, the thief narrowly sidestepped. Its attack, while basic, did have some similarity to his own movements, although it lacked his own fluidity and flare. However, that wasn't his biggest take away. What actually mattered was the lack of an attack coming from the Arsene wireframe. It seemed it was merely for show. That was good. He could win this.

A smirk crossed his lips as he came to that conclusion. Finding confidence in his observations, Joker was prepared to make his counterattack, but before he could he was distracted by the ground beginning to rumble from a stampede of oncoming figures- an army of polygon fighters, lead by three other wireframes. The polygons themselves were crude replicas of various fighters, while the wireframes were much like the one standing before the thief. However, the other three took the forms of other fighters- specifically Ness, Cloud and a male Inkling.

Arsene and Carmen were quick to react to the oncoming stampede and moved to intercept with no hesitation, though they were only able to stop so many from speeding their way through. Polygon fighters quickly darted past the two personas with little care in the world. They charged recklessly about, having little care for what they targeted. Ally or foe, they seemed to not care. They simply rushed across the battlefield eager to fight.

Upon their arrival, the wireframe thief took its chance to momentarily pull back, forcing Joker to be met with the onslaught of polygons instead. Growling under his breath, the teen reached for his pistol and drew it. While he was likely to get rushed instantly, he figured it wouldn't hurt to have his second weapon prepared.

Beginning his fight against this new opponent, Ren did his best to keep them from breaking through their ranks, but their numbers were far greater. Watching a horde of Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Pichu shaped polygons rush past him, the phantom thief shook his head and kept to his fight. He couldn't let up now.

Upon seeing things unfolded, Panther watched as the pokemon shaped polygons rushed through their ranks and started moving towards their backline along with the salmonids that still waded about. A sharp breath escaped her lips, but she kept her composure. Despite the chaos that was ensuing, she had to keep it together. Raising her whip, she prepared herself to continue their defense.

 

[Ploegy]

Ｙｏｓｈｉ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Kokiri Settlement | Tagged: Kameron Esters- SirPrompto15
wigi
───────────────────────────────────────────​

Walking near the back of the group, Yoshi still couldn't help but feeling wary of their current situation. Quietly eyeing the archers around them, the dino shuffled on until they were on the other side of the temple's entrance. It was only then that his attention was pulled away from their escort and to the scenery.

To say he hadn't expected there to be a settlement beyond the entrance was an understatement. He would have never thought of it, yet here he was staring it down. Huts were built into the trees that were growing all around- some harder to see than others. Clearly they were a clear group and made due with their environment rather than destroying it. That was something Yoshi could respect, although it didn't make him trust them more. It'd take much more than that to pull him over. For how laid back he usually was, his mind was stubborn on this very thing.

Still, he was amazed and it showed in his eyes. A sparkle of admiration was evident in them and had quickly replaced the aggravated look they previously had. It was short lived though and when Yoshi heard Shadow speak, it vanished and was replaced by a more neutral expression.

Tilting his head at the hedgehog's words, he couldn't help wondering who exactly he was referring to, but he figured it was best not to ask. Getting into personal matters at a time like this hardly seemed like the best idea. Besides, there was no telling how the archer might react if he were to change the subject too much. Yoshi didn't wish to take his chances, thus opted to stay silent and absorb everything that was going on around him. It was all he could do if he wished to stay in line.

His mind did wander to what the archer had said about this place, though he hardly understood it. Why would the jungle be turbulent? It seemed odd, especially from his own experiences with such areas, but then again, things were always strange in the Smash Realm, so perhaps it was completely normal. Then again, maybe not. The Kokiri seemed to make it sound bad. While he didn't want to feel a need to help, he did, though he refused to voice it for the time being. He was still stubbornly stuck on the idea of figuring out what was going on with his own arrival to have much else in his mind.

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Toon Link & Pit
Location: Ghost Ship, in the sea
With: Pyra/Mythra ( Ploegy ), Jeff ( Kaiju Cat )

Pit felt his cheeks turn rosy after Pyra squeezed his hand back. As amiable as the angel was, physical affection, even something as brief as a squeeze of the hand, was something he rarely experienced. Pyra's words quickly pulled him out of the warm fuzzies he was feeling and brought him back to grim reality. His features were soft as the Aegis explained Mythra's situation to him.

