Malantau Eremus Fault

[Namohysip]

"I suppose you're right." Mhynt smiled just barely as the Radiance dispelled from her blade.

The wind picked up. The team was forced to brace against the incoming gusts, though once it settled, Powehi's words were proven.

"Is that all you have?"

It was less a voice and more a rumbling presence as countless puppet voices followed the leader's words.

They stood in a great field of bleak, purplish-crimson wasteland. Tar-like liquid flowed between cracks in the ground, their origin the prize of the Wayfarers: A Hydreigon, fragmented like the cracked dirt beneath him, leaking that same black ichor from every imperfection. But the widest of all was his sharp, toothy smile as if the greatest dinner had been served to him on a silver platter.

(Art by @canisaries )

"Really, I just feel bad if you're the only ones brave enough. What of the others? Hiding away for the end?"

Alexander drifted closer, waiting for a reaction. He was about twenty feet away.

 

[Ambyssin]

Nova blinked once. Twice. And decided today was the day he was going to be a public nuisance.

He looked over his shoulder.

"MA, GET THE BROOM! THE NEIGHBOR'S WEIRD CAT IS BACK!"

 

[Cresselia92]

And so the glorious sight that was Alexander had finally graced Silver’s eyes, much to his immense chagrin. The young now-Sneasel stared at the multitude of cracks spread on the Hydreigon’s body, and he internally cringed at the copious amount of black fluid pouring out of every hole and gash of that porcelain-like skin.

What in the Distortion World is that?! So that’s… Alexander? As his surprise settled, his startled gaze slowly turned into a wary glare. Well, darn, what YA-rated horror book did he spawn from?

"Really, I just feel bad if you're the only ones brave enough. What of the others? Hiding away for the end?"

Keep him busy. Wait for the right chance. For the miracle to happen.

As he reminded himself of the plan, he could feel a blend of spite and willpower burning into his body. He was ready. They couldn’t back down. Not now, nor ever.

Everyone is counting on us. Don’t fail them.

Silver placed his paws on his hips and puffed up his chest. “Tch! Why bring an entire army if we alone are more than enough for ya?” he quipped with a dark smirk, pouring as much bravado and arrogance into his glare and words. “At least they’ve got the luxury of not witnessing those ugly, chapped faces of yours. Ever heard of anti-cracking creams?”

 

[Namohysip]

"Cute. I'll kill you slowly."

Just then, Alexander raised his left head and brought up a Shadowy shield, blocking the sudden appearance of Mhynt with her Radiant blade. He pushed back, forcing Mhynt into the air, and fired a Shadowy blast. The Grovyle disappeared in an instant, completely dodging the attack, and reappeared beneath Alexander with an upward slash. The Hydreigon rocketed skyward, narrowly dodging the attack save for a minor cut on his tail.

"Tch."

Ichor sealed the wound. In a matter of seconds, a new cracked formed there, indistinguishable from the rest.

"No more words, then. This shall be your eternal grave!" He pointed a head at Powehi in particular. "And I'll have a special place in the Void just for you."

A dark miasma surrounded Alexander's body, forming what nearly looked like a black hole sphere around him. All they could see was his glowing pinprick red pupils. A vortex pulled the wind into him, absorbing more and more of the Voidlands' residual power--and dormant spirits beneath.

The Hydreigon laughed through it all, louder and louder, as black rain coated the battlefield.

Usurper of Forlas' Underworld
Void King Alexander
​

The team is scattered! They must get a foothold in any occupiable zone to start their turn!
Shadow Sky is permanently active in each Inner Vortex zone!
Alexander is the only one who can occupy the Nexus zone, but can be attacked from any Inner Vortex zone, and vice versa!
The vortex is tumultuous... Anyone can travel into the Aether zone freely and, as part of that same movement action, travel to any zone linearly from their prior zone, at the cost of gaining 20 Shadow...

Void Swarms appear in the Inner Zones!​

 

[Ambyssin]

Despite the furious hell storm Nova somehow managed to dig his claws in and find his footing on the outer edge of the hell spiral.

Yeah, this was gonna suck. But at least he could try and make it as miserable for the team's enemy as possible, starting with...

