Clearing Eyes it's time for your games to end! *Ayano takes a deep breath and yells once more* You are not getting that reset this time around.

(A 7'3 man gets up, kind if dizzy) oh.....did I get drunk again...?, oh...its these snake things again..

Kotori wakes up, and upon feeling the weight, uses an earth enchantment to strengthen herself, hoping to make moving easier Where?....... Who? Wha?

[Of course, Kazuya cannot move but his mind is going wild. It was time again. Despite Ene being safe now, or rather "safe", he lacked any sense of direction but going after Kisaragi and the Snake.] Kisaragi! [Kazuya attempt to yell in the hopes it reaches her ears and does something. He didn't think it would, but he had to try. However, his eyes would fall on the new girl in front of him.] Ayano...!? Hey, what are you doing here!? [The question is stupid, but Kazuya cannot do much more.]

Kalib dizzily comes to as he witnesses the scene unfolding before him. "So it's different now...?" He lets out a sigh of relief at the other voices, but stays silent after that.

Well..time to see a girl die over and over again

Takeno awakes once again, seeing the dark scenery before her and widening her eyes. She'd look around, squirming in place, totally in vain. Upon seeing Kazuya she'd try to smile in between her panicked movements.

But kalib had ta be knocked out here...ugh

(Booming laughter echoes through the very bones of the people there as two giant red eyes makes themselves known between the towers. The slit iris' in both eyes focus down on the girl and a giant pink tongue momentarily appears and flicks out in amusement.) I'm afraid it's too late my queen. Every monster save for these two here are dead and gone. (A coiling serpentine body materializes out of thin air, wrapping itself around both living towers.) And the minute these two die then i'm afraid our time will be reset ... (There is a pause hanging in the air before a sudden shift of the body occurs. The serpentine creature tightens itself around Kisaragi's body and in spite of her condition she is forced to let out a strangled breath.) Shame since this time I actually enjoyed this loop. (Kisaragi struggles to breath as her chest is forcibly pushed inward and her fingers twitch with remnants of life.) I was actually forced to work ... (The blurred figure on the right tower is suddenly replaced by a very aware and injured Ene. While Kisaragi continues to grip onto life.) I was actually forced to play ...

STOP IT! *Ayano screams as she tries to run to Kisaragi's aid, but finds that she is unable to move. The skin beneath her eyes begin to crack into scales as her eyes glow so bright they almost appear on fire.* ENOUGH ALREADY!

(He grabs his 7'2 claymore with its golden hilt and the blade with carvings and jems on it) well..this Is happening

Homura just stares at it sadly... This whole thing is awful, but there's not anything they can do about it, the girl simply sighs and looks toward Kazuya, Kalib, Takeno... And very pointedly avoids Gamma's gaze. "Um, do we have any idea what we're doing here? I mean, the answer is no of course just uh gotta figure it out... Hopefully, things will go better this time!" Despite the dread she's feeling, Homura smiles at them and tries to sound hopeful... No sense getting all down and depressed!

I have no clue what's going on either

Gamma briefly glances around, of course the others are here, though he may have hoped Homura and Zane were mistakes, there's nothing for that now. Gamma sighs, looking on and finally making a comment Considering our present situation I think its safe to say who won this little showdown. Still, resetting time on purpose? What a wasteful goal. I'd understand if they were actually trying to accomplish something, but this honestly sounds pointless. Gamma automatically leans backwards, used to this sort of thing, only to be reminded that there is no wall. He wavers a little, almost losing his balance, before catching himself and straightening his posture

[Indeed, Kazuya's heart was beating with force, his anger growing bigger and bigger. For some reason, he had a terrible grasp on this emotion now. Could be the fault of Ira being inside of his mind, or might be his growing fear and stress. His eyes never lie or hide his anger.] Clearing Eyes...you bastard...! [He barely even manages to mutter as he looks around. Everyone was indeed here, even Takeno. Kazuya would look at her for a moment before closing his eyes and breathing, trying to keep his own mind calm.] I...actually wished we could've met again under other circumstances... [Kazuya says to Takeno, trying to laugh but clearly having some trouble to do so. He shouldn't be reacting like this. But this scene made it difficult.]