"She's afraid of herself? That's so sad..." Pit said, compassion in his voice. He was silent a moment, then said, "I can understand. I think so."

The captain thought about the Ghost Ship's attack on Mythra, and the woman's reaction to the attack. For her to be so afraid of herself, something terrible must have happened that she blamed herself for. Pit's brows furrowed, his face darkening as memories came unbidden to the forefront of his mind. He understood how frightening it can be to know that in a blink of an eye a righteous warrior can become a source of terrible devastation. All it takes is just one mistake, just one oversight, just one bad day!

Toon Link released Pyra's hand though he kept smiling at her. The sudden shifting of the mists behind Pit quickly caught his attention. A shape began to form, one of a large and vaguely insectoid creature, with a long barbed tail similar to a scorpion's. Beneath it, another being began to materialize from the mists. This one was a winged humanoid, Pit's height, with unsettling dead blue eyes. An alarmed Toon Link called out to the angel. Pit immediately turned his gaze to the Hylian, snapped out of his memories. The incomplete forms in the mist instantly vanished. Toon Link sighed in relief.

Pit's eyes shifted as he tried to catch sight of what had made his friend call out. He saw nothing but knew better than to dismiss it. It was best to take control of the situation before the Ghost Ship took advantage of them again, so Pit started walking.

"Pyra's right! Forward ahead!" He looked back to Pyra, Toon Link, and Jeff as he walked. "Y'know, I'm starting to think there isn't a Crystal Coconut here at all!"

Toon Link grunted in agreement as he followed his friend. He nearly bumped into Pit as the angel stopped at the stairway that led to the bottommost deck, the hold. Though there were rooms on the orlop deck they had not explored, Pit could feel that ominous energy at its strongest near those steps. Coconut or not, the source of the Ghost Ship's power must be down in the hold! Both warriors stared down into the darkness, features grim. They knew once they descended those stairs it will take all of their willpower to resist the ship's curse. It was already a struggle to maintain control over their thoughts and feelings on this deck; did they have the strength to make it to the end?

"I'm not gonna turn back now, not after making it this far!" Pit proclaimed. "Do your worst, Ghost Ship! For the people trapped under Krook's iron hook, we will emerge victorious!"

Toon Link, determination on his features, nodded once. He was pumped! "Aye!"

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Pikachu & Dark Pit
Location: The Lake Shore
With: Samus Aran ( Develius ), Princess Peach ( Minako ), Princess Zelda ( SheepKing ), Cream & Cheese ( SirPrompto15 )

Pikachu slowly opened her eyes as the bounty hunter's ship began to descend. Where were they? How long had she been asleep? The Pokemon still felt mournful, but she was ready to go on with the business of living. She stretched and, spotting Zelda, approached the princess on all fours. Once by her side, Pikachu brushed her body against her leg in both a greeting and an apology. Pikachu had been quite rude to her and Cream and Cheese. She smiled and let out a soft, "Pika," to show she was okay. Pikachu smiled at Peach and Samus to reassure them she was fine as well.

The ship came to a stop. Curious as to their destination, Pikachu dashed over to the pilot's seat and hopped onto Samus's lap to peek out the cockpit window. A massive lake lay before them, and Pikachu can make out the silhouettes of mountains and crumbling ruins. Not too far from the ship was a large building with a sign that read, "Lakeside Laboratory." Sitting on the lake shore, doing a bit of late fishing, was a massive purple cat.

Pikachu looked back to Samus, Peach, and Zelda. "Pikachu?"

What could be at the lake that was important? Was a Pillar there?

As soon as the hatch of the ship was open, Pikachu ran outside. She took in her surroundings, ears twitching to every sound and nose sniffing for any odd scents. The air was clean and fresh, and alive with the sounds of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. So far, nothing unusual--

Pikachu's ears and tail suddenly went erect as a ruckus broke out from within the Lakeside Laboratory. The Electric Mouse's fur stood on end as the sounds of glass smashing, furniture breaking, and numerous voices screaming and hollering emanated from the building. The large purple cat didn't seem to hear the chaos at all, or if he did he simply didn't allow it to ruin his fishing.

