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>>5952532
"How long until The Blood Moon starts?" Rickert asks, seeing your men apprehend the surrendering Falconia troops after seeing Locus' demise.

"Judging by how the sun is, we've got about an hour at least." You gaze at the sky and try to make a rough estimate judging by where the sun was at.

"They will not idly wait for your reinforcements." Gaiseric refers to Griffith and the God Hand members likely having a counterplan against your invasion.

"Their army might be large in size, but if we stay outside until the moon rises, we'll be effectively keeping them at bay. The castle walls are now a prison of their own making." You affirm to the fallen king, no doubt his positioning and knowledge of the old territory being a decisive advantage.

"Milord! Reporting in! The apostle army has tried to invade Ilos!" Kalki interrupts your planning to inform you of bad news.

"What were the casualties?"
"We were victorious, Serpico managed to defeat the captain of the army, but his legs were badly injured in the fight, he lost his cape and might not be able to walk again..." Kalki patiently awaits your response, hoping your newfound ability could save your friend in critical condition.

"I might be able to fix him when we get back home, but for now I need to focus on what's ahead..." You curse yourself for not even being able to congratulate Serpico on his miraculous defense of the coliseum, but hopefully he will pull through while you are away.

"Not to worry! We got to him first!" A familiar inflection speaks from the sky, though in a much deeper tone than expected. And soon enough, a few familiar faces come flying from the tree branches in the sky.

Schierke, Ivalera and Isidro drop from below on a shining dark Pegasus, accompanied by the flower storm monarch Danaan herself and a hundred more of her own troops.

"Folks! It's been a while!" You refrain from smiling after seeing the kids again.
"What do you mean, 'a while' It's been damn near a year since we've seen each other!" Isidro points out by placing a hand on how tall he was when you dropped off, greatly exaggerating a total of 8 inches below his shoulders.

"Has it really? I can barely keep track of time given how busy we were!" Ivalera shrugs.
"Regardless, we have all managed to complete our training in time, I assure you that we will not disappoint you!"
"True that! Isma is with Roderick on the shores making sure no apostles invade the borders, so you bet I'm living to give her a good smooch!" He flexes his muscles to show how large he's gotten, which is not bad at all for a kid his age.

"I have done what I can to ease Lord Serpico in his healing." Danaan reassures you that your future brother in law is resting easy. "We have also brought an old friend of yours to accompany your cavalry. Given his age, we advised against it, but he insisted on being brought back from retirement and get an answer from yours truly."

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>>5952559
"Vlad already forget about Gunpowder? Found new replacement? Shame." A familiar huff from the armored pegasus emerges from under Isidro as the children dismount from the complaining horse.

"G-GUNPOWDER!? What are you doing here, boy!? Who gave you these wings! It's not safe for you out here!" You initially protest as you are already afraid enough that everyone might die here today and that all is for naught, yet Schierke was quick to explain.

"Hanarr was quick to improve on the old armor's prototype. He added these magical wings that draw from the horse's own Od, making it not only easier to maneuver at high speeds, but also to freely move in three dimensions."

"The magic of aerodynamics!" Ivalera adds with nerdy glasses the size of contacts on her face.

"He flew here at top speed and didn't even hurt his ears! All that coat of metal must have made him more durable!" Isidro shows Gunpowder's durability by punching the armor, though it hits an edge and hurts his knuckles.

Additionally, you have noticed that the horn on it's helm turned into something akin to a narwhal's tusk, likely honoring his triumphant escape in the insides of the sea god.

"I am glad he is in a safer condition, but... Gunpowder. Are you sure you are up for this?"
"Gunpowder missed fighting Vlad. More than that, Gunpowder missed you. Life of peace is easy, but peace also boring. Barnham might not be alive, but Gunpowder don't need to kill Barnham. Gunpowder do better! If Gunpowder kills Sea God, he can kill worm god too!"

Seems like the boredom of a simple life might have changed his mind on the whole retirement thing, but should you really put this old horse to fight when he's already been through so much?

>I know the other mounts sure can't compare to you, old pal! I'll get you through hell and back if I need to, GP!
>I'm sorry GP, there's too much at stake here, and even if war suits you, you might want to sit this one out.

>>5952559
>I know the other mounts sure can't compare to you, old pal! I'll get you through hell and back if I need to, GP!

>>5952532
Holy shit, thanks for the birthday gift OP, i was wondering when the next thread would appear, and casually entered here to lurk a bit, keep up the good work

>>5952588
>>I know the other mounts sure can't compare to you, old pal! I'll get you through hell and back if I need to, GP!
"Lets kill this other god too, friend"


Welcome back welcome baaacccckk !
I KNEW YOU WOULD RETURN !

>>5952532
I love this quest so much BechiiQM, I've just got to catch up on the action. Thank you for running.

>>5952588
>I know the other mounts sure can't compare to you, old pal! I'll get you through hell and back if I need to, GP!
one last fight old friend.

>>5952645
Ayy, happy birthday lad! Hopefully the gift will be worth remembering.

>>5952727
>>5952939
Better late than never, I guess! Now let's see how that goes!

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>>5952636
>>5952727
>>5952995
"The other mounts sure can't compare to you, old pal! I'll get you through hell and back if I need to and you know that all too well, GP!" You caress what little of his head you can touch without hurting your fingers, putting his life on the line along with yours, because you can count on one hand the people that have been with you since the start that are still alive to this day, and for all it's worth, Gunpowder's battle experience is worth just as much as yours, for you and him are one in the same when charging against a foe.

"Let's go, then!" Gunpowder ecstatically stands on his lower hooves, his wings flapping as you feel the wind created by his improved armor.

"So if the last armor was the Sonic Armor, what do you call this one, the Super Sonic Armor?" Ivalera asks out of curiosity.
"Vlad can't hold on much longer, but he'll never let it go!" Puck curls into a blue ball and shines his way into the conversation. "Can't believe I didn't even get a hello, monkey!"

"Puck! How's it going with Guts? Is he doing ok?"
"It's kind of what I came here to talk to you about... See everyone is just about ready to go and getting in formations, but Guts is just... Standing there, looking at his sword. I tried talking to him but all he does is mumble, psyche himself up to pick up the sword, and then turn his back to the wall..."

Restraining the beast of darkness by force might have helped him quench his thirst for blood and the trauma associated with fighting in the berserker armor, but with all that control, the uncertainty of it all might certainly be taking a toll on him, especially given what might happen to his newfound family...

"I'll have a word with him." Excusing yourself as you let your other friends speak to each other, you approach Guts as he crouches down to check all the cracks on his sword, his neck red from repeatedly scratching his astral wound. Once he finally notices your presence, he lets it out loud and clear:

"I can't do it, Vlad... I just can't kill Lucio." Guts shivers from the thought alone. "It's not the first child I had to kill, but what kind of sick sense of humor do these demons have! My own flesh and blood, sharing a body with HIM!"

"..." You know when to pass your turn to speak by now, he still hasn't let it all out, and listening first might be key in calming him down for now.

"What a disgrace of a father I have been... Surely no better than my old man! He must have been so afraid... being born with all these monstrous powers and fiends around him... trenching alone for years! His mother couldn't say a word to even educate him, and the few times he met his father, he was pushed away, for he was searching for revenge on what would eventually be his other half..."

>>5953224
"Damn... And what about his name!? He had to wait 3 years just to get a name for himself! And the one time he gets to have a family, to be loved... He's body snatched by GRIFFITH!" Guts' metallic arm punched at the ground, forming a large crater which cracks the soil up to where you stood.

"Guts... We're not here to kill Lucio--"
"But it's the only way to get to Griffith, isn't it!?" Guts shouts back at you. "Unless we can exorcise him out of Lucio's body, the only way to take Griffith out this world is to kill the one he's possessing! And I know you have no other plans, because if you did, you would have told me already!"

The Black Swordsman realizes he momentarily lost himself in his panic ad he heard the rumbling of the behelit in his pocket, likely indicating the trigger of his ultimate despair should push come to shove.

"I know I can't run away anymore. I've put all on the line for this, but right after realizing that what I truly needed was not what I wished for, I'll have to say goodbye to both of them...? What kind of heartless father would wish to outlive his own son?"

Guts' words struck a chord with you, as this is similarly what your own father said to you back when you saved him from Doldrey's castle after being asked as to why he did not snitch on you, choosing torture over sacrificing your future.

Come to think of it, the situation is not that different from where you first started... With both you and Guts desperately wanting this to be the last fight you were involved in when it came to wars.

Only this time, Griffith is on opposite sides, his hostages and goals holding a lot more weight than ever before.

>Lucio will not die, Guts! I can promise you that much!
>I'll do everything in power to try and exorcise Griffith from his body, there has to be another way! We'll just have to find him first.
>Why don't we search for Casca and Farnese first? We have time to spare, and Casca might have an idea.
>I don't know! I can't plan that far ahead when there are so many uncertainties!
>If push comes to shove, I won't let you kill your child either.
>Write-in

>>5953252
>I wish I could tell you of my plans, Guts, I truly do. But your mind is not as protected as mine against the intrusions of the God Hand. Just know that when the time comes...Lucio will not die, Guts! I can promise you that much!
My plan is to actually find a way empower Lucio's ego such that we can trap Femto within Lucio's body permanently, and leave Lucio as the one in control. Lucio ALREADY is somehow powerful enough to take control when Femto's guard is down, and to influence Femto's personality when Femto is otherwise in control, so...this seems somehow doable to me.

>support >>5953349

>>5953252
>>I'll do everything in power to try and exorcise Griffith from his body, there has to be another way! We'll just have to find him first.
>Write in
"Both of us have come this far, with all our victories and defeats. We will get the future we want or die trying, and that includes Lucio too. I will not see your child suffer under such a vile creature."
"Know Guts, there is ideas and possibilities i have yet to try and thats all i can say to you my friend, we know our foes will try and learn everything of our plans."

>>5953349
+1

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>>5953349
>>5953379
>>5953714
>>5953349
"I wish I could tell you of my plans, Guts, I truly do. But your mind is not as protected as mine against the intrusions of the God Hand. Just know that when the time comes...Lucio will not die, Guts! I can promise you that much!" You vouch for his son's safety with absolute conviction, only this time. Guts still doesn't seem inclined to believe you.

"...Would have been easier on the ears to just hear you say you don't know."
"What? No, I'm serious! I'll do everything in power to try and exorcise Griffith from his body, there has to be another way! We'll just have to find him first." You don't understand, when have you left Guts down for him to think you were being facetious? Is his heart already defeated without even reaching Lucio?
"Both of us have come this far, with all our victories and defeats. We will get the future we want or die trying, and that includes Lucio too. I will not see your child suffer under such a vile creature!"

After a long sigh, Guts stands up and picks up his Dragonslayer, though with a loose grip and a heavy heart.
"I'll believe it when I see it. Though we are both known for making the impossible possible. Best to do it ourselves than wait for prayers."

Though there is still plenty of doubt in his mind, he at least seems focused enough to not do any grave mistakes during battle as his mind wanders, though whether he is capable of activating the Berserker Armor's ability without the beast of darkness is another story...

With nothing else to declare, you mount on your horse and test the flight of the new sonic armor, levitating a few meters above ground as Gunpowder flaps his wings. Making yourself easier to be seen by your men, you start your last speech to your army as they prepare for the final battle.

"To all the fighters still present! Let it be known that this is the last stand against the enemy! We have made it through insurmountable odds and have proven to the world that our army is not a mere group of gladiators, but the ones who will forever change the tides of history! Honor the fallen! Spare the civilians, and let the apostles know that this is their final hour!--"

Your instincts kick in as you lean at Gunpowder's left to the point of falling, twirling into a 360 as you manage to dodge a... Soul arrow?

"This is as far as you go! Monster!" An angry teenager managed to get on top of the astral branches, along with several soldiers who overrode your command on the great world tree. Though you don't seem to remember her face, her glare shows you nothing but a thirst for vengeance.

"S-Sonia...?" Schierke walks over to where you were, recognizing a friend she made back in Vritannis.
"Hey look! Mule's behind her on that team too!" Isidro points to a young knight accompanying the young magician at her side, drawing a sword while she held her own staff.

>>5953768
"Schierke! Did you really think I was not aware of your true alignment? That for all this time! you have been aiding this-- This killer!"

"What are you on about!? We are the one freeing the people from Griffith's tyranny!" Ivalera sides with you.
"Lies! I have seen what that other lord of Ilos has done to Irvine! My friend was murdered right in front of me! If that's the peace you preach, then I will gladly wage war at Lord Griffith's side!"

"How are you even shooting those soul arrows?! How did you become so proficient in magic that you can control part of the astral tree?" Schierke asked, appealing to her good nature before she could fire another shot.