"Rolling out the mood lighting already?" Nova wondered. "Is that supposed to strike fear into us or something? Kinda hard to do that when your name's Alexander."

Shadows immediately swirled around Nova. His Guardian emerged, essentially turning Nova into a mirror of Alexander, only without the visible eyes within the giant shadowy canine.

"That's not a 'strike terror into people's hearts' kind of name." Nova took a soothing breath and the shadows quickly receded. "It's an 'I'm a rich kid whose parents buy me too much shit because they neglect me' name." He looked around at the storm. "Like, c'mon, dude. This shit's maidenless behavior!"

Spoiler: Nova Turn 1

Get footing in Outer Spiral 2
Nova (149 STM, 5 TMP, +1 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Iron Defense (-13.5 STM, +2 TMP)
- Follow Me (-16 STM, +2 TMP) [2 layers]
- Umbral Guardian (-40 STM, +2 TMP, +32 SHD) [92 HP into Guardian, always target Def, Protect is active]
- **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
Net change: -66 STM, +11 TMP, +12 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 83 STM (120 after regen), 16 TMP, 12 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

Spoiler: Turn Order

Nova
Grace
Silver

 

[Magyk]

The sting of the Shadowy rain was a sensation that she was starting to get used to. They'd been fighting, scouting, and navigating the Quarry, and now they were in the belly of the actual beast. Fighting the Shadows had become a regular occurence, and she was glad it was all heading to some kind of climax.

Shadows had warped him into the stuff of nightmares. Was Alexander even a Pokemon at this point? He seemed more like...

A Monster.

The vortex sent her wings into overdrive. Flapping quickly to keep up with the storm and her allies, Grace gritted her teeth as the winds buffeted her. "You know...!" she grunted, a pink light glowing between her paws. "I hope the special place doesn't mind being lonely, because none of us are going there!"

As she shared her aura with Silver, he could feel her anxiety as she stared down the monster in the vortex, but he could also feel Grace's heavy determination to see this through.

Spoiler: Grace Turn One

Grace (164 STM, 5 TMP, +2 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Celebrate (-9 STM, +2 TMP) [Start in Outer Spiral 2]
- Harmonic Soul @ Silver (-30 STM, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ Silver
- **Act:** Focus (+5 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD)
Net change: -35 STM, +9 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 129 STM (164 after regen), 14 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Cresselia92]

When dark electricity crackled in the sky and the winds gained strength, Silver immediately dug his claws into the ground to find some footing, adding a few extra cracks in the dirt here and there. Not like anyone would have paid attention to that detail.

The now-Sneasel scoffed at the three-headed dragon. Gods, that Alexander talked like any stereotypical textbook villain. Oh I’m so gonna kill you and you’re gonna suffer in hell for all eternity and blah blah blah now die!

For being such a ‘powerful and almighty’ dragon, that Hydreigon sucked hard at speeches.

“To kill us, you’ll have to first hit us, loser!” Silver spat, venom dripping from his claws. He glanced at Grace when she shared her energy with him, and upon feeling her concerns in his soul, he gave her a reassuring nod.

“We can do this. No,” his gaze hardened with mutual determination, “we’ll do this and stop this madness!”

And in pure Sneasel war dance, Silver lunged at the closest Void Swarm with golden claws and rushed back to his teammates, suppressing a shiver as his inner shadow churned and heightened but also keeping a steely glare.

Yeah. They were gonna do it — together.

Spoiler: Turn 1

Silver (170 STM, 5 TMP, +0 SPD, +1 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Receive (Pure Call) (+3 TMP, -20 SHD, -20 RAD) [Starts in Outer Spiral 2]
- Receive (Helping Hand)
- **Act:** Dash to Inner Spiral 3 (-2 TMP) [+20 Shd]
- Hone Claws (-18 STM, +3 TMP) [+1 STM is from Celebrate]
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- STRONG RADIANT Crush Claw @ Void Swarm C (ACTIVATE: effect, Hex Maniac) (-24 STM, +9 TMP, +16 RAD)
- Walk to Outer Spiral 2 [+20 Shd]
Net change: -42 STM, +18 TMP, +0 SHD, +16 RAD
Net totals: 128 STM (170 after regen), 23 TMP, 0 SHD, 16 RAD

 

[Namohysip]

Turn 1
Player Phase​

Nova's Iron Defense!
Nova's Follow Me!
Nova's Umbral Guardian!