"M-my lab," a desparing voice cried from inside, "That savage is destroying everything!"

Another voice called out, this one lighter and more feminine, "Please calm down! Can't you see we're trying to help you?!"

Pikachu's ears twitched as an enraged yet familiar voice shouted, "Forget it! You are not keeping me here, and you are NOT sticking that in me!"

There was a BOOM as the door to the laboratory shook from an unseen impact. The startled Pikachu jumped!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The large wooden door swung open wide and struck the wall with a SLAM! The Electroshock Arm vanished as Dark Pit shot out the door like a black lightningbolt! A very frazzled Nurse Joy followed, arm outstretched as she tried futily to keep up with the angel. Finally came the Lake Scientist, who leaned wearily against the doorway, hand clapped to his forehead.

"Come back! You can't go out in your condition," Nurse Joy called out to Dark Pit. Spotting the large cat, she thought quickly. "Big! Stop him, please!"

Big the Cat obliged willingly. With practiced ease, he cast his line out at the fleeing angel as he took off over the lake. The fishing hook caught hold of Dark Pit's belt and Big gave his rod a single tug. Dark Pit let out a cry of dismay as he plummeted into the lake with a splash! Big reeled in his catch until Dark Pit dangled from the rod, the cat not disturbed in the least as crimson eyes glared balefully at him.

Nurse Joy allowed herself a sigh of relief before approaching the two and reached out toward the wound dressing on Dark Pit's head. "Thank you, Big. Oh! Look what you've done! You've ruined your dressing! I'll have to redo-- EEP!" Nurse Joy pulled her hand back, shock and disbelief on her features. "You-- you tried to bite me!"

Dark Pit struggled to escape the fishing line but only succeeded in spinning himself around and around. Dizzy, wet, and with a throbbing headache, he finally gave up and went limp, hanging from the fishing rod like a pinata, still glaring. Adding insult to injury, Froggy, Big the Cat's frog friend, hopped onto Dark Pit's head and croaked.

Pikachu stood on her hind legs, looked to the women, then pointed toward the chaos at the lake. "... Pikachu?"

 

[Kaiju Cat]

“ I will never turn my sword on a good friend and fellow warrior.” Cyan wonders if Perenige will accept him as part of the Zenith Knights. He has a feeling they’ll get along just fine and something tells him they’ll at least be sworn brothers. He finally found a purpose for living now. It sounded strange for that reason, it was a purpose to save the realm from this cult. From his own experience it was to start from the roots before climbing up the chain of command. “ I know this may be speaking too soon on my end. I feel we’ll get along great.” He can see it happening speaking as one fellow warrior to another. “ Though my next question is what our next move is? I’m going to assume we’re looking for the scattered knights?” Whatever the plan is he’s ready for anything.

Kameron Esters-

 

[GrumpySwallow]

Professor Layton & Luke
Where: Battlefield Fortress
With: Byleth ( Ploegy )

"Professor! There's a letter for you!"

Professor Hershel Layton, archaeologist, puzzle-enthusiast, and True Gentleman, lowered a cup of his favorite Earl Grey tea onto a saucer as Luke came running into his office, waving a letter into the air. He was intrigued as to what kind of a letter it was for his assistant (Or "Apprentice Number One," as the boy adamantly addressed himself) to be so excited about it. It wasn't unusual to receive letters from people requesting he solve the puzzles they sent him, or invitations to oversee the latest archaeological discovery. Of course, with Luke's energy, the Professor did not have to wait long for his answer.

Luke stood by the arm of the sofa Layton sat on and looked the envelope over as if to assure himself that his eyes were not deceiving him. "Professor, this letter has your name on it, but it doesn't have your address or the sender's! It's even got a wax seal, but I don't recognize it at all!"

