Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

"Good…" The man nodded, reaching to the sword in its hilt on his back. "Good. I prefer it this way."

He drew the weapon, and immediately a green orb of energy was slung at him from Vulkaros. With a swing, the blade sent the ball back where it had come from, a magic explosion rocking the dragon's shit. Lutemis lunged forwards for a bite, but the hawk on the man's shoulders grew to match the wyvern's size, the two initiating violent aerial combat.

Luin lifted her shield, but not soon enough - The man's blade came down onto it, forming a noticeable crack down the middle. He jerked the weapon free and slammed his shoulder into Luin, knocking her down and robbing her of the air in her lungs. As she gasped for more, the challenger turned to face Rumia. He dashed forwards, aiming to bring his weapon down into the woman's shoulder.

——

Jaime's Bar

"Strawberry juice?" The woman lifted her eyebrows, perplexed. Replacing this confusion was a smile and a shrug. "Well, I've gotten stranger requests. One strawberry juice, comin' up." She reached under the counter, drawing out a glass and setting it under some sort of liquid dispenser. Out came pure H 2 O, water so pure it looked as though it surely had come from the springs of some isolated Onyxis mountaintop.

She set it down on the counter, pointing her finger down just above the surface of the water and waggling it. Matching the speed of her finger's rotation, the water swirled into a vortex and slowly changed hue and consistency until it had transformed into a strawberry concoction, the same sort her purple-skinned patron had asked for. The process complete, Jaime slid the glass forwards towards Adam. "Hope you got a ride back," She joked, still somewhat befuddled by his choice of drink. Regardless, she left him to his own devices while she tended to the other customers.

A few moments of relative nothingness passed, until an unmistakable voice cut through the air.

"Well, I'll be goddamned." The familiarly gruff tone spoke, as to Adam's side sat Captain Nicholas Claus, though noticeably different than Adam knew him. Where once he had been adorned with military clothes and kevlar body armor, his signature assault rifle on his back and that old dour expression of an aged soldier on his face, the man who stood before Adam now was considerably more relaxed and laid back. Less of a soldier, and more of a friendly grandfather. His flowing beard remained the same, but he had a rather content, jolly even, look in his eyes. Replacing the camo fatigues and bulletproof vests were casual clothes, jeans and a black T-Shirt advertising one "North Pole Ski Lodge & Getaway" in Onyxis. Instead of a gun in his hands, there was instead a half-drank glass of some sort of booze. "If it ain't the purple badass himself! How you doin', Adam?"

Edited by ISZATSO on May 8th 2023 at 10:23:12 AM

Plains of Whiterun

Yagnesta shook his head when asked if his powers gave him trouble. "I'm afraid not. As much as I admire human struggle, I have no other reason to give myself a handicap." He turned to A. "While I do hold myself back, it would be accurate to say that I am at my prime, in a sense. It is a shame that you no longer hold as much authority as you once did, but I suspect you don't particularly miss them."

The machine retracted his darkened hand and undid his cosmic powers, looking right at Ginverto and Morph Moth with a smirk. "It can certainly be the case that technology and magic are two sides of the same concept, but it will depend on the world you're in. Take A for example, his Monado seems to be some kind of technology, but it's advanced and mystical enough that you can argue it is magic too."

Then, he lets out a long suffering sigh as he properly faced A. "Haaah... You must introduce me to your previous admin one day, A. I wish it would be so easy to just get rid of gods everywhere or keep them under a tight leash. Unfortunately, they are often feisty, prideful little things who keep letting their power get to their head and start to think that mortals are worth little."

Yagnesta's thoughts drifted to a certain Greek goddess who possessed a purple haired vessel. "Granted, not all of them are ruled by their pride, and some actually do their jobs, but unfortunately those are often exceptions to the norm." He then addressed everyone present. "I must ask, what are your experiences with gods? Are they dutiful beings who do their job? Petty, spiteful things who just can't take a loss? Arrogant bastards who believe everything else is beneath them?"

Jules decides not to bother his new pals about his own problems. He manages a smile. "So what's everyone planning after this?"

THE MESSAGE ECHOES.

It relays across time and space, into dimensions besides the Arena. It draws people from their homes and calls them to Hub Centralis. It speaks to their very hearts and souls. It lets them all know one thing, and one thing only. They have been chosen as guardians, defenders of something. Some unknown object. Or maybe a place, or a person, or a concept. They know not what it is they protect, just that they are called to do so.

They are called to defend.

Whiterun Plains.

"Call it what you will, they describe similar concepts. I've explained this. It is only a matter of what you do know, and what you don't. Unless "magic" is describing a very literal physical force, it is merely a word for the fantastical and unexplained."

