Null Realm ~ Blacklight Eternity

[IFBench]

Saltriv hugged Dill back, though tried not to put too much pressure on him.

"We'll make it through this! Together!" they cheered, smiling warmly at their partner. "And then we have so much to look forward to afterwards!"

 

[Sudmensch]

"Yeah... l-let's do good!" he grinned, turning to face the Blacklight again through the pain it had inflicted. While he'd definitely need a lot of Rawsts and a lot of comforting once this was done, it could have been worse.

Oh, he couldn't have asked for a better partner for this...

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill used Aegis!

Dill yelled out in pain as he took yet another attack, the burns covering him screaming in protest. While they had at least partially receded after the Eternal Truth, they were still prevalent enough that every attack he took felt like pain wrapped snugly in broken dreams with a bow on top. Falling to the ground as he gave Brisa a thumbs-up, he glanced at Saltriv.

"Hahh..." he moaned.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"...If we fail here... Maybe we can stay t'gether longer. Otherwise... all this... will go away."

Brisa's face screwed up as her combat instincts forced down the feelings. The rage, the sorrow, the terror. Shadows didn't work like that – you couldn't just ignore them – but her training was older than her understanding of this.

There ain't nothin' wrong with you. You've done enough. You deserve to stay. To have goddamn friends. Fer folks t'want you around. Why should you have to go back? Fuck duty. It ain't fuckin' FAIR.

"I want that," admitted Brisa, her voice and body crackling with enough energy to lay waste to a god. Y'think I don't wish fer that? Duty ain't the only thing as should matter. I know. Goddamnit, I know.

The luxio apparition was gazing at her like she used to gaze out across the unsettled lands, when she was truly alone. She carried that wistfulness, that longing, within her still. Somehow, she needed to gather the strength to fight even this. It was a weapon, she knew that. A weapon this writhing horror prepared for her, to get her to quit. She couldn't quit. She had so much will to fight. But she needed more... It wasn't enough.

You got limits, ranger. Same as anyone. Paragon or not, yer only mortal. Y'deserve to be loved fer more'n a month afore ya die.

"Please... I just want more time. I just want her to hold me a few more times. Just once. Just hold me once more. Please."

Brisa's chest and fists and jaw and heart all trembled with defiance, but the plasma faded, the crackling aura dimmed, her battleheart failed her. A slow wail of yearning and remorse was ripped, painstakingly, from inside her. "Help me, she gasped, looking around for someone, anyone, to light the fire again. Please.

 

[Dragonfree]

In a horrid instant, the world seemed to zoom in, and there was nothing but stark, buzzing Blacklit clarity, the rest of the world murky and indistinct. The air around him felt thick and nauseating to breathe.

Fine. He'd just... he'd just act on his own. Nobody had to come near him. Better that way, really. He fought to focus on the Eternal Blacklight's core, power still sizzling in his fur, and charged towards it for a Scary Face. Then a second. Yeah. Stop the thing. Just stop it, on his own. One final strike at the red, crackling sphere of light, and then...

He inhaled and exhaled, lungs tight with exhaustion, Shadow curled tight against him, shivering. Everything seemed deafeningly silent, the others somewhere far away. Only there was a blurry shape making its way through the fog, hunched and weak. Bipedal but with thick fur, faint sparks of Blacklight crackling at its fists. Brisa.

"St... stay away!" Shadow yelled desperately at her. "Don't get close! I'm just going to hurt you!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

She had to find someone. If she didn't fight, she could stay with everyone a little longer. She had to remember how to fight for real again, in her gut, in her soul. Get an equal answer for this wretched truth. Brisa strode through the fucking tangible despair, feeling as if she was keeping her body in one piece out of nothing but sheer stubbornness. The luxio followed her, sobbing quietly, just enough for her to know.

There he was.

Dave. Mightyena David Ambrose. A human. This fucking guy. That boozy, grumpy, miserable asshole. An indispensable teammate. A selfless fighter who cared as much as she'd known anyone to care. Her friend. Dad.