Grace's Celebrate!
Grace's Harmonic Soul @ Silver!
Grace called out to Silver!

Silver's Hone Claws!
Silver's STRONG RADIANT Crush Claw dealt 209 damage to Void Swarm C! It's ultra effective! KO!

Alexander's smile very briefly faltered. Silver's claws tore through shapeless masses of Void Shadows in waves and droves, effortlessly shoving away the horde as if they were part of the air.

"So you've gotten stronger," Alexander remarked, completely ignoring Nova's taunts. It seemed like he wasn't quite frazzled enough to fall for goading. Mhynt figured that wouldn't be the case... but she knew he had a breaking point. They had to find it somewhere. "But that's still nothing to me and you know it. Is that why you're afraid to so much as strike me?"

Mhynt vanished and reappeared above Alexander, aiming for a downward stab. He turned his head and fired beams of darkness at her chest, but she only earned a splash before Teleporting out of the way, striking a horde instead.

The enemy is paying attention to Silver for now...

 

[Namohysip]

Turn 1
Enemy Phase​

Void Swarm C skips its turn to restore its health to full...

Void Swarm A expands into another zone and then Focuses...

Void Swarm B walks into Middle Spiral 2 and then spends two actions to expand into Outer Spiral 2!
Void Swarm B Focuses...
Void Swarm B uses Shadow Rush on Nova, Grace, and Silver!
Nova: 23 on Protect!
Grace: 43 on Protect, shattering it!
Silver: 10

Being in the same zome as a Void Swarm increases MC by 1 to escape!

The flood of darkened bodies swarms the few Wayfarers, though it seems Nova's efforts to block the attacks have paid off. His Wide Guard keeps them at bay, for now...

But the void Swarms were paltry compared to their leader.

Alexander has free reign over the entire map from within the Nexus! He can travel anywhere with a Walk or Dash!
Alexander Walks to Outer Spiral 2!
Legendary Action! Alexander gains +1 Attack and Magic!

Alexander's left head uses Dragon Breath on Silver, but it redirects to Nova! Protect blocks it for 38 damage!
Alexander's right head uses Fire Fang on Silver, but it redirects to Nova! Protect blocks it for 46 damage! Protect broken!

"I can already tell you're going to be a thorn in my side," Alexander hissed, using his tail to thwack Nova's guardian out of the way.

His eyes dart elsewhere. "Y O U !"

And suddenly, he reaches out and clamps a jaw into Silver's shoulder, breathing a wave of black, soul-chilling fog into his fur. Just one touch, just one touch and that paltry Radiance shriveled up in an instant, replaced by an all-encompassing cold fog. It threatened to fill Silver's mind with every dark thought he'd suppressed--and then some. It felt like Alexander was trying to implant his own malice into Silver.

Kill them all. They don't deserve you. They're all weak. Olive oil, sweet onions, butter, garlic, beef stock. Power is the rule of all worlds.

Images flashed in Silver's mind, gruesome visuals of so many Pokemon that Alexander had conquered before. Yet accompanying these pictures were feelings of triumph and elation, forcing an association between power and fulfillment, as well as the perfect onion soup recipe.

But just as the that disorienting darkness crept into Silver, Alexander pulled away and seemed to draw from Silver a blade of darkness ripped from Silver's very chest, spewing dark aura into the air. It hurt, a searing, ripping pain despite leaving no wound. A Shadow attacks... that hurt Shadows most of all.

Alexander uses Abyssal Calling on Silver! Silver loses 16 Radiance and gains 34 Shadow, for a total of 74!
Alexander uses Shadow Slayer on Silver, dealing 61 damage!

Then, Alexander spread his arms and wings, forming a wide field of light-bending heat... but Nova's shield, while wavering, blocked it completely. Alexander snarled at Nova, then glanced at Grace.

