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File: 1781630766255-0.jpeg (92.65 KB, 800x600, Space.jpeg)

File: 1781630766255-1.png (1.28 MB, 1908x1076, Amaterasu.png)

File: 1781630766255-2.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1781630766255-3.png (2.77 MB, 1284x1828, Mastix.png)

File: 1781630766255-4.jpeg (304.28 KB, 1920x1200, Space-Time.jpeg)

 No.5034

>Date: November 10th, 2017
>Location: Null Space
>Time: Indeterminant

>A piercingly-loud pitch of condensed sound can be heard for seemingly miles, stretching across the infinite expanse of a void - one of a primordial origin, and a harrowing essence.

>Alongside the pitched sound, is a voice screaming in pain, a fused distorted sound of a man, and that of a monster - simultaneously occupying the same cadence.

"Master, I swear I'll remedy the situatiAAAGGGHHH!!!"

>A man in red continues to scream as energy rapidly diffuses from the open wounds on his body - with more obsidian black slices of what are seemingly energy, continue to rupture and lacerate his body. Feeling the singed pain of a fundamental burning in his body, the man slowly turns his eyes up towards the figure standing before him, panting heavily with an equally black substance pouring from the side of his mouth.

"Please…Show mercy to your most loyal of subjects! I have served you for eons, master!"

>A figure in black clothes, with snow white hair, and an unnatural alabaster white shade to his skin. His eyes, seemingly punctures in reality, are an unnaturally distinct vantablack - lacking in contours and depth, triggering the hindbrain reactions of mortal men.

"This is mercy, little wyrm. I tasked you with subjugating a universe. A mere triviality for our kind. Yet even with this, you could not provide me with something actionable. Something useful."

>In an instant, the white haired man with vampiric looking traits then simply snaps his fingers, causing the entirety of the empty space around them to begin to violently contract and compress towards the man in red.

>Panicking, the man in red pleads louder to his alleged master, begging him for a reprieve.

"Lord Unum! Please! Give me another chance to serve you! I will do anything you ask! Anything!"

>Raising an eyebrow in amusement, the white haired man then cranes his head to the side slowly and deliberately, his unnatural gaze of hollow black, with bright white irises intensively burrowing into the man in red, through his eyes.

"If you insist, little Wyrm. You will be given one final chance to prove yourself to me and Lord Malphus. If you fail us again, however - the unmoored will describe your fate in more ways than one."

 No.5035

File: 1781631862758-0.png (295.14 KB, 540x304, Sanctuary City - 2.png)

File: 1781631862758-1.jpg (75.76 KB, 1000x640, Brigadiers.jpg)

File: 1781631862758-2.jpg (131.87 KB, 474x500, MRD.jpg)

File: 1781631862758-3.jpg (62.49 KB, 1200x571, Hovercraft.jpg)

>>5034
>Date: November 15th, 2017
>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown
>Time: 11:23 AM

>The Meta-Human capital of the United States is traditionally a hotbed for all manner of chaotic circumstances. Technopathic criminals, runaway experiments, and the occasional bank robber far outside of their depth. However the city currently has experienced something rather remarkable for its history - a lack of large scale, city-destroying threats. Naturally, that is only ever a bad omen.

>On the corner of a street overlooking the intersection between two busy commercial avenues of businesses lined up for seemingly miles - a MRD trooper in standard issue armor finishes booking a pair of Meta-Human criminals. With energy restraints on the both of them, the trooper is seemingly unamused by their attempted crime spree.

"This is the fourth time a group of Metas have been reported for breaking and entering."

>Looking at the Meta humans, a pair of Brigadiers with their hoods up, the MRD trooper looks more disappointed under his helmet than irate.

"I'm serious. Look at you three. You're what, sixteen? Seventeen? You wanna throw away your lives with this crap? You think running around with some guns and superpowers makes you tough?"

>Kneeling down on one knee in front of the three hooded Brigadiers, the MRD trooper continues speaking.

"Your boss thought he was invincible too. You remember what happened to him? Thrasher's rotting in a jail cell for the rest of his life, with no possibility of parole - because he made a choice to throw his life away, like the three of you are doing right now. You want that that same life? Looking at a rickety old wall in a cell with the humming of a power dampener being background noise?"

>The Brigadiers remain silent, although all three of them shake their heads - nonverbally saying no. They're then escorted to the back of a MRD hovercraft and situated inside as the back harness starts to close.

"Then make sure this stays as a juvie record, and doesn't become a habit after eighteen. Because then, I can't help you turn things around."

>The MRD trooper then turns around and starts to walk towards the front of the same MRD hovercraft, as his partner trooper remains seated in the driver's seat.

"You know one day that pep speech of yours won't work."

>Scoffing, the MRD trooper then jumps into the other seat of the hovercraft, stating:

"Yeah well, somebody's gotta give those kids some hope. Y'know? Kids like that, they've got no role models. No support structures."

>Pointing a thumb out back at the Brigadiers, the trooper then speaks again.

"Two of those three are repeat offenders. Burglary, arson, weapons smuggling, intimidation and assault - but no homicides, terrorism, nothing that'll put them away for life. They've got a chance to turn things around Dave. I wasn't lying about that."

"No Brad, you weren't. I'll give you that."

>As the hovercraft is about to start up - the MRD trooper who's driving the hovercraft then narrows their eyes behind the visor of their helmet, stating:

"….Brad, you see that? Twelve o'clock - dead center."

 No.5036

File: 1781632552525-0.jpg (62.49 KB, 1200x571, Hovercraft.jpg)

File: 1781632552525-1.png (3.3 MB, 3000x1688, MRD - 2.png)

File: 1781632552525-2.jpg (694.38 KB, 1920x2453, Zombies.jpg)

File: 1781632552525-3.jpg (378.92 KB, 1920x1080, Zombies - 2.jpg)

>>5035
>Magnifying the sight with their helmets, the MRD troopers then immediately see the disturbance in the distance - right in front of them, but around half a mile away.

"….Dave, what the fuck are we looking at?! Is that-"

"It's a fucking stampede of people - and they're moving like wild animals. What in the hell…."

>Immediately prepping the MRD Hovercraft for takeoff, the MRD Troopers are startled by the sheer speed and coordinated movement of the humans. But something is off in their minds, as they look more closely at the large congregation of civilians seemingly stampeding towards them.

"….They don't look scared…..Jesus Christ, Brad - look!"

>Pointing a finger in front of him, the other MRD agent follows the finger gesture to the exact spot that he's pointing to - seeing it as well.

"….Oh My God."

>The civilians aren't running in fear like a disorganized mob of panicked humans, tripping over each other. It's the opposite.

>They're moving as a systematic contingent of soldiers, feral, but simultaneously coordinated. They're running in multiple lines, like a coordinated phalanx of paradoxically starving soldiers. Seemingly organized to a fault, but also lacking in inhibition and restraint.

>As the civilians get closer, the MRD troopers can see that they're entirely pale white, partially deformed and missing portions or chunks of their entire skin and muscle.

"….Fucking hell, they're zombies! God damned zombies!"

>The MRD hovercraft barely gets up into the air in time as the zombies arrive, attempting to swarm the hovercraft.

>Surprisingly, one of the zombies jumps up with superhuman strength into the air, grabbing onto the side of the MRD hovercraft and exerting force to partially drag it down.

"Shit!"

>The MRD trooper in the side seat immediately gets out his blaster - firing it at the Zombie's face through the window, causing it to fall to the ground below.

>As it hits the ground with a loud "thud" noise, it slowly gets back up to its feet and twists its head back into place with a loud "crack" sound, now looking up at the MRD Hovercraft once more.

 No.5037

File: 1781633561660-0.jpg (62.49 KB, 1200x571, Hovercraft.jpg)

File: 1781633561660-1.jpg (1.13 MB, 1920x1080, MRD - 3.jpg)

File: 1781633561660-2.png (295.14 KB, 540x304, Sanctuary City - 2.png)

File: 1781633561660-3.png (8.04 MB, 4842x2708, Null Zone.png)

>>5036
>As the MRD Hovercraft is getting its bearings and slowly rising back up - the MRD Troopers in the front seats finally realize what's likely causing the sudden zombie outbreak.

"…..Brad, you see that?"

>The MRD Trooper in the side seat points again outside, but off to the side in the distance. Towards the easter part of the city, a giant black dome of energy has appeared around several city blocks in the Historic Sector of the city.

"What the - when the hell did that show up?! I did a scan sweep of the area ten minutes before we booked these Brigadiers!"

"Whatever it is, I'd bet money that's the cause of this."

>As the MRD Hovercraft continues to fly, the MRD Troopers start getting reports from the central precinct.

"Commander Valkyrie has confirmed that our sister cities of Paradise and Haven have confirmed similar sightings. Large vantablack domes with spatial anomalies - and resulting swarms of undead zombies. Identity analysis of individual zombies has begun with preliminary stages of captured subjects - standing orders are to shoot and kill, as they appear to be truly deceased from immediate observations."

>The MRD Troopers look at each other and discuss the situation as it's currently unfolding.

"….You think the Spire's safest? We need to pull back there or to HQ. Though I'm not sure if the barriers can hold off an army of zombies."

"What about the civilians? We can't protect them and take on the swarm! There's way too many of them!"

>Sighing, the MRD Trooper shakes his head as he then says, through gritted teeth:

"…..We can't. But they can. Send an S.O.S. on an open broadcast."

"Really? You want to call them?"

"Does it look like we have a fucking choice?! Radio out a signal and broadcast an explicit request for assistance from Mosaic, Omnius and the other vigilantes!"

 No.5038

File: 1781634804530-0.jpg (2.01 MB, 2000x955, Archeon (Earth-0) - 3.jpg)

File: 1781634804530-1.jpg (114.17 KB, 736x1039, Wing Gundam Zero - 3.jpg)

File: 1781634804530-2.jpeg (402.32 KB, 1920x828, Base.jpeg)

File: 1781634804530-3.jpeg (94.68 KB, 850x1159, Aiden - 48.jpeg)

File: 1781634804530-4.jpeg (184.85 KB, 992x1403, Amber.jpeg)

>>5037
>Location: Sanctuary City - Archeon Incorporated - R & D Grounds
>Time: 11:23 AM

"You really think the board's going to be fine with this, Grayson?"

>Amber, the redhead Chief Technology Officer of one of the largest multi-national corporations in modern human history, has her arms on her hips as she raises her eyes at her boss. Despite being a 27 year old engineering prodigy, Amber still feels a combination of annoyance and irritation at the lackadaisical and seemingly indifferent nature of her 22 year old boss - Aiden Grayson, standing beside her.

>Hands in his black designer jeans pockets, with his black coat perfectly rolled up to the sleeves, Aiden has his sunglasses on his face, as usual, as he and Amber are standing side-by-side, observing a large mechanical structure that's being built in the center of the research and development acres of the large, multi-campus complex.

"Well the board wanted an example of an engineering project that could be used for deep space asteroid mining and exosphere satellite maintenance and management."

>Amber looks at Aiden with an incredulous look on her face as she replies:

"So your response was to build a 50-foot bipedal, humanoid mecha frame with the same degree of joint articulation as a human being - powered by a nuclear reactor?!"

>Aiden looks sheepishly at the mech, his hands still in his jacket pockets as he shrugs, saying:

"What, you don't like it? I think it looks rather novel."

>Amber then looks at the mecha frame more carefully, noting the two giant blaster weapons in either of its hands.

"And the giant laser blasters?"

>Aiden looks at Amber, stating:

"Mining lasers. Equipped with a refraction index calculation algorithm to alter the optical density of the resulting ionized plasma discharge-"

"I know what it is, Grayson. I'm asking you why it's there!"

>Aiden then shrugs and says:

"Much more direct than complex separate mining machine, no? Besides, Orion seemed to like it."

>Narrowing her eyes, Amber then states:

"Oh please, as if Thompson has any care or consideration for anything that happens at this company. The man doesn't have a single analytical bone in his body! You, I can barely accept as CEO - since you have some qualifications. But Thompson? The most complex thing he's ever done is determine which teams are assigned to what projects while eating a sandwich!"

>Amber, seemingly now beyond irritated, then says:

"He's completely out of his depth! I don't know what kind of dirt he has on you, but making him COO of the entire company was an absurd idea! Where did he even come from?!"

>Amber begins jabbing a finger at Aiden's chest, not causing him to move whatsoever, which slightly surprises her, as she keeps jabbing a finger at him.

"Him and Stella! While I have nothing against her personally, as she's a very kind and considerate person, unlike you - she still doesn't have the qualifications to be an assistant manager and secretary of this company!"

>Aiden looks at Amber, keeping his hands in his jeans pockets as he looks at her with his eyes behind his circular sunglasses, stating:

"So you're doubting me now, after tripling the company's market capitalization and increasing operating income Year over Year by double digit percentages consistently?"

>Amber looks somewhat startled as she steps back and crosses her arms, huffing in annoyance.

"You got lucky. We had some projects in R&D that your father was finishing up. That was his genius, not yours."

>Aiden now looks somewhat amused as he gives a small smile, saying:

"He didn't tell you did he? The kinetic dampening field and air scrubber integrated plating were my designs."

>Amber blinks, trying to hide a look of disbelief on her face as she replies:

"Nonsense. Silas was just being considerate to you. He always has been….to everyone…"

>Amber looks lost in thought after mentioning Silas's name, with her expression softening.

"Wow Amber. If you were 2 decades older, I'd probably be calling you 'mom' right now."

>Amber's face then turns red as she explodes verbally on Aiden, shouting profanities at him as Aiden shrugs.

>Calming herself down, Amber then mutters to herself, saying:

"Where the hell is Thompson anyways? He's supposed to be here at R&D to handle the delegation of project responsibilities!"