She collapsed to her knees and floated there with Dave, and his Shadow, and hers. She put a paw out and touched his shoulder. Sombra gripped Shadow and buried her face in his side.

"It's okay," she said, her voice hardly itself at all. "Dave– Dave, you're not gonna... Y'can't hurt me, you know I'm tougher'n that. Y'gotta help me. Please. Dad, I need you."

 

[IFBench]

"Dill!" Saltriv called, rushing over towards their partner. They knew he was ok, but it still hurt to see him get hurt like that. And with those burns...

They glanced towards the Eternal Blacklight, and thought back to Owen's words. It was preparing for a massive onslaught, worse than anything they'd endured thus far. And if Dill took many more hits like this...!

"We can't keep doing this! The Eternal Blacklight's about to unleash everything it has on us! You can't take much more of this!" They yelled, eyes wide with worry. "We need to find a way to stop its attacks!"

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill winced as he got up, looking at the multitude of spirits gathered from Cibus. Surely one of them could help them out, surely...

 

[Dragonfree]

He started to recoil away and then just couldn't, not when she sounded like this, saying she needed him, fighting through the toxic aura in spite of everything. He pulled her close and held her tight, bright golden shields forming around them, and tried to think of something, anything to say that would help.

"Hey, it's okay," he managed. "Everything's going to be fine. We can't give up, okay? We just need to survive this and then we can take it down, and... We'll both be okay. All right?" Blacklight thrummed in his ears. Did he believe that? Did it matter?

 

[IFBench]

Saltriv followed Dill's gaze, gazing out into the multitude of spirits, searching for one they knew.

They spotted another Meganium among the crowd. Thyme. One of the heroes who saved time in this world, and someone they talked to regularly.

Surely, they could help.

They called out, "Thyme! We need your help! We need to prevent the Eternal Blacklight from attacking us much! From one Meganium to another, lend us a hero's aid!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Dave's Radiance billowed around her like something between the heady buzz of a strong drink and the feeling she got when she was a half-strike from bitiing the dust. Determination. This was what it felt like...

"Ain't scared," she growled, flexing her free paw into a gnarled fist. "We can take the fucker out. I just..."

Fist clenched. Lightning filling her skull.

"I gotta do it even if it means this is all over. It's too important. But you... You and everyone else. Yer all so goddamn important to me."

Light and dark and the sound of storms and you're going to lose them and right soon at that.

"Dad, promise me you'll keep gettin' better after. I can't look after ya fer ever. So promise me you'll take more care, will ya? Fer me."

 

[Sudmensch]

Dill perked up.

"Yeah, yeah! Pepper, hey, we need you to help relieve us, this thing's hitting hard! Do a Feraligatr a solid!" he called.

 

[Ambyssin]

More squabbling was happening around Bahamut, but at this point he was tuning it out. They needed to save the grievances for after things were taken care of.

Though Bahamut couldn't help but continue to notice the daemon's core. See the things it was trying. There was a clear survival instinct. The distortion might have been warping things, but there was likely something there. And that meant, regrettably, it could be probed. Unlikely anything would come of it, but Bahamut knew all his teammates wanted to desperately to see if there was something in there that could be salvaged.

Bahamut had a Shining Blade in his right upper wing. It felt nice to hold something like that after so long on the defensive. At the very least, it might be able to help fend off whatever onslaught the daemon had planned.

"And all the while, you try to probe."

"... tch." Bahamut frowned at Polaris' voice in his head. "Fine. I'm probing. I'm probing."

He was the lone psychic of any significance on the team. Trying to keep tabs on everyone's auras was annoying. And now he was trying to prod at the daemon... but also reach out to the filaments from Cibus' connection.

"Something is coming from the Blacklight. Some sort of barrage. You kept yapping about bringing out the best in people and annoyed the team with your defenses. So, pass those things onto us now or I will smush you together with Potluck and make a silvally crepe."

"Sounds yummy!"

"Quiet, you!"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave held her silently for a moment, clutching her mane, the Blacklight heavy in his chest. Get better. When did he ever get better?