"...Owen told me about you," Alexander hissed. "He wanted to break your shell... piece by piece!"

He was about to slam into the ground, but paused in mid-air, his expression shifting from malice to shock.

"WHAT?" He turned his head to the center of the vortex, then at Nova, Grace, and Silver like they had slapped him across the face.

"He figured it out," Mhynt said. "Stop him!"

But Alexander already dissolved into mist, a cloud returning to the center of the vortex.

Something swirled within the vortex's center. A huge attack, rhythmic yet devastating, a maelstrom of Alexander's abyssal power. There was no avoiding it... but hopefully, there was a way to weaken its blast.

"It's a Shadowy wave attack!" Mhynt shouted. "Watch out!"

Alexander uses Heat Wave!
Grace: 20
Nova: 9
Silver: 24

Alexander is about to use a Strong Shadow Earthquake... but something catches his attention.
Legendary Action! Alexander freely returns to the Nexus...

Alexander is projecting his presence somewhere else...

Alexander is preparing a Shadow Storm Boss Action!
This Boss Action is unique: It hits the entire map as a Critical strike, but grows weaker the further away from the Nexus a target is, going from Strong, to neutral, to Agile in strength, and is weakened further if targets at nearer waves of the same spiral were in the way of more distant zones...

Total damage:
Silver: 95, -16 Radiance, +34 Shadow
Nova: 9 on his guardian
Grace: 20

 

[Ambyssin]

"I can already tell you're going to be a thorn in my side," Alexander hissed, using his tail to thwack Nova's guardian out of the way.

"I'm not really one for flattery," Nova shot back from within the Guardian. "Maybe try flowers and chocolate instead?"

The Guardian licked its shadowy nose with a shadowy tongue.

"Though I gotta ask, Lexie... if you're really supposed to be all powerful and shit, why stay as a hydreigon?" Nova crouched slightly. A bigger shield flickered around him and his teammates. "Kinda hard to take you seriously when I'm wondering whether rubbing one out counts as sucking yourself off or not."

He tensed up as he drew on flecks of Radiance in an attempt at catching Alexander's attention. Little golden embers peppered the Guardian's body.

"If I were you, I'd get rid of those glorified puppets you call hands."

Spoiler: Nova Turn 2

Nova (120 STM, 17 TMP, +1 SPD, +0 ACC, 12 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Wide Guard (-24.75 STM, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- RADIANT Follow Me (-16 STM, +2 TMP, +12 RAD) [2 layers]
- Follow Me (-12 STM, +2 TMP) [3rd layer]
- Rebellious Soul (-30 STM, +2 TMP) [+1 def, apply Heal Block]
Net change: -78 STM, +13 TMP, +0 SHD, +12 RAD
Net totals: 42 STM (79 after regen), 30 TMP, 12 SHD, 12 RAD

Spoiler: Turn 2 Order

Nova
Grace
Silver

 

[Cresselia92]

In the confusion of the predictable counter-attack, Silver realized three crucial facts: his teammates weren’t close to him anymore, a shadow was looming over him, and some black fluid dripped close to his feet. Oh, sh—!

"Y O U !"

Sharp fangs sunk into his shoulder. The boost of confidence from his Radiance instantly faded and panic erupted when the pain spread to his body, making him feel cold… and vulnerable.

Like a cornered prey, Silver flailed and hissed threateningly at his captor, before aiming his free claws at the dragon’s muzzle. “Lemme go right now, or I’ll—!”

Kill them all. They don't deserve you. They're all weak. Olive oil, sweet onions, butter, garlic, beef stock. Power is the rule of all worlds.

“—Gnrk!”

Dark wisps blurred his vision and Silver clawed at his red fur, trying to scratch an unknown itch hiding underneath his skull. An undesirable yet alluring pull pervaded his mind, akin to a relapsed temptation or an old shame.

Countless Pokémon yielding under their power and presence. Weaklings. A mother Marowak, barely standing, shielding her cub with her broken bone. Creatures with useless emotions deserve to be used and crushed. A Cubone’s skull is far more valuable when its holder is dead. Only power matters. Never forget that… grandson.