 No.5039

File: 1781642663970-0.png (295.14 KB, 540x304, Sanctuary City - 3.png)

File: 1781642663970-1.jpg (239.32 KB, 693x417, Interface34.jpg)

File: 1781642663970-2.jpg (27.18 KB, 559x316, Telepathy.jpg)

>>5038
>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown

>The air rumbles as Omnius rockets through the air over the streets. As he flies by the "zombies" are all picked up behind him and carried into the air, being pulled together in a mashed together pile of corpses.

>Without any actual visible movement from himself, he crushes the orb tightly together, and then smashes it into the ground - leaving a dirty pile of squished corpses almost resembling a swatted bug.

"Help! Please!"

>Omnius immediately shifts his attention towards a near-by alleyway. He flies towards it. There, a man and woman stand against a dead-end wall. The man stands in front of the woman while holding a trash can lid as he's just barely keeping back a pair of "zombies".

"Run..! Go! I can't hold them!"

>Just before the man's arms are about to give out, Omnius suddenly lands behind the pair of corpses, grabbing them by the back of the heads. He turns and in one swift motion throws them both high into the sky where they can no longer be seen.

"Do you have somewhere safe to go?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Good. I'll drop you off."

>Omnius then rises into the air with the pair, and begins heading towards a safe place - having gleamed the information from their mind. Along the way he begins to call out to Aiden mentally.

"Aiden! I'm downtown! There's fucking ZOMBIES here! They're like a goddamn roach infestation!"

 No.5040

File: 1781643699907-0.jpg (2.01 MB, 2000x955, Archeon (Earth-0) - 3.jpg)

File: 1781643699907-1.jpeg (140.52 KB, 850x1203, Aiden - 50.jpeg)

File: 1781643699907-2.jpg (449.41 KB, 1724x2048, Amber - 2.jpg)

File: 1781643699907-3.jpg (302.29 KB, 900x842, Telepathy - 2.jpg)

>>5039
>Aiden blinks with a fraction of a moment's demonstration of surprise on his face, as he then responds within his own mind:

{"Be right there. I'll let the others know."}

>Turning to Amber for a moment, who's looking at him with a quizzical expression on her face, Aiden then says:

"Actually, put a hold on the delegation of duties, thing for today. You're Chief Technology Officer, so I'll let you handle the other projects. Besides, it's your division, right?"

>Amber blinks in surprise as she then stammers a response, stating:

"H-Hey! Aiden! You can't just toss all of that to me!"

>Aiden starts quickly walking off in the other direction, waving his hand as he says:

"Sorry! Something came up! I'll make it up to you later Amber! Promise!"

>Giving an irritably charming smile as he walks off, Aiden then rounds the corner into the foyer of the main Archeon building, thinking out loud with his psionic telepathy:

{"Jay, Josh, Mariah. Something's come up. Omnius says that there's a zombie outbreak that just occurred right now in the Downtown section of the city. Given the timeframe, it's spontaneous, likely supernatural. I'll send everyone home as part of an emergency lockdown of the complex for today."}

>Then turning his attention towards Orion's situation, Aiden then thinks:

{"Orion, I'm on my way. Anything you can tell me about the zombies? Transmission infection vectors like biting? Erratic behavior? Or are they synchronized?"}

 No.5041

File: 1781644876435-0.png (6.38 MB, 3852x2160, Derelict Corridor.png)

File: 1781644876435-1.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

File: 1781644876435-2.png (1.23 MB, 1280x720, Blast - 4.png)

File: 1781644876435-3.jpg (378.92 KB, 1920x1080, Zombies - 2.jpg)

File: 1781644876435-4.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

>>5040
>Location: Sanctuary City - Historic Sector
>Time: 11:25 AM

>Deep within the more derelict areas of the Historic Sector, an almost abandoned and decrepit portion of the city, a faint glowing purple light can be seen emanating from an old abandoned building. The building itself is in the epicenter of the larger black sphere of energy that has appeared within Sanctuary City - the seeming source of the zombies that are attacking.

"Liga animam ad arbitria terrae inferioris!"

>Large bright plumes of purple light continue to rise from the ground around a floating figure in purple clothing, with white hair. A woman, seemingly wearing the garb of a sorceress, continues her ritualistic incantations, as she speaks:

"Surgite, lapsi, nam reditus damnatorum coepit!"

>Even more surges of bright purple light appear, with zombies manifesting from the dissipating light - all subservient to her.

>Closing her eyes as she continues meditating in place, legs crossed as she hovers in the air, the woman then hears a voice within her mind.

"Very good, Morgana. You have mastered the death incantation with exceptional skill."

>Nodding her head slowly, Morgana speaks in English in response:

"Thank you, Lord Wyrmwood. Your guidance and your divine radiance, have guided me this far. I will fulfill your wishes and blight this world in your true divine essence!"

>The zombies around her then begin to slowly fidget in place, twisting and contorting as they begin rapidly mutating. Their bodies begin to elongate, bulge with dark biomass, and their appendages begin to morph into nightmarish, razor-sharp claws, blades and other deadly weaponry. Their mouths and jaws begin to unhinge, as their voices become exceedingly loud, painfully sharp, and begin to screech.

>Still docile to Morgana's will, the monsters crowd around her, kneeling, or falling to the ground, for those whose legs have mutated into sharp tails and other protrusions.

 No.5042

File: 1781645324109-0.png (295.14 KB, 540x304, Sanctuary City - 2.png)

File: 1781645324109-1.jpg (378.92 KB, 1920x1080, Zombies - 2.jpg)

File: 1781645324109-2.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

File: 1781645324109-3.jpg (110.68 KB, 640x960, MRD - 7.jpg)

File: 1781645324109-4.jpg (62.49 KB, 1200x571, Hovercraft.jpg)

>>5041
>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown Section
>Time: 11:25 AM

>A large number of the swarming zombies begin mutating at the exact same time, likely as a response to Morgana's secondary incantation. They begin fidgeting in place, shaking uncontrollably and violently as their bodies self-bisect, split apart partially, or contort and twist as their limbs similarly elongate as the other zombies' limbs did. They form the same bladed and clawed appendages as before, along with the same split jaws - empty eyes and ear-piercing screams.

>The nearest group to Omnius see him, and begin immediately leaping towards him, jumping dozens of feet into the air, attempting to converge on his location with their razor sharp claws and blades fixated on him. Surprisingly, the zombies are all now starting to slowly move away from the MRD troops and civilians, and more towards Omnius.

>In their warped and distorted minds, Omnius's figure is appearing as a bright purple flare of energy - energy of a very unique and distinct type. They're drawn to it, drawn to him - like moths to a flame, starved of sustenance.

>The MRD Troopers nearby take advantage of the situation, immediately jumping into their hovercraft, and taking off - aiming their plasma weaponry squarely at the zombies in an attempt to slow them down as they converge on Omnius.

"These things are jumping Omnius now! Why?!"

"Who cares! He's taking the heat off of the civilians! Let's give him some cover fire!"

>The MRD Troopers continue to converge their firepower on the zombies, staggering some of them in the swarm and even blasting off some of their limbs - though they slowly begin to regrow as a result of a purple light that is generated from their bodies.

"Holy shit. They really are fucking zombies! They're regenerating!"

"Call HQ! We're gonna need the Commander and the Spec Ops team!"

 No.5043

File: 1781645889372-0.jpg (557.52 KB, 1480x2092, Interface18.jpg)

File: 1781645889372-1.jpg (27.18 KB, 559x316, Telepathy.jpg)

File: 1781645889372-2.gif (532.86 KB, 500x281, Fire Manipulation.gif)

>>5040
>>5042
("They all just… fucking mutated or something and now they're all coming after me!"}

>Omnius watches as one of the zombies begins to regenerate from it's wounds using a purple light.

{"These things gotta be magic or psychic or something. They just shined for a moment then regrew a limb.}

>Omnius holds out his palm towards the zombies swarming towards him, only for the ground to explode into flames, engulfing the zombies with it.

 No.5044

File: 1781646337059-0.jpg (2.01 MB, 2000x955, Archeon (Earth-0) - 3.jpg)

File: 1781646337059-1.jpg (1.94 MB, 5323x2200, Lobby.jpg)

File: 1781646337059-2.png (4.1 MB, 2162x2158, Aiden - 87.png)

File: 1781646337059-3.jpg (122.9 KB, 850x1128, Stella - 15.jpg)

File: 1781646337059-4.jpg (149.26 KB, 590x300, Mana Particles - 2.jpg)

>>5042
>Location: Sanctuary City - Enterprise Sector
>Time: 11:25 AM

>A large, translucent barrier begins to surround the entire Archeon Complex, projecting outwards at a rapid rate, and seemingly covering every person within the complex in a faint, imperceptible field.

"….There, I've cast a protection ward on the staff of the entire complex."

>Stella says as she sighs, the pink energy in her eyes subsiding as she then puts a hand to her forehead. Aiden stands beside her in the lobby.

"That, combined with the first spell of haste, should help to keep everybody safe."

>Aiden places a hand on Stella's shoulder as he then speaks:

"Thanks Stella. Just wanted to make sure we took the right precautions."

>Stella is silent for a moment before she turns to look at Aiden, giving him a weak smile.

"This is the second time this week I've had to save your hide, Aiden. Don't make it a habit."

>Stella then gives Aiden a quick peck of her lips on his cheek, as she then says:

"I assume Orion's already out there trying to help."

>Aiden nods as he then replies:

"Yeah. I'm not sure why I didn't notice it immediately. An entire zombie army can't just spawn out of nothingness like that. I've got way too many senses for that to-"

"No, you definitely would notice - unless it was protected by magic."

>Aiden grows silent for a moment as he then looks concerned.

"….Sorcerer?"

"Yeah. I can sense her, deep within that sphere that just manifested. She's using some form of exogenous magic - drawing from an outside source."

>Nodding, Aiden then turns to walk away as Stella grabs his hand, causing him to turn back.

"Remember, be careful. I'll stay here and help to coordinate Damian and the others with my magic. Don't want to give this sorcerer any reason to get aggressive, once they sense me arriving."

>Aiden nods again and says:

"Noted. I'm-"

>>5043
>Aiden then immediately gets Orion's psychic thoughts, relayed via telepathy as he says:

{"On my way, Orion. Damian and the others are already en route. I think you're correct. The one behind this is a sorcerer according to Stella. She can sense them within the black sphere that's appeared. We might have to go there to stop them."}

 No.5045

File: 1781646994732-0.png (6.63 MB, 2562x1446, Arachnid - 2.png)

File: 1781646994732-1.jpg (196.58 KB, 436x624, Arachne - 15.jpg)

File: 1781646994732-2.jpeg (238.83 KB, 791x1200, Tarantula.jpeg)

File: 1781646994732-3.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

File: 1781646994732-4.jpg (94.5 KB, 1917x875, Webbing.jpg)

>>5044
>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown
>Time: 11:26 AM

>Three figures in different, yet equally distinct outfits, swing on white threads of adhesive webbing across Sanctuary City at mach speeds. The tension and acceleration forces of their web swings would otherwise crush normal humans into paste. For them, however, the movements are second nature - if not a bit hurried given the circumstances.

"Guys, we're almost there! You see anything out of the ordinary-"

>As Arachnid, Arachne and Tarantula continue swinging into the air, they each independently see the same stark site - a swarm of nightmarishly-mutated humanoid zombie monsters with large elongated blades for arms swarming towards them - and some of them outright jumping into the air.

"Holy-"

>Arachnid vaults up into the air with a front flip from the end of his swinging arc, narrowly avoiding one of the leaping zombies.

>Arachne swings to the side, swing kicking another down to the ground as she leaps forward in the air, spinning a new web line.

"Take that, asshole!"

>Tarantula takes a more direct approach, absorbing the attack of an incoming aerial zombie with his suit's supernatural biomass, absorbing and consuming the zombie whole.

"Ngh. Thanks for the energy I suppose."

>Arachne looks on in disgust, saying:

"Ugh, Josh that's so fucking gross! Undead or not, you can't just eat people!"

>Tarantula scoffs as he continues swinging, stating:

"I can if they're mindless dead bodies being puppeteered, Mariah. They're not innocent civilians. They're undead monsters!"

>Arachnid continues leading the other spider Meta-Humans throughout the city, and through the downtown section as he says:

"Remember. Main goal's containment and herding! Our webbing's likely good enough to bind them up until Mosaic and Omnius finish doing what they've gotta do!"

>Tarantula swings forward, right next to Arachnid, saying:

"You didn't need to come here Damian, we can handle this. You've still gotta finish your college classes."

>Arachnid looks at Tarantula in slight annoyance, stating:

"Oh come on Josh. This again?! I'm just as needed as both of you!"

>Arachne then swings in, interjecting:

"You're both idiots. Pay attention to what's in front of you!"

>Arachnid and Tarantula then both look and see a giant skyscraper window in front of them, as they both instinctively spin new webs up to the top of the skyscraper, and zip themselves up over it in mere seconds.

"Fair enough!"

"Tch. Fine, Mariah."

>All three of them then continue swinging off, firing large webbing nets from their web shooters, spinerettes or biomass - in order to coral and bind a large number of the zombies below as they swing.

 No.5046

File: 1781647618792-0.png (295.14 KB, 540x304, Sanctuary City - 2.png)

File: 1781647618792-1.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

File: 1781647618792-2.jpg (358.85 KB, 1315x1576, Opposer.jpg)

File: 1781647618792-3.png (1.94 MB, 1286x1974, Opposer - 2.png)

File: 1781647618792-4.gif (1.81 MB, 636x321, Explosion - 7.gif)

>>5045
>>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown
>Time: 11:26 AM

>As the zombies continue to swarm Omnius, attempting to flank him, a large RPG blast suddenly hits the area around Omnius, killing the nearby zombies.