Kotori gets her bearings, and upon realizing the situation she decides to keep still till she's told what to do, but takes the chance to address her two elders Have you guys even tried to talk about this like civilized adults rather than fight each other when you both have the same base goal?

"H-Homura-chan? You're here too? What the hell...? I can't... move!" She'd let out a few frustrated grunts, watching the events before her with a face of disgust. She'd narrow her eyes, growling in anger. "So this is that serpent they were talking about... now it all makes sense. And it's pissing me off!" She'd glance over to Kazuya, sighing lightly. "I'm sorry, Kazuya-san... me too... But I suppose beggars can't be choosers here, huh?"

Kalib winces as the figure becomes clear. It was never easy seeing anyone in pain like that, but his attention was pulled away by the scarfed girl's pleas. "This is disgusting...damn Clearing Eyes..."

(The serpentine body tightens once more and with a final resounding crack. Kisaragi gasps out her last breath. The coils instantly loosen afterwards allowing for Kisaragi's body to be unceremoniously let go like a doll cut off it's strings. Her body falls and hits the floor with a thud.) Yet all good miracles must come to an end. (Ene is sobbing at this point as the serpentine body begins to encircle in.) Don't worry my Queen we will be reborn again. (Ene appears next to the group once the serpentine body is right in front of her. Her presence on the tower fully replaced with Kazuya as if he were there the entire time.) We always are~

Enough already! *Ayano whimpers out as big fat tears fall from the corner of her eyes. At this point the tail ends of her scarf lie on the floor as she is on her knees in grief.* Please no more ... *Her hair starts to become full white while she cries out the pain of death. Unusual cloth made wings begin to arch out of her back yet Ayano fails to notice.*

Yeah..here I am, being silent...I know, that's surprising

Gamma sighs and shakes his head. He doesn't go to the trouble of acknowledging Kotori with more than a glance, instead he looks over to the events unfolding before him. Ene replaced with Kazuya, considering the figure was blurry before.... This has happened several times before then, not just in their world, but in this one too. Absolutely wonderful. The young man sounds bored more than anything, he watches Ayano's transformation begin, must be some part of the plan if it has occurred at least twice before. Not that it really matters *sigh* well, any information is helpful, I guess. We'll see. If I were to guess people usually hadn't seen this, which means its probably interference on Azami's part. That's my current theory anyways. His analysis done, Gamma goes back to tossing and catching his shard of ice, watching the others to see their reaction with his cold, frozen eyes.

[Kazuya is dizzy at first, confused without exactly knowing what was going on anymore. Soon, he would notice he couldn't see anything while looking up. He couldn't feel the ground, and so he immediately looks down as he finally realizes the situation in the which he is in.] W-What...!? [He didn't know how to take this, what to do, what to do? The snakes stoping him from moving felt gross, insulting even.] Clearing Eyes, take your dirty scales off of me! Let Ayano go! [Kazuya clenches his teeth as the anger pents up more and more inside of him. He does his best, what he needs now is a clear mind, not go crazy because some monster is keeping him like some kind of prisoner. Breath, relax.]

Screw it (he slashes with his 7'2 claymore into one of the snakes) I REGRET NOTHIIIIIIING

Kalib's eyes go wide as Kaz appears on the tower. His eyes shift to where Kaz once was to find Ene there now. Fear would begin taking hold of him in the face of this unknown power. "K-Kaz!" Kalib struggles against his own body to try and make any sort of meaningful movement. Hell, he'd be happy to just take a step.

Seeing Kazuya switch with Ene, she freezes entirely for a moment, before she screams, her pupils narrowed. Quickly, her eyes would dart towards Ayano, only for her reaction to become more violent. "Let them go you little shit! I'll tear you apart for this, you hear me?! I'll kill you!!" Despite how much she wanted to do something, she couldn't move whatsoever, still wriggling and trying to worm her way out of her confines.