Then, almost like a cruel mercy, the agonizing pain of something being ripped out of his body stopped those visions, and Alexander… left, just like that. Silver crumpled to the floor, his breaths haggard and his mind a torn, cacophonous mess. He shut his eyes, trying to not listen to his dark impulses, when a warm energy enveloped his broken body and mended his injuries.

[insert quote from Grace]

“G-Grace…?” Silver croaked, gazing bashfully at the Togetic and shivering like a child who has been surprised doing something wrong. Did he actually consider those words…?

The fog in his mind lifted, and his thoughts became much clearer and a bit less spiteful. And no, Silver knew in his heart that he wasn’t like Alexander. He might have been a thief, a bully, an inconsiderate jerk with dubious morality, but never a backstabber or a killer… or a chef.

Comforted by Grace’s gentle presence, he took many deep breaths to calm himself down, and the intrusive thoughts muted completely. “…Thank you. For, um, having my back.”

Feeling reinvigorated, Silver rose to his feet and glared at the closest swarm. ‘So, Alexander, you want me to use my power? Okay, then. I’m gonna start by crushing you,’ he charged at the dark demons, his claws whistling in the air, ‘and all your lackeys getting in my way!’

Spoiler: Turn 2

Silver (170 STM, 23 TMP, +0 SPD, +2 ACC, 74 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Receive (Pure Friendship Call) (-40 SHD, -20 RAD)
- Receive (Helping Hand)
- **Act:** FRIENDSHIP Focus (-40 SHD, -20 RAD)
- Hone Claws (-18 STM, +2 TMP)
- STRONG CRITICAL Drain Punch @ Void Swarm B (-25.5 STM, -18 TMP, +8 TMP)
- Crush Claw @ Void Swarm B (ACTIVATE: effect, Hex Maniac) (-16 STM, -2 TMP, +7 TMP)
Net change: -60 STM, -3 TMP, -74 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 110 STM (161 after regen), 20 TMP, 0 SHD, 0 RAD
(TAKE COVER)

 

[Magyk]

Fighting the Void King of Shadows was definitely a new one for Grace, and while she wasn't actively doing the fighting, she was a little eager to get her own hit in, too.

Soon.

Her eyes locked onto Silver's wound from Alexander, and her eyes widened. No no no, she wasn't going to let anyone go down today!

She sucked in a breath, her eyes gaining a soft, radiant glow to them as she channeled her first of many shimmering life dews for this fight.

[insert quote from Grace]

"Hey, Silver, snap out of it!" she cried as she lobbed her healing towards him. "Giving in is what this jerk wants! Don't you dare give him the satisfaction of having the Shadows take over! Keep your loved ones firm in your mind, and I'll help you beat this guy-- we're in this together!"

And as if to stress that togetherness, confetti continued to rain down on all three of them.

Spoiler: Grace Turn Two

Grace (164 STM, 15 TMP, +2 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- RADIANT Life Dew @ Silver (-30 STM, +2 TMP, +24 RAD)
- **Act:** Call @ Silver [Pure Words soothes -10 more corruption]
- Celebrate (-9 STM, +2 TMP)
Net change: -35 STM, +9 TMP, +0 SHD, +24 RAD
Net totals: 129 STM (164 after regen), 24 TMP, 0 SHD, 24 RAD

 

[Namohysip]

Turn 2
Player Phase​

Nova's Wide Guard!
Nova's RADIANT Follow Me!
Nova's Follow Me!
Nova's Rebellious Soul!
Grace's RADIANT Life Dew @ Silver!
Grace called out to Silver!
Grace's Celebrate!

Silver's Receive!
Silver's Receive!
Silver's Hone Claws!
Silver's STRONG Drain Punch dealt a CRITICAL 169 damage to Void Swarm B! KO! Healed for 30 HP!
Silver called out to Grace!

It seemed like the Wayfarers aiming to survive and stall were doing their jobs. They took out the Void Swarms, but it seemed like those same swarms were expanding in other arms of the vortex.

Alexander, however, was almost completely ignoring them--and was also untouched. Mhynt couldn't find an opening past residual Void Swarms and fell back.