>A distant black dot in the sky then rapidly crashes down to the ground, creating shockwaves for a city block and sending the MRD Hovercraft flying. As the dust subsides, a large, hulking biomass humanoid monstrosity slowly rises to its feet. The face of the humanoid figure is entirely disfigured and horrific, with muscle mass and torn skin being visible. The figure, rising to its feet, turns towards Omnius with a purple glow in its free eye.

>Starting to walk towards Omnius slowly, it speaks a single syllable in repeat.

"PSY……PSY……PSY….."

>Repeating the chant with ominous and foreboding consistency and monotony, the figure is seemingly drawn towards Omnius, as it continues approaching. With each step, it shakes the ground so violently that it causes certain vehicles to bounce up into the air, causing more of the smaller zombies to be flung into the air.

>Continuing the advance, the large, hulking figure causes the smaller zombies to quickly scurry out of the way, not out of fear, but out of coordination - as it aims its giant bazooka launcher at Omnius once more.

>It then says one specific word, that makes it clear what it is to Omnius.

"OPPOSER."

 No.5047

File: 1781648303301.jpg (140.16 KB, 450x453, Interface24.jpg)

>>5046
>Before the creature can fire, the ammo within the bazooka suddenly explodes, being remotely triggered by Omnius.

>He lowers himself to the ground, immediately sending out an invisible wave of force throwing aside any of the zombies within it's radius.

"Come on. A rocket launcher? I'm actually offended."

 No.5048

File: 1781648819988-0.gif (496.72 KB, 500x268, Explosion - 2.gif)

File: 1781648819988-1.png (1.94 MB, 1286x1974, Opposer - 2.png)

File: 1781648819988-2.png (7.22 MB, 3846x2162, Vindicator.png)

File: 1781648819988-3.jpeg (134.66 KB, 1920x1080, Missile.jpeg)

File: 1781648819988-4.gif (1.09 MB, 500x231, Car Throw.gif)

>>5047
>The detonation of the rocket launcher causes the large, undead being to immolate, slowly getting burned by its flames. As this occurs, however, the same purple light as before then flickers - causing the monster to split into two. The original then focuses with purple light once more - generating a new rocket launcher.

>The second, new copy of the monster, has a large, elongated biomass of matte on its right hand, now morphed into a large claw structure. The second monster then begins speaking the same monosyllable statement, alongside the original.

"PSY….PSY…..PSY…."

>The first monster then continues firing rocket launchers at Omnius, now being infused with purple energy - psionic energy. The blasts are now rapid fire, multiple of them per second.

>The second monster with the giant claw structure then slams its claw into the ground, charging it with glowing purple psionic energy, before blasting it out as large, energized chunks - psychic energy bombs in the form of infused road chunks. It then begins chucking cars at Omnius as well.

 No.5049

File: 1781649256077-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1781649256077-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781649256077-2.jpg (54.72 KB, 600x600, Red Energy.jpg)

File: 1781649256077-3.png (1.94 MB, 1286x1974, Opposer - 2.png)

File: 1781649256077-4.gif (1.95 MB, 350x215, Explosion - 4.gif)

>>5048
>As the cars are thrown towards Omnius, suddenly - they're sliced in half seemingly out of nowhere. In an instant, behind the sliced car, the physical form of Mosaic appears, standing in place.

>At the same time, the missiles are also sliced in half with extreme precision - falling to the ground completely sapped of their energy.

>One of Mosaic's hands is gripped around the handle of his sword, Durandal. The black and white grip and the ruby red pommel on the edge, both have a faint ethereal glow to them.

>As Mosaic eases up, he rests the back of the blade on his shoulder, with one hand in his coat's pockets.

"Yep, you were right."

>Turning around to look at Omnius, Mosaic then says:

"They're psionic monsters. Or vampires rather. They're designed to hunt for those with psionic energy."

>The first of the monsters then fires another blast at Mosaic - who them absorbs the force of the blast and the energy, heat and flames of the explosion through Durandal - watching as the blade glows with a faint ruby red light.

"Not the brightest idea…."

>Mosaic then sends the charged energy back, slashing forward with one hand holding onto Durandal, as the charged ruby red energy of the blade then dissipates, becoming a large ruby red energy slash that cuts straight through the first monster with the bazooka. The natural energies of Durandal manifest as a supernatural ruby red flame, and begin burning the monster entirely, causing it to vaporize into ash.

>As the second monster begins rushing towards them, Mosaic steps off to the side, gesturing with his free hand in a bow to Omnius, stating:

"Case in point, they can dish it out, but I doubt they can take it."

 No.5050

File: 1781649559157.jpg (191.21 KB, 450x494, Interface44.jpg)

>>5049
"Doesn't look like it."

>The ground suddenly snaps together, smashing into the second monster and trapping it in place. Omnius suddenly appears in front of it, delivering a kick with enough force to send it's head flying off it's body.

>The head and body now separated explode from the psychic charge Omnius's kick gave them, ideally vaporizing the monster.

 No.5051

File: 1781650473369-0.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1781650473369-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781650473369-2.jpg (5.09 MB, 1920x2012, Sol.jpg)

File: 1781650473369-3.gif (1.95 MB, 350x215, Explosion - 4.gif)

File: 1781650473369-4.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

>>5050
>As the second monster's head is sent spiraling off of its neck, and into the air, Mosaic then watches as the monster's two parts completely explode into nothingness with the accumulated psychic energy of his kick.

>Mosaic then whistles in awe as he then says to Omnius:

"Remind me to never get into a psionic fight with you. At least without an advantage."

>As the two large monsters are destroyed, the zombies then rush in - to no avail, as Mosaic begins slicing them up into seeming confetti and chopped limbs in an instant. The supernatural blender that is Mosaic's sword, Durandal, continues to stab, slash, slice, split and pierce the bodies of the undead supernatural creatures.

>Because of Durandal's mystical properties as a magical weapon, Mosaic is able to kill the monsters by permanently vaporizing them via Durandal's magical power.

"The source is the sorceress inside of that distortion zone. Andromeda's already nailed down her location - but the psionic tracing and the distortion of the physical space around the area, tells me that…."

>Interrupted by a surge of swarming zombies, Mosaic stabs through several of them with his large broadsword, swinging it through the air as he then throws the zombies off of his sword, and tosses them into other zombies - charged with ruby red glowing energy as they explode.

"I've always wanted to do this."

>From seemingly nowhere, Mosaic summons another weapon, his signature handgun blaster - Sol.

>Flipping it around his free hand, while Durandal is still gripped in his other hand, Mosaic turns around with lightning speed, aiming for a zombie rushing towards him from dozens of feet away, right in front of the hundreds of other zombies flowing in from behind it.

"…..Aaaaand pop goes the weasel."

>Mosaic then fires a single shot from Sol - causing it to jettison a small, highly concentrated red and gold burst of mystical flame towards the zombie - causing it to generate a massive chain reaction and a conflagration of mystical flames and energy - causing explosion after explosion that moves from zombie to zombie, rupturing the flanks of the zombies.

>Looking at Sol, the handgun in his hand, Mosaic then flips it around his finger once more before grabbing it and lowering his hand, stating:

"Ready to go psychic scuba diving?"

>As Mosaic turns around to walk away, he then stops and turns back, saying:

"Oh and by the way, you're gonna have to do double duty today once we're done. Amber's already looking for any excuse to convince the board that you're slacking. For what it's worth, I told her she's overreacting."

 No.5052

File: 1781650920788-0.jpg (323.21 KB, 600x607, Interface26.jpg)

File: 1781650920788-1.gif (79.46 KB, 220x147, Backhand 2.gif)

>>5051
>Omnius looks annoyed behind his helmet's visor.

"She's just jealous that I'm able to get all my work done quickly without any problems."

>He casually backhands one of the remaining zombies that rushed towards him, sending it splattering into a near-by wall. He then begins to head towards the black dome, wondering to himself why there seems to be so much magic lately.

 No.5053

File: 1781717115980-0.jpeg (4.57 MB, 2480x3507, Mosaic - 21.jpeg)

File: 1781717115980-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781717115980-2.png (8.04 MB, 4842x2708, Null Zone.png)

File: 1781717115980-3.jpg (113.62 KB, 640x640, Red Light Circle.jpg)

File: 1781717115980-4.gif (943.47 KB, 320x320, Energy - 2.gif)

>>5052
>As the vigilantes converge on the large vantablack distortion, the air around them begins to warp violently, creating jagged splinters in the air which refract light into spontaneously rainbow color combinations.

>Once directly in front of the barrier itself, Mosaic takes a moment to examine the structure's morphology - recognizing a distinct trait that confirms his suspicions about the phenomenon.

"It's psionic energy alright. Distorted, but definitely what we're looking for."

>Casting Sol away in a flash of bright ruby red motes of light, Mosaic then grabs Durandal with both hands by the grip and thrusts the sword's edge directly into the large black spherical distortion. The energy release in the form of bright purple psionic light is slowly abated by the ruby red light of Durandal's raw power - slicing it open and bisecting the front layer of the entire monstrously large sphere.

>Now looking into a half open distortion, Mosaic then mentally pings Arachnid and the others, stating:

{"Damian, Omnius and I are going into the distortion. Keep the city contained as well as you can, and if we're not back within an hour? Contact Mister Meisner at Wiseman Faults. He'll take it from there."}

>After getting a confirmation back mentally from Arachnid, Mosaic then states:

"Alright. Time for some dungeon crawling, or whatever Jonah's game called it."

 No.5054

File: 1781719043116-0.png (2.63 MB, 1608x1310, Null Zone Interior.png)

File: 1781719043116-1.jpg (326.04 KB, 1000x1000, Mosaic - 4.jpg)

File: 1781719043116-2.jpeg (133.69 KB, 850x1275, Andromeda - 2.jpeg)

>>5053
>Inside of the distortion field, the vantablack gives way to an entirely new sight - an area that looks like the large interior of an abandoned mall or museum. The walls are padded and tiled with linoleum, the temperature is cold to the touch, and the entire structure feels hollow and faded with the walls having a sickly pale green coloration to them.

>Surprised somewhat, Mosaic then turns to Omnius as he says:

"I know you felt the shift just as I did."

>Lowering Durandal to his side, Mosaic looks up in a combination of annoyance and intrigue behind his helmet and mask as he speaks.

"We're in the Astral Plane. By the looks of it, some small section of it that was cordoned off and discharged from the main continuum - to hide the sorceress."

>Pointing towards a large elevator hatch in the distance, he continues elaborating.

"My guess is, we've gotta go deeper into the construct in order to find her. The sooner we nail down her location, the better."

>Then, Mosaic and Omnius get a telepathic message, seemingly protected by a nascent magical field that's formed around them both.

{"Aiden, it's Stella. I've got a lock on the sorceress's location, but I have a feeling that she's discovered my presence now - though I had to take the risk to tell you."}

>Thinking back, Mosaic then says:

{"I'm here, Stella. What's wrong? Unintended surprises?"}

>Stella's telepathic voice replies, stating:

{"Something of the sort. There are supernatural beings hidden within this section of the Astral Plane. I thought initially that the sorceress was the only one present - but as I was doing towards her, it seems that she was concealing the presence of various creatures and entities in this Astral Plane segment. Just be careful, both of you. Alright?"}

>Mosaic nods instinctively despite Andromeda not being there, replying:

{"Yeah, of course Stella. We'll be careful. Keep coordinating Damian and the others back outside in the city. We'll keep the psionic line open just in case - though Damian's already got instructions to notify Isaac in case we don't return in an hour."}

 No.5055

File: 1781723317586.jpg (18.78 KB, 240x320, Interface25.jpg)

>>5054
"Great. Another Astral Plane adventure."

>Omnius sounds mildly annoyed.

"Whatever, then."

>He begins to head forward.

 No.5056

File: 1781802575392-0.png (2.63 MB, 1608x1310, Null Zone Interior.png)

File: 1781802575392-1.png (2.22 MB, 1476x2086, Mosaic - 37.png)

File: 1781802575392-2.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781802575392-3.png (2.99 MB, 1948x2616, Flame Rider.png)

File: 1781802575392-4.png (6.82 MB, 2676x2706, Speed Samurai.png)

>>5055
>Mosaic places Durandal's blunt side over his shoulder as he starts walking, stating:

"Oh come on. Don't act like you'd rather be handling corporate task management back at the complex. You're the most well paid person in modern history who also hates his job."

>As Mosaic keeps moving, he then comes to a halt as he senses something. Knowing that Omnius senses it too, given its psionic nature, Mosaic instinctively turns around as the sound of a large engine screams into existence from the area above, and behind him.

>Immediately slashing with Durandal, Mosaic deflects the bottom half of a supernatural bike, immolated with flames as the bike's rider flips backwards into the air, driving in mid-air before coming to a halt in the air.

"Haaaaaah! Boss said you chumps would show up! I was expectin' somebody bigger, less of a pansy!"

>The bike rider is a human skeletal figure surrounded by a flaming bike, laughing hysterically with a supernatural cadence. He then revs up his motorcycle once more, causing it to flare with more fire around the wheels.

"The boss wants you dead, so I'm gonna enjoy this shit!"

>At the same time, another figure on a bike appears through a rupture in psionic space, with wheels of bluish-green flames, circling around the area in front of both Mosaic and Omnius before coming to a halt, a dozen feet in front of them.

"Shut up Rider! Just eliminate them before the boss gets tired of us too!"

>The Rider in the sky then lifts up his bike, causing a massive surge of psionic flames to rush towards Mosaic and Omnius down below.

"Yeah go fuck yourself, Samurai! I'm doing this my way!"

>The Samurai on the other motorcycle groans underneath their helmet, as they then take out their katana, holding onto their bike with another hand as they blast forward right towards Omnius.

 No.5057

File: 1781803181363-0.jpg (83.04 KB, 540x540, Interface47.jpg)

File: 1781803181363-1.gif (947.16 KB, 500x237, Earth Manipulation.gif)

>>5056
>A massive chunk of the ground tears upwards, shielding Omnius and Mosaic from the blast. At the same time another massive chunk of rock, now sharpened into a point is thrown towards the rider's bike.