"It's... it's fucking worth it, okay? Even when you lose the people you care about it's better that you had them. Brisa, I'm..."

"I'm glad we met," Shadow finished quietly when he choked on it.

The Blacklight was bubbling within him, rising, threatening to overflow, and a stab of raw panic shot through him as he realized he had no time to get far enough away, and the closest target would be Brisa, because of course it would be, because the Blacklight was just the most on-the-nose fucking metaphor for his entire fucking life.

"Fugu!" Shadow yelled desperately at the air. "Help!"

Dave looked up and found the Samurott's spirit, and there was no time to think about anything else. He just needed to not hurt Brisa, not keep hurting her, or everyone he cared about, ever.

Promise me you'll take more care.

"I need your help! Please!"

Fine. He'd make that second appointment.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Dave was calling for help with his corruption. Good. He'd be okay. He could reach out too.

It'll be okay. We'll do our duty, and it'll've been goddamn worth it.

Brisa's fur burned again with Blacklit plasma and golden lightning, and she rose higher, despite the aching in her body, the protestations of her blood and bone. Damn it, damn it, damn it she wouldn't fucking let something as petty as her body's exhaustion – or mere pain – stop her from doing her goddamn job. Aria fought so hard her bones cracked. Brisa would do no less.

"Yer out there, ain'tcha?" she asked the silver spirit winds above her as she climbed, seeking a workable angle on her targets. "Fightin' th'same as ever. Unstoppable. Tireless. We connected fer a reason, y'know. We're same enough, Aria. Watch me wield Blacklight with my heart'n mind intact. Watch me strike like lightnin'. Are y'with me, partner? I could use a li'l more of that strength, this one last time."

 

[Flyg0n]

Shadows flared and the world slowed as Koa faced himself. Not his Manectric self, as he'd gotten so used to. His human self. His true self.

It's not real, it's not real, it's not-

"All this suffering... Wouldn't it be better to end everything instead? Maybe... he was right. It's all imperfect..."

No, that wasn't true. That wasn't-

Maybe he was right.

The chilling words bubbled up again and Koa suddenly found his strength failing. Those weren't random lies constructed to taunt him. Those were his thoughts. His mind flashed back to that room, facing that haze that had been Soda, talking about fixing the world. You liked the idea.

Koa faltered, crouching lower, suddenly feeling small again. Distantly, he could hear the muted noises of his team, grappling with their own demons. Their own fears, their own imperfections. Hadn't he thought like that when he was younger? Hadn't he once asked Blake what was so wrong with wanting to change the world, to fix it? Why couldn't things be perfect?

Would he go back to that when he went home?

Blake wrung his hands through his teal hair. "No. Stop that. I don't ever want to hear you talk like that again. Understand?" his voice came out harsh, angry. Afraid. "Never."

"But why-"

"Koa listen to me." Blake grasped his shoulders hard. His eyes burned in a way that had scared Koa back then. "No one can make the world perfect. Because no one is perfect. We can only strive to do good, and make the world a little better. But we can never make a world perfect, free all imperfection. To do that... to do that is to destroy everything and everyone around you."

"Wanting the world to be better means you care about something. Wanting the world to be perfect is delusional.

"You'll do yer goddamn best, an' it'll be enough. It'll be enough to me."

He remembered that moment he'd shared with Brisa, on those windswept plains, crying out to all the world with their anger. He felt it bubbling up again. With a feral grin, he seized it, chanelling it until it burned and crackled inside him. "What the hell would you know?" he snarled. "You're imperfect. Just like anyone else. You're no better than anyone else." He stood tall, glaring down the phantom, meeting its cold gaze.

"People don't need to be perfect to be good. To be worth something!" he roared. Without hesitation, he sprang gracefully forward, straight through the phantom, dispelling it. He saw Brisa, standing tall again, and Dave, calling out. He smiled. Yes, Team Spectrum would overcome this. They would overcome the way they always did. As a team.

A sudden memory burned like a blazing flame in his mind, of his first fight on Cibus. A snowy mountain, and an unexpected opponent.