"That is curious," Layton replied in his usual placid tone, taking the letter and looking over it himself. Luke had spoken truly: the Professor's name was written in flowing cursive on the white envelope, but there was neither his address nor that of the sender's. Turning the letter over, Layton inspected the wax seal.

Spoiler: The strange seal

"... I cannot say I recognize this seal myself, Luke," Layton finally said. Taking a letter opener, he opened the envelope and removed the message within. The letter was also written in flowing cursive. The Professor read aloud.

'Dear Professor Layton,

I have heard of your deeds, of your ability to solve mysteries as well as your great kindness, and I seek your help in a matter of great importance.

A most cherished friend of mine has fallen into madness, and I fear that if he is not stopped the consequences will be most dire, not just for my world but for all worlds, yours included. He seeks the Pillars of Creation and the Pillars of Destruction, relics believed to contain portions of a god's powers, in order to achieve godhood himself. The location of these relics are not known to me. Others are trying to find them in order to stop him, but as far as I know none have been discovered. It is my hope that you will be able to find them before he does.'

A skeptical Luke interrupted, "Other worlds, Pillars of Creation, Pillars of Destruction, god's powers... Professor, I think whoever wrote this letter may be mad themselves! It all sounds fishy to me!"

"Perhaps," Layton said, eyes still on the letter, "but I believe the one who sent this message is very serious. This letter is much too official to be a mere prank, and if this person does indeed need our help then we should do our best to help them. That is what a gentleman does, my dear boy."

Luke brightened up. "Of course! Always solving cases and helping others! Does the letter say anything else?"

Layton continued to read. "'If you agree to aid me in this great task, I ask that you solve this riddle:

My first is foremost legally,

My second circles outwardly,

My third leads all in victory,

My fourth twice ends a nominee,

My whole will be your magic key.'"

Luke repeated the riddle slowly, carefully thinking over each verse. "My first is foremost legally... My second circles outwardly... Geeze, this is quite the puzzle, Professor!"

Layton was smiling as he looked over the letter. "Yes, quite a charming little riddle."

"Professor, you mean you've already solved it?"

"Indeed. Listen carefully, Luke. Each verse in the riddle hints at a single letter. 'My first is foremost legally.' That is the letter L, the foremost letter of the word legally. 'My second circles outwardly.' That can only be the letter O in outwardly."

Luke's eyes widened in understanding. "'My third leads all in victory.' That's got to be the letter V! And the last one, 'My fourth twice ends a nominee,' is the letter E! So the answer is..."

"Love!" Professor and Apprentice exclaimed together.

The envelope in Layton's hand began to glow. The two friends had only time to let out a startled cry and shield their eyes as a flash of light overtook them!

***

"P-Professor!"

Luke's panicked shout snapped Layton out of his daze. Blinking his eyes, he found himself and Luke standing in a ruin-strewned desert wasteland!

"My word..." was all the Professor could utter as he took in his new and unfamiliar surroundings. Spotting the letter on the sandy ground, Layton lowered himself to pick it up.

"Wh-where are we, Professor?" Luke whined. "How'd we get here? Is.. is this a dream? OUCH! It's NOT a dream!"

Layton tucked the letter into his longcoat before turning to Luke. Putting his hands on the boy's shoulders, he looked him in the eyes. His tone was gentle. "Luke, remember what I've told you: it is in times like this that we must keep a clear head. You mustn't lose yourself to panic."

Luke remembered. He was frightened, but he steeled his expression and nodded.

A high-pitched squawk from above forced their heads upward. Standing upon ruined pillars where three Lizalfos, each armed with a sword. They squawked again before they jumped down and surrounded the Professor and Luke. Layton immediately moved close to Luke and held one arm out in front of the boy as a barrier. They moved slowly in a circle, Layton's eyes fixed on the Lizalfos as he tried to keep himself between the beasts and Luke. Luke tried to remain calm, but tears welled in his eyes. The Lizalfos were salivating and licking their scaled lips as they threatened their intended victims with their swords.

One Lizalfos raised its sword and Layton saw his chance! He kicked sand into the reptile's eyes then slammed himself into it to knock it into the ground. The other two beasts were taken aback by the sudden attack.