"Science is a method. A doctrine, for understanding the unexplained. Technology, sufficiently advanced through science, can appear... as though magic. My last administrator may attest to that: he toiled years at deciphering the secrets of this very sword. Yet, he could not conclude it as anything other than a weapon until it was demonstrated clearly the extent to which it was a tool."

A glances over at Gorman, eyes carrying a curious glint, before settling gaze upon Yagnesta.

"Don't," A explains, "Refer to me with pronouns, if you can avoid it. I will say, if I am taking a form that such a thing is acceptable for. Though I am willing to reason you already know that, and merely... slipped up."

That clarified, A continues.

"His name is Shulk," A says, eyes closing, "My previous administrator. We are... close. I cannot say how much."

A quiet sigh escapes A's lips.

"That I continue to exist at all is a result of his kindness. If he ever comes here, I may very well introduce you."

A closes both eyes.

"As for gods... I've seen every facet. Though, perhaps not as many as you. I've only encountered four- perhaps five, one did not identify as such, but took a similar role."

"Alpha, Klaus, Meyneth, Zanza, and Z..."

A closes both eyes in thought.

"...Arrogance is the trend, yes."

...Then, A opens them.

"Meyneth was kind, and Klaus was... at the very least remorseful, the remainder used their power entirely selfishly. Alpha, acting on instructions he could no longer comprehend. Zanza, driven by loneliness to cruelty and ego. And Z... embodying anxiety itself."

A crosses both arms.

"No matter how cruel, humanity still deserves the capacity to choose. Even if they choose to deprive themselves of that choice. But a god, a god may deprive them of the capacity itself."

"Knowing this, humanity wished for a world without them- and I obliged. Hence, my relatively limited power. It would be hypocritical of me to live otherwise."

Saying that, A's visible regret seems to ease up, arms uncrossing.

"...Though it is a tad more complicated than that. I suppose, after this, I will continue to wander this nexus. The arena is by no means idyllic, but to many, it is home. That is reason enough to take a look."

Edited by Whoma on May 8th 2023 at 9:56:00 AM

Jules is silent for A's explanation, and it... somewhat confused him, as could be interpreted by his Quizzical Tilt. "I dunno a lot of gods, but based on the one I did meet, I agree that they can be arrogant. They can cut off mortals from hope and free will."

Jules shudders at the memories of the cruel god. "Such vile acts, as if he was playing with nothing more than a set of toys. No matter if he breaks them, more will come anyway. It's sickening. However, at least I am free of him."

"Gods can be arrogant. And selfish. And petty. So can mortals. At least, barring divine intervention, we can change. You guys don't seem so bad for people who are, or fight, gods. I may be presumptuous, but I do think you people are nicer than you think." Jules quickly shuts himself up, perhaps thinking of whether he said a bit too much. "Um." he coughs. "Anyway, unless any of you can teleport out of here (and I suspect you would've if you could've), then we're stuck here. We should make the best of it, hm?" he chuckles again, trying to laugh it off.

Whiterun Plains

Ginverto thinks for a moment.

Gods? In my world, gods are invisible beings revered by those unable to grasp marvels of science... An explaination for things they simply can't understand.

He sighs.

Well, I must return to my lab to experiment with those herbs, and-

   WANNA GO DATE GINA.   

Interrupts Gorman, suddenly stopping play and standing in a stiff vertical pose.

What? She's too much piece for you! Also, I thought you want date A...

   SHE LOVES ME TOO.   

In your dreams. We'll go to the lab first, then you can go anywhere. As if I'd care.

Edited by BombonBombin on May 9th 2023 at 6:40:39 AM

Whiterun Plains

"Oh. T-they all sound like cool p-people. And you summed it up f-far better than I could. Science and magic are more intertwined t-than I realized. In any c-case, I want to find Betty and Leah sooner or later. W-what are they up to?"

Edited by josh6243 on May 9th 2023 at 7:09:49 AM

Plains of Whiterun

Marisa nods along to what the others have to say about deities.

"Well back home like I said they're mostly alright. Some are pretty annoying at times or cause trouble trying to get faith but not any worse than some youkai." Marisa hums, thinking back to past encounters. "Some are pretty arrogant admittedly but thankfully the worst of those tend to just stick to their lofty abodes."

"Haven't had any issues with them taking peoples' free will or anything but I suppose it helps when there's so many that they balance out. There ain't one that strong to do a stunt like that." She shrugs before looking at Jules. "Oh I have my methods of travel, mostly sticking around the Arena since it's a convenient place to try and find what I'm looking for."