"Red!" he howled. You were the first real opponent when I got here. A trainer, like me. One of the very best, like no one ever was! When I fought you, you showed me the true power of what a trainer and their team can do when they work together. My team and I need you. Lend me that strength now, the strength of a champion's team!"

Koa called Champion Red and his team!

 

[Cresselia92]

Everything was reduced to a maelstrom of blurs and a cacophony of disasters. Barriers cracked and swirled around the battlefield, carried away by the shockwaves of battle and the cosmic winds.

Despite his entire team laying down all kinds of hurt on that demon, it proved futile — the Blacklight regenerated itself, cloaked in an impenetrable barrier.

Icetales hissed, displeased by that progress of events, and braced himself to whatever barrage was going to come. But he couldn’t have never been ready for what came next…

"Why fight it?"

A sharp pain shot through his chest and Icetales gasped. He looked down to see red darkness seeping out of his core.

Darkness brimming with malevolence.

"Let's kill everyone... and rule in this new Chaos!"

More darkness poured from his center, turning the floor black and with red cracks. A phantom fox emerged from one of those holes, with a deranged smirk on his muzzle and eyes burning like Chaos itself, and it dug its claws into Icetales’ chest.

The noble daemon howled as he felt the daemonic energy coursing through body. Red lights clouded his vision for a few painful seconds, and when they dissipated, the ominous scythe was tightly held into the phantom’s jaws.

It dissipated in a cloud of smoke, before reappearing by the Blacklight. Icy power mixed with darkness flickered around the blade of the scythe, and he shot one last glance at its host.

"I'll show you!"

The phantom shot the cursed spell at the demon. Icicles made of black-tinted energy spread across the core of that other entity, but the fox didn’t seem satisfied.

“We need more power…”

In a blink, the phantom had disappeared once more. By the heavens, it was so fast! Where did it go?

“This shall suffice!”

Icetales shouted again as he felt like something was crammed inside of him now. Raw Blacklight buzzed inside his head, making it much harder to focus. The ice armor fell apart, replaced by an aura made of black electricity.

Something about that felt… familiar.

And then, he realized: the phantom was looming behind Koamaru, its scythe at ready.

No! I… shall not let thee! I shall not let myself slip to the madness again!

A noble heart pulsed. Bright and powerful.

Cursed beast! If thou want an opponent, then I shall give thee one — myself!

The Cosmic Warlock spoke, his enchanted words resonating with the runaway darkness. Like a violent stream, the phantom fox faded, torn apart by the Ninetales’ wizardry, and it funneled back into its host.

“Fool! Why didst thou do that? We crave blood! Let us sow Chaos!”

Thou desire Chaos? …Very well. Thou shall be granted Chaos.

Faster than a winter gust, Icetales sped toward the Blacklight itself, fueled by nothing more than his small light amidst the out-of-control darkness.

He knew he was going to succumb to the madness soon. Whatever sorcery had been pulled on him, it was affecting his brain.

It wasn’t only that, however: he really was a beast. He was always going to be a beast. That was in his blood, and there was nothing he could do against that.

But at least, he could find some solace in knowing that his friends would be spared from his wrath. That they would be safe… from him.

With a earth-shattering howl, he blasted the horde of mindless drone with all the magic he got. And then, there was some peace in his mind as the healing darkness reconstructed his body…

Icetales used Blacklight Z-Supernova against the Blacklight Puppets! It was magnificent!

 

[Chibi Pika]

The team was falling apart. Recoiling from visions of themselves spouting bullshit that felt like the truth, lashing out, striking each other. Starr hunkered down in the center of it all, struggling to shut everything out. Including that feeling building inside her, that desperate, burning need to be in control.

...Fuck it. Why fight it. They needed someone to give orders.

Starr stood bolt upright, her eyes snapping to the hordes of blacklit figures dancing in the air above them. The team had power (she had power) but it wouldn't be enough, not when everyone couldn't pull together.

"You two,"--she jabbed a claw at Sword and Eien--"make sure those things go down. They need to go down."

Then the gold and silver flames, grasped by the arms of the abomination...