"It's all thanks to Lord Griffith! He's the one who gave me purpose! who saved me from being sold off to Kushans! Who has lent me his immense power to show me what I could truly be capable of! And he's done the same to countless others in Falconia! I will not let you destroy all of the good that he has created! I will live to see the new world he will make!"

While Sonia clearly seems to have something wrong with her. It's hard to deny the effectiveness that Griffith has in convincing people, from just reading her intent alone, you can tell that her conviction is absolute and that she means every word she's said. Griffith would not have such a loyal army around him if they did not genuinely believe that what he did was just, and seeing how much personal debt she owes to him, you doubt you can convince her with mere words.

Still, she is just a child, a few years older than Schierke at most. It's too soon for a girl this age to throw her life away due to a third party's indoctrination. Moreover, you know what the soul arrows are capable of. Were she using an arrow, or a cannon even, it would be easy to disarm her, but any shot from these can cleanly erase matter itself. One well aimed shot is enough to pierce through the chest of anyone here, including yourself.

And while Sonia is fine now, a powerful spell like this coming at the cost of a regular human, even if a prodigy, can cost her life if overused.

>I do not wish to harm you, young lady. Step aside while you still can.
>I should warn you not to use that spell so carelessly, not only it is deadly for your targets, but to yourself.
>Serpico did what he had to do. Do not hate him, for you are merely on opposite sides of the culture of war.
>You are being manipulated, all of you! Griffith is merely leading you to your death, you can still stop this needless blodshed!
>Write-in.
>Let Schierke deal with Sonia, she seems to know her better.
>Attempt to disarm Sonia from far away.
>Fire a soul arrow of your own.

>>5953936
>I should warn you not to use that spell so carelessly, not only it is deadly for your targets, but to yourself.

>Let Schierke deal with Sonia, she seems to know her better.

>>5953936
>Have Schierke reinforce your mind for a moment, just in case.
>Use telepathy to show her a vision of everything you've known Griffith and his men to have done. The countless tragedies caused by their hands. The sacrifices they made with no right to make them. The machinations of the God Hand that Griffith himself is a member of. His true nature that is Femto.

>>5953936
>>Serpico did what he had to do. Do not hate him, for you are merely on opposite sides of the culture of war.
>Let Schierke deal with Sonia, she seems to know her better.

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>>5954088
>>5954200
>>5955063
"I should warn you not to use that spell so carelessly, not only it is deadly for your targets, but to yourself." You calmly proclaim to the young magician, yet she remained uncompliant.

"I have already fired my warning shot! The next one will be through your skull!" Sonia growls as you sigh, knowing that at least an attempt was made in resolving things by yourself.

"Leave this to me, Vlad! I don't want to hurt Sonia, but the training I've done in Skellig should be more than enough to prevent any harm that comes our way."

"For now, the both of you should focus on reaching Griffith." Danaan reassures you that she is powerful enough to protect your colleagues.

"I thought I've made myself clear! If you want to face the leader of the Falcons, you will have to clear the way! Be it through the front gates or claiming back this astral branch, none of us will be satisfied until blood is shed through our weapons!"

"I pardon the offense, child. Yet your blood is of so minuscule importance, that I am afraid we might have to let you die by smaller hands." Gaiseric uses his astral sword to grab both you and Guts along with him, jumping into a portal and passing through Sonia's main line of defense, while the dumbfounded troop leader was left wondering how out of her league she truly was.

Nevertheless, Schierke and Isidro were certain that they could handle it, so it's best to scale their fights with their opponents instead of placing them right in the eye of the storm. Should you reach the God Hand dimension, they better be as far as possible away from you...

Unsurprisingly, The Skull Knight managed to drop you a few steps away from the falcon of darkness himself, prompting the three of you to draw your weapons at the calm, white haired man patiently sitting at his throne, watching his men fight from afar.

"You seem to have arrived much earlier than expected. I suppose I should--" Not one more word is said before Guts soon jumps at the opportunity to aim his crossbow at the dark lord's head, repeatedly firing off his darts as they were expectedly deflected by Griffith.

"Spare me your babbling! You know what we are here for! You might not feel anything thanks to this new form of yours, but when I'm through with you, the last thing you'll feel will be absolute terror!" Guts keeps his fake confidence up, as if his attack had not failed spectacularly.

>Give up, Griffith. The Blood Moon is nearly upon us. Surrender and this will be much easier.
>You will not become a god, Femto. Your illusions of grandeur shall end tonight!
>Lucio. Can you hear us? Your father is here to save you.
>Charge at the dark lord.
>Fire a soul arrow at Griffith
>Write-in.

>>5955471
>Lucio. Can you hear us? Your father is here to save you.
>Griffith...are you still within there too? Or has Femto completely destroyed who you once were? I doubt you expected your ego to have died with your rebirth. A fact so conveniently left out by the rest of the God Hand.

>>5955648
+1

we might have to kill our self to kill Griffith if you know what i mean.

>>5955795
I get what you're puttin down. We run up to griffith and shoot ourself in the head right next to hin so the bullet hits him in the head too.

>>5955795
That's last resort, we have people that care for us too don't forget about them so carelessly. I also doubt Femto doesn't expect all kind of attacks or that it would be that easy. Though we will definitely have to start fight in both real and astral plane at the same time soon.


>>5955471
>Lucio. Can you hear us? Your father is here to save you.
>Write-in.
"Abandon your folly while you still can, creature of hell. Your misbegotten idea will never take form, and like your lies it ends here. Show yourself for what you truly are, or is your ambition to your claim of godhood so weak you have to remain in the bodies of mortals ?"
>Begin to diffuse some of our Od around us, calling nature to grow. Change the battlefield terrain for contrast the malign Od of Femto, and have a more equal battle.

>>5955648
>>5955836
>>5956152
As much as you wish to put Griffith's head on a pike for what he did to your mother, you muster up all of your self restraint to focus not on the evil spirit in front of you, but the host being possessed by him.

"Lucio. Can you hear us? Your father is here to save you."
Griffith unexpectedly holds his head as his feet start to shake, his neutral expression changing into one of sadness as he feels the emotions of the moonlight child, trying to keep his emotions under control as he draws his rapier.

"Appealing to his humanity... I see you have resorted to the same strategy as me, Yarilo."

You feel your chest tightening as Griffith holds power over you using your name given at birth. The similar vision of the pile of corpses being on top of you starts to form, only this time, the effectiveness in keeping you immobile is halved thanks to Griffith's muscle spasms, likely losing control as Lucio protests against his attacks.

"Griffith...are you still within there too? Or has Femto completely destroyed who you once were?" You say to him as you attempt to stand up, barely managing to walk a step forward. "I doubt you expected your ego to have died with your rebirth. A fact so conveniently left out by the rest of the God Hand."

"Do not take me for a lowly servant akin to the apostles. My actions and unclouded judgement has remained the same as from back when I was a mere mortal. This is a plan that precedes ever meeting the two of you. A world without inequality, where all are free to live without obsessing over the predetermined flow of causality--"

"At what cost!? Look at the war you have waged! The countless lives you have taken! Were your cause truly a just one, you would not need to align yourself with the dark forces, let alone attempt to rise above godhood and become one with causality itself!"

"AND WHAT OTHER CHOICE COULD I MAKE?!" Griffith snaps, his pupils retracting to mere dots on his eyes. "Not one person in my stead would have chosen a different path. Do not suppose I was not made aware of the consequences. Everything was already set in stone long before any of you came into play, so stop pretending that you would have done anything different."

"It seems your stubbornness was the cause of your own downfall. For what is one corpse compared to the thousands you have already sent to the afterworld?" Gaiseric comments, somewhat relating to the king's position.

Gravity seems to alter itself inside the room as you throw a few of your seeds around for crowd control. As Guts resists being blown away by the powerful gusts of wind made by Griffith, Gaiseric attempts to strike the struggling Falcon with no hesitation or worry about the child inside him.

Only instead of dodging or phasing through the attack, Griffith is forced to block and deflect the blows, likely feeling the interference from his true self.

>>5956332
The Skull Knight does not hold back in his thrusts and slashes, cornering Griffith as he is forced to fight with his corporeal body, his gravity and wind manipulation not being enough to push away one who has a millennia's worth of experience against a creature of the dark.

Unexpectedly, you start falling upwards as Griffith goes into full throttle, sending all three of you flying away from him. Where it not for Gunpowder managing to catch you above the clouds, you might have flown right into the moon.

"The moon!" Guts says as you catch him by the arm before letting him mount your stallion. The moon was finally in sight, and with a dark silhouette slowly approaching through the sky, the blood moon could not be very much farther away.

Looking at Falconia from this height, you could see the Ilonian troops had already managed to break in through the front gates, the main roads being destroyed by several apostles trampling through your units. Evacuating civilians were crushed as Griffith's apostle army showed their true colors. Hyde and the flying witches attempted to fight off the archers, but were quickly overwhelmed by the amount of arrows flown in their direction.

Despair was soon growing in each one alive and dead in this cursed kingdom. As Griffith's peaceful kingdom was falling apart, their ruler was fighting for his life above them, parrying and dodging the fallen king's behelit sword.

Gaiseric does not care in the slightest whether or not there is an innocent human being inside Griffith. To him, killing Lucio is an easy sacrifice to make to defeat a greater evil.

"If he opens up that portal to hell now..." Guts refuses to finish the sentence, thinking that while Griffith might be defeated, Lucio will suffer the same fate as him, being erased into nothingness to an astral layer than even the God Hand's realm.

Your mind wanders to an even worse possibility: Griffith might just be able to make the most of that portal and flip the attack onto Gaiseric himself, or even engulfing all of us straight into his den.

Could it be that he is merely waiting for The Skull Knight to use that attack?!

>Charge at Griffith, forcing Gaiseric to back off as the Falcon changes targets.
>Warn The Skull Knight of Griffith's potential plan.
>Use your soul double to possess Griffith.
>Something else.

>>5956344
>Use your soul double to possess Griffith.

>>5956344
>Warn The Skull Knight of Griffith's potential plan.
>Use your soul double to possess Griffith, and try to reach out to Lucio within.

>>5956344
>Warn The Skull Knight of Griffith's potential plan.

>>5956346
>>5956409
>>5956434
Roll me that sweet sweet 1d100! Might be a tough one given what you're about to do, but it's not outside the realm of possiblity!

Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5956657

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Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>5956657

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>5956657
90+

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>>5956662
>>5956864
>>5957099
Guess high DCs stopped being a problem a while ago, huh? Nice going

>>5956662
>>5956864
>>5957099
"GAISERIC!" You shout as Gunpowder flies upward to approach their clashes. "Do not fall for his plan! He'll just try to redirect the portal onto someone else!"

Knowing he had already done that same mistake previously, a moment of hesitation was all it took for Griffith to pierce through the skull knight's shield, feeling the impact of a thousand cannonballs to his shoulder. And though his horse attempts to gallop in the air to break the fall, Gaiseric was sent careening towards an the nearest castle wall. Though you want to believe that this would not be what it takes to beat him down, Griffith's striking power is indeed concerning enough for him to worry about his fate...

Taking his eyes off of the old king, Griffith flies over to you just before you could lock eyes with him, and were not for Guts' shove forcing you to duck on top of Gunpowder's back, he would have made mincemeat out of you in the span of a second.

Fighting in the air against a falcon without wings proves to be fairly difficult, for due to Griffith's fate altering powers, relying on your precognition would lead to faulty predictions, as he would appear to move one way, when in actuality doing something entirely different.

Noticing how Lucio was limiting Griffith's movements, Guts grew more and more hesitant to even take aim at the boy inside the demon, forcing you to take initiative.
"I hope I don't come to regret this..." You take a deep breath, relying on the instinct on your body to remain with the other combatants as your soul double exits out of your body.

"Vlad! Wait!" Guts notices that you are about to approach Griffith with your luminous body, and though the gust of wind threatened to dissipate your very soul, your form managed to stay intact as you dug a hand inside Griffith's body.

As he squirms and screams, your spirit almost fuses with his as you attempt to drag him out of his host. However, the terrifying reveal is one that nearly makes you jump away from your foe:

Separating Lucio from Griffith in this state, even in your special conditions, proves to be extremely unlikely. His souls were conjoined much like Siamese twins. His hearts shared the same spot, his head was growing from Griffith's chest, His body was transformed onto Griffith's image because they were one and the same.

You can feel your arm being crushed as Griffith's body stops you from taking their soul out, for that would be the same as killing both parasite and host. You could tell that he had the power to simply erase you from existence right there, but a combined effort from Guts, who fired a direct hit with his cannon right at Griffith's face, with Lucio, who temporarily took control by letting you go, left you get away from that fatal range between your souls.

For a world ending fights, it felt oddly bizarre that all parties were showing so much restrain.

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>>5957299
With the Skull Knight coming of from under the rubble, he managed to push you off from Femto's gravitational pull, and though you managed to return to your body, Gunpowder was having a hard time keeping himself straight against an enemy who distorted the laws of physics, nearly making you and Guts fall off of him as you spun in place enough times to leave the both of you nauseous.

