FINAL TRIAL

[foundationmods]

...Finally, it was time to begin.

The unlit pyre rose before them, tall and massive.
The smell of smoke wafted around them, as the Witch stood before them - flanked by all her demons and her servants.
The Pieces she had taken.🗈

There was no audience, no trial.

It was just them...and the Witch.

The Witch who stood before the pyre, as if accepting her fate.


In this, this final hour... Music could be heard by both the pieces and those that looked on from another plane.

Their forms were changed again, for the final time - to those of the trial.

A trial that could easily turn into an execution...or a redemption.

But it still had to happen.
If something heals improperly, you must cause pain and reopen the wounds to make it heal correctly.
But.
There was always the risk of infection...

....Would this end....in a happy ending...?

...Nothing was certain.

Nothing, except the knowledge in their own hearts and minds.

Comments

[foundfate]

[THAT.

That is actually going to get a look of fear from Watanuki, and he throws up his hands to put a barrier between himself, the other out-of-game pieces, and the flames.

...though most of them are scattered around, so-]

Shadow! Koide! Help me!

[They will find that they are able to shield anyone who is out of the game, using the demon magic they still have. None of them can protect the active Pieces, though. They have to fight this fight still.]

[literalidiotball]

GAH!

[Good news: Wheatley's back, and he's dressed up nicely!

Bad news: For some reason he got stuck with the goat head instead of his actual core body.

Worse news: He literally has no idea what's going on and he just barely got into the shield.]

Ugh... Oh, come on! Black truths?! What do those even mean?

[anonnomnomnom]

Probably the same thing as her black flames, huh?

[...]

Are you seriously a goat robot now?

[Anon, please focus.]

[literalidiotball]

I don't-

What? [He looks at his hands... His weird... Humanoid animatronic hands... Then touches his snout.]

... Bloody hell! I thought I'd get the gigai or something!

[And then the players got speared... And cracked...]

Uh oh.

[youkaiwatch]

[ oh my god you ARE a goat robot

goabot ]

[chaoscontrol]

--!! Yes!

[Golden flames rise from the ground, taking the form of a wolf once more. But this time, Terios has the same brilliant white-gold fur as Shadow. With the sound of a revving engine, he leaps in front of Erhard and surrounds them both in a golden barrier.

Shadow's back spines morph into a pair of golden owl's wings with streaks of blood red, and he forms a matching sword of energy in his hand. He disappears and reappears on the other side of the room, projecting another shield for the previously-deceased]

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard's about to thank Shadow and Terios, but then he sees Nirrti's curse striking the survivors. Those cracks, they're....

He's barely aware of his own broken, terrified cry.]

NO!

[He can't do anything to help, his power won't heal wounds like that, even if he could get to the others!]

[chaoscontrol]

[From the other side of the room;]

They can do this, Erhard!

[cryosurgeon]

[Erhard shouts at Nirrti, tears in his eyes.]

Stop hurting them! Stop hurting yourself! It doesn’t help anything, believe me!

[youkaiwatch]

What is that?

[ She might be able to make some kind of barrier herself if she needs to, idk how her power sealing deal actually works. ]

[foundfate]

That is misfortune. And you don't want to touch it.

She...that's what she almost did to me, before the game. But Lambdadelta stopped her, and told us to use this game to settle our differences instead.

[literalidiotball]

[OKAY MAYBE THE GOAT THING IS A LITTLE MORE ACCEPTABLE NOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.]

So what's this then?! Another bloody loophole!?

[foundfate]

This is no loophole. This is the final truth they must break through, to end the game.

It's the truth I couldn't shatter on my own, the reason why I needed all of you.

[youkaiwatch]

Why was she going to do it?

[foundfate]

...

[There is a slight hesitation there, before he answers.]

She asked what I would do to get Yuuko-san's name and face back. If I would burn for her. When I answered yes, without any hesitation, she became enraged and tried to curse me with those black flames of hers.

At the time it didn't make sense, but now...

[now, with the book to guide them, they all should have the context to understand why Nirrti reacted like that.]

[anonnomnomnom]

Oh, wow, so this really isn't what she's supposed to be doing in the Game, is it?

Totally a final battle move.

[Don't sound approving, Anon....... At least he seems to be more focused now rather than playing around, since all the barriers are going up.]

[foundfate]

It's...a legal move, but...

[Watanuki seems to be hesitating. His eyes flicker between Nirrti and the group, and he watches them get injured by those black truths.

Technically he can end this, but he's still frozen in place. This time, though, it's not the reluctance to let Yuuko go that makes him pause. It's the fear of what she might do if he gives her the win.]

[sotoshini]

On it, boss.

[ Natsuno's not really suited for defense and his demon form is no exception but you know what. Since he's not keeping them anyway? Might as well do what he does best and just use himself as a jinrou-demon barrier. Or more specifically his wings.

He's not moving from where Anon is so sorry other people, but he can at least shield him and Emi? Yay for pointlessly large wingspans. And anyone else who's decided to haunt this corner because he's not being picky right now. ]

[youkaiwatch]

[ Thanks. She's sorry you guys are stuck with all the work right now. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[And Anon isn't letting go of his hand, because that's what they promised -- doing whatever the hell they want, whatever the hell they can, always, together. In fact, he gives it a brief squeeze before closing his eyes and going quiet for a moment. He doesn't call upon his shinigami powers, and there probably isn't going to be much of a point if he does anything here.

He's still out of play, it seems.

That could rankle, but he's right where he needs to be, and those black wings from his last trial form sprout from his back, though the rest of him stays as is. They're thin and more bat-like than anything, but he extends them anyway, a second layer to reinforce Natsuno's. It might not do much, but...]

Hmm... I understand what it is now. My trial form.

Maou.

Your image of what you believe strength to be. [he shoots Natsuno a smile, wild and irrepressible as always] The Witch is totally going down.

[literalidiotball]

... Your trial form is nothing like a cat.

[keydomhearts]

[ Like nya~ ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[He starts cracking up in the middle of this dramatic battle, thanks Wheatley for being Wheatley.]

Not Mao, Maou! "Demon King", goat robot. Add that to your memory banks!

[sotoshini]

[ If Natsuno was expecting anything it would be Celestial wings, so this is a surprise. He watches them coalesce with awe—maybe bat wings wouldn't be so bad after all. ]

The Demon King. [ And despite how taxing guarding against Nirrti's magic is, he grins back with fang filled abandon. It'll just be between them, but he entwines their fingers tighter in response. ]

She is, finally.

@ GOLD TRUTH THING!

[literalidiotball]

[Wheatley flinches as the black truth shatters... And in that place, all the survivors were golden.]

Is this... Did they just get a boost?

[There's hope! Wheatley goes right up to the edge of the barrier and starts shouting.]

YOU GOT THIS, MATES! GO GET HER!