"Run, Luke!" Layton shouted.

Luke ran, Layton following behind him. The fallen Lizalfos leaped to its feet and screeched with rage before pursuing them. The other two followed, snarling, screaming, and waving their swords.

Luke chanced a glance behind him. "Professor! They're gaining on us!"

"Don't look back, Luke!" Layton responded.

Just when things couldn't get worse, a Leever emerged from the sand and darted at Luke. The apprentice only barely managed to dodge its charge. The Leever disappeared underground. Another Leever appeared and charged at Layton. Grabbing the rim of his hat, Layton jumped to the right and allowed the creature to pass by him. As he weaved around the strange beasts, Layton began to notice a pattern in the time the Leevers emerged from the ground and the angle in which they attacked. They also seemed to be alerted by his and Luke's movements upon the sand.

The screeches and calls of the pursuing lizardmen grew louder as they began to close the gap between themselves and their prey.

Layton had an idea.

"Luke! Stop running! Hold perfectly still!"

Luke did not understand, but his trust in the Professor was absolute; he stood still. Layton turned around and ran toward the Lizalfos, much to their (and Luke's) surprise. The Professor silently counted the seconds, and hummed softly in satisfaction as the sounds of emerging Leevers reached his ears. The Lizalfos raised their swords to cut Layton down. Layton jumped out of the way, leaving the three Lizalfos in the path of the oncoming Leevers!

The screeches of rage became that of pain as Lizalfos and Leevers collided. Layton reunited with Luke and took his arm. "Quickly now!"

The two friends ran, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and the monsters as possible. A castle began to appear in the horizon, and Layton and Luke made their way toward it. Just when they thought they were in the clear, more Lizalfos revealed themselves from their hiding places among the scattered ruins!

Luke screamed, but Layton's voice snapped him out of his panic and urged him onward.

"To the castle, Luke! Hurry!"

As the boy ran, Layton halted. The grounds were littered with arrows and the weapons of fallen warriors from a time long passed. Grabbing the hilt of a rusted saber that was sticking out of the sand, Layton turned to face the oncoming lizardmen and point the blade challengingly at them, his other hand still holding the brim of his top hat and his expression steeled. As a gentleman, Layton loathed violence, but he wasn't going to allow a single one of the cold-blooded beasts to lay a claw on Luke!

Luke's lungs burned, but the boy kept running. Tears streamed down his face. He knew the Professor had stopped to hold the monsters back so he could escape. The boy felt completely helpless! As the castle grew closer, Luke spotted a figure up ahead: a very ornately dressed man. Desperate, Luke waved his arms in the air and shouted while running toward the stranger.

"Help! We're being chased by monsters! Please help us!"

 

[AvidElmV2]

Interactions: Ploegy Funnier President
​

Tadvolts were sent flying by Roxas' spinning blade, some frozen stuck to walls and others raining back down as frog popsicles by the magic that launched them. More still were only half frozen, and grounded as a result, or protected by the chains of electricity running between their group. But in the chaos Roxas' assault caused in their admittedly already shaky ranks, Steve seized an opportunity to move forward and dig as he was ordered that quickly closed behind him. His advance through their phalanx threw the Tadvolts into further disarray as they went flying into one another again in an attempt to intercept the miner, but the electric shell around them remained.

Roxas would find he wasn't the only one caught in the Tadvolts web as crunching and groaning echoed from the bottom passageways. A handful of zombies, drawn in by the commotion no doubt, filed into the chamber, flanked by an entirely new creature. One that looked far from human, with green skin freckled by darkened patches on its body: a Creeper! It hissed through a stern frown, and in a voice that sound like the crackle of embers or ignited gunpowder. There was chaos around the creature as the zombies amble into the arcing electricity and abruptly turned their attentions to attacking the Tadvolts. But when the energy touched the Creeper, it didn't singe or shock, but instead penetrated and began to arc through their own flesh as well. An aura of light surrounded the Creeper, and it bulged with energy where the light shone brightest. Boom! A sound of crumbling stone grew at Roxas' back, like a prelude of what was to come from the creature staring him down.