The sparks coming from the strikes from their swords were bright enough to shine light in the starless sky, as Falconia soon became a mess of bloodshed and infighting, a few flying apostles had managed to join Griffith's side, including the Immortal Zodd himself.

"Your presence is far too small to compare to any of us, Zodd. Whatever side you are on, I would advise you to stay out of this." Gaiseric is alerted by Zodd's conflicting desires between rebelling against Griffith or having a good fight that would give meaning to his life, being a wildcard that transformed this once organized fight into a complete free-for-all.

"Let me at them!" Guts volunteers to be dropped off on top of Zodd as you approached the final few minutes before the sun aligned with the moon. "There is not much I can do aside from being a liability here. Besides, once they turn back to their regular forms, these apostles won't be nothing I haven't handled already."

Given how emotionally tense Guts is known to be, it might be best to take his eyes off of Lucio so he can be less prone to mistakes, plus, it's one less casualty to worry about when fighting Femto.

Though should you fail in protecting Lucio when the blood moon begins, the blame will be entirely on you.

>Drop Guts off so he can fight against Zodd.
>Leave him with you, his presence is crucial at this moment.

>>5957334
>Leave him with you, his presence is crucial at this moment.
The blood of the father will be crucial in strengthening the child's ego.

>>5957334
>>Leave him with you, his presence is crucial at this moment.

>>5957334
>>Leave him with you, his presence is crucial at this moment.

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>>5957334
>Drop Guts off so he can fight against Zodd.
Yooooooo
Vlad and friends are back in action!
I've been waiting for this day since thread 11 ended. Viva la santana!
My plant-boy Vlad is finally going to avenge his family!

>>5957334
>Drop Guts off so he can fight against Zodd.

>>5957451
>>5957531
>>5958065
>>5958090
>>5958122
"I'm afraid we cannot split up at this time. There are already too many variables as we are now!" You are quick to refuse Guts' offer. "I have a feeling that Lucio can't tap into his astral powers like Griffith has. As soon as the blood moon begins, he'll be dropping right out the sky, and since Gaiseric is so keen on killing the God Hand at any cost, I might need an extra pair of hands to catch him."

"... Got you. Just make sure to slow down a little, I want these apostles to remember who they're dealing with." Guts lifts up the Dragonslayer, eager to strike at any who dared to overtake Gunpowder above the clouds.

Given Griffith's gusts of winds, your sense of gravity changing every few seconds and the now increasingly nest of flying beasts, the most you could hope to do right now was buy time for the blood moon to start, and hope Gaiseric would not kill him in the meantime.

Guts being the only one to cooperate with you in this fight was not something you would expect, yet it's good to know that not everything is outside your control for now.

Soon enough, Griffith's Od starts to grow weaker, his powers manifest in weaker and weaker waves, you can see his flocks of white hair darkening as he shrinks inside his falconian armor.

"I'm sure you will make the right choice..." Griffith's voice echoes in your mind, exuding tranquility, as if he was not afraid of the outcome you will make, or perhaps, the one he's already made for you.

Lucio's consciousness makes himself present as the moon turns red, directly reflecting the light from the sun to the point of switching colors, as Danaan's activates her spell, a large pulse is felt from the sky as a large dust circle forms above the starts. The lunar eclipse is finally here.

One by one, the apostles start to fall just as they were about to reach Guts. From down below, you see your forces slowly pushing back against the reborn falcons, losing size and mass made them significantly easier to attack. And though some of your magicians and astral creatures appeared to be affected by it, the likes of the bakiraka clan empowered by Rickert's artillery made your victory conditions significantly more favorable.

Weirdly enough, you could feel your body a lot lighter than usual. Your Od sensing felt more limited, but not to the point of it being life threatening like before. The improvement of your silver eyed state surely made your ethereal presence a lot stronger than any evil presence in your heart.

"He's falling!" Guts points to the falling Lucio as you try to drop close to him faster than Gaiseric or any of the apostles attempting to protect their dark master.

"Please, Gunpowder... Don't fail me now!" Not knowing if your astral seeds or your undine geysers would work under these conditions, all you could trust was your galloping stallion as you stretched out your hand and attempted to reach the moonlight child in time.

(Roll a 1d100)

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5958171

Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>5958171

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5958171

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>>5958213
>>5958256
>>5958397
Phew, what a save! Let's hope all goes well then!

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>>5958213
>>5958256
>>5958397
Gunpowder gallops through the air with the speed of a lightning bolt, though Gaiseric notices your attempt on saving Griffith's host, he slows down his charge, instead letting you choose on how to deal with this situation.

"If you truly wish to save the struggler's child, do not let me stop you, Halfling. But know that your good intentions might have disastrous consequences should you fail to prevent their dark prophecy from occurring."

Lucio's hair grazes your fingers as he wails in the air, but Guts manages to catch him just as you passed below him, his height helping with the better reach as Gunpowder was allowed to stop falling, safely landing above the castle walls.

"Lucio!" Guts hugs his son as he embraces the fatherly image he failed to upkeep previously. "Not to worry, my son! We are here for you. Your mother will be here soon, everything will be--"

Lucio surprisingly pushes his father away as he drops off of Gunpowder, tears in his face as he becomes painfully aware of what you plan to do to him.

"I don't want to die...But what else can I do?" You hear Lucio's inner voice by reading his Od from up close, though his mouth does not move aside from his trembling lips.

"Vlad, you've seen what's inside of him, right? Is it possible to take Griffith off of his body?"

There is not much time to ponder on whether or not you can do it, so all you reply to Guts is what you already know:

"I am afraid it is indeed impossible, Guts... However, the ultimate spell of the silver eyes was given life in my unleashed form. The ability to turn thoughts into actions is the one thing my clan has entrusted me to do. I may have failed them countless times, but in this time of need, if I don't succeed, no one will!"

Attempting to share your Od with Lucio, you attempt to purify his spirit in hopes to expel the monstrous fused God Hand member from the innocent child.

...Nothing happens.
You try a second, third and fourth time, yet the boy seems completely unphased.
"D-Did it work?" Guts asks, though by now he should already know the answer.

Your fears were indeed confirmed. How else would Lucio had access to astral powers if he also not share his essence with the God Hand? He is the living embodiment of that demons from the second to last layer of existence, despite not being evil in person, he is still evil given form.

Lucio runs away, knowing exactly what you were thinking and feeling guilty from failing to stop Griffith from building his army despite being too young to even grasp who he is. With both you and Guts following him on foot, you wonder just what were you supposed to do now to prevent the inevitable.

>Attempt to convince Lucio with words. (Write-in)
>Try to expel Griffith from his soul again.
>Possess Lucio and try to take Griffith off him with your own soul.
>Take him to his mother, he'll feel safer that way.
>Something else.

>>5958817
>Take him to his mother, he'll feel safer that way.
Brute force doesn’t seem to be working effectively on the boy, perhaps it’s time for a more indirect tactic? A sons love for their mother is one of the strongest forces to ever exist.

>>5958817
>"Guts, it seems that my presence would only make things worse here. Take Lucio to Casca, and show him the depths of your love while he's still in control. Love will be the key to stop this bloodshed."
Given how much Lucio has ALWAYS hated our presence, I think the ego strengthening stands the best chance if we're not present. But also, given how it's the lunar eclipse, there is something else I wish to do. Something that I feel only we are capable of, and only in this exact moment with the celestial bodies so aligned.
>Once the two are gone, attempt to use your powers to slide into the Upper Astral Planes leading to the Sefirot, through the Spirit Tree itself. The light of benevolence has never been stronger than now, the time is nigh.

>>5958914
+1

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>>5958832
>>5958914
>>5958961
"Guts, it seems that my presence would only make things worse here. Take Lucio to Casca, and show him the depths of your love while he's still in control. Love will be the key to stop this bloodshed." You manage to catch Lucio one last time as you handed him to his father before he could bite your fingers.

"A-Are you sure? Even if the apostles have detransformed now, I don't know if I'll be able to protect him against so many of them."

"Don't give me that, Guts! You've done far more colossal tasks before while protecting many more! Rendezvous with Rickert and Silat, they're the ones searching for her." You inform him after holding the handle of his Dragon Slayer and feeling the Od of the ones searching for Lucio's mother. "Tell Farnese I'll be with her soon."

"Don't you think we will let you through just because we're not at our peak." The untransformed Zodd shows up with his cleaver along with a line of apostles blocking his exit.

"Hahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Guts intimidates Zodd and the others by laughing in his face, placing Lucio behind his back as he closed the helm of the Berserker armor by himself. "Are you kidding me, Zodd? In case that horn of yours was removed along with part of your brain, I'll try to refresh your memory. Even back when apostles were not a thing for us, I managed to beat this form of you all by myself. I've spent the worst of my years cleaving through beasts like you, and you've never once taken me down! Compared to who I was facing just a while ago... All of you are nothing but fodder!"

Guts screams to the skies as he plows through the line of apostles with a spinning slash, already gravely wounding Zodd's jugular in the process. Though his regeneration factor meant he was still alive, his pride and need for a good last fight would likely end on his demise. Your trust was not misplaced.

With none but Gaiseric by your side, you call into the Astral Tree and are guided by its branches, attempting to feel how deep it's roots could go.
While you could sense that the tree was buried deep into the nucleus of the world, something akin to an amalgamation of corrupted Od blocked your sensing, making it hard to know if the abyssal layer was even habitable, let alone if you could go further than what you assumed to be the God Hand dimension.

"To reach the idea of evil, we must first defeat the ones he uses as spokesmen." Gaiseric proclaimed, though that was much easier said than done.
"And what are our chances?"
"To put it lightly, you can imagine fighting four of the Femto we've just faced, only unrestrained and with killing intent. Were it that easy, I would have went there to defeat them without risking any of you. You can leave Void to me, for he and I have unfinished business, though I am not sure you'll be able to face Conrad by yourself, let alone the other three."

>>5959673
>It's a matter of time until Griffith gets back there, anyway! We have to try and do some damage to their astral dimension.
>All this killing under his own city... Do you think he might reincarnate the other apostles with this?
>What if we try and fuse the astral planes? Send the other spirits to combat the God Hand while they're at their weakest?
>Let's wait until everyone is ready to advance, Griffith's army won't last long without their apostle powers.
>Write-in.

>>5959680
>What if we try and fuse the astral planes? Send the other spirits to combat the God Hand while they're at their weakest?

>>5959680
Ascension, not descension! Reach the Idea of Good.

>>5959680
>It's a matter of time until Griffith gets back there, anyway! We have to try and do some damage to their astral dimension.

>>5959765
>>5959850
>>5960065
Seems like we're at a little impasse. Which way? Up down or all around?

>>5959680
>>What if we try and fuse the astral planes? Send the other spirits to combat the God Hand while they're at their weakest?

>>5960440
Meh, I will concede.
>What if we try and fuse the astral planes? Send the other spirits to combat the God Hand while they're at their weakest?

>>5960440
>>5960635
>>5960065
>>5959765
"What if we try and fuse the astral planes? Send the other spirits to combat the God Hand while they're at their weakest?" You point upwards, where you know other possible dimensions of the astral are.

"That is also within their plans, yet unless you can find a way to protect all known spirits to make them incorruptible, all that will do is send all of astral life straight to The God Hand ahead of time, thus giving them what they want."

You were about to curse yourself from your lack of options, however--
"However... You do have around half an hour before Danaan's spell wears off on the moon, if you do believe it that we can defeat the God Hand by sending them all there, it is the only chance for you to do it."

"Are you encouraging me?" You scratch your head, feeling split on whether or not that is indeed a good idea. "I was wondering if reaching the creator would be feasible if we showed the idea of evil an idea of good."

"You are mistaken. Good is not the absence of evil, but it's opposite. An interconnected, self-perpetuating cycle. The astral creatures have accepted this as a fact, yet the necessity of humans to abandon their astral ways have created the collective unconscious that manifests the sum of their race's magic. They have abandoned their fate and responsibility to a god that they themselves created, and associated all of their misfortune with a predestination that bounded them to their own incoherent yearnings. Humans wish to create, humans wish to destroy. To love, to hate, to kill, to live. See for yourself." Gaiseric points to all the screaming citizens amidst the invasion.

"AAAARGH!"
"LORD GRIFFITH! WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"HE HAS FAILED US! ALL OF HIS PROMISES WERE EMPTY!"
"NO! HE'S STILL WITH US, LET US WAIT!"
"DO NOT BETRAY HIS WISHES! DO NOT DOUBT THE FALCON OF LIGHT!"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I'M SORRY VLAD..."
"BROTHER! DAMN IIIT! I CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS!"
"WE CAN WIN! WE CAN WIN! DON'T GIVE UP!"
"HOW MANY OF THEM ARE LEFT? THEY JUST DON'T STOP COMING!"
"THE CIVILLIANS HAVE KILLED THEMSELVES IN MASSE! I THOUGHT WE WERE SAVING THEM!"