 No.5058

File: 1781803725324-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1781803725324-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781803725324-2.jpg (379.62 KB, 1059x600, Air Gust.jpg)

File: 1781803725324-3.png (4.25 MB, 2556x1454, Flame Rider - 3.png)

File: 1781803725324-4.png (6.82 MB, 2676x2706, Speed Samurai.png)

>>5057
>The Flame Rider then fires a massive conflagration of psionic flames from his hand - aiming to incinerate both Mosaic and Omnius.

>In response, Mosaic spins Durandal in his hand - pointing it out in front of him, creating a massive cyclone of air, generating a funnel that absorbs the fire and sends it back at the Flame Rider - sending him flying backwards as the condensed force of the heat, pressure and flames hits Flame Rider right in the face.

>At the same time, the Speed Samurai on the other bike is then hit with the condensed and focused rock spike, sending him spiraling off of his bike as he's knocked to the floor.

"Ack! Idiot! I told you we should've coordinated!"

>The Speed Samurai entity then mentally calls for his bike, as it drives towards him and he grabs onto the handle at full speed - moving back onto his bike.

 No.5059

File: 1781803847749-0.png (6.55 MB, 3442x2166, Flame Rider - 2.png)

File: 1781803847749-1.png (6.82 MB, 2676x2706, Speed Samurai.png)

File: 1781803847749-2.jpg (463 KB, 2916x1944, Flame Trail.jpg)

File: 1781803847749-3.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1781803847749-4.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

>>5058
>As both riders converge on each other's locations, they then redouble their efforts.

"Fuck it! All or nothin'! If we can't do it, the others are gonna have to take 'em out then!"

"For once, I agree with you, buffoon."

>Both riders then begin to charge themselves up with supernatural energy, with the Flame Rider being surrounded by red psionic flames, whereas the Speed Samurai is now enveloped by blue psionic flames. Both of them then rush forward together, quickly turning into flames of pure red and blue psionic energy that fuse together into a spiral of condensed psionic power - slowly warping the fabric of space itself.

>As the combined psionic entity of energy begins spiraling towards them, Mosaic then holds out Durandal with one hand, looking to the side at Omnius as he says:

"So how do you want to handle this? Hand to hand or ranged?"

 No.5060

File: 1781805136123-0.jpg (523.02 KB, 700x900, Interface27.jpg)

File: 1781805136123-1.gif (1.72 MB, 550x278, Punched.gif)

>>5059
"Like this."

>Omnius suddenly dashes forward, stopping just in front of the on-coming attack. He throws a heavy punch, "physically" clashing with it with the intent to pulverize the pair.

 No.5061

File: 1781805811733-0.jpeg (4.57 MB, 2480x3507, Mosaic - 21.jpeg)

File: 1781805811733-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781805811733-2.png (2.99 MB, 1948x2616, Flame Rider.png)

File: 1781805811733-3.png (6.82 MB, 2676x2706, Speed Samurai.png)

File: 1781805811733-4.gif (943.47 KB, 320x320, Energy - 2.gif)

>>5060
>The riders in their psionic form immediately feel the force of the impact of the strike, as Omnius's power is enough to rupture and shatter their core psionic integrity. The two figures are then blasted apart, back into their standard forms - damaging them as their bikes are destroyed.

>As the riders are flung to the ground, fatally damaged and now leaking psionic energy, they each cough as they then look at each other.

"Gah, you neanderthal! What kind of form was that?! It was pitiful!"

>Coughing, the Flame Rider looks at Speed Samurai and groans in annoyance as he replies.

"Ugh, stop blaming me for your stupid fuckin' bullshit attack! I thought we were gonna turn into somethin' cool like a dragon or somethin'!"

>Mosaic lowers Durandal to his side as he walks up to Omnius and gestures to him with his free hand.

"A vigilante of few words, and even fewer necessary punches."

>Now walking up to the damaged riders, Mosaic then says:

"Sorry about road accident here guys, but we're in a bit of a hurry."

>Planting Durandal in the ground as he kneels down on one knee, Mosaic looks at the two figures carefully as he then asks:

"So where's the Sorceress? Or your boss rather?"

>Flame Rider then begins laughing hysterically as spouts of psionic flame emanate from his skeletal mouth.

"You think the broad's the boss?! Ahahahahahaha!!! The dumb bitch is the grunt work! She ain't knowin' what the boss is gonna do to her when he's done! Never trust somethin' you can't perceive!"

>The Speed Samurai entity then turns to his dying ally, dumbfounded.

"You complete God damned moron! You've just told him everything!"

>Confused, Flame Rider then snaps his head to Speed Samurai, saying:

"The hell you talkin' about? I ain't tell him shit!"

>Mosaic then looks at Flame Rider, asking:

"Besides the fact that your boss is an Astral?"

>Flame Rider then snaps his head back towards Mosaic, stunned.

"Wait a minute….How'd you know that Lord Wyrmwood is an Astral?!"

>Speed Samurai then groans in pain as Mosaic rises back up to his feet, saying:

"Because you just told me. It's hard to perceive something like that."

>Mosaic then turns towards Omnius, saying:

"Now I've got a better idea of what we're dealing with here."

>He says this, as the Rider entities slowly dissipate into pure psionic energy, now permanently destroyed.

 No.5062

File: 1781806112642-0.jpg (296.94 KB, 600x891, Mosaic - 33.jpg)

File: 1781806112642-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1781806112642-2.jpeg (265.24 KB, 800x1131, Aesop.jpeg)

>>5061
>Suddenly in that moment, an immaterial voice of a young boy can be heard from all directions.

["Hey! Mosaic! Omnius!"]

>Mosaic immediately recognizes the cadence and voice of the unknown figure, and slowly raises a hand to his helmet, groaning.

"Here we go…."

>Immediately, a young boy with bright blue hair, and a unique outfit, pops into existence in front of Mosaic and Omnius, floating around happily.

"Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!Youdidit!"

>The boy, speaking in excitement, begins cheering as he says:

"I knew you guys could get a handle on it! You're so coooooool!"

>Mosaic picks up Durandal and rests the blade on his shoulder once more as he looks up at the newcomer, saying:

"Hello, Aesop. Surprised to see you again."

>Aesop turns around, looking at Mosaic as he then blinks, before speaking.

"Why would you say that Aiden?! I missed you guys!"

>Aesop then teleports onto Omnius's head and looks down, waving in front of his visor as he says:

"Heeeeey Orion! You're really cool! I like it when you go 'pew pew' with your psychic powers! Why don't you use your gun though?!"

 No.5063

File: 1781806366890.jpg (220.31 KB, 660x786, Interface39.jpg)

>>5061
"What the hell is an Astral?"

>>5062
>Omnius grabs the boy off his head and sets him on the ground. He then points at him while looking towards Mosaic.

"Who the hell is this?"

 No.5064

File: 1781807376074-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1781807376074-1.jpg (224.74 KB, 701x496, Phantom - 4.jpg)

File: 1781807376074-2.png (2.41 MB, 1476x1476, Mosaic - 2.png)

File: 1781807376074-3.jpg (92.07 KB, 1134x1633, Aesop - 4.jpg)

File: 1781807376074-4.png (2.77 MB, 1284x1828, Mastix.png)

>>5063
>Mosaic looks at Aesop as he then dissipates his Durandal sword into motes of ruby red light. Sighing out loud, he then makes a flicking gesture with his hand as he then says:

"He's an Astral, and Astrals are concepts given form. That's pretty much it. Immensely powerful, but partially bound to the constraints of whatever concept that they embody."

>Aesop then floats up and flies around Mosaic and Omnius, stating:

"Yuuuuuuuuup! Pretty much! I'm the idea of stories and narratives! I really like seeing cool people do cool things!"

>Aesop then snaps his fingers, as Mosaic's outfit shifts into different forms. First his original Gradient appearance, then his Thulcandran armored appearance - before finally shifting him back to his standard Magitek outfit.

"Aiden got my attention first because he's so random! He keeps changing forms and stuff, but he's also been a cool hero! Just like you Orion!"

>Aesop then hovers around Omnius, saying:

"You're so cool when you just go 'bam, bam!' to the bad guys! It's awesome!"

>Mosaic then turns to look at Aesop, stating:

"Why are you here, Aesop? You said you'd only interfere whenever something significant happened."

>Aesop then turns to Mosaic, saying:

"I can't visit another Astral in my free time? Like you or Isaac?!"

>Aesop then crosses his arms and pouts as Mosaic states:

"Unlike Isaac, I wasn't born as one. I barely see myself as one, and I don't even know how to use those powers, Aesop. You know that."

>Aesop nods quickly as he then says:

"Yeah fair enough. Anyways!"

>Turning back towards Omnius, Aesop then states:

"Aaaaaanyways, I'm here to help you guys! Wyrm is a bad Astral! He's corruption and infection and stuff like that. I think Mastix got tired of him messing up, so this is his last chance!"

>Mosaic looks at Omnius, saying:

"Please don't ask. I didn't bother telling you because it was a long story and I didn't know how to process things."

>Turning back to Aesop, Mosaic then says:

"This Mastix guy, whoever he is. I'm guessing he's a primordial Astral? One of the older ones?"

>Aesop nods again as he claps his hands and shows an image of Mastix - causing Mosaic to tense up slightly as he says:

"….Why do I feel uneasy around this guy…"

>Aesop shows a rare serious expression on his face as he states:

"…..We all do. It's inherent to all Astrals - a basic fear of destruction…."

>As Mastix's image disappears, Aesop's cheer demeanor returns as he then says:

"Yeah I'm gonna guide you guys towards Wyrmwood so you can beat him up! He's deep in the core nexus of this pocket dimension."

 No.5065

File: 1781807902897.jpg (191.21 KB, 450x494, Interface44.jpg)

>>5064
>Omnius stares at Mosaic after his answer.

"That doesn't answer anything. How can someone "be a concept"? I can look right at this kid."

>Omnius points to the boy once again as he says this.

"Also you're part Astral? Isaac is too but he was born as one and you weren't? What the hell does that mean?"

>Glancing at the image of Mastix, Omnius doesn't show the same reaction as the other two. In his eyes, it's just a picture of a man. He shifts his eyes back towards the boy.

"Hiding in the center, very original."

>He says with a sarcastic tone.

 No.5066

File: 1781808781144-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1781808781144-1.jpeg (99.26 KB, 850x602, Aesop - 3.jpeg)

>>5065
>Mosaic looks at Omnius, stating:

"….You familiar with Platonic conceptualism? Plato's idea of the forms?"

>Seeing Omnius's resulting stare, Mosaic then says:

"Right, figured not. That isn't Aesop's true form - just his human one. An Astral isn't limited to their physical body. That can be destroyed and reformed pretty easily."

>Aesop nods happily as he floats around, saying:

"Basically that yeah! My true form exists separately from my body! Pretty neat huh?"

>Aesop then points to Mosaic as he exclaims:

"Aiden's power is way more powerful than he thought! As long as someone isn't exponentially stronger than him, he can mimic their traits and copy them! He's like that blue robot guy in that game his brother likes!"

>Mosaic points at Aesop with a finger slanted slightly in his direction, replying:

"That's probably more of Marek and Miranda's speed. They copy, I mimic. There's a difference."

>Aesop then turns back towards Omnius, saying:

"Aaaaanyways, Aiden encountered Isaac - but the power gap between them was too big for the Astral stuff to mimic in Aiden. But when he met me? Boom! That's when it happened! Yay!"

>Aesop then hugs Mosaic as he laughs and states:

"Now we're Astral buddieeeeeeeeees! Woohooooooooooo!!!"

>Mosaic then carefully picks Aesop in his arms and holds him out in front of him, saying:

"We appreciate the help, Aesop. But you've got to not drop in randomly. Especially when we're not being vigilantes. If you help us with this, and you stick to that rule, I promise that we can be superhero buddies."

>Aesop's eyes turn into glowing stars for a moment before he then cheers loudly.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!"

>Mosaic then lets Aesop go as the boy Astral begins flying around again. Turning to Omnius, Mosaic then says:

"Remember the problem I had when I first met Madeleine? It goes with almost anything from what I can tell. The more people I encounter, the more I mimic and the stronger I get."

>Holding onto his arm with his hand, his tone then lowers as he says, with a seemingly pained and frustrated tone of voice:

"But it becomes so much. Constantly…."

>Looking at Omnius again, Mosaic then says:

"…..You know what it's like to constantly gain a thousand new powers and abilities every single day? All the memories, the experiences and the powers. I have to control that and suppress that constantly - because I still don't have a full handle on it."

>Staring at his gloved hands, Mosaic then sighs.

"You know what? Forget it. I know you've got something similar with your psionic powers. Let's just go find this Wyrmwood guy and stop him."

 No.5067

File: 1781809053841.jpg (263.5 KB, 538x614, Interface48.jpg)

>>5066
"I don't see how I'm supposed to be able to punch something that only optionally needs a body. Unless they have a mind that can be targeted like everybody else."

 No.5068

File: 1781815011476-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1781815011476-1.gif (1.95 MB, 448x252, Blue Light Explosion.gif)

File: 1781815011476-2.jpeg (1.8 MB, 1800x2544, Gnosis.jpeg)

File: 1781815011476-3.jpeg (304.28 KB, 1920x1200, Space-Time.jpeg)

File: 1781815011476-4.jpg (214.75 KB, 960x720, Elevator.jpg)

>>5067
>Mosaic shakes his head as he then explains:

"We're in the Astral Plane, remember? We're not going to attack Wyrmwood's physical body - we're going to attack his consciousness, since he was bold enough to anchor his mind to this place, a powerful enough psionic attack should scramble his consciousness - and render him unconscious - for a very long period of time."