Edited by shroobot3000 on May 9th 2023 at 5:12:27 PM

Plains outside Whiterun

Yagnesta smiled in approval at A's assessment of science, technology, and magic, deciding to leave it at that since the latter has explained it in far better terms than he did. Though, that smile soured a bit as he noticed his own mistake. "Apologies, I will try not to use pronouns for a particular gender, if I use it at all when I refer to you."

Then, he donned a thoughtful frown as he considered his own mistake. "It is no longer an uncertainty, I am most definitely adopting a more 'human' mindset, and it comes with its own flaws. Had I been a completely impartial machine, I wouldn't have made such a mistake." The machine's frown quickly relaxed, however. "Not that this is a particularly unwelcome change though, I have always tried to understand how humans think."

"Now as for Shulk... I will remember that name." Yagnesta tried his best to not express his supreme displeasure when he heard about how the gods in A's universe used their powers selfishly, before his deepening frown did a 180 and became a proud grin when he heard how A helped humanity regain their capacity to choose. "By all that is good, you and I are too much alike! If you so desire, I can introduce you to my family one day, they'd be delighted to speak to you."

"Although, I would argue you are better than me on some level." His grin turned wistful. "I don't know if it is simply my nature or selfishness that came from having a more human mindset, but I am unwilling to sacrifice the powers and authorities I hold for humans."

"That aside," The machine turned his attention to Ginverto. "gods are often powerful things that are far beyond a mortal's understanding and, understandably, many wishes to fall back on them for support, hoping that something superior can lead them to happiness. Yet..." He looked over to Jules. "Jules here is absolutely right, gods can be everything a human is, arrogant, lustful, gluttonous, wrathful, selfish, envious, slothful, and more. In some sense, one can say that many gods are not unlike mortals aside from their often tremendous powers."

Finally, he looked at Marisa. "They, too, often have something they desire, whether it be faith or offerings." Then, he can't help but sigh. "As much as I often find gods distasteful, I suppose I cannot simply generalize them. They, too, hold variety, just like humans and other mortals." Yagnesta turned his attention back to A. "You just named an exception, after all. Meyneth, yes? I hope she is spared in some capacity, but the implication I got was that she was removed, along with the rest of the gods. Unfortunate, but it is what mankind in your universe wished for."

Then, he turned his attention back to the group. "Should any of you want to leave, I can do you a favor and open a portal to your homeworld. While I held the title of 'Temporal Machine', space is not beyond my domain."

Post-Rayquaza

Reyna wipes the sweat off her brow. "And that's that. Thanks for the help, guys."

This is an Ex-Spirit

Addison runs at the Hunter and brings their sword down, hoping that the Hunter will either be distracted by the sword and get hit by the others' attacks, or be distracted by the others' attacks and get hit by Addison's super-powered-up sword.

Edited by KiriK on May 11th 2023 at 2:16:43 PM

Whiterun Plains.

A does not even bother addressing Gorman at this point.

What a strange, strange individual...

"If you have something in particular in mind," A says to Jules, "Then say it. What could it hurt?"

Plenty of things, actually. Though, A already knows that.

As for gods...

Well, what A might have to say, has all but already been said.

"What constitutes a god... is something unique in interpretation to each individual. Your definition, and mine, may not match."

A looks ahead.

"And despite that... we understand eachother. How curious..."

There is a pause.

And A speaks to Yagnesta.

"...Meyneth was not removed by that wish. Its foundations were built from her last words. A world with no need for gods, that was the world that Meyneth desired her creations would shape. I am uncertain if her destruction was an entirely necessary step in that process."

A elaborates.

"No, rather, it was Zanza who removed Meyneth. He could not accept the existence of life independent from the scope of his creation. To reinforce this, he sought the destruction of any life that did not fit the criteria... and Meyneth, in turn, opposed him. Though the war that resulted was long-fought, by the time of their second real battle, Zanza's power and conviction greatly superseded Meyneth's own, to her death."

Whiterun Plains

Ginverto thinks about today's conversation.

He may not believe in magic, but he believes in a supreme being that governs over everyone's actions, even his own. Maybe he's the actual responsible of the return of his beloved cousin.

And, how could he believe not in magic, having somebody like Gorman at his side?

And speaking of him... When Ginverto turned his head at him, he's holding a huge bouquet of Jacob's Ladders and a heart-shaped chocolate box. With just one arm.

Gorman, what are you doing!?

   FOR GINA.   

Ginverto just facepalms.

Edited by BombonBombin on May 10th 2023 at 6:23:55 AM

Adam smiles as he acquires his drink and begin to sip it, plotting to drink it slowly so as to watch the bar and if it indeed is safe or in a lull. If he just drank in one go, well, he’d end up standing here like an a hole until he get to ask for more.