The pandemonium of positive and negative readings was exactly what Griffith wanted. As all of your and his units died at the last stand, their dying spirits fed into the Idea of Evil's incoherent stream of desires, empowering the flow of causality until it flooded all realms.

"What do you say, halfling? How shall we end this?"
>Call all of the astral spirits, we are destroying hell itself it means getting through the Idea Of Evil.
>Let us leave that to a last resort, let us try to fight them by ourselves.
>Why don't we wait until we've conquered Falconia? It won't take long and we'll need as many men as we can to overthrow the dark lords.
>Write-in.

>>5961575
>Call all of the astral spirits, we are destroying hell itself it means getting through the Idea Of Evil.

>>5961575
>>Call all of the astral spirits, we are destroying hell itself it means getting through the Idea Of Evil.

>>5961575
>Call all of the astral spirits, we are destroying hell itself it means getting through the Idea Of Evil.
No time to hold back.

>>5961575
>>Call all of the astral spirits, we are destroying hell itself it means getting through the Idea Of Evil.

>>5961830
>>5961849
>>5961982
>>5962056
On to face the final boss(es)!
Roll me a 1d100 to see how much of that arcane army Vlad can summon to fight the God Hand!

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Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>5962465

Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5962465

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5962465

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>>5962516
>>5962535
>>5962625
Climbing up to the highest part of the astral tree, you jump into the great void of the spirits, absorbing their essence and any attracting any affinitive od that could reach you to the point of feeling like your chest was about to burst. The time has come to finally defeat those fiends, and you will need to be one with life and the earth for it to properly work.

"Spirits of old, It is time for us to forever cleanse the world of this wretched concept of predestination that has been oppressing us for far too long, those who can assist me in my journey, I command you to come with me!" A white spiral of energy forms around Gunpowder's armor horn as he is propelled downwards, the Od of the world being so strong that it manages to turn you into a human missile, diving back through the stalk of the spirit tree and into it's roots.

In the span of a few seconds, you find yourself right amidst the final frontier, crashing through the empty wasteland of red mist that is the God Hand dimension. Just from entering, several of the spirits you brought with you already seemed to either escape, disappear, or be corrupted into demented ghouls, it takes all of your magical energy to even stay here in a corporeal form without being expelled, as all of your natural instincts have taught you that you should never be in this place by your own volition.

"GOD HAND!" You shout as you point your trident onto the four silent marionettes of the Idea Of Evil. "If an eternity of silence upon this wasteland is all you have to offer here, than you really are as powerless as you want humanity's future to be!"

"Here so soon? It seems the last of the silver eye wants to rush to his death before any of his comrades! Honorable as always, little halfling of Hedwyn!" Ubik grins widely at your sight, not taking you seriously as a threat in spite of it all.

"Let me do the honor of harvesting the souls he brought along with him." Conrad talks down to you from the red pedestal of faces that the gigantic entities watch you from afar.
"CONRAD!" you growl at the one responsible for all your misfortunes, more so than Femto himself. The proliferation of your plagues shall end here and now! You shall regret the day you ever came to spare me."

"Poor little halfling. Despite coming this far, he has yet to understand his true calling..." Slan fondles her breasts, eagerly preparing herself to masturbate to the oncoming carnage. "Shall he fail to become one of us thanks to Griffith's rebellion, you will work well as my little servant for a good few centuries. It will be delightful to see how quick you'll forget your loved ones, once I place my hands on you..."

"This child of the astral is beneath me. There are greater threats here present." Void speaks up after seeing Gaiseric and his behelit sword teleport behind you.

"Prepare yourself, halfling. They will not hold back."

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>>5962744
Conrad and Ubik are quick to float above you as Gaiseric and his horse quickly jump over them, going straight to Void as he uses the distortions of this dimension to his advantage, creating a vortex of portals that reflect and bounce Gaiseric's sword of actuation back at him before he could properly damage the God Hand leader.

Slan's moans echo through the hollow, boundless world of their creation, weakening and corrupting the spirit barrier around you from merely pleasuring herself. As Ubik swirls his hands in place, Conrad spits a torrent of black sludge from his mouth, creating a tsunami of unknown substances that would cleanse the entire realm, the ground beneath you sinking further and further so it's harder to ascend and escape the crashing waves.

>Fly above it anyway.
>Freeze the dark sludge.
>Attempt to plant your seeds in this soil accursed.
>Fire an array of soul arrows onto him.
>Something else.

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Hm, I would like to posit an idea.
Perhaps we could use pressurized water propulsions generated by the trident and undines in conjunction with flying to boost ourselves up into the air to avoid the attack of sludge? Sort of adding smaller rockets to a spaceship to support the big ones.
What do you guys think? I think it could help our chances of avoiding damage.
>Pic related.

>>5962746
>Plant seeds in the soil.
>Direct the roots of the spirit tree to act as the innumerable, unstoppable, dimension-piercing spears that they truthfully are.
Three against one? I think not. Three against every star in the heavens.

>>5962881
This works
Maybe we can charge the roots and seeds with our Od to help it resist and destroy the corruption

>support >>5962881

>>5962881
Let's go for it then! Roll me a 2d100 just in case one of them fails!
Will be moving this weekend so updates might be slower than usual, or the same, just giving a heads in case it takes a bit

Rolled 41, 45 = 86 (2d100)

>>5964413

Rolled 90, 50 = 140 (2d100)

>>5964413
I'm late! Here's hoping that the spirit tree's roots give Slaan the penetration she deserves.

Rolled 64, 29 = 93 (2d100)

>>5964413

Rolled 41, 49 = 90 (2d100)

>>5964413

Alright, we're back! Took a while to get the internet going but we'll be back to daily updates hopefully!

First DC could potentially be lethal so at least you passed that one, shame about the other being a fluke though

>>5964440
>>5964698
>>5964716
"GUNPOWDEEER!" Is all you have to say for the flying stallion to achieve the fastest speed he's ever been at without so much as damaging his body. Feeling as if you were blessed by Serpico and his sylph arsenal, you become one with the wind and go for the red ceiling of the God Hand dimension.

You meant every word you said. They will not last till dawn, you will defeat without mercy!

Ubik manages to stretch your perception of time and distance, you saw the ground sinking as the ceiling got further and further away no matter how fast you kept going, making the plagued wave of sludge turn into a claw formed by vermin.

Throwing your pouch of magical seeds onto the ground, you try to reach to the further roots of the abyss by product of your own Od being fused with all astral connections! They are one with despair, yet you are confident that you shall rise above all!

You manage to reach the top of the dark wave and surf at the top, exploding your own Od into a barrier wave that lets you partially control the flow of the liquid thanks to the undines, freezing and breaking Conrad's main method of attacking with a thrust of your trident!

Though you and Gunpowder are still in one piece, The same cannot be said for your trees, gone with the current that tore of its roots, leaving little trace of what once was.

"BEGONE!" Growing angry at Slan's moaning interventions, you disperse several soul arrows onto her, interrupting her pleasurable sessions as she is forced to shield herself using her wings by flapping away at your non corporeal projectiles. A lack of a proper grown proves to be terrible protection to the master succubus.

Despite the major pushback onto Void by relentlessly keeping up his with his spatial manipulation, the brains of the God Hand Fingers still appears to be unamused, not a scratch on his body (or lack thereof)

"From barely staying alive in our presence, to being a mild nuisance in our plans. Congratulations! The vermin has metamorphized into a beautiful butterfly. Though a bug will always remain a bug." Conrad, after disappearing behind the sludge wave, has turned himself into a giant formed by a combination of slugs and slimes, using the energy of your destroyed trees to create an army of smaller pseudo apostles.

His manipulation of life into plagues is one that should not be taken lightly, for all you throw at him, he can double it back at you.

The pearl you have on your inventory begins to shake, as does the behelit you have, almost as if they were reacting to each other and waiting for the opportunity to activate before the other could.

Ubik is nowhere to be seen as Conrad lunges at you, his mouth agape as he spits his own dark seeds, forming bloody trees that infest the reddened soil as he attempts to mimic your plans with the same intentions.

You know where this is going, and he needs to be stopped!

>>5969123
>Charge against Conrad's image, purifying his essence as you pass through him.
>Fire your soul arrows at the lesser creatures until Conrad loses his form.
>Approach Gaiseric and try to bait the God Hand members into falling on his sword portals.
>Summon your mandragoras to repel his offspring with your own
>Check on the pearl and the Behelit, perhaps you can do something with them
>Something else

>>5969882
I had to take a while to think this one over.
>Afflict Conrad with a dual measure of Aging Mixture supercharged with your own od and contained within a tidal wave of pure water, to Purify and Cleanse him of the very disease that empowers him.
Creating more life won't do much. Passing through him puts us at too much risk. Soul arrows won't be numerous enough against his tides.
So we should fight his 'fire' with water. Cleanse the muck, kill the disease, let time itself eat away at his form. Not even a plague can withstand the rigors of time. The water we use as a medium to distribute it, however, WILL withstand time - millions of years can pass and pure water will remain the same. His rats, his diseases, they're all extremely short lived.

>>5970032
+1
Big brain right here.

>>5970032
>>5970438
Alright, I can see that working! Go for a 1d100 then!

Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>5970601
LET'S GOOOO!

Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5970601
nat 100

>>5970625
>>5970740
>Both rolls are this fucking high
Conrad is going to have a real bad time.
Looks like we found his antithesis.

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>5970601
nat1?

>>5970032
Based
Forgot to see the update. good plan
And good rolls !

>>5970601
>>5970625
>>5970740
Damn! Good plans and good numbers! We're on a roll towards victory for sure!

>>5970625
>>5970740
>>5970807
You run away from Conrad as fast as you can, to the point of exhausting your poor mount as his wings flap up, down and all around. None of your previous attacks have done more than to slightly bother them, you need some real damage, something that will actually make a dent in their fiendish forms.

Of course! The aging mixture you managed to learn back in Flora's mansion! It is a powerful concoction that can age thousands of years in mere seconds with decent exposure, but will you be able to produce it here with your plants?

Your pouch seems pretty empty from the last time you tried to forest the soil with your own trees... It seems you will have to throw them all at once and hope for the best.

"GROW!" You throw them as far as your arms can and let them burst into several dying mandragoran, their liquid essence being expanded into a flood of green as the undines become one with the liquid.

Now for that damn elf powder... Puck is not with you, and you don't remember him leaving you a sample of his magic to turn it into Kmengcide. Your only hope is that your control of the undines and your will to turn thoughts into actions are enough to transform one liquid into another by sheer faith.

"Hedwyn... Sivir... Mother... Father... This is the fruit of your labor! The faith you've had in me left no room for any more doubts! Whatever I believe reality to be, it will bend to my will! If I believe this is a wave of kmengcide, then so it is!"

The images of several elves appear from your soul, going inside the gigantic wave you now surf above, guiding the liquid with the power of your magical rod.

Charging your weapon for an extra layer of intangibility, you now combine all of your powers to create a tsunami of cleansing that could also shield you and Gunpowder from the aging factor, sending the building tall wave whirlpooling into Conrad's form.

The God Hand finger remains silent as the two of you clash, the impact echoing throughout the nearly infinite negative space of the abyssal dimension. Void and Gaiseric briefly stare at you mid fight as they watch what could potentially be the fall of the first dark angel in history.

"Conrad?!" Slan visibly shows concern after seeing Conrad disappear after the water dissipated, his essence being aged so greatly that even immortality failed to keep him in shape, turning him into the mere concept of pestilence itself, the pillar of the god hand where he once stood now tore off one finger, revealing a large crater of white.

"The layer of the creator!" Ubik confirms that you have indeed forced your way through the last layer of existence, showing the amalgamation of souls that they have managed to keep in their realm for the past millennia, a source of raw energy so strong that when unsealed, threatened to destroy all of existence.

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>>5972183
"AAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Out of the muddy water, you let out a victorious cry as you see nobody but yourself and Gunpowder with not a gray hair in sight. You've actually pulled it off. Conrad is no more. The silver eyed clan has had the last laugh. Not only that, but you have managed to breach through their last line of defense while finding a way to defeat them, even if you are out of seeds to make more mandragoran essence, the tides have turned from 4 to 2 against a more even 3-2.

"YOU MISERABLE INSECT!" Ubik appears from thin air as he attempts to attack you by sending a spiked piller into your throat, but stops at the last second to see the great array of souls stretching their solid tendrils onto the ceiling of the dark dimension.

Much like a mole scratching at the ground, they were slowly tearing off pieces of it's upper side to contain itself, only resulting in more open craters and demonic rubble that you had to dodge with your mount.