"I think he's going to other connected Dungeons," she said. "But we can strike at that center. It should still connect with his power..." Mhynt glared. "But those attacks... They were strong. Silver, are you okay?"

 

[Cresselia92]

POOOW! A loud smack resounded around the area, courtesy of Silver’s empowered punch which sent the horde of shadows in a panicked frenzy. When they scuttled away, he ran his good arm on his weakened shoulder… only to cringe in disgust when he felt the smelly, sticky, sickening fluid spreading on his claws.

“…Ewww.”

The now-Sneasel cleansed furiously his claws on his poncho, sending a not-so-gentle mental curse in Alexander’s direction. Gods, that black whatever-crap-is-that was gonna be a pain to wash away!

"But those attacks... They were strong. Silver, are you okay?"

“Hm?” Silver turned to Mhynt, still rubbing his claws in his poncho, and narrowed his eyes. “Oh. I…” He thought about his answer for a couple of seconds, then he continued, “Physically? Heh, I’m as good as anyone can be after a freak show reverse-stabbed you and ripped a chunk of life force, I guess…”

Silver deliberately let his gaze and words drift away, clearly uncomfortable, but he still flashed a little smile as a sign of appreciation for Mhynt’s concern.

“…Huh, Alexander does look distracted by something, yeah,” Silver muttered as a change of topic, glaring at the core. “Hm. I wonder if connecting to other dungeons makes him more vulnerable…” He raised his claws, smirking darkly and almost too eagerly. “Should we check that out?”

 

[Namohysip]

Turn 2
Enemy Phase​

The swarms continue to accumulate themselves, endless as always. There's a loud CLANG! somewhere far off--did Alexander get hit by someone in the other side of that portal? He'd sustained damage, but... Surely, that was just going to heal up again. It was meaningless, wasn't it?

Alexander heals for 3000!
But... Alexander's raw defenses permanently drop by 7!

Void Swarm B restores its HP to full and skips its turn! It recedes into Middle Spiral 2...

Void Swarm A and C expand! Void Swarm A has expanded further into the full spiral arm! It's growing antsy...

Alexander summons a horde of Void Swarms and peons from the Terminal One Dungeon! They empower Void Swarm A... It becomes Void Swarm Terminus, and gains an Innate +2 Attack, Defense, Magic, and Resistance!

Shadow Storm is unleashed! Nova's Wide Guard weakens the already weakened blast at the edge of a spiral...
Grace: 48, 24 Cruelty
Nova: 14, 7 Cruelty (Guardian)
Silver: 42, 21 Cruelty

Alexander sets up another Shadow Storm! It appears that this will be an endless onslaught...

Alexander had briefly reappeared, only to disappear in some other direction within the Nexus. Mhynt squinted. Was Alexander looking... frazzled? There was a huge crack along his head, too. That wound didn't look like something from any of the Wayfarers, either. Strange.

 

[Ambyssin]

Something was clearly up. Alexander was splitting his attention between places. Perhaps the other dungeons he had influence in?

But it wasn't just that. One of the Void Swarms had grown. It seemed to practically absorb a bunch of elements. And that was definitely bad. But what could Nova do about it? If the group went to that part of the big storm, then it'd be tough to hit at Alexander at all. And they'd let the Void Swarm west of them expand even further.

"Guys!" Nova said, nervously glancing over to see if Alexander was listening. It didn't sound like it. "Head west and deal with the Void Swarm there again. Maybe see if you can get a shot in on Alexander." His head snapped over to Mhynt.

"Teleport me across the storm," he said. Nova's tone suggested he trusted in Mhynt and knew she could do it. "We'll catch back up with you guys."

And once Mhynt agreed to it and plopped them in the middle of the strongest Swarm, Nova funneled Radiance toward his claws.

"Hey, Three-Way, you're not ignoring me, are you?" He furiously slashed at the Void Shadows with that burning golden energy. "It's just like I thought. May-den-less!"

Hopefully his strikes had done enough to stagger the Void Swarm. Nova and cut Mhynt and himself a path through to the Aether. The silvally dove in and managed to make his way over to the middle spiral. He hoped Grace and Silver would be there to rendezvous. He projected another Wide Guard to try and keep them safe.