"Keep an eye on those things," she barked to Diyem and Soda. "Don't let them attack us from behind!"

Next, defensive measures. She turned to Xernatus and called out, "Protect the others, no matter what!"

Everyone had to spread out, to make sure they wouldn't all fall to a single decisive strike. Some of them had already burned their Revivers. Another onslaught and they'd be through. Brisa... She had the Feraligatr for protection, she'd be fine. She had to be. So that meant Starr could hunker behind Lauchs's shield. That was everyone, right? Except... goddammit Vix was wide open. They needed her in order to get any real power out of Owen's gift later. Otherwise it'd all be for nothing. They'd lose. Cibus would lose.

"Go protect her," Starr ordered Lauchs, thrusting a claw toward Vix. "We need her."

And that was everyone. Everyone except herself. Starr realized it with a pang of cold dread clutching her chest. Too late to change the plan. Too late.

Goddammit. She didn't want to die.

Starr turned to face the enemy, alone. Her claws lit up with darkness shifting into flame.

"Got a cool gift from our dear old dad," Starr muttered under her breath with a dry chuckle. "Don't suppose you've got any way to help your twin survive this one?"

Starr called out to Silver!

 

[Namohysip]

Dill called out to Pepper!
Saltriv called out to Thyme!
Bahamut called out to Nero!
Nip called out to Truffle!
Koa called out to Red!
Dave called out to Fugu!
Brisa called out to Aria!
Starr called out to Silver!
Astrid called out to Sprout!

Bahamut’s Void Phantasm drained Saltriv! He switched Saltriv with Owen!
Bahamut’s Void Phantasm drained Owen! His Briliant Beacon drained Owen! Bahamut will draw in attacks!
Owen called out to Bahamut! His Aether soothed him!
Saltriv’s pure words rallied Vix, Brisa and Dave!
Mellow tossed Astrid to the centre zone!
Mellow’s Shining Teatime let Koa and Starr use items!
Mellow is guarding Starr!
Vix swapped places with Brisa!
Vix’s Justice drained Koa!
Nip was Brisa's Chauffeur!
Dave’s Terrifying Visage slowed the Eternal Blacklight and made it flinch!
Dave’s Shining Burden protected himself and Brisa!
Brisa’s Blacklightning Strikes paralysed the Light and Shadow Powers!
Koa’s Void Thundercall helped slow the Eternal Blacklight!
Icetales’s Void Wraith helped freeze the Eternal Blacklight!

Icetales’s Blacklight Z-Burst dealt a CRITICAL 621 damage to the Blacklight Puppets!
Inspired by Icetales, Astrid's Voidbound Stored Power dealt a CRITICAL 4904 damage to the Blacklight Puppets!
Starr's double Insolent Power Trip dealt 3362 damage to the Blacklight Puppets!

"Fine, fine!" Sword growled, staring daggers at the puppets. "You know, I don't really know what these guys are... But it's starting to really piss me off! Hey! You guys all yammering on about truth and despair... Guess what! I may not be all that smart, but I'm smart enough to know when someone's just spouting a bunch of cynical bullshit! Hrrrrrgh... and this... is my TRUE POWER!"

She burst through the crowd and the swam and transformed into a Mew again, holding her arms high. From her core, a huge energy exploded outward--and the swarm, however briefly, was dispelled...

Sword used Darkwhite Imp-losion! It chained into Darkwhite Devastation into Darkwhite Jab, dealing SUPER CRITICAL 1192+1 damage!

"O-oh! W-well, if that's taken care of, I'll... just..."

Eien quickly moved to the Southwest zone!

"Protect you all, hm?" Diyem muttered, looking left and right. "A tall order. I think you have that much covered as it stands. But I will... try." He had to think about the most reckless of their team. Someone who would be very likely to get into trouble when it mattered the most. If that was the case... "You. Today you are the lucky one."

Diyem used Abyssal Blessing on Vix, granting her +Endure, +4 Magic, and +2 Accuracy!

Xernatus moved to the Northeast zone, but didn't have time to do anything for protection!

Ionys drifted to the Southeast zone and stared the Living Power down!