"Much like the last cycle of God Hands, this one must be destroyed to reinitiate the new world that is to come." Void reveals that their ultimate sacrifice must happen in order to their plans to be fulfilled. None who have entered this place shall survive, and that includes them.

One last lunge from Gaiseric as he opened a portal to attempt to suck Void into the idea of evil made him and the remaining fingers take you more seriously, as you fought the force of the vortex that attempted to kill you off for good, you started to hear a familiar scream from the Black Swordsman himself.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" The ceiling suddenly bursts open, showing a gravely wounded Casca falling along with all the remnants under Falconia, the city itself began to crumble and appear into the God Hand dimension, and though Hyde, Morda and the flying squadron attempted to save as many as they could, several souls became one with the abyss, being dismembered and dissipating as they became one with eternity.

Apparently Casca was stabbed through the heart by a dying apostle, though despite Guts' screaming, the behelit did not awake for him, but for Lucio, who was being taken from his father in a cocoon by a swift Slan, attempting to hear the moonchild's wishes to possibly save his mother.

The moon is still visible from the sky, losing it's red color as a good number of apostles still survive the fall while every other civilian splatters through the floor, though those were the lucky ones compared to who was being impaled or sent directly into the collective unconsciousness.

>Save Casca from dying.
>Search for Farnese.
>Reach Guts.
>Attack Slan and get her away from Lucio.
>Attempt to speak to Lucio directly.
>Fire a soul arrow at Lucio.

>>5972245
>Save Casca from dying.
NOT ONE SACRIFICE ON OUR WATCH.
LUCIO! YOU NEED NOT DO ANYTHING TO SAVE YOUR MOTHER!

>>5972245
>Search for Farnese.

>>5972245
>>Save Casca from dying.

>>5972276
>>5972301
>>5972798
Let's give it a roll, then! Consider any DC from here on out potentially deadly to all involved!

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>5972845

Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>5972845
nat 100

Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>5972845

>>5972993
>>5973030
>>5973060
So... about that...

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44 KB JPG

>>5972993
>>5973030
>>5973060
Rushing to save Casca, you forget to factor in Gunpowder's exhaustion, despite flying at the speed of sound being much easier thanks to his improved armor, you could tell the three dimensional movement was starting to render him nauseous, yet still transferring as much as your Od as you could give him, you send him charging towards the fallen pillars where Casca was laying at, taking her in your arms as one swift thrust by your trident is enough to disintegrate the apostle in his human form.

"It can't... It can't be happening again..." Casca reminds herself of the last time Judeau attempted to save You dodge and strike at all the attempts of the abyssal amalgamation to attack you, with none of your Od strikes doing anything but phase them mid air. It takes all of your focus to control and guide GP at high speeds while still finding time to heal Casca's perforating chest wound.

Eventually, the pursuit seems to be too much for even you to keep up, as Ubik transforms the remaining red walls to corner you against the astral spikes, Gunpowder forcefully shakes upside down as he is forced to drop you both from his seat.

"GUNPOWDER!" You hold Casca above you as the flying horse does his last move as an ultimate sacrifice, throwing you off his mount to dodge the ethereal limbs impaling him in all directions before ripping him in half. His neigh echoes as his intestines are ripped off of him, sending both halves of him straight into the vortex of the creator.

As you fall on your back from the great fall, you are pleased to see that Casca had not taken any damage, though it came at the cost of losing the strongest horse to ever live...

"Damn it, Damn it! DAMN IT!" I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I BROUGHT HIM HERE!" You punch at the red faces on the floor to the point of reddening your knuckles.
To make matter worse, Casca shakes and trembles as her chest swells up with blood, her brand making her hemorrhage to the point of barely being able to stand up, let alone fight despite having the axe of the giants with her.

"This child seems to be at a disadvantage." Slan comments as she watches Lucio being encapsulated into a cocoon. "His greatest wish is to separate his body from Femto - the root of all the misery in his life, yet the ones he cherishes the most have already been branded."

"With the amount of sacrifices we are already having at our display, our powers should not be constrained by the standard rules no more, we shall grant him his wish, and let the misery of the new cycle commence into the world of absolute control--" Void presented a green totem charging with dark energy, getting ready to fire his brand at all present, before Skull Knight finally managed to fake out his attack and grab hold of the God Hand finger, tearing off his hand and stopping the spell in the process.

"You and I have remained in this world for far longer than we should, ancient magician."

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2.34 MB JPG

>>5973672
"Curse you, Gaiseric! Will you really erase your existence just for a mere chance of destroying me?"
"Neither the astral nor the physical realm have no need for you and I, wretched Void. The only reason I did not give up after realizing the sword of actuation could rid me of my immortality, was due to the Idea of Evil being the one force unstoppable by even your ungodly hands. The endless possibilities cannot be manipulated without the hands of a higher entity, so if left be, reality shall destroy itself by virtue of there only being one present time against multiple futures."

Void attempts to throw off Gaiseric as his sword of actuation pierces Void and himself, opening a portal that engulfs them both beyond existence.
"For a thousand years I have waited for this, my only regret is that my face has long been gone, for you could die with the image of my grim smile forever etched into your memory. Farewell to world of the living."

The Skull Knight fades into a pile of bones as the brain fiend bursts into a puff of red. No more power will be given to the Behelits, being now merely rocks with sleeping faces plastered onto them. In spite of it all, these creatures were losing their man source of power, with their strongest angel being defeated, victory and defeat were inching closer at the same time.

With Void's demise, the ground and ceiling crack to form even wider craters, with the vortex attempting now to swallow the whole world, the blood moon cycle finally ends as Danaan is caught by the entrails of the soul conjunctions, impaling her through the heart as she falls onto where Gaiseric fell. The last of her magic being used to shield the accompanying Schierke and Isidro from being perforated by the same attack that had done her in, though the three of them still became dust as they entered the realm above the gods.

"NOOOOOOOO!" You shout in desperation as you see the demise of your fallen comrades, though it does nothing to the Behelit despite you hoping for a miracle to manifest. So much time being paranoid over that damn amulet activating, only for it to do nothing at all seems like the ultimate fair play of causality to mock you in your last moments...

"It seems the conditions for the final sacrifice have been met regardless." Griffith's voice comes out of the cocoon, much to the dismay of the two remaining fingers. "My Kingdom is no more, the world I planned to rule has been destroyed. While Lucio's wishes are not my wishes, my power as his host and as a dark prince still validates our clause." Lucio's body is forcibly separated from Griffith as the small boy has to deal with the pain of an adult-sized demon ripping out of his stomach, with Femto managing to catch Ubik by surprise now that they had not the ability to know all universal possibilities, crushing the small imp's head with his fist and chucking his body into the abyss.

>>5973691
Femto briefly stares at you and Casca before Lucio fell onto the abyss, almost devoid of life with his father diving into the great unknown right after him in a desperate measure to save him above everything.

You valiantly point your trident against the remaining Dark lord, yet he pays you no mind despite the both of you technically helping each other out.

He attempts to slowly fly over to the vortex, though a leap from Slan and her hair tentacles manage to reach him and crush his limbs, though with his wings still free, the manages to decapitate the medusa with the spikes on his armor, leaving the God Hand pillar empty, and with no fingers to raise.

You are rendered speechless as the entire world collapses, those who could still manage to survive the fall and hold onto something were quickly sucked into the powerful gust of wind of the creator, men and women alike falling by the thousands as the only solid remaining pillar to stand was under your two feet, yet despite desperately wanting to see this end, salvation was nowhere near in sight.

"Vlad...?" You hear Farnese's familiar voice under a pile of rubble not far from you. Her head spilt open and one of her eyes being whitened from falling from the surface. Afraid to check if her body was still intact underneath all that weight, all you could see was her reaching her frail, trembling hand out to you.

"Did we fail?" Is all she asks, waiting for your response as she hangs onto dear life by a mere thread, about to be severed at any moment by the gravity of fate and time.

It was a question truly worth pondering. You had indeed won against the god hand and destroyed their natural world order, yet whatever was left before was transformed in such a high degree, that not even another thousand years of planning would leave you ready to control the power of existence in the palm of your hands.

You have indeed won against the universe, however your victory came with the end of all that once was.

>Comfort Farnese in her final moments.
>Jump onto the vortex and be graced into the unknown.
>Attempt to communicate with the Idea of Evil.

>>5973711
>Attempt to communicate with the Idea of Evil.
We're one of the only people left, aren't we? At the very least, don't our dreams and desire for a better world deserve to be heard?
The Idea of Evil is meant to fulfill man's wishes. Well, I wish for goodness. An end to this evil. Heaven. The nullification of this Hell that man has made for itself.

>>5973711
>Attempt to communicate with the Idea of Evil.

>>5973711
>>Attempt to communicate with the Idea of Evil.
we shall

>>5973711
>>Attempt to communicate with the Idea of Evil.
"Not yet my love, i will try one last time. Now rest, i will be at your side soon."
Kiss her, close her eyes and hunt Griffith.
We cannot win or ask anything be of him or the idea of evil, they can just say no to us. We are the last roadblock left and their walking anathema..... so we can maim them. We can put a curse, and give a chance to the mankind that will live in the horrible new world of an insane hyper controlling wounded "god". Instead of them being just slaves. Much like our father did giving a chance, this time though this will be done through self sacrifice.

Goodbye Ilos and hello old teacher.

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>>5973739
>>5973881
>>5974289
>>5974344
"Not yet, my love." You hold her hand and put up a front of being sure of your victory while Farnese is still with you. "I will try one last time. You can rest for now, I will be with you soon."

Embracing her cooling torso as you plant a kiss on her forehead, she smiles before closing her eyes, her fate being left unknown, as you try your best to not think of her death, looking for a way to communicate with the Idea of Evil.

"VLAD!" You hear Hyde still flying up there with Violet and a few remaining witches as he dodges the attacks from the abyssal vortex. "The hell are we s'posed to do here?!"

Pondering at what Griffith tried to do after freeing himself of Lucio, you noticed how his first instinct was to jump into the vortex, yet given how he was gravely wounded before entering, he likely became one with the amalgamation of souls, failing to become a new god due to already being only a concept given power by God.

Could it then be that the ones who fell alive into the vortex were not automatically dead? Was the secret to meeting the idea of evil merely retaining your body and spirit as you passed through his interdimensional entrance?

With this being your only remaining hope, you decide to plunge into the abyss with no prior warning. As Hyde screamed for your name as you dove with your arms open into white space, you felt your body slowly dissipate, from the outside in. For a brief period, you wondered if you had done the wrong choice and simply doomed humanity over nothing, if not for the pearl from Sivir shining inside your body, having been absorbed and solidifying your form as you went into free fall.

The never-ending fall was agonizing at first, especially thanks to the agonizing sound of the wind formed by the distorted screams of all life forms that ever existed, yet after hours, days, weeks, perhaps, you started to get accustomed to the slowly fading white noise, your perception of time disappearing as the screams transformed into the sound of a beating heart.

Finally, your body stopped falling as you floated onto white space. The spiral of humanity's anguish was given form in the shape of a gigantic dark heart. It's thousands of atriums and ventriculus pumping out Od to keep the flow of life functioning as it always was.

"Halfling of the silver eyed." The echo of millions of voices breached into your mind as hundreds of eyes popped out of the heart's veins." How long have I waited for this moment. To find a mortal able to bend causality to it's will, unaffected by the precognitions of fate, meeting me not through sacrifice, but by his desire to improve the world through his sense of justice... Or so you think."

The deity seems amused by the notion of what you see yourself as and what others have said of you. In actuality, he has likely been leading you here all along from the day you were born, though you still wonder as to why that is.

>>5974455
>What are you?
>Why have you been controlling humanity?
>If you are the idea of evil, where is the idea of good?
>Humanity has no need to be controlled by causality no more, mankind shall be freed from a god such as yourself!
>What would it take for you to disappear?
>Write-in.

>>5974456
>Mankind surrendered fate to you with your creation. But you are merely an idea, one that is no longer needed. Return your power to Humanity and give them their magic once more. Let the responsibility of what happens next lie in our own hands! I beseech you, Idea of Evil - sacrifice yourself for once, to create the Better World that all mankind yearns for. Do as I would do.

>>5974471
+1
>Why have you been controlling humanity?

>>5974471
>support

>>5974456
>What would it take for you to disappear?

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>>5974471
"Mankind surrendered fate to you with your creation. But you are merely an idea, one that is no longer needed. Return your power to Humanity and give them their magic once more. Let the responsibility of what happens next lie in our own hands! I beseech you, Idea of Evil - sacrifice yourself for once, to create the Better World that all mankind yearns for. Do as I would do." You make your pledge to the creator of life, that being life itself, yet the colossal heart disapproves of your approach.