Oi! Put him down! If you kill him, who's gonna teach me how to fight? Inconsiderate snake thing! Kotori seems only slightly annoyed by this

Quintus would find himself within this dark space as well as the others. His memories of how he got here were groggy as well as his senses themselves. He would begin to try and focusing on what was happening around him but he only barely was able to watch the scene until this very moment. His head would finally begin to clear as he looks around. "This...again? Strange...Is this going to be another nightmare?"

(The serpent once again utters a booming laugh upon hearing Kazuya's weak words. His body tightens more around Kazuya until they are touching his body.) I like it when they resist over and over again. (Then Kazuya find himself among the group again as Kalib takes a step and ends up against the tower. With the serpentine body closing in Kalib is able to feel the scales brushing against him in a slightly tight manner.) The despair when they realize it's the same story. (Gamma begins to feel the full press of the scales as the serpent now closes in. He switched with Kalib and is now hanging on the tower with the breath slowly being crushed out of him.) I have already won and I will win again and again! Meanwhile ... *Ene shifts from her position on the floor and slowly gets up with confusion* What is going ... *She freezes in horror once she notices the towers.*

*Ayano's makeshift cloth wings are fully out at this point and she yells in an almost inhuman tone. Her eyes ablaze with grief as well as something else. The area begins to turn white as her once brown her is now a white canvas* Give it back! *She reaches out in desperation and the area behind the towers begins to crack revealing a perfectly whitescape. As she does this the serpent mercilessly laughs, but Ayano is too far gone to listen anymore.*

"K-Kazuya-san! You're here now? Then what happened to...?" She'd stare up at the towers once again, then over towards the suffering Ayano before it was far too much to bear, gritting her teeth and speaking once more, this time in a much lower, angrier voice than ever before. "Do you think this is some kind of game?! Switching us around and toying with us like we're some kind of toy?! I don't know how and I don't know when, but I'll grind you into the dirt you shitty serpent!"

[Kazuya gasps for air as he finds himself back with the group, only to see Kalib being taken, and soon after Gamma. Kazuya would quickly look in Ene's direction.] Ene... Damn it... [Kazuya is quickly calming down as he tries to find a solution, anything he could possibly use now. Ayano was gone, Ene was too scared, and to top it all off Gamma was now trapped. Kazuya has no other idea but to wing it. He tries to move his hand to the front, trying to find something to grab onto. But even harder, he tries with all he can to run forward, in the quite possibly hopeless idea of "taking back" whatever it is Ayano wants back.] Takeno! Please...try to calm down! We will not get anything from giving into anger...! [Kazuya grits his teeth as he tries to move towards his objective, could be hard, but not impossible. That is at least what he tries to say to himself, at the same time he battles against his own growing rage.]

Quintus would slowly try to get onto his feet but seem to quit this effort after a short while. His head was still foggy and his body felt heavy. He almost didn't even want to get up knowing what he might be facing. "This is a bit of work...What reason do I have to get up again?" He would finally begin to notice what was going on around him but wasn't sure how to react. "What is this? Should I...be doing something?"

Homura just stares in shock at Ene being here, what in the hell is going on with this crazy place!? Rage? How can they even be mad when nothing makes any sense!? "What even is this? I have no clue what's going on here anymore, I'm not even sure if this is real or fake, to be honest..." The girl simply stares, she's utterly lost here and sees nothing to do, so instead of wasting her energy, she'd just wait for now.

With a confident smile he puts his foot down after taking the step... only to find himself bound against the tower. The bind he's caught in causes him a significant amount of pain, but he simply laughs. "Urk...haha...between a rock and a hard place...urf...as always!" Suddenly finding himself standing where Gamma was, Kalib blinks in surprise. "That means..." He looks up and swallows hard upon seeing Gamma. He then finally sees Ene frozen in place by the display. "Come on legs...one more time!" Kalib struggles against the weight again to try and move forward.