--

"Sounds like it's our time to shine," Thyme said, grasping at the silver powers that surrounded him and Pepper.

"The same way we always do," Pepper replied, holding her arms up just as Thyme held up his vines. "All right... With all of this power... Our biggest disruption yet! Let's see this Blacklight gather the energy with THIS getting in the way!"

Thyme and Pepper both answered the call! They created a Divine Swamp around the entire battlefield! The Eternal Blacklight and all Powers entered the field, losing 1 action and 2 Speed!

The silvally appeared in a multicolored blaze, cheek bolts filling the realm with a small glow.

"You really think there's somebody in there, hmm?" Nero eyed the Blacklight. "Hey! I know you're hurting. You got swept in a bunch of things beyond your control and that makes you want to lash out. But it doesn't have to be like that! You've seen how things work for Team Spectrum. You know that they can always find another way!"

Nero answered the call! Team Spectrum gained 25% damage resistance! Team Spectrum gained Prism Armor for a turn, for those who lack it!

"Oh? Assistance?" Truffle swooped in, wings ablaze with Radiance. "Gladly. Gladly! After the trouble you've caused my dear Ionys... I refuse to let you come out of this unpunished! I shall be your shield, you all my sword!" He waved his wings forward, casting a great barrier. "Fall!"

Truffle answered the call! Team Spectrum gained a shared 10 Divine Protect barriers! They were cured of all status ailments and debuffs!

"Ah, and don't worry, Brisa." Truffle winked. "I know how you fight."

--

"... ... ...!"

Red cast his eyes back at his team, all of them fighting away at the puppets that plagued the realm. All in perfect harmony, even if they were only a small part of the grand battle. He heard the call; he grasped the powers in front of him and filled it with blue fire. He then grasped it like a capsule and hurled it forward, invigorating Koa instantly.

Red answered the call! Koa gained a free Call that can have an ally perform an extra action for free! Team Spectrum gained +1 Valor!

"You are doing well," Fugu shouted, appearing next to Dave, "considering the circumstances. Perhaps being so stubborn is playing to your favor."

She held his shoulder, but then planted her blade firmly into ground conjured right next to him. She smiled confidently. "Stubbornness keeps many Pokemon and humans alive. Today, you will harness that." Blacklight drifted from Dave and into the blade, which she then placed in front of Dave. It floated around him, listening to his commands like an extension of himself. "Go."

Fugu answered the call! Dave's corruption was drained completely, and became an extra 1970 fixed damage to his next attack!

Echoing the flash of lightning in her own way, a silver bolt shot down from above, slamming into a platform by Brisa's side that hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Heya. Took ya long enough."

The lucario rose to her feet, gazing out at the battlefield with an undecipherable smile. "I've been thinking, and... we both lied a bit, didn't we?" Aria said as a tiny spark ignited in her palm, flickering between shades of black, white, and a piercing blue. "No way in hell we've actually showed each other our best yet — these bodies can't handle us at our best. Not alone, at least."

She clapped her paw against Brisa's, and that tiny spark exploded into a deluge of flames, soaking into the plasma that already coursed through her fur.

"I'll be watching." With a smirk, she snapped off a lazy salute. "Break a leg, partner."

Aria answered the call! Brisa's corruption cap went up to 150! Her Extreme Speeds deal an extra hit for free! When above 100 corruption, Brisa ends the turn with an uncapped Z-Burst!

"What, couldn't get enough of Dad, so you asked me next?" Silver taunted, Teleporting next to Starr. "God, look at you. Your stance is all wrong if you're looking to survive!" His team appeared behind him, which he nodded at. "Here's a little secret, not-me. When you're against someone threatening the worst, get ready to toss it right back at them. Show that you're stronger. Who cares if it's a god. We've fought those already. Dad captured them. And you know what?" He pointed at Starr. "WE'RE stronger!"

Silver answered the call! Starr left Lithe Stance! Starr gained +1 Endure! Starr gained Defiance... All negated Endure damage becomes extra fixed damage next turn! Team Spectrum gained +1 Valor!