Interactions: 101
​

Snake sprinted the length of Steve's tunnel. . Stone loosened from the slithering of the long departed tunneler was now falling freely from the after-effects of his grenades explosion, squashing zombies too slow to get out from underneath it. Keen on not ending up ni the same predicament, Snake started running as soon as an opportunity presented itself. But the chaos of the situation quickly separated him from Shovel Knight. The stalagmites falling all around them, oblivious zombies still trying to drag him down, and the naturally treacherous terrain was trouble enough for one person to navigate. Snake lost his visual of Shovel Knight quickly, and then any sign they were nearby at all. Unable to stop and safely orient himself, Snake kept running until the crumbling behind him stopped. He took a knee while he was safe from immediate danger and surveyed his surroundings. The way he'd come from was bouldered off by cave-in debris and Shovel Knight was still nowhere to be seen, but the path ahead was still relatively safe. That made his next move very obvious to him. Snake didn't hold his gaze on the bouldered off cave section behind him for long. Whatever happened, he just had to trust in Shovel Knight's expertise the same way he had to trust in his own right now. So he kept moving forward, low and slow, until the sounds of fighting up ahead became clearer...

 

[Kameron Esters-]

Peregrine stands up as he lets Chuck continue to think "No. We've been scattered for awhile now and our views on how to defend the Realm have changed...The problem is made apparent but I cannot combat it alone. So, I am off to find new warriors that could aid me in my mission. My quest takes me to the Badlands, where the Darknut Legion resides. The most powerful warriors the Realm has ever seen. I don't intend on amassing an army but if I could recruit one of them, it would be enough for me. If I'm fortunate, I might even come across one of those 'Super Smash Brothers' I've heard of." Peregrine chuckles at the thought.
Kaiju Cat

 

[Ploegy]

Ｂｙｌｅｔｈ
───────────────────────────────────────────

Location: Battlefield Fortress | Interactions: GrumpySwallow
───────────────────────────────────────────​

As Byleth waited for a response from the merchant, his attention slowly drifted away from her and off toward the barren battlegrounds that laid opposite of the fortress he had previously come from. Faint sounds drifted from the field, causing the young professor's head to tilt as he quietly scanned the area for its source. It didn't take long to do so. His eyes immediately landed upon the figures moving across the wasteland, seemingly in his direction.

From the cries that echoed out, he could assume one was at least a humanoid of some sort- which fit into what he could make out, though he'd assume at least one of the others was humanoid as well. The rest certainly did not fit such a description, however. While they did seemingly stand upright and have a stature similar to that of a person, Byleth could see long, reptilian-like tails lashing out behind them as they sprinted along. They certainly weren't like any creatures he had seen back in Fodlan, but that was to be expected, especially if this was the Smash Realm like he expected it was.

Blinking to snap himself from becoming aloof, the professor's attempt to keep his mind focused was aided by the shouts of the boy that was approaching him. Now that he had drawn closer, Byleth could make out far more details than before- the most notably being that he seemed to be crying. Such an emotion was hard for him to understand. Was it fear that had driven him to such a state or perhaps was it something entirely different? Byleth couldn't be certain, but in the moment he supposed it did not matter. What mattered was the fact that his aid was being requested. A cry for help was hard to ignore, even for a former mercenary like himself. Besides, the problem would be his own soon enough no matter what he decided to do in the current moment, so why not stop it sooner rather than later.

Letting a stifled sigh escape his lips as his mind came to that conclusion, Byleth briefly turned his head back towards Anna and gave a curt dip of his head. "Apologies for cutting this short," he breathed out. "But I suggest you take shelter closer to the fortress until this is taken care of."

Whether the merchant would listen to his suggestion or not was entirely up to her. It hardly matter to Byleth in the moment, especially since he had no plans of letting the vermin make it as far as the vacant marketplace. He'd stop them far soon. He was confident in that. Even if they did manage to slip by, he'd pull them back with the help of his sword.