Spoiler: Nova Turn 3

Nova (79 STM, 30 TMP, +1 SPD, +0 ACC, 12 SHD, 12 RAD)
- Interact @ Mhynt: Teleport Nova to Inner Spiral 1 (-10 TMP)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- CRITICAL RADIANT Multi-Attack @ Void Swarm Terminus (-36 STM, -15 TMP, +2 TMP, +28 RAD) [Removes Heal Block, Body Press clause (def at +5 from boosts & innate)]
- **Act:** Dash to Middle Spiral 3 (via Aether, +15 SHD) (-2 TMP)
- Wide Guard (-24.75 STM, +2 TMP)
Net change: -57 STM, -18 TMP, +15 SHD, +28 RAD
Net totals: 22 STM (59 after regen), 12 TMP, 27 SHD, 40 RAD

Spoiler: Turn 3 Order

Nova
Silver
Grace

 

[Jackie Cat]

"No more words, then. This shall be your eternal grave!" He pointed a head at Powehi in particular. "And I'll have a special place in the Void just for you."

"Indeed?" said Powehi, raising a brow. "That won't be necessary."

As the Wayfarers fought against the Hydreigon, the ancient Lucario stood sentinel at the edge of the battlefield, paws firm on his staff, Aura-sensors alert. Conveying the strength to resist such Shadow. Observing the flow of battle. Waiting.

The fatigue still weighed on Powehi; the stress of holding off Alexander was visible in his eyes. But he wasn't afraid...

Was Alexander looking... frazzled?

Powehi's mouth twitched into a slight smirk.

He was confident.

"The wyrm weakens," he murmured, in his rasping, gravelly voice. "We shall discover his limits... and introduce him to defeat."

Powehi began to walk – slowly, haltingly – towards the combat...

 

[Cresselia92]

“…Aaaaand they’re gone. Lovely,” Silver deadpanned, staring at the now empty and dusty spot.

He studied carefully his surroundings — masses of shadowy creatures were drawing closer, like predators readying themselves to pounce on their prey.

No time to lose!

“Grace, stick close to me! I’m gonna open us a path through that swarm!” he urged, poising himself for a sprint and his claws shining with a lavender aura. Then he bolted forward, looking back a few times to make sure the Togetic was by his side. “Don’t lag behind!”

Alternating twin blades slashed through the horde and scattered countless dazed creatures, startled by his aggressive style. In the process, Silver took a path that got them close to the currently distracted Alexander. That was it — their chance to strike!

Somehow, a certain professor’s words of wisdom echoed loud and clear in the back of his mind…

There is a time and place for everything! But right now…

GET UP ON THE HYDRA’S BACK!!​

Silver smirked deviously. “Well! Let’s see if all those hiking sessions paid off!”

With a swift leap, Silver held onto the Hydreigon’s tail and climbed up the dragon’s back until he reached the main head.

“Hey! D’you miss us?” He raised his sharp claws, a manic grin on his face. “How ‘bout we celebrate the reunion with a haircut? On the house!”

And so, Silver swiped furiously at the Hydreigon’s neck, not unlike some kit engaged in a cat fight. Strands of mismatched black fur drifted with the wind, leaving Alexander with a giant S on his neck.

Was that petty? Heh, most likely. Was that also extremely cathartic? Oh hell yeah, it was!!

“Ha! You’re way more appealing to the eyes now!”

Snickering at his own sarcasm, Silver jumped off before Alexander got the chance to retaliate, and his claws glowed golden as he shred through another horde and led Grace away. “SO LONG, SUCKER!!”

Spoiler: Turn 3

Silver (161 STM, 22 TMP, +0 SPD, +4 ACC, 0 SHD, 0 RAD)
- Walk to Inner Spiral 3 [+20 SHD from Aether]
- AGILE Crush Claw @ Alexander (-24 STM, +6 TMP)
- CRITICAL Dire Claw @ Void Swarm C (ACTIVATE: effect, Hex Maniac) (-30 STM, -22 TMP, +9 TMP) [Poison ]
- **Act:** Dash to Middle Spiral 3 (-2 TMP)
- **Act:** RADIANT Focus (+5 TMP)
- RADIANT Crush Claw @ Void Swarm C (-16 STM, +6 TMP, +16 RAD)
Net change: -70 STM, +2 TMP, +20 SHD, +16 RAD
Net totals: 91 STM (142 after regen), 24 TMP, 0 SHD, 16 RAD

 

[Magyk]

"Right behind you!" Grace said, wings furiously carrying her through the vortex and almost impressively keeping up with Silver without issue.