>Gesturing at Omnius, Mosaic then says:

"Besides, aren't you amped in here anyways? Every psion is. Me, you and your girlfriend."

>Looking up at Aesop who flies down to hover beside him, Mosaic then says:

"I assume that's the plan you had? Scrambling the mind of a C-List conceptual entity with poor employee evaluations from his boss?"

>Aesop gives Mosaic a thumbs up excitedly as he smiles and says:

"Yeah! Hit his mind hard enough and he'll go lights out!"

>Aesop then flies forward, gesturing with his hand for Mosaic and Omnius to follow him as he moves to the large elevator chasm in the giant expanse of the Astral Plane pocket dimension's interior.

>Mosaic then starts walking forward as he states:

"This'll be fun at least. You get to see the greatest game of psionic whack-a-mole ever created."

>Pointing at Omnius, Mosaic then says:

"And you get to be the hammer. Fun isn't it?"

>Mosaic then raises up a hand, as he actually tests his psionic abilities within the Astral Plane - focusing on his mind as he briefly shifts form - into the same form he used after consuming the essence of the Dyskrasia monster. The black and silver appearance with sapphire blue lenses pulsates with psionic energy - as he restructures the world around them, dragging them across the dozens of miles of empty space towards the open elevator chasm.

>As light forms around him again briefly, Mosaic watches as his form shifts back to his black, ruby red and silver outfit, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Wow, that was….interesting."

>Looking at his gloved hands and opening and closing them again, he then says:

"Haven't used that since Dyskrasia was killed…."

>Shaking it off, Mosaic then looks at Omnius and says:

"Ready to go?"

 No.5069

File: 1781816347942.jpg (384.67 KB, 720x1200, Interface45.jpg)

>>5068
"You're collecting so many outfits that at this point you may as well start sticking them in display cases."

>Omnius begins to move towards the elevator shaft. He looks at it for a moment, before looking back at Mosaic. Without having anything to say, Omnius then allows gravity to take him, pulling him over the edge and down the chasm.

 No.5070

File: 1781816971304-0.png (3.54 MB, 1760x1448, Null Zone Interior - 2.png)

File: 1781816971304-1.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1781816971304-2.jpg (265.24 KB, 800x1131, Aesop.jpg)

File: 1781816971304-3.png (1.23 MB, 1280x720, Blast - 4.png)

File: 1781816971304-4.png (3.73 MB, 2340x2462, Crusader.png)

>>5069
>The next area of the pocket dimension immediately demonstrates an appearance akin to the arctic - with a vast plane of pure white snow stretching on for miles. Countless buildings, frozen in icicles and other ice formations litter the expanse before Mosaic and Omnius - with Aesop hovering beside them.

"Oooooohhh! Snow! He made a snow area! Wanna build a snowman?!"

>Mosaic looks at Aesop as he says:

"I'm guessing this is the next level lower. How many more until we've reached the other side of the pocket dimension? We can't reach the Sorceress inside of the building until we've breached all of the areas."

>Aesop brings a finger to his cheek to think as he murmurs to himself.

"Weeeeeelllllll….I'd guess 3 or 4 more to go? I wasn't really keeping track. But I know it's less than 10!"

>Nodding, Mosaic then turns to Omnius and says:

"We can keep going then. There's got to be another chute inside of this area that can take us to the next portion of the dimension."

>Mosaic starts walking forward, scanning the environment with his senses as he then immediately sees someone in the distance.

"Is that….."

>Craning his head to the side, he then sees a giant purple beam of energy converging on his location after he walks forward.

"Uh oh."

>Immediately flipping backwards and landing on his feet, Mosaic watches as the entirety of the ground in front of him, is now completely deleted in a perfectly circular cylinder of volume. The entirety of the area around him is completely deleted - causing him to blink in surprise as he says:

"Looks like we've got ourselves a sharpshooter."

>Looking up, far in the distance, Mosaic's enhanced vision allows him to see a mysterious man in a medieval suit of armor, adorned with Crusader aesthetics and iconography including the cross - with two weapons in his hand. One of them is a rifle and the other is a gauge shotgun. The man also has an enhanced jetback on his back, as he is hovering in the air.

>Looking at Omnius for a moment, Mosaic psionically projects the image of the attacker in front of Omnius for a moment, and then he says:

"I can see why you're not a fan of Church."

 No.5071

File: 1781818518231.jpg (323.21 KB, 600x607, Interface26.jpg)

>>5070
>Omnius suddenly rockets in the direction of the crusader, immediately creating a sonic boom that annihilates anything immediately behind him.

>As he moves closer to the crusader he reaches his palm forward, focusing force around where the crusader's neck should be. In a smooth swinging motion the force pulls the crusader through the air and upside down - slamming him into the ice head first.

"I'm not interested in converting."

 No.5072

File: 1781819138949-0.png (3.73 MB, 2340x2462, Crusader.png)

File: 1781819138949-1.gif (1.9 MB, 500x373, Blast - 2.gif)

File: 1781819138949-2.jpeg (4.57 MB, 2480x3507, Mosaic - 21.jpeg)

File: 1781819138949-3.gif (1.81 MB, 636x321, Explosion - 7.gif)

File: 1781819138949-4.png (3.28 MB, 1618x2706, Hierophant.png)

>>5071
>The Crusader figure ripples with kinetic force throughout his body, shouting in pain, as he then shouts in retaliation:

"Heathen! Lord Wyrmwood will have your head for this!"

>The Crusader, badly damaged but still standing, aims his weapons at Omnius, and begins firing off repeated blasts. His rifle fires condensed blasts of psionic energy at a rapid rate, in a bullet spray fashion, whereas his shotgun fires off large bursts of psionic energy that rupture the ground beneath both his and Omnius's feet.

"In the name of the almighty Lord Wyrmwood, cast yourself into the deepest pits of hell, sacrilegious one!"

>The blasts get larger, more powerful and more destabilizing of the reality around them, as the fabric of space and time begins to buckle under the weight of the psionic energy density that is concentrating in the immediate area.

>Mosaic, still off in the distance, looks at Aesop and says:

"Keep an eye out for the chasm into the next area, Aesop. I've got a feeling our Crusader here's not alone."

>As Mosaic flies off towards Omnius, another figure appears in the skies above the cold plane of snow. A woman in regal clothing, surrounded by an aura of ethereal orange fire, hovers in mid-air. Her eyes lock on Mosaic immediately as he arrives - with her holding out her hands in front of her, casting a chant, and immediately causing the area beneath Mosaic to spontaneously explode into a thermonuclear blast.

"Whoa!"

>Mosaic dodges the attack using his Instantaneous Movement ability, mimicked from Sun - causing him to appear in the air above, at a higher elevation and equal in height to the woman.

"Who are you supposed to be, exactly? The maiden of hellfire?"

>The woman gives a soft, amused chuckle as she then says:

"Oh I adore you already. So feisty. So full of spirit. No, mortal one. I am no mere maiden. I am the Hierophant - the holy emissary of Lord Wyrmwood's will. Your interference in my Lord and Master's affairs are offensive to my very existence. As such, you will be disposed of - along with your associates."

 No.5073

File: 1781837521393-0.jpg (191.21 KB, 450x494, Interface44.jpg)

File: 1781837521393-1.jpg (82.81 KB, 600x800, Pillar of Flames.jpg)

>>5072
>Omnius flies into the air, dodging the gunfire.

"I wonder how it'll feel to be cooked in that tin can you're wearing."

>Rather than flying around avoiding the gunfire, Omnius now flies straight towards the Crusader. He brings his arms up, blocking the gunfire as he moves closer.

>Omnius then slams into the Crusader, knocking him to the ground and riding on top of him like a surfboard. He then kicks the Crusader away, and then throws both arms forward - firing a stream of flames towards him.

 No.5074

File: 1782145906152-0.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1782145906152-1.gif (1018.51 KB, 500x281, Kick.gif)

File: 1782145906152-2.jpg (54.63 KB, 1920x928, Gelum - 2.jpg)

File: 1782145906152-3.png (3.28 MB, 1618x2706, Hierophant.png)

File: 1782145906152-4.gif (671.94 KB, 500x205, Ice - 2.gif)

>>5073
>As the Crusader explodes in the immolation of flames that consume his armored form, the Hierophant hovers above - looking down at Omnius.

"Hmm….Impressive. Our master may have uses for you…."

>Holding out her hand, the Hierophant is about to activate her powers, charging the floor underneath Omnius's feet immediately - creating a square mile of bright hot orange light.

"Ignoring me already? I'm crushed."

>The Hierophant quickly turns around, right as Mosaic kicks her in the face - causing her to spiral down to the ground below. As the Hierophant quickly recovers, her flame aura flaring with a heightened luminosity and intensity, she stares daggers at Mosaic, who has landed on the ground.

"Tch. Stronger than I thought. Though raw physical strength is nothing in comparison to the flames of the righteous! You will not extinguish my flames!"

>Mosaic then blinks as he then clapses his hands together, stating:

"Are you sure about that?"

>Inexplicably, Mosaic then pulls his hands apart - revealing more and more of a long, elaborate blue and white lance-style weapon. After enough seconds have passed, Mosaic then reveals his glaive - Gellum.

>The immediate cold blue aura of the weapon is pronounced, as the ambient temperature of the snow area becomes even colder. Ice begins to rapidly form around the weapon and the area as well, with ice flash freezing itself over the snow.

>The Hierophant remains undeterred, focusing all of her energy outwards as she fires on Mosaic with a massive burst of flames, hellbent on victory.

"Your corpse will make a fine vessel for my master!"

>The large conflagration of psionic flames then quickly subsides, having been rapidly absorbed into the enthalpic vortex of the Gelum glaive. Mosaic remains standing in place, unharmed as he looks at the weapon.

"Just a reminder, you're the one who said this couldn't happen."

>Before the Hierophant can respond, Mosaic flips Gelum forward by spinning the base of the glaive's middle stem across his palm - grabbing it again at the last moment and aiming it at the Hierophant, as he then blasts at her with a burst of blue and white enthalpic energy - flash freezing the enemy solid.

>Turning towards Omnius, Mosaic walks towards him, stating:

"This is getting us nowhere. If Aesop can sense the Sorceress, then I should be able to shunt us there manually."

 No.5075

File: 1782146262702.jpg (323.21 KB, 600x607, Interface26.jpg)

>>5074
>Omnius lands next to Mosaic. He looks at the frozen Hierophant, and then casually pokes the ice with his finger. She falls over, then shatters like glass.

"Go ahead."

>He waits for Mosaic.

 No.5076

File: 1782146757449-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1782146757449-1.jpg (265.24 KB, 800x1131, Aesop.jpg)

File: 1782146757449-2.gif (959.59 KB, 500x281, IT.gif)

>>5075
>Mosaic looks up, still holding Gelum as he says:

"Aesop? You find anything yet?"

>Aesop then suddenly pops into existence in front of Mosaic, nodding his head as he says:

"Yep! Morgana's southwest of this place! I can sense her magic signature! I think she's starting a ritual or something…."

>Mosaic then dissipates Gelum into bright white and blue motes of light as he responds to Aesop's statements.

"In that case, Aesop can you act like a compass to help with the psionic mapping? I can sense her faintly, but her magic is obscuring her full location."

>Aesop nods again as he then lightly headbutts Mosaic - transmitting the information to him. Surprised, Mosaic raises a gloved hand to his helmet as he says:

"Please don't do that again, Aesop."

>Aesop nods as Mosaic then looks at Orion and states:

"She's going to be expecting someone at this point. I know you're not a fan of magic nonsense, so I'll try and minimize the surprises."

>Placing a hand on Omnius's shoulder, Mosaic then places his other hand, specifically his index and middle fingers to his forehead, stating:

"Alright, let's go."

>He then disappears with Omnius in an instant, with Aesop following them.

 No.5077

File: 1782147331524-0.png (6.38 MB, 3852x2160, Derelict Corridor.png)

File: 1782147331524-1.png (2.8 MB, 1916x2708, Morgana - 2.png)

File: 1782147331524-2.jpg (538.7 KB, 1920x1080, Magic.jpg)

File: 1782147331524-3.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1782147331524-4.png (6.09 MB, 1652x2704, Mundas.png)

>>5076
>Deep inside of the distortion, a warped version of the original derelict building, the Sorceress Morgana continues hovering in mid-air, chanting ancient phrases and channeling ambient mana and magical energies around her form. A large vortex of purple magical energy has been forming in front of her this entire time, preparing for the manifestation of her god - the Astral Wyrmwood.

>Surrounding her are various humanoid beings - similar monsters to those found in the other areas of the pocket dimension. The air seemingly shifts around the derelict interior as Mosaic, Omnius and Aesop then appear at the far end of the corridor.

>Immediately, the monsters turn their heads to face the trio, sensing their arrival.

>Aesop immediately points at the vortex, shouting:

"That's the ritual! She's trying to bring him here!"

>Mosaic quickly thinks through the implication of the ritual, recognizing Aesop's intentions as he puts the pieces together.

"The necromancy spell was a field test! She's trying to bring Wrymwood into reality through the Astral Plane!"

>Upon hearing the voices of Aesop and Mosaic, Morgana then smiles as she turns around, looking at them with her eyes now bereft of the prior pink magical energy and light.

"You must be the ones attempting to undermine Master Wyrmwood's plans."

>Mosaic shakes his head as he states:

"Sorry lady, but your boss has a history of screwing people over. Something tells me you're just another mark."

>Morgana raises an eyebrow, and holds up her hand, signaling for her lackeys and the zombies around them to halt.

"I'll entertain your delusions. Please, continue stating your case."

 No.5078

File: 1782148897325-0.png (2.22 MB, 1476x2086, Mosaic - 37.png)

File: 1782148897325-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1782148897325-2.png (6.09 MB, 1652x2704, Mundas.png)

File: 1782148897325-3.png (3.14 MB, 1892x2704, Priestess.png)

File: 1782148897325-4.png (4.26 MB, 2092x2706, Sumeria.png)

>>5077
>Mosaic looks at Aesop for a second, before turning back to Morgana and then speaking.