"It seems you are gravely mistaken on what I truly am. What you are seeing is merely the core of a common consciousness that represents individuality. It is impossible to get rid of me, as destroying the darkness that dwells in the human heart would destroy the concept of individuality itself. The world needs an ego, it requires someone, something to control the infinite layers of possibilities that mankind cannot grasp with a single brain."

"So you're telling me you haven't been controlling humanity out of your own will?"
"Do not misunderstand. All the reasons for sadness, pain, life, death, and all else that transcended a living man's knowledge was given form here, as it is what I have been brought into existence for. My destiny was to control the will of mankind's essence."

"Then would that mean that you chose me to be here too?"
"Of course. I am a part of all that has ever lived, and that includes you. Your consciousness, your actions, your reputation, it was all built for the sake of bringing a suitable end to this world."

"But wasn't that what The God Hand was for? Why couldn't you use them to control destiny?"
"That was also within my plans. However, a number as large as infinity cannot so easily be reduced to one. Mankind's wishes are inconsistent, loud, and contradictory. For all that wished for you to win, there were others who wished for your demise, the same for Femto, The God Hand, and all other entities. Humanity's confusion and fear towards the future gave me shape and strength to evolve, yet that evolution made me aware that I could change everything, yet partake in nothing as a living entity."

"...Then what would it take for you to disappear? I would not trust you to easily convert into a living being and not turn the world into chaos from your birth alone, so I hope you can better explain your case."

"The ending of this world, one capable of sacrificing it, and the choice to recreate or destroy it as a deal with the two spokesmen of man, a true understanding between the cravings of one and the yearnings of many."

"But I did not sacrifice the world! Do not place that blame onto me!"
"Oh, but you are indeed the one to blame. For you, Vlad Santana, are a lover of all of life. No other sacrifice would be greater than the life you've known. Despite all of your suffering, you had undying hopes for a brighter future. That is what made you both human and an anomaly."

>>5975755
"You were split from the silver eyed too early to be attached to any of them, including Sivir herself. The ones you loved the most were your foster parents, your oldest master, and the people from your household, and though they were indeed suitable candidates, they had died long before you could know what the Behelit even was. Merlina was the one death you could not forgive yourself for causing, yet turning you into an apostle then would have been beneath you. Your remaining companions throughout the journey were close to death several times over, yet despite their inferiority over your unknown potential, you loved them all the same. To free the world of destiny, you had to erase the world itself. That was the one possibility out of all that passed through me."

Part of you feels incredibly defeated. Despite all these years of planning, there was no way to make a possibility where you defeated the God Hand without them, and by extension, the Idea of Evil agreeing with it. You only won against destiny because they purposefully gave you a blade and stuck their throat out.

"Do not fret, as even if you have played by our hands, your wishes are still the wishes of the people. not losing your individuality here proves that you can make the millions of voices in the collective all sing in unison for the first time. And you are not out of options to choose."

"...What are your terms?" You grit your teeth and listen to the deity.

"Should you wish to erase me from this world. You will have to do much like Femto planned to, and take my place as the new god that filters the wishes of the people. Become a more concept as I have and replace me. Though I doubt your pure essence will remain as a good concept for the mortals and immortals for all of eternity, you have a chance to be revered and empowered much like I have, though by erasing something as natural as the will to be evil, you will in turn erase free will itself, as there cannot be one without the other."

"You better have more options than brainwashing."
"And I do. Given how this world is the one you are attached to, you are free to continue to live in it. All souls who did not perish before it's end are still within me, and they shall come back exactly as you've known them previously. Though I shall still be here, intact and in my true form, know that the next cycle of the God Hand shall not be fully formed until the next millennium. Humanity won't have to worry about it's end, and you shall leave that burden towards the next generation. Much like Gaiseric and all your companions would have intended."

"You really thought about everything, what with there being a caveat for all options..."
"Lastly, you can put an end to this charade, and get rid of me by erasing all of the magic that exists in this world. The will be no gods, no higher entities, only humans and their free will. Though even without predestination, they might find a way to their own demise either way."

>>5975776
"How can I truly trust your word, Idea of Evil, knowing that each of the God Hands were once human as well? Surely Femto, Void, Slan and even Conrad had wished for their own ways to improve mankind, yet all you did was take their individuality and bend their will to be your little puppets on the strings of destiny."

"You are wise to acknowledge that. In truth, there is no way to know what will happen, or if I will take advantage of your good faith in me. You are face to face with the representation of humanity itself, one that is capable of all the good, and all of evil at the same time. Though if you feel like refusing, you are free to stay with me for all of eternity. Inaction is also a choice, though I expect you would prefer a more productive outcome."

You had an eternity to ponder, and for a great amount of time, you did measure the possibilities. Despite already knowing your answer, The Idea of Evil silently waited for you to voice your wishes to the great sea of Od amidst you.

>Replace the God Hand and ascend into a higher being. A just God can only known the true wishes of their hearts if he has lived amongst them as their equal.
>The world might be flawed, ugly and unjust, but you still love them through all of it's imperfections. Erase the five God Hand members and let them reform in the far future. The knowledge that they were once bested will surely be enough for humanity to be prepared against their return.
>Magic is a tool too strong for a living being to have. Were it not for it, you could have lived a far different life, as well as all who used and lived through it. Erase the existence of the Idea Of Evil, as well as the chance of there being a God Hand again, yet at the cost of all magical beings of this earth to be recreated into different forms.
>You refuse to reduce all of life to such binary choices. You stay for eternity at a stand still with God out of spite for it's presumptuousness.
>All of these options still require making amends with God Hand's creator, the one responsible for all of this. If you truly wish for freedom, you shall attempt to destroy him by yourself!

>>5975793
>>Magic is a tool too strong for a living being to have. Were it not for it, you could have lived a far different life, as well as all who used and lived through it. Erase the existence of the Idea Of Evil, as well as the chance of there being a God Hand again, yet at the cost of all magical beings of this earth to be recreated into different forms.

>>5975793
You refuse to reduce all of life to such binary choices. You stay for eternity at a stand still with God out of spite for it's presumptuousness.
>All of these options still require making amends with God Hand's creator, the one responsible for all of this. If you truly wish for freedom, you shall attempt to destroy him by yourself!

>>5975870
Meant the bottom choice, phone posting

>>5975793
Hear me out.
>Become the Idea of Good that you yearned for, but allow the Idea of Evil to continue its existence. You will become a God to keep the Devil in check, to ensure Hope always has a chance and despair is never too powerful. It is the only way to allow the world to retain the spiritual roots it was always meant to have without destroying free will and without letting the cycle continue unchecked. Predestination will be critically weakened under your watchful eye.

>>5975793
Personally I feel like just sitting there doing nothing is the worst option especially since we just lost our mount and love to yet this chance and that would be wasting it.

>Replace the God Hand and ascend into a higher being. A just God can only known the true wishes of their hearts if he has lived amongst them as their equal.
>>5976000
So basically take out all the good out of the idea of evil and absorb it becoming the equal and opposite of it

>>5976037
Exactly.

>>5976000
+1

>>5976000
Alright, let's go for a 1d100 to see if the Idea of Evil might not pull something funny. Provided it is, you can catch it on it's bullshit!

Rolled 61 (1d100)

>>5977133

Rolled 86 (1d100)

>>5977133
There was never any other option.
This was always our destiny.

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>5977133

Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>5977133

>>5977215
>>5977687
>>5978131
The array of souls are pumped around you as your soul is engulfed into the Od of the Universe. Making sure your thoughts are heard amidst infinity, you notice that the Idea of Evil attempts to engulf you in it's darkness before you could absorb some of it's essence.

Turning it's spell back onto it, you absorb it's energy and send it back as you enter it's atriums, disturbing it's pumping as it bursts into the white void, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Or so it might seem at first, until you realize that the energy it was using dispersed to recreate the planet with the energy of the parallel dimensions, the dimension of the abyss was slowly being closed as it was replaced with an empty God Hand dimension. After the mist of souls thinned out, you could see the once colossal heart of evil had shrunk into a human sized organ. Though it might one day grow as big as it was before, the future generations should rest easy for now.

You are suddenly sprung up as a gust of wind pushes you upwards, expelling you from the abyss as you reach far above the clouds and the tree of life, where a several free spirits were also there, awaiting their time to reincarnate and be one with the earth again. After so many years with only hell to greet humanity, they finally had a heaven to relax in until the time came for them to return.

"Vlad!?"
"Ya did it, sonny! Can't believe how much you've grown!"
Two familiar voices spoke behind you to congratulate you on the end of your journey, ones that nearly brought you to tears.
"Father!? Gallahad!?"
Sure enough, there was your bald father Jacopo, ready to hug you along with the armored old man next to him, finally understanding your mission and proud to be part of it.
"You've earned your rest, father! A lesser man would not have raised me with the love and patience you had. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you in your final moments."
"Don't give me that spiel, boy!" Gallahad bumps you in the shoulder. "You know damn well no father wants to outlive his son! Plus, I had the fight of my life protecting your old man! I might be good, but I know I wouldn't last long against any of those apostle fiends you were fighting later on."
"My faith in you was not unfounded, Vlad. Time after time, you grew to save not only your parents, but the world at large. As small as my contribution in your life was, I am proud to be part of it."

You feel the pearl of Sivir phasing through your soul, forming a human heart amidst the clouds that served as the idea of good, making sure balance was established in this dimension to remind humanity that misery is not all there was to life.

"It's finally over. I can finally rest in piece."
"Whoa there, Vlad-boy!" Gallahad interrupts you as you were about to proclaim your victory by staying in heaven for all eternity. "Don't you think you have somewhere to go back to?"

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>>5978386
Looking downward from the interdimensional height, you can feel the presence of your own body, laying on the ground amidst a large crater where once Falconia stood, with several awakening familiar faces at different spots on the trenches and hills.

Laying a few meters away from you were a waking Guts, his son being separated from Femto's body. Griffith was also slowly twitching his eyes, having returned to the disheveled state he turned into back when he was tortured by the fallen king's hands.

"Part of you might have made this God-Like entity, but for years, you were burdened with powers far beyond your comprehension. Now you are free to finally live as a human, without the pressure of causality weighing on your every step. You can remain here if you wish to, but I imagine your friends in the physical realm might wish to be with you while they can."

>I do have unfinished business down there. It's only fair I live in the peace I fought so hard to achieve.
>I will miss them dearly, but I believe I should start getting used to protecting the idea of good as fast as I can.

>>5978399
>I do have unfinished business down there. It's only fair I live in the peace I fought so hard to achieve.
If even a member of the god hand are was returned to mortal form, then...apostles all over the world are bound to be doing the same. Moreover, every apostle's soul and their sacrifices ended up feeding into the abyss, which we just liberated. Will we be seeing a mass resurrection, I wonder? And a great cleansing of apostles, returned to human form?
The brand of sacrifice on Guts and Casca may well be gone too, now.
A lot of questions to be answered.

>>5978399
>I do have unfinished business down there. It's only fair I live in the peace I fought so hard to achieve.
we will probably spend an eternity after fighting the idea of evil we might as well get some rest before the fight

>>5978399
>>I do have unfinished business down there. It's only fair I live in the peace I fought so hard to achieve.
we will rest before taking up the eternal fight.

>>5978563
>>5978641
>>5978691
Seeing a chance to finally rest and take some leisure in your life of hardships, you wonder how it feels to relax, be a simple man who worries not about the grandiose aspects of life such as deities, the destruction of life as you know it, or the sins committed by the innocents. It's time to become a lesser human, even if that normality shall come to an end one day.

"I do have unfinished business down there. It's only fair I live in the peace I fought so hard to achieve." You give one last hug to your founding figures as you say goodbye to them.

"Very well, son. Perhaps we might not be here when you return, but know that we will always remain in spirit." He touches your chest with his palm, the three of you being overwhelmed by an insurmountable amount of happiness.

Your consciousness dissipates as your vision darkens. When you open your eyes once again, you hear the muffled sound of Guts' voice as he shakes you awake.

"--Vlad! Vlad!" Guts smiles, having Lucio in his back as he scratches his father's nape. "We've made it! I don't know what you did, but we're back!-- Hey, stop scratching my scar, it's gonna bleed again--"

The swordsman places his hand behind his neck, only to realize the brand that assured his place in hell was not there anymore. How could it be? There were no more God Hand fingers, no behelits, no sacrifices. Guts, Casca, and all who suffered through their dark ritual were no longer cursed to eternal damnation. Much like you, the unbranded Falcon could fly free.

As soon as he realized this, Guts could not keep himself from smiling. He had no words to describe it. As he saw all the other surviving members of his group slowly waking up in the distance, from Schierke to Isidro, from Hyde to Puck, from Casca to Farnese. None of you had any complaints, all went better than you could ever expect to go. Not even Griffith's mangled, panting form was enough to scratch the surface of his euphoria.