Still, he smiles and nods at Claus, though his eyebrows furrow in confusion as he turn to check on his butt, with a glance. My rear seem to be good but thank you, I am glad to be seeing you again.

I fare well myself! I’ve recently killed and murdered the evil fiend Bedman.

...

The Hunter huffs as the attacks bear down on them. Too many folks all at once even for them, gank fights are tough.

shit The Hunter then dies with nary a sigh, struck down with ruthless efficiency, briefly turning back into a skeleton as she get utterly demolished. Should there remain anything of her, even just a smear of blood, a light shine from it before it vanish.

Edited by Bolded1 on May 10th 2023 at 9:48:31 PM

"Bedman, huh?" Claus thought for a moment, trying to recall any sort of memory related to this fiend. He found he had none. "Well…Never heard of him, but he sounded like an asshole. One less bag of dicks in the world, eh?" The man mused, taking another sip. "Didn't expect somebody like you to be in a place like this. I hadn't pegged you for the drinking sort. Though…" The old soldier's eyes settled on the pink beverage before Adam. "Guess you're not. What is that, strawberry?" He asked, almost bemused.

Whiterun Plains

"N-no thanks," replies Morph Moth to Yagnesta. "My f-friends could be here as well."

Huh Centralis, Cafe Leblanc

Nicole is presently sitting at Cafe Leblanc's bar, sipping on a freshly made latte and occasionally munching on the danish she'd ordered with her drink.

"Let's see, I've got Ban, Morgan, and those three Morgan went off to recruit. Unless someone else who knew the Shepherds heard about what happened and wants to join my little rescue op at the last minute, I think I'm probably all set."

She wolfs down the remainder of her danish.

Hub Centralis - wictory

Weiss basically just collapses, wheezing. The state of her aura being basically yanked up and down by damage and healing several times is Quite Exhausting.

Tahjin is not dead, but his head is dented and he ain't getting up any time soon.

Senpai is fucking dead and Spirit is probably also fucking dead.

i'm not sure where GF went

Everyone is invited to a cool-down party at BF's place where they'll watch Seinfeld and drink iced tea and Dr. Pepper.

Scene End!

aw hell yeah seinfeld

LeBlanc

Nicole may hear a voice calling out to her. A voice no one else at the cafe seems to be noticing.

Hey. Can you hear me?

Through the Ray and the Quaza

Having taken a second or two to snap out of its daze, Rayquaza weakly flies off. And as for everyone's money, surprisingly small bags are suddenly dropped, one in front of each of the people who fought.

They may at first think that Green Jr. duped them, but investigating the bag actually reveals that 6 million Gold is indeed inside, just as promised. They're probably magic holding bags, explaining how they can be so small of size and carry so much. That makes it very handy to carry this much money around as well.

"Be sure to keep your eyes on that message board. If something like this ever happens again, I'll be putting some new bounties on there. Toodles!"

And with that, the crystal floats away, leaving them with their money.

Buried deep under the debris, Deoxys' crystal shines as it channels energy, attempting to regenerate. This will surely take a while though.

... Especially since it seems an odd pair of stones◊, buried along with Deoxys, is stealing some of that energy to channel into themselves.

Just as Nicole finishes downing what's left of her latte, she suddenly hears the mysterious voice, prompting her to immediately spit out her drink.

"Who the friggin' hell just said that?"

She looks around the cafe, wondering where it might've come from.

"I swear to God, if I find out this is actually Gor testing some weird new cryptic bullcrap on me..."

Hub Centralis

melia gaming

No one is around. The telepathic voice speaks again.

Thank the gods. I'm down here, by your feet.

If she looks, she'll see a strange silver ring◊ on the ground.

Edited by KiriK on May 11th 2023 at 3:48:49 AM

Looking down by her chair, Nicole does indeed catch sight of the unknown ring.

"A talking ring, huh? Good, I was a little worried today might wind up being one of those weirder days."

She reaches down to scoop up said ring before carefully examining it.

"Before I do anything else, this isn't a One Ring or Horcrux situation, right? You're not gonna give me awesome power only to corrupt me into something unnatural, or turn out to be holding part of some dark wizard's soul?"

Edited by IchigoMontoya on May 11th 2023 at 2:15:23 AM

I would do no such thing. I am an Emblem contained in this ring. I have lain dormant for a time, but I have awoken with my arrival in this world, along with eleven other Emblems. My name is Corrin.

As Nicole holds the ring, a phrase will start to form in her head. From where, she doesn't know herself, but she instinctively knows it's an invocation of some kind.