"Actually? I have a better idea. There's no substitute for experience."

>Summoning Durandal again and holding it with one hand as it manifests in a flurry of bright ruby red motes of light, Mosaic then holds out the sword, pointing it at Morgana and her hordes as he states:

"So let's give you a front row seat to quite possibly the biggest screw up of your life - so far. Go on, summon him."

>Surprised, Morgana interprets the statement as a simultaneous insult and challenge, feeling her eyebrow twitch in anger as she shouts:

"Deceiver! You won't destroy my faith in Lord Wyrmwood!"

>Morgana then makes a gesture with her hands, causing her remaining monsters, and the reanimated zombies to rush forward - as others are sent outside through her magic portals.

>Not looking at Omnius, Mosaic then says:

"Remember what I said. Astral Plane boosts you significantly, and Wyrmwood isn't going to be at his full strength here. If he was, he wouldn't need an idiot of a sorceress to try and bridge the gap with a ritual."

>Mosaic then rushes forward, moving to engage against the wave of reanimated zombies with Durandal, while simultaneously beginning to combat the remaining 'demons' of psionic energy.

>One of them, known as Mundas, immediately holds his hands out, generating a spatial warping phenomenon that dramatically expands the size of the corridor - turning it from a long derelict hallway, into a large open football field in the middle of the aether of empty space.

>Two other human looking female 'demons' appear. One of them known as the Priestess, and the other known as Sumeria. They both begin to cast incantations, summoning large psionic entities and creatures towards Omnius - in the shape of large glowing energy basilisk snakes, mammoths and other creatures of elongated sizes and scales.

 No.5079

File: 1782150003596-0.jpg (141.19 KB, 1000x1000, Interface28.jpg)

File: 1782150003596-1.jpg (27.18 KB, 559x316, Telepathy.jpg)

>>5078
"Yeah. I know. I've been here before. More than you actually."

>Omnius says in response to Mosaic's comments on the Astral Plane.

"Wormfood being weaker is good news though."

>He watches Mosaic dash off, before noticing the "demons" appear and begin to summon their minions. Omnius doesn't react, instead focusing his eyes on the "demons".

>Psychic pressure begins increasing around them, weighing on their minds directly. Omnius continues to stare at them, commanding:

"Stop."

 No.5080

File: 1782150477609-0.jpg (509.15 KB, 992x941, Mosaic - 27.jpg)

File: 1782150477609-1.png (3.14 MB, 1892x2704, Priestess.png)

File: 1782150477609-2.png (4.26 MB, 2092x2706, Sumeria.png)

File: 1782150477609-3.png (6.09 MB, 1652x2704, Mundas.png)

File: 1782150477609-4.jpeg (99.26 KB, 850x602, Aesop - 3.jpeg)

>>5079
>Both Priestess and Sumeria begin to scream in pain, as the force of Omnius's attacks begins to pressurize around them, causing them to clutch their heads in pain.

>At the same time, the psionic energy basilisks continue to make their way towards Omnius, barring their large psionic fangs, which are capable of psychosomatic attacks that damage the mind and then the body, with bloodshot looks in their eyes.

>At the same time, Mundas continues his attempt to control the battlefield by rewriting the rules of the immediate area and folding space around like origami paper. He then inverts the large area of the football field sized space, causing the floor to blend upwards and the ceiling to blend downwards - as they overlap and swap places, briefly disorienting the combatants.

>Mosaic finishes backhanding a zombie with the blunt pommel of Durandal, as he then flicks the sword with a carefully choreographed sword throw - spinning the blade through the air like a deadly chakram, slicing through waves of zombies before it arrives back in his hand.

>Aesop also aids both Mosaic and Omnius in the fight, using his powers to nudge zombie limb attacks slightly off course, as to stab each other, while they misplace their steps, tripping over each other.

"Sorry I can't do much else!"

>Mosaic cleaves a zombie in two with Durandal effortlessly as he shouts:

"I know, Aesop! Narrative boundaries and all that!"

>Looking at Omnius, Mosaic then says again:

"He can't interfere directly with anything! His powers only work indirectly on people when he's trying to attack!"

 No.5081

File: 1782150911438-0.gif (851.27 KB, 400x225, Magic - 3.gif)

File: 1782150911438-1.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

File: 1782150911438-2.jpg (64.21 KB, 600x439, Energy Binding.jpg)

File: 1782150911438-3.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1782150911438-4.jpg (151.69 KB, 736x1086, Mosaic - 24.jpg)

>>5080
>As she continues meditating, Morgana can feel a surge of psionic energy reaching through the purple energy vortex and into her mind.

"Yesssssss, my apprentice. You are operating in your capacity better than I could have possibly imagined….."

>Nodding slowly, Morgana's eyes are closed as she smiles, stating:

"Of course, Lord Wyrmwood. I only aim to please. Your vision will be seen through in your conquest of this world."

>The eerie, ethereal voice then speaks once more, with a different cadence to their voice.

"Indeed it shall. Starting with my first pilgrim. My greatest disciple. You, Morgana."

>The purple energy vortex then begins to manifest glowing energy bindings that ensnare Morgana and bind her, searing into her flesh through her sorceress robes as she screams in pain.

"AAGHHH!!!!"

>Bow bound by powerful magical restraints, in the form of glowing energy construct bindings and chains, Morgana is lifted up into the air, and placed into a stretched position with her arms and legs out to her sides.

"What….what is happening….."

>The purple vortex then morphs into the face of Wyrmwood, who's eyelids narrow into a sneer of amusement as he states:

"Patience, Morgana. You are fulfilling your destiny. Your body is a vessel for powerful magical energies - as were the rest of your tribe. A pity that they destroyed themselves in their haste to build their own escape from the Gods…"

>Hearing that statement, Mosaic finishes slicing up various zombies and slices through Mundus's chest, defeating the 'demon' as he slowly turns around.

"….There's no way..Is she?"

 No.5082

File: 1782151646193-0.png (2.87 MB, 1398x1862, Mosaic - 39.png)

File: 1782151646193-1.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1782151646193-2.jpg (54.72 KB, 600x600, Red Energy.jpg)

File: 1782151646193-3.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

File: 1782151646193-4.png (434.93 KB, 713x401, Thaumaturgy Ring.png)

>>5081
>As Wyrmwood's psionic essence attempts to possess Morgana's body, Mosaic rushes forward, charging up a surge of ruby red energy from Durandal's edge - before jettisoning forward an energy wave of raw magical power, obliterating the zombies surrounding Morgana, and ripping through the energy bindings - causing Wyrmwood to scream in pain, as his face disappears back into the purple vortex.

>Mosaic then dissipates Durandal once more, as he flies towards Morgana, catching her in his arms as he lowers himself gently to the ground.

>Still feeling the pain of her immediate and brief subjugation by spectral chains, Morgana's eyes are still closed, as she still winces reflexively from the pain.

>Silent for a moment, Mosaic then speaks up, asking her the question on his mind.

"….You're a Thaumian, aren't you?"

>Turning her head to the side, Morgana remains silent as she says:

"……I don't have to say anything to you."

>Looking up at Omnius as he's still fighting the monsters, but taking the advantage, Mosaic then says:

"Hey! You're gonna have to go after Wyrmwood first! I'll meet you in there!"

>Turning back towards Morgana, Mosaic then says:

"Morgana, listen to me. Wyrmwood isn't interested in bringing your people back. Whatever bag of goods that he sold you was an open bag full of holes from the very beginning - and nothing else."

>Morgana remains silent, as she begins grinding her teeth together in frustration as the reality sinks in for her. Mosaic, seeing his opportunity, presses forward with his persuasion.

"You can still salvage this. Luckily for you, no one's died because of your zombie uprising outside. Reverse the spell and destroy the zombies - and I'll tell you what I know about what happened to the Thaumians."

>Morgana refuses to budge, stating:

"There's nothing that you can tell me that I don't already know. That moron I called an uncle ruined everything! He-"

>Morgana then looks over, opening her eyes and stopping as she sees the artifact ring on Mosaic's finger. Despite its form being different, its energy signature remains the same as her eyes widen.

"…The Thaumaturgy Ring…"

>Looking up at Mosaic in sheer disbelief, her face cycles through a million different emotional dispositions as she keeps speaking.

"How……How…….How……HOW?!?!?!?!"

>Morgana then hovers to her feet and out of Mosaic's arms, pointing an accusatory finger at Mosaic as she continues to shout in disbelief.

"How in the world did you acquire that ring?! It powered my entire home dimension! Everyone….Aunt Cordia, Iblis….Stellara…."

>Mosaic sighs as he then says:

"So you're her cousin then? I should've known. That would explain why you were able to hide your magic signature so effectively from her."

>In disbelief still, Morgana then says:

"What on Earth are you talking about-"

>The realization then hits her.

"……Oh My God. Stellara? She's alive?"

>Now grabbing onto Mosaic's shoulders with both hands, the desperate, pleading look in Morgana's eyes begins to manifest even stronger as she begins to glow her irises and sclera with bright purple light, overriding her black pupils.

"MY COUSIN IS ALIVE?!?!"

 No.5083

File: 1782152887356.jpg (191.21 KB, 450x494, Interface44.jpg)

>>5082
"Guess we're going in."

>Omnius shrugs and then rips some flooring out, throwing it into the purple vortex towards Wyrmwood's general location before following it inside.

 No.5084

File: 1782153268330-0.jpeg (4.57 MB, 2480x3507, Mosaic - 21.jpeg)

File: 1782153268330-1.jpg (112.4 KB, 600x600, Magic Rune.jpg)

File: 1782153268330-2.png (2.8 MB, 1916x2708, Morgana - 2.png)

File: 1782153268330-3.jpg (439.21 KB, 1600x1000, Rainbow Runes.jpg)

File: 1782153268330-4.jpg (1.33 MB, 1280x720, Mana - 2.jpg)

>>5082
>Mosaic nods slowly as he steps back, crossing his arms as he replies.

"Yeah, she is alive. So if you don't want her to be eternally angry at you for what you've done? I'd suggest undoing that necromancy and reanimation spell 'right'' now."

>Morgana steels her resolve and immediately turns back to the vortex. Wincing once more, she grinds her teeth as she says:

"…..I almost created an army to kill my own cousin……I can't….."

>Shaking off her guilt, Morgana turns back towards Mosaic and says:

"I can start the process of disrupting the spell. But it's passive in nature. Self-sustaining from Wyrmwood's own energies. If I'm going to stop this, I'm going to need to-"

>Mosaic then immediately interrupts her, saying:

"Sever the connection to Wyrmwood so that the spell runs out of fuel?"

>Morgana nods in surprise, realizing that Mosaic is accustomed to the arcane and the mystic arts.

"….Yes….I assumed you were more of a mere brute warrior. Perhaps there is more to you and your associate than I thought…..erm…"

>Morgana gives an awkward look at Mosaic before he then says:

"Aiden. Good to know family on a first name basis, after all."

>Confused for a moment, Morgana's face then slowly turns red as she stammers:

"….You and Stellara are…..Oh…..I didn't know….."

>Mosaic walks up beside her, looking at the energy vortex as he says:

"Don't worry about it. She kind of saved my life, in a manner of speaking. Couldn't look at her the same way afterwards."

>Holding out his hands, Mosaic then begins to manifest glowing ruby red mystic and arcane runes in front of his hands - a telltale sign of his focus on channeling magic.

"One disruption spell coming right up. Though I could probably use a hand."

>Morgana holds out her hands as well, producing a royal purple version of the same rune formation in front of her own gloved hands.

"That rune structure. It's Thaumian. But that specific modification….Focusing on efficiency instead of casting strength. That must be your work."

>Mosaic looks at Morgana for a moment and says:

"Well, nobody likes a default wallpaper."

>Both Mosaic and Morgana then produce large swirling streams of ruby red and royal purple magical energy from their runes - casting a spell that directly drains Wyrmwood's magical stockpiled reserves, and begins weakening the bonds between his essence and the passive necromancy spell maintaining the zombies in Sanctuary City.

 No.5085

File: 1782153764127-0.jpeg (5.5 MB, 2480x3508, Valkyrie - 3.jpeg)

File: 1782153764127-1.png (3.87 MB, 2060x1888, Arachnid - 4.png)

File: 1782153764127-2.png (208.31 KB, 508x452, Arachne - 18.png)

File: 1782153764127-3.jpeg (377.6 KB, 1090x1594, Tarantula - 5.jpeg)

File: 1782153764127-4.png (1.2 MB, 1290x1120, Slashers.png)

>>5084
>Location: Sanctuary City

>Valkyrie, the Commander of the entire MRD organization within Sanctuary City, and parts of the Northeastern United States as a whole, continues barreling down the streets of the large metropolitan megacity at hypersonic speeds. Careful to avoid property damage as much as she can, she continues blasting like a pressurized fighter jet, tearing through zombies like butter as she thinks to herself:

{"How many more of these creatures are there? Aren't Mosaic and Omnius supposed to be handling this?"}

>Coming to a halt at a nearby intersection, she hovers in the air, her long blonde hair flowing in the wind as her gloves charge with spheres of golden energy. She's surrounded by a smaller, but still large contingent of reanimated zombies - each with blades for limbs and feral screams ready to produce.

>Landing down from the sky above, Arachnid, Arachne and Tarantula form a defensive perimeter in front of her - their web shooters, spinerettes and biomass each ready for mass firing.

"You three. I appreciate the assistance, but I should have this under control until the source is resolved."

>Looking up at Valkyrie, Arachnid then says:

"Oh we know. We're just here for the photo-op from the helicopters above."