Gamma's breathing begins to become shallower and shallower as he has less space to breath in. He does his best to ignore the pain, wanting to give no one the satisfaction. He's fairly far from the others, and it would be difficult to shout out anyways. Instead, he simply whispers, taking the fleeting breaths he can. Does that make me the sacrifice this time? Not that it really matters, but it would explain your reluctance. He sighs and watches everyone else's panic for a moment, scales gripping ever tighter Besides, maybe the next one will have more luck. Small things change all the time. Maybe he'll be less of a monster. Gamma tries to meet the serpent's gaze as it continues winding around him. Curious, for a vision this feels rather real. He briefly wonders if it can actually hurt him.

Take suddenly snaps out of her frenzy, looking towards Kazuya and pausing for a moment, her breathing still heavy and shaky. "I... y-you're right. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight." She'd clench her fists, still seeming fairly frustrated, but more so out of trying to think her way out of the situation.

(A lot of things happen within a moment.) (Cracks appear in the darkness above, Kotori infuses herself with fire, Kazuya reaches out, Kalib takes a step forward, and Gamma is practically being choked to death.) (Yet just like a fleeting night terror the moment ends in an instant with the group now standing right in the middle of a park. There is a full moon up above them and the recently installed lanterns are giving off a faint yellow light. To the right lies the sea with a very alive Kisaragi standing at the shore and tossing pebbles. While to the left is an aged swing set with a black cat carefully staring directly at the group. Plenty of people walk beneath the glow of the moon and there is a serene atmosphere hanging up in the air.) (Everyone finds they are now able to move freely again yet any sensations they felt before continue to plague them. The afterimages of the nightmare they were just made privy to.) (Ene is now gone from the group her whereabouts unknown.)

Hey guys. Magic is usable here, wherever we are. Kotori stares at the cat Whaddyou want?

Gamma takes a few deep breaths, so that's the end of it then? Well, proof that it was fake is nice, he supposes. Looking around, he has no doubt what most of the others are likely to do. He catches sight of the black cat, aren't those supposed to be bad luck? The young man shrugs, and continues catching up on his breathing. He decides to ignore the others, and instead walks towards the cat, after all, he's always been more of an animal person. He briefly glances at Kotori as he goes He's a cat, he looks at things. This is nothing new. Still, once he is a few feet away from the others, he takes the chance to turn away and mutter something under his breath But of course, nothing's ever normal here, is it? If he successfully makes it to the cat, Gamma would attempt to pet the animal, after all, you know what they say, all cats are adorable.

Quintus is unsure what transpired having been in a daze most of the time. While not completely conscious of his surroundings still he would be a bit more relaxed on the beach. He would look around passively now noticing the others before he also notices the strange cat. Opting to get away from the group he would move toward the cat and once near it he would get on his knees and stare the cat directly in the eyes. "Hey there little...uh, cat? Why are you looking at us like that anyway?" He would cautiously present his hand to the cat ready to pull it away if need be but trying to show the animal that he meant no harm.

[Kazuya's forceful attempt to move end with him falling face flat into the ground. The young man takes a few seconds to stand up and orient himself. He would look at everything around him before turning around, failing to see Ene anywhere.] Figures that would be the case... [Kazuya holds his head with both hands as he looks up at the moon. After breathing for a moment, he would blink and do his best at calming down completely. Once again he would look at the group.] Looks like a new trial to me... Ene is nowhere to be seen but... [Kazuya sighs as he tries to dust off his clothes.] I think we'll need to find out what's going on. Safest way would be Kisaragi over there... [Kazuya would gesture towards the girl by the shore. He would then quickly turns to see the group as he quickly approaches her, focusing his eyes on Kalib, and then even more so on Takeno.] Let's do our best! [The previously furious Kazuya was gone. He smiled at the group with and ample reassuring smile as he gets closer and closer to Kisaragi.] Hey! What are you doing here all alone? Isn't it dangerous?