With his warning over, the professor's attention once again shifted out to the oncoming boy and finally, he pushed himself in Luke's direction. As he neared the boy, Byleth gave him a steely look, hinting at the confidence that laid behind his usually stoic gaze. "Retreat to the fortress at once. I'll be sure to hold these creatures off."

While his voice was monotone, it was an attempt to reassure the boy that everything was going to be fine. It was his choice if he wished to believe him. Whatever his thoughts might be, Byleth did not care. He simply pushed forward and passed the boy by, robes rippling in the wind as he moved on.

Nearing Layton's location, Byleth reached towards his hip and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his blade before forcibly pulling it from its place. Immediately, the weapon reacted to its wielder and faintly began glowing a soft shade of orange to indicate that it was synced with the Crest of Flames the professor bore. Swinging the sword downward at his side, he continued on until he reached the other professor's side.

Glancing towards the other man, he quietly took note of the weapon he wielded and gave a small shake of his head. From only one glance, Byleth could tell the blade wouldn't last all too long- certainly not long enough to fend off the horde of lizardmen that were approaching. Perhaps the other was aware of that though. Still, he looked prepared to fight, and likely protect the boy that he had passed by earlier. The professor could respect that, especially since he was the same way towards his students despite only having been with them for just over six months. However, he could lessen that burden for this man, and allow it to be placed upon himself.

"Allow me to hold the line for you," Byleth finally spoke up, though his gaze shifted back towards the Lizalfos, who thankfully were still dancing around the sand trying to avoid Leevers. "I assume you're with the boy, so go be with him. I can handle these monsters." His tone, while still lacking much emotion, seemed to echo a small bit of confidence in it. Even if it wasn't evident in how he spoke, his face oddly showed it- a rare sight given how the professor usually was.

​

Taking a step forward without waiting for some kind of confirmation from Layton, Byleth lifted his free hand up to his collar and quickly began to fiddle around with it until he felt it come loose. "Forgive me Sothis..." he uttered under his breath before balling on side of it in his fist and yanking the cloak off entirely to rid himself of the problems the collar often brought him in battle. In the eyes of the church and its followers, such an act would likely be seen as sacrilegious- especially since his robes were given to him due to being blessed by the goddess herself- but the professor hardly cared about such things. A hindrance was a hindrance no matter how one looked at it.

Throwing the robe aside, he took another step forward while raising the Sword of the Creator across his chest and narrowing his eyes. Seeing the lizards finally drawing nearer, Byleth decided to bellow out one final warning, "You stand before the Ashen Demon! I suggest you stand down or die!"

While he hated using such a name for himself, he needed to sound threatening, even if it meant demonizing himself, he'd do it. Feeling dehumanized for a mere moment was all worth it if he could hold back an enemy.

Heaving out a brief sigh, Byleth's shoulders rolled back as he watched the enemies reaction- or in this situation, lack thereof. "So be it..."

Byleth showed no hesitation in his movements to come. Allowing his sword to glow even brighter, he gave a flick of his wrist and in the blink of an eye the blade began to break apart into a whip-like weapon instead. Hearing its pieces hit the ground, the professor dragged it along the ground as he took a few more steps forward. "Accept the result of your choice..."

As those words slipped by his lips, Byleth flicked his sword once and sent it out towards the Lizalfos. The blade whipped out until it met with its target. In an instant the tip pierced through the first lizard before curling around and continuing on its path towards the rest of the horde. The pieces moved rapidly hardly giving the lizardmen time to react before they violently met their ends, though the sand blown up from the sword's attacks made it nearly impossible to see the brutal scene on display.

Remaining unfazed by it all, the former merc stood almost perfectly still, quietly listening to the sounds around him to assure he wasn't taken entirely by surprise given the dust that had been kicked up. Luckily, nothing seemed to be coming and as things died down and his blade began to retract back to its hilt, Byleth was able to see the entire scene for himself.

Several of the Lizalfos had met their end, while a handful still stood, though unlike before, they now stood motionless. The look of fear was evident even on their reptilian features. That was good. Despite their fearful looks though, the professor remained on guard, prepared for whatever might still come.