>Confused, Valkyrie looks up to see news helicopters taking photos of Valkyrie being surrounded by the Meta-Human vigilantes who have constrained the zombies across the city, and are now appearing to defend her so far.

"Helps with the PR, y'know?"

>Arachne says from the other side, with a smirk on her face.

"Come on, any of you. Give me a reason to go berserk. Please."

>Tarantula says, as the large white spider emblem on his chest seems to pulsate with white light, reminding the others of how his protoplasm is not just a smart fluid material, but is itself a semi-sentient super protoplasm.

>Then in an instant, all of the zombies begin to disintegrate into purple light, screaming suddenly as they fall to the ground and disappear.

>Looking around in stunned silence, Valkyrie then lowers to the ground as Arachnid then states:

"Huh….I guess they flipped the switch then. Record time, huh?"

 No.5086

File: 1782154343066-0.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1782154343066-1.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

File: 1782154343066-2.jpg (73.18 KB, 852x480, Mana.jpg)

File: 1782154343066-3.jpg (126.52 KB, 700x525, Magic - 6.jpg)

>>5085
>Location: Astral Plane - Pocket Dimension

>As the last vestiges of the connection are removed, the reanimation spell finally loses the energy needed to sustain itself automatically and passively - causing the zombies to disintegrate and remove themselves from reality entirely.

>Lowering his hands, Mosaic then turns to Morgana and says:

"I can sense it outside of this place. They're all disappearing - the zombies that is. Thanks."

>Morgana nods slowly as she still feels the weight of what she has almost done. Putting a hand to her forehead, she then quietly whispers.

"I almost slaughtered countless people…and for nothing. For nothing. Oh My God. What am I? What have I become?"

>Feeling her grief start to take over her, Mosaic places a hand on her shoulder and says:

"Hey, you did good. No one's died because there are a lot of people willing to do the right thing back out there. Just as you did right now. It's a process, but doing the right thing doesn't always come easy - that's why it's a virtue."

>Morgana nods slowly as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

"….Anger and frustration, it changed me. I don't know if the woman that I was before would have ever allowed myself to stoop so low as to bargain with a God - when my people spent their entire lives attempting to supplant them."

>Mosaic nods as he then turns around and walks towards the large vortex, stating:

"For what it's worth, Wyrmwood is the used car salesmen of 'Gods'. He's not even really a God, if I'm being technical. More like a really powerful post-it note of an idea come to life."

>Morgana raises her eyebrow, stating:

"What is a 'Post-It' note? Is it a type of magical rune tablet?"

>Caught off guard for a moment, genuinely, Mosaic then sighs and says:

"Yeah you're a work-in-progress. When this is done, I'll take you to Stellara so you can see for yourself that I was telling the truth."

>Turning back to the portal, Mosaic then says:

"First thing's first though. I've gotta help my employee to file the mother of all complaints."

>As Mosaic walks forward, Morgana states:

"I'm coming with you. It's the least that I can do to atone for what I've done."

>Mosaic shrugs and says:

"Fair enough. You get to see how the sausage is made in real time."

>Morgana is once again confused, but Mosaic raises a hand, stating:

"It's a figure of speech, don't worry. Let's go."

>Nodding, Mosaic and Morgana then jump into the energy vortex - into the nexus of the pocket dimension to help Omnius confront Wyrmwood directly.

 No.5087

File: 1782155513832-0.jpeg (92.65 KB, 800x600, Space.jpeg)

File: 1782155513832-1.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1782155513832-2.jpg (148.36 KB, 1244x700, Thaumia.jpg)

>>5083
>>5086
>Location: Null Space

>Hovering in the middle of the endless expanse of pitch black space, with bright stars all shimmering in the distance, the man with the demonic features, long black hair and stylish red robes and hat - meditates in place with his eyes closed.

>Upon sensing the arrival of Omnius, the man then shows a wide, wry smile across his face.

"You must be the psionic warrior. The hardheaded one whom has assisted the Astrals with their penetration of my realm."

>Moving from meditation position into a standing position, Wyrmwood then gives a mock bow, with exaggerated expressions.

"Ahh, where are my manners? I am Wyrmwood. The Astral of Corruption and Plagues. Although formalities may be in order, I cannot apologize for my actions."

>Stroking his goatee for a moment, the malevolent cosmic being then says:

"After all, a fire cannot apologize for the air that it consumes, nor the crops that it burns into cinders. As such, I cannot apologize for manipulating the poor woman."

>Now walking back and forth with his hands at his back, Wyrmwood then continues elaborating:

"She was lost, you must understand. After her mother and aunt were banished, she followed suit, refusing to leave them to their own fates. They traveled for ages, across various dimensions and worlds - struggling to find a newfound purpose after being cast out. Instead, they only found more pain, more deception and more betrayal."

>Turning back to face Omnius, Wyrmwood then says:

"Surely, you cannot blame me for providing a solution to Morgana's ails? A panacea for her pain? She was willing to sacrifice the world in order to save her mother and her aunt. She had foregone her entire world, her friends and the rest of her family, all for the chance of saving her mother and her aunt from their fates."

>The entirety of the dimension then distorts into a copy of Thaumia - an exact replica of the large floating continental mass of magic and ancient technology, as Wyrmwood stands in the central plaza.

"The lengths that people will go, in order to protect those whom they cherish. Why, it's almost tragic, isn't it?"

 No.5088

File: 1782155984550-0.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1782155984550-1.png (9.21 MB, 3202x2260, Wyrmwood Star.png)

File: 1782155984550-2.png (1.12 MB, 1134x1504, Mosaic - 40.png)

File: 1782155984550-3.jpeg (191.46 KB, 1920x1087, Durandal.jpeg)

File: 1782155984550-4.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

>>5087
>The skies of Thaumia then turn black, as a large orange and black star of immense luminosity appears. As Wyrmwood starts to speak, the Sun does as well - confirming their connection.

"The star was named Wyrmwood, and the third part of the waters became Wyrmwood; and many men perished of the waters - as they were made bitter."

>Mosaic and Morgana then arrive through the energy vortex into the echo of Thaumia - with Morgana looking on in horror at the eldritch star in the skies. Looking back down at Wyrmwood as he remains standing in place, calmly with both hands behind his back, Morgana then says:

"…..You did this! You sabotaged my entire world!"

>Wyrmwood at first has a neutral expression on his face, before it then slowly warps into an unnaturally wide grin as he says:

"Oh I did far more than that, Morgana. I gave your mother something very special. Something she could never live without. The one thing that she cared about more than anything else."

>Morgana feels an ice cold wind surge through her body, as her stomach contorts with the closest thing to disgust and sheer disbelief flowing through her mind. Panic fills her, as her heartrate begins to spike uncontrollably and her breathing hitches.

"No. Nonononono you're lying! All you have done is lie and deceive!"

>Wyrmwood holds out his hands in a mocking gesture of care as he then says:

"That's no way to treat your father now is it?"

>Morgana then screams in anger as she fires a massive burst of purple magic energy towards Wyrmwood - who casually absorbs it with his hands.

"What better way to create a medium that can inherit my will, than to spawn one of my own….well….I would say 'flesh and blood', but we both know that definition cannot apply to those like us, my dear daughter."

>Mosaic then places his hand on Morgana's shoulder and says:

"Give us some support from a distance. He's just trying to get into your head."

>Turning back to Wyrmwood, Mosaic then manifests Durandal once more, as he hovers forward towards Omnius. Readying the weapon by holding it forward with both hands for the first time, Mosaic then says:

"Morgana's right. There's no reason to believe anything that comes out of your mouth. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another roach that needs to get squashed."

>Anger flares through Wyrmwood's facial expression as his smile turns into a nightmarishly wide sneer.

"If you insist. The scent of a fellow Astral has done nothing to quell my sheer, unadulterated disdain for your petty heroism. Do as you must, little Astral. But be warned."

>Wyrmwood then quickly hovers up into the air - blocking the orange and black star behind him - the core of his essence as he channels orange light through himself.

"I especially enjoy consuming the minds of the brave."

 No.5089

File: 1782161199959-0.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1782161199959-1.gif (899.8 KB, 486x273, Blast.gif)

File: 1782161199959-2.jpg (513.06 KB, 1200x836, Thaumian Library - 2.jpg)

File: 1782161199959-3.jpg (109.79 KB, 500x496, Mosaic - 10.jpg)

File: 1782161199959-4.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

>>5088
>Wyrmwood then unleashes a massive surge of orange lights from his body - each of them powerful enough to vaporize and atomize matter in an instant.

>Sensing the strength of the beams, Mosaic then looks at Omnius.

"Move! Disintegration rays!"

>Mosaic then turns to Morgana, grabbing onto her shoulder and teleporting them off to the interior of the Thaumian structure.

>Inside of the library, Mosaic and Morgana reappear - inside of the façade of the structure. Looking around, Morgana tries to pick up a book, only for it to fade into nothingness.

"Not much you can do here. None of it's real, remember?"

>Morgana is silent for a moment, closing her eyes as she says:

"….I'm sorry. But I have to try. Even though it's fleeting, I had to try."

>Silent for a moment, Mosaic holds Durandal in one hand as he looks at Morgana's sunken eyes and her slouched form - sensing the defeatism in her eyes. He then shakes his head and speaks.

"No. Not doing this again. He's not going to win."

>Morgana then turns around to look at Mosaic, somewhat intrigued by his statement. Mosaic then continues speaking.

"Wyrmwood's entire essence is built around corruption. Tarnishing something pure and innocent, like a person's good intentions. He saw your desperation and your desire to make things right after what Lucien did to your people - and to your mother."

>Morgana's hands reflexively clench into fists in anger, as she visibly shakes while looking away - her long white hair obscuring her facial features from the side.

"He deserves to burn in hell for what he's done."

"And he is. Believe me, he is. I made sure of that. He's paying for what he's done."

>Looking back at Mosaic, Morgana's eyes ease up slightly as she replies, a hint of hope in her voice.

"….I believe you. I don't know why, but something in my soul is telling me that you're being truthful. A gut instinct I suppose?"

>Mosaic shrugs lightly as he flips Durandal's hilt across the palm of his hand before resting it on his shoulder.

"No idea, but whatever it is - trust it. Sometimes it takes going with your conscience to know right from wrong. No matter what a society, such as Thaumia may have been built up to think - you knew in your gut that what Lucien did was wrong."

>Morgana mutters to herself.

"Turning innocent people into batteries for energy. His own son….My cousin….Iblis….."

>Shaking her head, Morgana then looks up at Mosaic and says:

"Alright. I'll do what I can to stop Wyrmwood. You have my word."

>Mosaic nods, stating:

"But we're going to need a bit of help. His true form is that star that we saw outside. Omnius is likely keeping him occupied for now, but I'm going to need something powerful to pierce the exterior….Something with the energy yield to shatter an asteroid at a baseline….."

>Silent, Mosaic then looks up as he remembers. Confused, Morgana looks at him and says:

"…..Have you remembered something?"

>Mosaic nods, stating:

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."

 No.5090

File: 1782162154209-0.jpg (2.01 MB, 2000x955, Archeon (Earth-0) - 3.jpg)

File: 1782162154209-1.jpg (122.9 KB, 850x1128, Stella - 15.jpg)

File: 1782162154209-2.jpg (81.36 KB, 1200x686, Phoebe - 12.jpg)

File: 1782162154209-3.jpg (1008.6 KB, 1849x2261, Jonah - 24.jpg)

File: 1782162154209-4.png (968.88 KB, 736x926, Mobile Frame Wing Zero - 6.png)

>>5089
>Location: Sanctuary City - Archeon Incorporated.

"…..You want me to do what?"

>Stella continues meditating in mid-air inside of the Archeon Complex, as Phoebe and Jonah stand beside her, having arrived a few minutes earlier after learning about the incident in Sanctuary City.

>Phoebe narrows her eyes as she says:

"Stella, please tell my brother he's a complete and utter fucking moron. We can't send the Mobile Frame through a pocket dimension made of mental energy!"

>Jonah looks at his tablet as he reviews the latest diagnostic information regarding the bipedal superstructure. Looking over the structural integrity data and energy output of the machine, he then says out loud:

"….Well, provided that it's reinforced with magic, I would imagine that it can sustain itself in that dimension, no? After all, Aiden and Orion went in with their physical bodies - so I would surmise that psionic transduction would be possible as normal transduction is with bacteria. It just requires a medium to bridge the connection."

>Turning towards Stella, Jonah then says:

"That would likely be you, Stella."

>Stella nods at Jonah and gives him a weak smile as she says:

"…..I still agree with Phoebe. Your brother's an idiot - but he's a good-hearted idiot for trying something."

>Turning her attention back inward, Stella then projects her verbal speech to Mosaic's mind with telepathy, stating:

"Alright Aiden. I think I can do it. But you're responsible for bringing it back in one piece. After all, the buck stops with you regarding company property."

>Stella then focuses her mind as she begins to silently chant an incantation - charging up magical energy around the large mobile frame outside as it begins to be enveloped in pink magical energy.

"Mobile Frame Zero Wing. Or Wing Zero. Experimental Kinetic-Absorption plating. Twin fusion reactor buster rifles - the closest that we've ever gotten to shrinking Dad's original fusion reactor design."

>Jonah smiles for a moment after considering the accomplishment that he achieved with his designs. He then continues:

"Autonomous programming and hazard analysis algorithms. If Aiden can repurpose this in real time, it might help him with his predicament."

>Jonah says, finalizing the last minute changes to the mobile frame's settings.

"Alright Stella, let it through."

>Phoebe says, as Stella nods and begins transporting the machine into the Astral Plane pocket dimension - converting it into pink energy that flies into the dome and towards the center…..