"And now... what to do with you..." Guts obscured the sun from blinding Griffith's fragile eyes, as they both turned their eyes to you, you turned their back to them, letting them decide their old feud between themselves.
"I promised to let you deal the final blow against him. You're the one to decide his fate."
"Well... I might not be the smartest man alive, but by not feeling the mark on my back, having Lucio with me again, and whatever that bunch of souls flowing through the sky were before Vlad woke up, I assume every one, including the falcons, were unsacrificed. The damage you've done to the world has now mostly been erased, and soon will the legacy you've left behind will be gone as well."

Griffith has remained gasping for air out of nervousness, his tongue being cut many years ago, he had no way to respond other than visible panic and shudders of frustration.

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>>5978761
"I wonder, will people even recognize you with the face you have now? If memory serves me well, I wouldn't even know you from a street beggar if you took off that helm of yours..." Guts chuckled to himself, inching closer to Griffith's face as Lucio crawled over to his father's chest, tugging at his chin to be a bit less cynical about his decision on whether he should avenge one that had his crimes undone by a higher power.

"Tell you what, Griffith. I'll be the bigger man between the two of us and turn a blind eye to the last 3 years. Much like my goals were before you decided to sacrifice us all. I plan on keeping you alive and well treated until you die of old age. Let the world know who the true leader of the Falcons was, with none of the arcane bullshit you did to erase public knowledge of your wrongdoings."
Guts' smile grew even wider as he saw Griffith's eyes turning into mere dots, terrified by the idea of not being mercy killed.

"If there's one thing I learned by what you did to my and my family, it's that there are much worse things one man can do to another than merely killing them. Seeing Roderick, Vlad and I towering above you every day as we crate a world better than Falconia could ever be under your command feels like the torture even worse than anything you could inflict on me now. What do you think? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Griffith's eyes fidgeted as Guts basked in his superiority over his old master. Given all that he's went through thanks to Femto, you were surprised that he didn't just stomp his head into a pulp.

What you did not expect to see was Griffith's neck turning to hold a spear he found near some soldier's corpse, quickly lunging onto Lucio in desperation to retaliate for the taunting, attempting to both take his anger out on the boy that rejected his soul, but the man who rejected his dreams.

"WHOA!" Guts managed to save Lucio by quickly lifting his arms, yet a cracked spot in his destroyed berserker armor armor left him wide open to receive a stab through the heart.

A silence of shock takes the four of you as you turn your head to realize what had just happened after hearing Griffith's limp body fall as he snapped his arms and joints just from the strain of pushing the lance onto the black swordsman. How could you not foresee this? Your precognition should be sharper than ever--

The realization strikes you like a cold hand crushing your heart. Your astral powers were left in heaven back where the idea of good remained. As you saw your own reflection in Griffith's helm, you realized that your eyes were not silver anymore. You became a regular human. Yarilo had ascended, Vlad Santana was still here.

Griffith's throat made a few weird noises as he gasped for air, appearing to be a a hoarse laugh, though his low voice was suddenly deafened by Guts, who not only remained standing, but started laughing even louder without coughing up any blood.

>>5978781
Gently placing his son on the floor, Guts' bloody lips remained dripping as he tried to live through a pierced heart. Still grinning like a mad man as he made sure to have the last laugh, absolute terror remaining in Grififth's eyes as he saw that his once feeble soldier had grown so strong that he could live without his vital organs.

"Well, if you wanted to die so badly... Why didn't you say so?" Guts wiped some of the blood from his chin as he reached for the cracked Dragonslayer, who would have one final victim before being retired. "You know, you reminded me of a lesson my old man tried to teach me back when I was a child. Something you should have learned if you wished to take my life, Griffith."

"If you truly wish to kill your opponent..."
Griffith attempts to scream, but nothing comes out of his gaping mouth
"...YOU SHOULD AIM FOR THE HEEAAD!"
The once feared dark angel's head flies off of his body, being decapitated with the difficulty of being shed through paper. His already lifeless body slumping over the dirt where he deserved to stay.

Still fumbling his steps, Guts crouches down before crouching to where Grififth's disfigured head was and pulling by the hair, revealing his distorted face to the world.

Truly, you did not recognize the man who had just passed away.
"IT'S OVEEEER!" Guts screams to the dead man's head as he falls to the floor, leaving you and Lucio to attempt to save him while no medic was nearby and your non existent magic forbid you from saving him through conventional means.

"GUTS!"
"PAPA!" You both shout at his sides as Guts finally hears his son speaking to him directly.
"Don't worry, Vlad... You'll do fine without me..." Guts' tough guy façade finally disperses now that Griffith was dead, starting to pant and lose color around his skin.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, DAMN IT!? DON'T TRY TO LOOK COOL BY KILLING YOURSELF IN FRONT OF ME!" You try to staunch the bleeding by applying pressure to his chest, though it didn't seem to do much. "You have a family now! A life of peace awaits us! You can't leave!"

"You know... A life of peace does not suit a man of war, now that I think about it... I'm no saint. I don't deserve to be remembered after all the people I've killed indiscriminately..." Your influence on him appears to be showing as he regrets parts of his life of cruelty. "With a world without apostles... the apostle slayer has lost his place in the world."

"I AIN'T HEARING NONE OF THAT! I'VE SEEN YOU LIVE THROUGH STRONGER BLOWS! NOW BE QUIET AND WAIT FOR HELP TO ARRIVE! SOMEONE! COME HERE! GUTS IS--"

"Vlad... Let it go." Guts seems to be even more hurt by seeing your helplessness. Dying was always in his wishes, self sacrificing for worthless causes was all he knew since birth. Giving him a chance to do so was something he would hold you no blame over.

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>>5978786
"I don't think I ever told you this... But you were like a brother to me... The only brother that I did not abandon throughout the years...I never knew how to thank you for my efforts, aside from giving my best to aid you in your cause, much like you helped with mine. For now, this is all I can do for you... Don't be bothered by my passing, you were always far above me... Just make sure to take care of Casca and Lucio for me... Leave the Dragonslayer on the hill of swords if it's still there... And make sure to give a little friend for Lucio to play around with, alright? I'm sure you and Farnese will bear children as great as you two..."

His human hand is almost as cold as his metallic one as he finally stops speaking. Lucio is about to cry as he can feel himself to blame for losing his father after all was resolved.

>Grant his wish. Guts has earned his rest.
>Lucio's first vision as a normal child will not be the death of his father, keep applying pressure to the wound and shouting for the others to wake up!

>>5978795
>Grant his wish. Guts has earned his rest.
>"A life of peace in the Heaven we created would not suit you either, old friend. If you should meet Yarilo up there, and decide that you wish to once more fight for our neverending cause...you need only sacrifice none other than yourself for the sake of others, as we've always done. And if you instead decide that you wish to remain in heaven until the end of days, then do me a favor and keep it safe until my arrival."

>>5978795
>>Lucio's first vision as a normal child will not be the death of his father, keep applying pressure to the wound and shouting for the others to wake up!

>>5978795
>>Lucio's first vision as a normal child will not be the death of his father, keep applying pressure to the wound and shouting for the others to wake up!
>"Not one chance, the sentiment is the same Guts. I want to see you with me while we see our children playing and growing in Ilos, i want you to give your wisdom and lessons learned to the next generations. Someone they can look up despite is errors, because he redeemed all of them and managed to climb out of an abyss. Because you aren't anymore that mercenary, that monster, Guts. You've surpass it, the hound is no more."
>"Now and forevermore, you have become your own free man Guts. So i must fight you on this decision, because you deserve to live. To have your own family and friends. You deserve to be a father, a mentor, an inspiration. And my brother. How does that sounds, Guts Santana ?

i loved your quest Becchi, all these threads where special. From back then and the exploding anon to today with a slower pacing.
Funny that we end in spring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f26KyGr6y8w

>>5978795
>Lucio's first vision as a normal child will not be the death of his father, keep applying pressure to the wound and shouting for the others to wake up!
We have to try even if we can't stop the bleeding

>>5978802
>>5978979
>>5979070
Last roll of the quest then, fellas! Let's make it count! 1D100!

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>5979124
Your struggle is not over!

Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5979124

>>5979333
>>5979135
Wow causality really want Guts dead

Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>5979124

>>5979135
>>5979333
>>5979339
Hmmm... The DC was at 80... What if I--
Nah, just kidding, you've all earned the good ending by now. Last post incoming.

>>5979135
>>5979333
>>5979339
"FARNEEESE!" Your lover's name is the first one that comes to mind as you shout for a medic. Your voice echoes through her eardrums as she jolts awake and takes notice of your situation, soon running over to the both of you and attempting to mend Guts' punctured heart to the best of her abilities.

"There's not one chance in heaven or hell I'm leaving you to rot Guts, the sentiment is the same! You are a brother to me!" You let go of his body as Farnese takes the wheel. "I want to see you with me while we see our children playing and growing in Ilos, I want you to give your wisdom and lessons learned to the next generations. Someone they can look up despite is errors, because he redeemed all of them and managed to climb out of an abyss. Because you aren't anymore that mercenary, that monster, Guts. You've surpass it, the hound is no more. Now and forevermore, you have become your own free man Guts. So I must fight you on this decision, because you deserve to live. To have your own family and friends. You deserve to be a father, a mentor, an inspiration. And my brother."

"I-I'm sorry! His body is already too damaged for me to fully heal him... I don't know if his heart will work well on the long term... I--" You interrupt Farnese by nearly crushing her frail frame under your heavy arms, happy that not only she did not die a few moments ago, but that she helped you in saving Guts, even if he only lives for a few more years.

"You handsome little bastards..." Guts gasps for air again as he places a hand on his closed wound, realizing that he would remain among the living for a while longer. "Fine then, Let me give this peace thing one more chance..." The unbranded swordsman stood up as Lucio hugged him in tears, leaving the both of you with a bright future to look forward to.

>To All The Strugglers: Chapter End.

>>5979756
It's been a hell of a ride, bechii

>>5979756
thanks for running qm. any chance of us getting a time-skip epilogue?

>>5979756
it was great

>>5979945
Of course! This last post felt like it left a bit too many questions open, just give me until the weekend and I'll write something for a proper send off!

>>5980520
no problem bechii

>>5980520
Thank you for running Bechii! I loved every bit of it.

Did you ever feel like giving up at any point?

>>5980520
Thank you for running QM!

>>5982091
Giving up? Not really, but I did feel a bit burnt out on a few occasions and I'm afraid it might show sometimes in the writing or when I rushed some segments. Still, I feel like I did the best I could and didn't leave many stones unturned, so I'm glad we could see it through to the end, despite all the delays and times offs, will be posting the final epilogue now so we can properly say goodbye.
Thanks a lot for being here anons!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7y-k8_xHVw

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New Midland had a lot of time to rebuild, it was not an easy period to be alive for the survivors of the new world. There was much to discuss when it came to restructuring the royal family, defunding the church amidst the magical scandal, weakening it's power with the state, and all the bureaucracy that came with Roderick taking the hand of Princess Charlotte, turning her into the queen of a broken land, one where her true lover Griffith was no more.

Though she tried her best, she was never able to truly love the king of the new land, feeling like she was stuck in a loveless marriage much like her parents, or how would she live if she was wed to Ganishka or any other that plead her hand before the Falcon of light showed up. Femto's last victim came in the form of one that failed to escape his brainwashing and emotional manipulation, as the poor Charlotte soon took her own life by poisoning herself late at night, after suspecting she was pregnant by the captain of the Ys fleet.

Roderick was indeed a much kinder ruler than Wyndham before him, and though he still faced much of the opposition by the ones who failed to see through Griffith's façade after his death, a world without apostles or behelits meant that many of them could still be convinced through misinformation control and measured punishment to the rebels and counter-revolutionaries.

His morale took a great hit once Princess Charlotte committed suicide, not because he could not take the scorn and accusations of driving his queen to an early grave, but because he genuinely believed he was doing the best he could to treat her well. With his remaining love being the sea, The king continued to develop his ideas of a new age of discovery by developing better ship technology in conjunction with the magical creatures among him, leading into a new continent that further expanded their knowledge of the world, uniting both sides of the planet as they found a place advanced not in technology, but in magic even more powerful than the ones seen in Elfhelm of Falconia. Giving chance to love one last time, Roderick quickly taught his language to a local magician and made her his queen, their union representing the newfound optimism in creating a new royal lineage, one that abolished the prejudice between different folks, be it by nationality, race, or background.

Of course that with so many changes in power dynamics between the world and it's constant expansions, Roderick soon became a busy man that had to establish a good formation between the interests of the people in the form of a council, a position given by his trusty friend Magnifico, who often butted heads with the one who truly had the interests of the poor in mind instead of his own greed, Serpico.