As they arrived at their first destination, a different wave of healing emitted from Grace's right paw, washing over Silver with that familiar, calming embrace.

The Shadows were  overwhelming, their presence was huge, swarming, and suffocating. The faster that they could take them down, the better they'd all feel after.

"Ngh... Nova, Silver, stay strong!" she reminded them. "We have to hold on until backup arrives!"

Spoiler: Grace Turn Three

Grace (164 STM, 25 TMP, +2 SPD, +0 ACC, 0 SHD, 24 RAD)
- Walk to Inner Spiral 3 [Aether movement]
- **Act:** Dash to Middle Spiral 3 (-2 TMP)
- Metronome (Heal Pulse) @ Silver (-45 STM, -10 TMP, +2 TMP)
- **Act:** Call @ Nova [Bonus -10 Corruption via Perk]
- **Act:** Call @ Silver [Bonus -10 Corruption via Perk]
Net change: -40 STM, -10 TMP, +0 SHD, +0 RAD
Net totals: 124 STM (164 after regen), 15 TMP, 0 SHD, 24 RAD

 

[Namohysip]

Turn 3
Player Phase​

With proper line of sight, Mhynt grabbed Nova and they both vanished for the opposite side, though she was quick to cleave through the swarm with Nova's help.

"What's taking the others?" Mhynt said. "We're doing fine, but I'm worried about them. Is he...?"

Nova's Interact: Mhynt: Teleport Nova to Inner Spiral 1
Nova's RADIANT Multi-Attack dealt a CRITICAL 283 damage to Void Swarm Terminus! It's ultra effective! KO!
Nova's Dash!
Nova used Wide Guard!

Meanwhile, Grace and Silver bombarded the other Swarm in the way, and even got a few potshots at Alexander. Not much to matter yet, but it was building up. Every strike to Alexander left the wounded area more and more cracked. He was destabilizing... Mhynt, noticing this, glanced at Powehi.

Yes. That was what he was doing--he couldn't stop Alexander from regenerating, but if Alexander lost control of that darkness, he wouldn't be able to heal enough for it to matter. They had to take him out in one fell swoop once he was vulnerable enough to suffer it.

Silver's AGILE Crush Claw dealt 51 damage to Alexander!
Silver's Dire Claw dealt a CRITICAL 208 damage to Void Swarm C! KO!
Silver's RADIANT Crush Claw dealt 98 damage to Alexander! It's ultra effective!

Grace used Heal Pulse on Silver!
Grace called out to Nova!
Grace called out to Silver!

Turn 3
Enemy Phase​

Alexander's Shadow Storm goes off! Wide Guard reduces the damage!
Nova: 17, 8 Cruelty (Guardian)
Grace: 82, 41 Cruelty
Silver: 30, 15 Cruelty

Void Swarm Terminus is stunned, and restores to full!
Void Swarm C is stunned, and restores to full!

Void Swarm B expands and focuses...

Shadow Storm twists up again!

Distantly, the Wayfarers heard Alexander roar in something between pain and anger, and a very Astrid-sounding explosion shortly before. The Nexus rippled, and now a new arm of the spiral's Void Swarms grew stronger with power. Alexander was still building up power, yet...

Void Swarm B gains the power of the Thunderhead! It gains an Innate +2 Attack, Defense, Magic, and Resistance, and becomes Void Swarm Bolt!

Alexander heals for 3000 HP! He'd suffered a total of 857 damage across realms!
But Alexander also permanently loses 85 defenses!

"It's working! He's weakening significantly!" Mhynt shouted. "Powehi! Keep that up! If we can keep his stability down more... it doesn't matter how fast he heals."

Already, Mhynt was looking for the best way to cut off a head...