 No.5091

File: 1782162916202-0.jpg (114.17 KB, 736x1039, Mobile Frame Wing Zero - 1….jpg)

File: 1782162916202-1.png (2.89 MB, 998x2000, Mosaic.png)

File: 1782162916202-2.png (2.8 MB, 1916x2708, Morgana - 2.png)

File: 1782162916202-3.png (9.21 MB, 3202x2260, Wyrmwood Star.png)

File: 1782162916202-4.gif (638.02 KB, 500x375, Mobile Frame Wing Zero - 8.gif)

>>5090
>Back inside of the core of the pocket dimension, as the fighting between Omnius and Wyrmwood continues, a loud reverberation of magic can be sensed, rapidly approaching their location.

>From inside of the façade library, Mosaic and Morgana both sense the magical nature of the incoming package of mana. Recognizing the distinct signature, Morgana then whispers a single word, as a tear streams down her cheek.

"……Stellara……"

>Recognizing the mana signature of her younger cousin, Morgana is convinced now, more than ever, that her family is still alive. Turning to face Mosaic, she then mouths a 'thank you' to him, as Mosaic simply nods and says:

"Like I said, she saved my life. In more ways than one."

>Mosaic then holds out his hand for Morgana to grab, and then teleports them both outside into the emptiness of the void - where Wyrmwood and Omnius are continuing to battle with psionic constructs, energy waves and reality distorting blasts.

>A large pink stream of mana energy quickly converges on Mosaic and Morgana, forming around them into the shape of the Mobile Frame - Zero Wing. As the large, multi story mech forms around him and Morgana, Mosaic finds himself in the cockpit seat, with Morgana in a seat behind him.

"What is this thing? Is this magitek?"

>As he prepares the system's core controls, he then looks behind himself at Morgana and says:

"Something like that, yeah. Enjoy the ride, as you're getting a front row seat to Wyrmwood's destruction."

>The large Mobile Frame then blasts forward at relativistic speeds, empowered by the combination of the advanced Thulcandran technology and the Thaumian magitek that makes up the core of its design. As Wyrmwood and Omnius are fighting each other, the machine goes straight towards the core of the dimension - the large supernatural sun that comprises Wyrmwood's essence.

>The actual Wyrmwood, the physical form of the Astral, sees his eyes widen in horror as the realization kicks in - however he's too preoccupied against Omnius to stop the oncomming attacking.

>The large sun, Wyrmwood's true essence, instinctively reacts - firing off sentient solar flares in the shape of snakes, dragons and other monsters at Zero Wing, only for the mech to fire its magitek vulcan guns from its retractable positions on its shoulders - vaporizing the monsters entirely.

 No.5092

File: 1782163624285-0.jpg (647.22 KB, 682x855, Mobile Frame Wing Zero - 7.jpg)

File: 1782163624285-1.png (2.89 MB, 2406x1812, Zero Wing - Core System.png)

File: 1782163624285-2.png (9.21 MB, 3202x2260, Wyrmwood Star.png)

File: 1782163624285-3.png (2.17 MB, 1908x2706, Wyrmwood.png)

File: 1782163624285-4.jpeg (4.57 MB, 2480x3507, Mosaic - 21.jpeg)

>>5091
>The Mobile Frame's speed then continues to accelerate, now reaching light speeds as it converges the seemingly infinite distance between the Star and itself, with blinding speed.

>The instinctual panic of the Star continues to grow as the machine moves closer and closer - attempting to crush it through immense gravitational compression, with black holes.

"Nice try. Been there, done that."

>Slamming the controls forward with his hands, Mosaic directs the movement sticks of the harness inside the Mobile Frame forward - accelerating them even further. Powered by a combination of trans-dimensional physics, magical technology and augmented by Mosaic's own latent raw power - the Mobile Frame continues to fly around the gravitational pull of the black holes, even through the event horizon.

>Once it reaches striking distance, Mosaic directs the Zero Wing to hold out both of its twin nuclear fusion buster rifles - using the dimensional engineering of the Thulcandrans to produce a core output exceeding the entire life sequence of the Sun's billions of years of output in a single instance, accelerated and amplified by the magic that powers the machine.

>As the energy beam begins charging up, Wyrmwood in the far distance screams in horror, as the final realization hits him - the realization of his complete, ontological erasure.

"NO! I was so close to success! Damn you humans!"

>The Zero Wing Mobile Frame then continues charging up its energy - before it then fires, producing an astronomically large beam of glowing golden energy so massive, that it covers the entirety of the front and peripheral view of the machine - illuminating the entire night sky of space and beginning to unmake the Star of Wyrmwood itself.

>As the energy wave completely envelops and consumers the Star, tearing it apart beyond a physical scale, and on a conceptual one as well, Wyrmwood himself begins to slowly disintegrate into golden energy at that same time.

"No….NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"

>As Wyrmwood dissipates into nothingness, the Mobile Frame in the distance lowers its own weapons.

>Inside of the cockpit, Mosaic leans back in his chair as he says to himself:

"…..'But his end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword'."

>Morgana looks at Mosaic from behind, asking:

"….That verse…."

>Mosaic looks up at the dark night skies of the empty void, that used to house Wyrmwood's essence, before saying:

"It's only fitting. At the end of the day, when corruption has nothing to turn on - it ultimately turns on itself in the end. Nothing more to it."

>Using his telepathy, Mosaic then says to Omnius:

{"Looks like the prototype worked after all. Too bad we can't tell Amber, huh? Bet she's gonna be pissed at us."}

 No.5093

File: 1782164743832-0.jpg (2.01 MB, 2000x955, Archeon (Earth-0) - 3.jpg)

File: 1782164743832-1.jpg (200.5 KB, 1650x928, Archeon (Earth-0) CEO Offi….jpg)

File: 1782164743832-2.jpeg (94.68 KB, 850x1159, Aiden - 48.jpeg)

File: 1782164743832-3.jpg (423.42 KB, 623x807, Phoebe - 7.jpg)

File: 1782164743832-4.jpg (1008.6 KB, 1849x2261, Jonah - 24.jpg)

>>5092
>Location: Sanctuary City - Archeon Complex
>Time: 3:00 PM

>As Aiden, Phoebe and Jonah watch the news from inside of the upper floors of the Archeon Complex Executive Suites, they witness the continued fallout of the conflict, despite it being resolved. Various MRD agents are interviewed for their eyewitness accounts of the zombies and the supernatural black sphere - which has now disappeared. The area around it has been cordoned off by the MRD for further investigation, according to the news anchor.

"One of these days they'll find a way to blame us for this shit, I swear."

>Phoebe says, scoffing as she finishes eating a banana in her hand, before flicking it over her head effortlessly into the trash can.

"So how's Stella handling it? Y'know. Finding out that she has a cousin still alive?"

>Jonah finishes looking over the post-operational diagnostic reports of the Zero Wing Mobile Frame's internal systems and power usage. Satisfied with the results under stress testing in what is akin to deep space exploration, he then sets the tablet down on the desk and says:

"Hopefully it'll be less discordant than what we experience with our cousins."

>Aiden, leaning on a nearby wall with his hands in his coat pockets, looks over to see Stella and Morgana continuing to talk.

>Outside, the Mobile Frame - Zero Wing, is back where it was before. In pristine condition, but now charged with energy and power in its internal circuits.

"….I've got the feeling that it'll be more heartfelt than we think."

 No.5094

File: 1782164839120-0.jpg (200.5 KB, 1650x928, Archeon (Earth-0) CEO Offi….jpg)

File: 1782164839120-1.jpeg (252.66 KB, 1184x2048, Stella.jpeg)

File: 1782164839120-2.png (4 MB, 1670x2450, Morgana.png)

>>5093
>As Stella and Morgana continue talking on the couches, sitting across from each other, Morgana then says:

"I still remember the day you asked my mother if you could speak to the Leviathan whale. I thought I'd never recover from the laughter fit!"

>Stella pouts lightly as she then says:

"Hey! I was eleven! I thought it would give me good luck!"

>After a few more moments, both of them then stop talking, as an eerie silence fills the room.

"….I'm sorry I didn't go with you, Morgana. I should've had the courage to leave my father, like you did. Like aunt Emerita did. Like mom did…."

>Morgana stands up and walks over to Stella, leaning down beside her while saying:

"Your mom, aunt Cordia? She was the toughest woman that I ever knew. It took a lot of courage for her to walk away from your father - the horrible person that he was. But it was her example that gave me the courage to do the same thing, and abandon Thaumia."

>Stella has tears in her eyes as she nods and smiles at Morgana, stating:

"Maybe. But I'm glad to have you back at least. I know that mom and aunt Emerita are out there somewhere. I won't stop until we find them."

>Morgana nods as she leans her head against Stella, smiling - with both of them closing their eyes.

"I'll help you with that, I swear."

 No.5095

File: 1782165742825-0.jpg (668.15 KB, 846x1200, Phoebe.jpg)

File: 1782165742825-1.jpeg (153.28 KB, 850x1413, Stella - 3.jpeg)

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>>5094
>As the two sorceresses separate from each other, Phoebe walks into the room, arms crossed.

"So…..Morgana, was it? I appreciate you being remorseful for everything that happened but-"

>Morgana holds up a gloved hand, as she rises to her feet, saying:

"I understand. I'm not really welcome here. Especially after everything that I've done."

>Phoebe blinks for a second and then turns to look at Stella, who has a sad look in her eyes. Phoebe then groans loudly as she says:

"Oh for cryin' out loud! I'm not telling you to leave! I'm asking if you've got a place to stay!"

>Surprised, Morgana then says:

"But I literally summoned an army of reanimated monsters to attack the city?! How is that deserving of any accommodation or understanding?"

>Phoebe places her hands on her hips as she then says:

"Because you sent them to oblivion before they could hurt anyone - and you helped to destroy an even bigger problem. Actions speak louder than words, right?"

>Turning towards Stella, Phoebe then states:

"For what it's worth? I think you're doing a good job so far as well, Stella."

>As Aiden walks into the area, Phoebe then smirks and says:

"Definitely doing better than most if you can handle this idiot."

>Rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses, Aiden then tells Phoebe:

"You're saying this about someone who can effectively run a multi-trillion dollar corporation whilst simultaneously saving the world from eldritch monsters. But sure, I get to be the idiot in this situation."

>Aiden then looks towards Morgana and says:

"If you want, you can go to Paradise City with my sister Phoebe and her boyfriend Sam. They'll set you up at Archeon's Southwestern branch there, and they'd get you a separate place to stay - company salary's competitive as hell."

>Thinking on it for a moment, Morgana then states:

"…Alright. At least until I can help Stella find our mothers out there in the worlds beyond our own. Hopefully one day…."

>Looking off to the side, Morgana then smiles as she thinks to herself, before then saying:

"….It's funny. I never once closed my eyes and expected myself to be here in this situation. Just surrounded by good people - willing to help me, instead of hurt me for their own gain. Ever since I left Thaumia, I've just felt aimless and desperate. Trying to survive with my mother and Aunt Cordia before everything fell apart. I had this nagging feeling in my mind, something that just doubted whether or not I deserved to still be here. To still be alive…."

>Aiden then speaks up, hands in his jeans pockets at the sides of his jacket ends - stating:

"….An intrusive thought that just kept persisting right? Just kept getting in the way. Telling you that you were worthless unless you were doing something to help stop the pain? The same thought that pushed you to go seek out Wyrmwood?"

>Nodding, Morgana then looks up at Aiden, stating:

"What is that? That nagging feeling? That hopelessness that drove me to make such a horrible mistake?"

 No.5096

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>>5095
>Aiden turns around and walks towards the windows at the edge of the room - looking at the skyline as he thinks to himself. His eyes are hidden by his sunglasses, but his body language gives the impression of being in deep, contemplative thought.

"There isn't really a name for it that's consistent across cultures. But here, we have a term for something like that."

>Looking back at Morgana, Aiden then elaborates:

"….We call it the 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye'. Something that breaks concentration and sows doubt in the mind. It starts off slow and you ignore it, and then it festers and grows and grows - until it becomes an uncontrollable monster in and of itself. Until it stops being something that you can passively ignore; instead it becomes a clear and painful reminder that circumstances need to change. No matter the cost."

>Turning back to look at Morgana, Aiden then speaks to her as Stella slowly walks over beside him.

"Fortunately. We've plucked that splinter out just now. So the mind is free to mend. That just takes time, Morgana."

>Aiden looks down and sees Stella slowly taking her hands into his own. Giving the smallest of smiles, he then tells her:

"Time being something you now have to reflect on. We'll see you around."

>Morgana nods smiling as she turns to Phoebe and Jonah, saying:

"Alright. I'm ready to go now."

>Nodding, Phoebe and Jonah lead Morgana out of the room, as Phoebe pats her on the back, speaking:

"Oh you're gonna love San Francisco. Weather's terrible, food's expensive - and the rent is to die for honestly. But we'll cover all of that for you, so you'll get to enjoy the scenery and the vibes too."

>As the three of them walk off, Aiden turns back towards Stella and says:

"I've contacted Isaac. I'll ask him about what Aesop told me regarding the Astrals in question later."

>Stella nods, still holding Aiden's hand tightly with affection as she remains silent. Aiden then takes the cue to ask Stella the question that's been on his mind ever since he came back from the Astral Plane.

"…..Did Morgana tell you what I said about you when we were in the Astral Plane?"

>Stella looks at the ground, smiling as she states:

"Oh not really. Just the fact that I saved you, in more ways than one."

>Aiden smiles softly at Stella as he gently turns her head to face his own with his fingers lightly pushing her chin up and to the side.

"Well I wasn't fully honest with her. You did save me, in more ways than one. But I wanted to repay you as well - in more ways than one."

>Stella's eyes widen slowly as tears fill her eyes as she says:

"….Do you actually mean it? We're going to-"

>Aiden interjects.

"Years from now, whenever you're ready? Yeah. Though I might want to ask my father for advice first - about when he first had me and my siblings."

>Stella then leans forward and kisses Aiden, as Aiden returns the gesture - with both of them not having a single care in the world in that moment.

[The End]


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