So you say, but you're the one who told me that everything is important in these worlds.... Kotori follows Gamma to the cat And you have an interest in it, so it must be important...

Homura watches Gamma... That cat seems a bit odd, and she's rather curious about it, however. She'd prefer to stick near the others really, and someone's gotta take to Kisaragi, so despite her misgivings, the girl walks up to their "foe". A smile on her face as she looks at the older girl. "Hello there, it's um nice meeting you again... I'm pretty curious why you're here too if you don't mind us asking. Hopefully it's not dangerous, I'd hate if anything happened to you!"

Now that she was able to move, she'd dash to Kazuya's side, briefly giving him a hug and a smile before hopping back, giving a confident sneer. "Let's go! Now uh... where do we start?" She'd turn to look at the black cat and gasps, her eyes and pupils widening. "It's a kitty! Awww! Look at her, she's so cute!" It didn't take long for Takeno to completely forget the situation she was in, tilting her head at the cat and giggling like a little girl.

Kalib steps forward as the world changes around him. He reaches forward in vain as Ene vanishes. "Damn it all...." Kaz pulls Kalib's attention back and he responds with a nod. Following shortly after the man and towards the girl at the shoreline. He whistles softly as the others speak.

Gamma sighs and glances over to Kotori, he had in fact mentioned that, though the young man had never expected it to stick. Still, it would be fastest to explain. In all honesty I doubt, or rather, I hope the cat is unimportant. I'm simply trying to get on my.... with this glance, he's able to see Quintus approaching the cat as well, in addition to Takeno's stare. Admittedly, this was not exactly what he expected And it seems I underestimated how popular cats are. Fantastic. Well, whatever. You can stick around if you want Kotori, not my place to tell you anything.

(The little black cat gazes at the people surrounding it with disinterested look and takes to licking it's paws. It allows Gamma to pat it's very fluffy head and takes a tiny sniff at Quintus' before settling back. Soon the cat arcs it's back and jumps off the swing with a graceful pose. Gently landing on the ground it heads to the center of the empty street in front of the park and rests there. The low sounds of a truck horn can be heard closing in.) *Kisaragi looks at her new company with a grin of annoyance. Her eyes twitching a bit as she does so and her arms folded in an impatient manner.* I'm waiting for you guys duh! You were supposed to be here like an hour ago for the now ruined trial! *Her feet tap at an anxious pace and she takes the time to pick up another stone and toss it across the sea.* I have been waiting here alone the whole time and bored ... Thanks a lot you jerks!

[Kazuya would blink a couple of times as he looks at Kisaragi. His cheeks are red and he is clearly distracted. It would seem that Takeno's sudden hug distracted him enough for him to lose his trail of thought. After a while, he would snap from his stupor.] Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get here late! But the traffic was a bit uh...tough... [Kazuya's cheeks finally go back to normal as he tries to laugh Kisaragi's accusations away. He would then to take a stone and throw it at the sea, however, his throw didn't get as far, not even half of the place Kisaragi may have reached. The young man sighs.] But... I don't think I ever introduced myself properly to you, did I? [Kazuya would turn to look at her with a smile.] I'm Kazuya Yasuo, I hope we can be friends.

Gamma of course, continues following the cat, further away from the others after all. He sighs and calmly walks after it, all the way through its little jog. He would try to pick up the animal, so as to pet it more easily. If the cat struggled he'd simply let it go, no need to be cruel after all Looks like you're all alone here, aren't you? Some sort of stray probably. Well, no worries. I've always been fond of cats.

Quintus would just remain in place and watch from a little ways away. He wasn't sure if he should even be interested in what was going on exactly. It wasn't that the situation wasn't intriguing but he feared that if he invested himself too much he might end up in another nightmare like scenario. "Things seem different but...I'll just watch for now. I don't think I'd be any help in whatever is going on."