"It looks like Team Spectrum has the scourge of Cibus on the ropes!" called a booming voice. "But here I am, Sprout, aspirant Zygarde, beyond the line of duty at the colosseum, to announce the victory of Team Spectrum, right here, right now!" He appeared next to Astrid, on her last legs once more. "Now watch, Cibus! Watch as a history that spans realities is born!"

Sprout answered the call! Astrid gained +25% damage next turn! Astrid's first strike gained Guard-Piercer!

The Eternal Blacklight's attacks are incoming...
Actions:
Puppets: 0
Light and Shadow: 2
Eterna, Divine, Life: 3
The Eternal Blacklight: 2

 

[Namohysip]

Then came the onslaught--the onslaught of a new reality, desperate to persist.

The Light Power used Blinding Sol against Brisa! Truffle protected against the hits!
The Light Power used Blinding Sol again, destroying Truffle's protection, but Dill narrowly outlasted it and took 431 damage!

The Shadow Power used Abyssal Nil against Starr, Nip, and Mellow!
Starr: Skara took the first hit for 515 damage, left behind barriers, and some were broken!
Nip: A grazing 236, and then 1860, KO!
Mellow: Protects, and then a pierce-resisted 131!
It attacked again on Starr, Vix, and Mellow!
Starr: Protect!
Mellow: 1547, KO!
Vix: Lauchs took the first hit for 668, and Protect barriers blocked the rest!

The Eterna Power used Eterna Madness on Koa, the Conduit, Dave, and Saltriv three times, for a total of nine hits! Koa, and Dave took 9 hits, while Saltriv took 6 and the Conduit took 3!
Koa: Protect, and then 1113 damage! Koa became Confused!
Conduit: Protect, then 756, destroyed!
Dave: Protect, and then healed for 681!
Saltriv: Protect, dodge, and then 488!

The Divine Power used Divine Arms against Eien, striking nine times and dealing a total of 348 damage!

The Living Power used Life Drain on Ionys, 9 times! Ionys took 1011 damage! KO! There aren't any allies nearby, so his Resolve activated instead!

"Fucking hell, I'm immortal, dammit," Ionys grunted, losing that brief composure his ghostly form had granted him. He shook it off, slapping his cheeks. "All right, you don't like nice Soda? Then you don't get nice Soda, fuckface--!"

The Eternal Blacklight is drawn to Bahamut! It used Blacklight Apocrypa on the South zone!
Bahamut: Protect, and then a crit-nullified 103!
Owen: Protect, and then a crit-nullified 141!
Diyem: 84!

Final desperation! The Eternal Blacklight started a never-ending barrage of Eternal Blacklight Cataclysm!
Bahamut: 324!
Brisa: Dill 1 hit! Then, five hits were blocked with Protects! The remaining 14 hit Brisa for 550 damage!
Dave: healed from the first four strikes. He was full! Then, took 407 damage!
Icetales 312!
Koa: Ouch
Owen: 281
Saltriv: Ouch
Starr: Protect, and then 641!
Vix: Protect, and then 351
Diyem: 147
Eien: 165
Xernatus: 411
Sword: Ouch

It was a never-ending hailstorm of attacks. No matter what they did, it seemed like that was going to come down nonstop. This thing was desperate--but it was also vulnerable. Finally, finally vulnerable.

It has some tricks still, Owen said. I think if we attack it now, it'll put up shields, and barriers, and maybe even try to guard itself with those powers, but...!

Who the fuck cares anymore?! Cal interjected. Look at the sky! Everything is tearing itself apart! Let's finish this! Once and for all!

But we need to hit it really, really hard if we want to get past all the--

Then DO IT! That's fucking what we've been doing all year! Why stop now?!

The Eternal Blacklight: 39,913
All Powers: 10,000
Puppets: 10,000

Several Team Spectrum members were revived!
Cibus is overflowing with divine power! Calls are no longer necessary... And they are ready for the final strike!

Team Spectrum's Valor total is +8!

Cal's Insight: Fuck it up!
Owen's Insight: ...Yeah, f... What she said.