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

[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!

[literalidiotball]

... OH! UH...

[Should he try tossing Anon out there- No, not worth it. Plus Ichigo's still there and the Foundation would kill him if he lost that guy.]

Okay, good to know?

[anonnomnomnom]

[Wheatley, what happened last time you tried tossing Anon anywhere. Please. At least he seems to have some common sense this time, the goat has truly added a layer of depth.]

Look out behind you!

[He sing-songs it, peering around Wheatley at... what is literally nothing, he just wanted to make him scream in the middle of the Black Truth battle.]

[literalidiotball]

GAH!

[He looks behind him...]

... Oh, very funny. Not the kind of thing we need right now, Anon!

[anonnomnomnom]

That was just payback for calling me a cat. I'm definitely more of a dog person.

[He's just being a shit now. As always. But hey, at least they've lightened the atmosphere. ☆]

[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.

[anonnomnomnom]

[It's probably understandable that it's hard to tell -- because Celestial wings absolutely come in all shapes and sizes, and they even change depending on the wielder. Even if the wielder isn't a Celestial himself. That's just how shounen powers work, as everything around them is demonstrating right now.]

Heheh. I'm not the chief of the Underworld. But there's no way the chief of the Underworld could even do this.

[So he'll absolutely run with the Demon King thing all the way. In response to Natsuno tightening his hold, he'll lean closer into him. It has the added advantage of aligning their wings a little more. Better shielding!]

She'll probably just transform into a different Witch. They're pretty hard to kill. But you know... I think it'd be fun to see that, too.