Kalib's eye twitches slightly as she blames them for being late. He rolls his eyes before giving an overdramatic bow. "Well excuse me for missing the memo. But you could have told us when to show up if you didn't want to wait." He takes a breath before smiling at the girl. "Well then, we're here now." Kalib would crouch next to the shoreline as Kaz tosses his stone. The toss would earn a quiet laugh before he looks back to the girl. "Kaz has a point. We've never really had the chance to talk. The name is Kalib, let's get along okay?"

Homura bows to the girl in front of them. "Aww, I'm sorry Kisaragi-chan! We didn't mean to take so long!" She then looks back up and smiles at the girl, sounding light and cheerful as she goes on to follow Kazuya's lead. "And I haven't really done so either! But it's Homura Akemi and um... Hopefully, we can be nice to each other! I don't wanna be enemies or anything after all." She'd then tilt her head curiously at the older girl... Ruined trial? That sounds quite strange./ "And how'd things get ruined anyway? I didn't even know that could happen, so I'm pretty shocked to hear this."

Oi! Cat! Hearing the truck, Kotori rushes to Gamma and puts a double earth enchantment on him, giving him more than enough defense to protect him And waddya think your doing? You could get hit!

*Pleased at the apologies Kisaragi offers a short curtsy herself and flashes her usual over the top idol grin.* Momo Kisaragi at your service~ It is kind of cool to meet all you people again but sadly our time will be cut short. *She winks at the group and points to the park* You see me and the master ruined this whole trial type deal our opponent had for you guys~ Soooo now you just have to survive~ Isn't that great! *She claps with a wide grin* For you see we broke things so bad that now you get to actually experience death multiple times. But don't worry once you catch up to me this whole deal ends~ All you gotta do is tough out the death and maybe in 20 years you will finally get out. Okie dokie~ *She gives a thumbs up and instantly disappears from sight leaving behind sandy footprints in her wake. It appears she is heading back toward the park.*

(The cat allows himself to be picked up by Gamma and as the action is done the blaring horn of a truck gets even louder. A light comes from the right end of the street and the road itself almost appears to be melting beneath Gamma's shoes. A few people in the park begin to shout at the sight.)

"W-wait? Did she say death? What's she even talking about? How can someone experience death more than onc- Actually, uh, never mind. I'd rather not have to experience death again though." Quintus would shiver again as a distant memory once again haunted his mind. The fear this memory instilled seemed to wake him up from his earlier stupor. "Yeah, actually that was too passive. I really don't want to experience death and live through it. There's another way out of here right? 20 years is too long a time to spend in purgatory."

Gamma, unused to dealing with the massively increased weight Kotori's earth enchantment, in addition to the melting ground, find himself stuck in place, the young man sighs and tosses the cat backwards towards Quintus This is just my luck, isn't it? Very well.... Since he can barely move, Gamma instead looks at the oncoming vehicle, almost bored it seems. He sighs and summons forth his persona Shiranui. The persona bursts into life around him, cold, empty life staring down the vehicle with its owner. Ice Age. With a roar, a sheet of ice begins spreading from beneath Gamma, small at first, but rapidly thickening as it approaches the vehicle, rising like a ramp until it becomes a roughly ten-foot wall between the two. Of course, this all assumes the persona works here

Kotori looks at the floor confused What is this place? Some kind of fever dream? Sorry, you want that gone? You should be strong enough to at least move, ya gotta put some effort into it tho....

Quintus would suddenly catch the oncoming cat but just barely as he was still paralyzed with fear as traumatic memories echoed through his mind. He tried to calm himself but was obviously very nervous about the situation as a whole. "I-uh, a cat?" He would look down at the cat in his arms before realizing that a truck was heading towards Gamma. He would be unable to move only anticipating the worse result despite Gamma's attempts to prevent the trucks approach.

Take lowered her face into her palm and sighs, shaking her head. She'd step forward slowly, her eyes scanning the entire area. Suddenly, she turns towards the sound of the truck, her hands clenching into fists once more. All of the tension is totally diffused as Gamma seems to effortlessly, and seemingly without care, stop the truck "Well I guess if it was that easy. But what the hell are we supposed to do here? There isn't really any obvious puzzles for us to solve or anything." She didn't seem to be looking very hard, more just trying to absorb the as much of the nearby surroundings as she could.