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>>5983625
Serpico's position as a lord felt surprisingly fitting. Given his competence as Farnese's babysitter combined with his developed ego and his background in the slums made him a voice of the people and a popular leader to both Ilos and New Midland. Had he lived where democracy was established, he would have been elected in every term without much worry. Confident without ever being overconfident, Serpico made it his live mission to erase the poverty line like he erased the apostles from the world, assuring the ones above him that though he could not walk well without a cane, Ilos had more financial stability than any man with two legs could ever have. The honor his brother-in-law gave him of replacing Barnham would never be put to shame, for his true calling was seeing families avoid the same conditions that trapped him in misery.

The smug Isidro was quick to enlist in New Midland's new army, expecting to die in a war and raise a generation of proud soldiers much like Guts, Griffith or Vlad. Though in actuality, the most he had to in his words consisted of "playing bodyguard, beating up a few rebels who spoke too loud, and occasionally travel abroad." Were it not for the generous payouts, the newfound friendship he made with the reformed falcon Mule and the lovely girlfriend he found in Isma, he would probably have given in to the bandit life, though Puck was quick to reprimand him with a bonk to the head every time he considered the thought instead of being grateful with the circle he found himself with.

Not counting Puck and Ivalera, Schierke was the one that lived the most out of the ones from the Brigade, living to the ripe old age of 300 thanks to the time dilation on Elfhelm, always making sure to go in and out of the island to plant more mansion trees to serve as magical wards for the woodland creatures, she lived a private life with not many friends aside from the magicians and folks she already knew before the old world collapsed, making sure to occasionally visit them and bring them some good drops of knowledge. Together with Morda, they managed to open a school of magic in Skellig that instructed any willing to learn the powers of the astral through more accessible means than being born as a magical entity. Honoring her master Flora until the very end, she ascended as one of the first astral spirits of the new world, making sure to rediscover and explore what new Od formations would appear in the outer layers of reality by herself.

>>5983742
Hyde would soon live in peace at Ilos as a normal man after retiring from his old life as a hunter, though many of his harpy daughters died along the way, he made sure to have one child for every one that he couldn't save in the skies, oddly enough, he managed to have one kid for every harpy he still had, making sure they had good company to last a lifetime. Many are still mesmerized by his wife having 19 kids in the span of a lifetime, though they never made a secret about how obsessed they were about sex.

Being a man of the church before all of this, he opened a new church in Ilos as he converted to the astral gods after realizing how much time the people of Old Midland spent praying to the dark angels, though when he realized he did not know what God ruled this earth now, he quickly turned it into a bigger house for his children to live with, making sure to help with Michelle and Bernard with whatever they needed.

Benny had lost the records of his sister's story during the collapse of the old world. Blaming himself for failing to upkeep what was to him, a greater artist's legacy, he tried to rewrite the story from memory, though soon noticed he could not even remember enough of the childish story to make a coherent story. Though now that the world was united and safe for him to finally see the world, the young child soon formed a band of friends to retell stories and poems that retold stories and experiences from not only his vision, but through a sad little harlequin that managed to brighten the world despite never seeing the beauty in herself.

Though many of these stories came with happy endings, the fallen were many with few but the large names being remembered. A few reminisced about the tall knight made out of skull armor that disappeared in the final battle, his true identity never being revealed to the world. Much like the old Falcon Rickert, who in the midst of the fight against the apostle Borkoff took a fatal blow by pushing Isidro away from the oncoming jaws of the monster, devouring him whole as his body was never recovered. Though his death was exactly what united Isidro and Mule, who managed to stop fighting as the young boy deflected to the side of liberation.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about Sonia, who disillusioned by Griffith's true calling after lending her ears to Schierke, jumped into the claws of the desecrating abyssal monster as a gut reaction, an emotional decision made in a split second that ended the rest of her young life.

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>>5983749
The black swordsman quickly disappeared from the public eye after standing up with his friend Vlad and walking off into the sunset, never to be seen again. Were it not for Vlad's occasional confirmation that he was still alive for a few years, people would have assumed that he died not much later after killing the old leader of the band of the falcon. Deciding to live his final years in peace, Guts and Casca promised to live at Godot the smith's lair, making sure that Erica was not left alone at the hill of swords, with Lucio managing to grow at the age of 7 with both of his parents still with him. Though he tried to practice weaponsmithing for a hobby, it was ultimately Casca that picked up the job for a way to pass the time and remember the good old days. The Dragonslayer was placed on top of the hill of swords, above even Griffith's rapier when his time came to pass.

Vlad's story was one that would be told far and wide across history, the peace he worked so hard to establish being worked for being fought just as hard to upkeep. Though his worn out body gave away at the age of 70, he managed to laugh in his final moments, with his quote being engraved in the minds of all who heard it.
"Huh... 23 years wishing for peace of mind... 23 years working for the betterment of the world, 24 years in retirement... All of that for one extra year resting... I'll take what I can get from lady luck, honestly..."

Though humanity would remain in peace for half a century after his death, The Idea of Evil would likely return, smarter, stronger, more advanced and unpredictable even to the united, yet struggling world of humanity, but rest assured, humanity would find a way to fight back. For it lives only to fight back against it's own nature.

>>5983792
"Casca?" A familiar voiced of a man with a claw scar across his face showed up with his wife and child, a blonde girl by the name of Alisa.

"Wrong house, fool." Puck answered the door to the hut of the hill of swords, where a grown up Isidro appeared behind him to properly greet him.

"What's up, boss?"
"You've known me for long enough to call me Vlad by now, Commander Isidro."
"Oof. Yeah, I see what you mean." Isidro winces at hearing his older master call him by his title.

"Sorry we got here so late, Alisa wasn't feeling well by flying on air, so we had to walk our way here halfway through." Farnese was quick to apologize, knowing they did not want to miss the date, given it was one year after Guts' death, they brought their daughter to at least distract herself by playing around with Lucio, who she was on friendly terms with.

"It's alright, the others have already gone away, but I had to stay given the girl I had to take care of." Casca shows up, with Erica and an unknown red haired girl sobbing by his side. "Isidro and I figured you might recognize this kid's face."

The frail figure, the braids with the round short cut hair, the silver eyes, though she seemed to be in great emotional distress, the girl covering her face with a black dress seemed to resemble Vlad's old master Merlina. Though she promised to reincarnate one day in hopes of re-encountering her pupil in simples times, he never imagined his wish would come to fruition within his lifetime.

"M-m..." Vlad nearly leaped across the room in a crouch to approach the girl's face, but quickly recomposed himself after seeing her fearful reaction. "I'm sorry, who is this poor little girl?"

"Do you remember a girl named Nina?"
"One of the prostitutes that worked at Albion, right? I think I remember her."
"Yes, I kept contact with a few of them through the years. It turns out she was pregnant around the time we were in Falconia. Though given her complications with her diseases, she ended up passing away after childbirth. And given how her health wasn't good from the start, her daughter was born blind."

Vlad did not notice at first, but the child's stare was very distant, only looking at the general direction where Casca's voice was and reacting to the subtlest noise around her, not even following Puck's flight as he shifted through the air.
"She had a father though, right? Joachim, I think it was his name. Where is that deadbeat?" Isidro insensitively asked, only resulting in the girl sobbing even harder.

"Well... Joachim started to doubt Nina's faithfulness given her appearance and hair color, and coupled with his lover's death... He took his own life a few days ago... Jumped into a frozen lake with her after an argument..."
"What!?" Vlad was disgusted by the cowardly man's actions, going as far as killing his lover's daughter over an affair that was only evident in his head.

>>5983841
"That piece of shit... I wish I could get my hands on him myself so I could..."
"Waaaaaah!" The girl collapses into tears after interrupting Isidro's monologue, making Farnese's daughter quickly let go of her mother's hand and clasp the crying girl's with hers.

"Hey... Don't cry. Can you tell me your name?"
Though scared from the sudden touch, the girl attempted to speak between sobs and hisses.
"M-Martha..."
"It even starts with an M..." Vlad thought to himself, seeing the beauty in the next generation of great magicians meeting in friendlier terms than when it was his time to step up.

"That's a beautiful name, Martha! It's as pretty as you! I'm Alisa, and my mom says I'll be able to learn really cool things with magic once I turn 10! How about we get to know each other! I wanna be your friend!" The girly Alisa walked around Martha as she observed her beautiful dress, contrasting her own white frilly garments as they reflected each other's feelings.

"It's amazing how easy kids can find friends... Did you teach her to be this nice?" Farnese asks her husband.
"I didn't teach her anything. Alisa is her own person... We just gave her some leeway by parenting her well." Vlad chuckled as they walked hand in hand, searching for Lucio to play around with.

"I know things are tough right now and it's ok if you feel sad and alone... But me and Lucio will be here for you... Feel free to visit me any time! My parents are busy all the time, so I usually have the house all by myself, think about how much the three of us could play around... I could even try some of your clothes on!"

"But I don't know how I look like... This is just how my father liked to dress me." Martha whines, though she does not decline the invitation.
"Lucio!" The moonlight child's head peaks out from the window as the girls exit the house to play around in the snow. "You've been studying magic for longer than me! Do you know anything about healing the blind?"

"Not that I'm aware of..." Lucio searches around his bookshelf before greeting the girls.
"That settles it then! Martha, As a proof of our friendship, I promise to make you see with your own two eyes, just so you can see how truly beautiful you truly are!"
"Th-Thank you..." Martha blushes, her face still puffed from her crying session. "Though I'm not sure if that's possible... I never saw anything with these."
"If it's not possible, then I'll make it possible, dang it! True friends do everything for each other, no matter how hard the sacrifices are!"

Alisa hugs Martha and pushes Lucio into the hug, making sure her eagerness to prove herself to the world rubbed off some happiness in the two other kids that did not have childhoods as good as hers. An everlasting friendship between the three of them formed much like many in the past, though what came after that was a story for another time.

>The End.

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NOW I feel like I wrote a proper send off. Thank you all for playing! Writing this entire project took some time and effort, but even though it was made entirely through the anonymity of everyone's favorite imageboard, hopefully some of the heart of the original series mixed in with a longtime fan of the manga managed to feel special in it's own right as well as having a proper conclusion we might not see in the manga for like a decade or so, given the planning around it and the interactivity, I really feel like I didn't write this all by myself, so either if you were here from the start or if you just showed up near the end, I'm glad you were here either way.

I don't plan on running other quests since adult life gets busier every day, but it's better to finish one quest than make several that never get past the second thread.
Thanks again, and farewell!

>>5983970
I was here almost from the beginning. I think I joined for the second vote, the one where we chose to do pull-ups.

>>5983742
love this old Schierke

>>5983876
simply wonderful, we might not have got the best victory. But it was inevitable that some losses would happen during the war, so i think this result is still quite nice.

>>5983970
and thank you for making the quest Becchi !!!!

I think we added a bit of our own, through the write ins you allowed. Both for decisions and what Vlad thought, felt or wanted to say. I was here from the start and i made them more than once. Vlad had no fear of saying what was in his mind, and his collisions with Griffith, the Apostles and the God Hand through the quest were very cool. The friendship with Guts was often unstable, but even there he managed to stabilize it (i wouldn't be surprised if Vlad and Guts had the time of their life laughing when at last they exorcised the mutt from the armor).

And personally i think you managed to make it feel like Berserk just from the fresh perspective of Vlad. Characters like Hyde, Gallahad, Jacopo, Michelle, Hedwyn, Merlina and Barnham where a welcome addition for me, and provided much growth for other characters alongside new parts of the story and setting to explore. I still remember the fight against Barnham in the arena of Ilos, and Vlad winning despite how difficult it was for him and Gunpowder. Or how Gallahad managed to become part of the royal knights which was quite rad.

And Vlad, Vlad was really fun to play. And it wasn't easy at all it truly felt like we where fitting against incredible odds and sometimes it felt futile even to attempt to fight, to struggle. But the pegasus prevailed, overthrow the kraken and rise to the heavens.
Thanks for making the quest and for giving it a worthy end. See ya again if you ever return, otherwise good luck with your life Becchi.

>>5983876
So long, Bechii. It's been a blast.
I had just a few questions before we die truly and fully, if you don't mind answering them.

Will there be Apostles of Good in the future, or some other equivalent? If so, how do they differ from regular apostles?
Will we end up assembling five Archangels to oppose the fingers of the god hand someday?
Has the radical restructuring of the astral to extend upward into the new heavens created grounds for new spirits and new branches of magic for the future?

>>5983970
We will miss you Bechii. I hope sometime in the future you have some free time to come back to us.

>>5984287
>Will there be Apostles of Good in the future, or some other equivalent? If so, how do they differ from regular apostles?
Don't think so, at most, we'll get an easier connection with stronger spirits as magic gets more widespread around the world, making it harder for the God Hand to have a one sided control over the world.

>Has the radical restructuring of the astral to extend upward into the new heavens created grounds for new spirits and new branches of magic for the future?
Of course, maybe Vlad and some of his pals will ascend into some sort of equivalent to the four kings of the world.
>>5984397
Thank you and so long!