Die multiple times...? It has to be like in the park...! [As soon as Kisaragi disappears, Kazuya turns around and tries to look everywhere, only to realize people are screaming, a truck is going out of control and Gamma is generating Ice. Kazuya would quickly try to get closer to the scene.] We need to find and catch Kisaragi before anything else can happen! Quickly! [Kazuya would stand closer to Takeno and look around as well.] Going with Kisaragi's words we might end up dying over and over again. For that to end...we must catch Kisaragi.

"We're gonna die?! So this time it's not even preventing someone else's? I... I don't know if I can handle this... I'll try to be strong. I wouldn't want to look weak in front of that putrid serpent, now would I?" She'd slam her fists together, chuckling with a confident sneer. She'd then look around, pointing her finger forward as if she were looking for something, using her hand as a compass. "Kisaragi went which way? Down the street maybe?"

Homura simply smiles quietly at the girl till Kisaragi is gone... At which point she'd curse and her clothes would transform into Magical Girl form. "Gah! What in the heck is this madness? Dying more than once isn't... Well, okay I can't say I've never seen it, but I haven't died myself." The girl sighs to herself... This is utterly insane to her, and that stupid snake is clearly trying to get them killed. Honestly, she feels a bit like breaking down and not moving, but there's no way she'll just give up. "Yeah, it's like Kazuya-san said really. No sense wasting our time freaking out. Keep moving and find the crazy girl, seems simple, I'm sure it isn't given where we are." Instead of standing around, she'd follow after Kazuya in a blur of motion. Eyes darting about the place in search of anyone who looks odd, doubtful Kisaragi would be stupid enough to hang around, but if anyone seems unphased, perhaps it might be her in disguise?

Kalib swallows hard at the girl's words. "Dying over and over again huh?" He laughs for a moment as he regains his confidence. "That still sounds like a trial to me Kisaragi! We'll catch up to you in no time! You hear me!" Knowing full well his shouts were in vain, the man spoke mostly to himself. However, screams from the park pulled his attention towards Gamma directly in the path of a truck. "You guys look for her, I'll see what I can do to help him! I know this might be considered cheating but here goes nothing!" Kalib focuses deeply and attempts to summon his persona. If it worked, he'd buff Gamma's attack, speed, and defence.

There's nothing wrong with being scared, Takeno. I am scared all the time...but that's because I'm a coward. [Kazuya closes his eyes for a moment, with a sly smile on his face. The young man would look at Takeno while placing a hand on her shoulder.] I'm glad such a strong and cute girl is taking care of me. [Kazuya then winks at the girl before turning around, going back at looking for Kisaragi. His cheeks are of course red now but he is fairly certain no one would notice in a moment like this. In his opinion, it was better to stay laid back so stress doesn't eat him alive.]

(A ten foot ice ramp rises in front of the incoming truck and the front of the vehicle smashes into it with full force. Oddly enough the vehicle is empty as the pavement once again solidifies freeing Gamma's trapped feet. Gamma himself feels a surge of strength as he gets buffed by Kalib's persona.) (The cat suddenly peers upward and with one crisis averted another one comes in the form of falling pipes. An above head crane only has a second to warn anyone with the shriek of it's emergency horn before snapping off entirely. It looks as if it's about to fall on top of Quintus, Kazuya, and Takeno possibly crushing them into the ground.) (Meanwhile, as the rest of the group gather together again due to circumstance a very joyful Kisaragi appears down the pathway from the playground. The pathway itself is dark, but up ahead the light of a few vending machines can be seen. Kisaragi herself stands in the particularly open clearing surrounded by trees and drink vending machines. She just waits there as if it were any other normal day in the park. Yet something tells anyone who chases after her that this task won't be as easy as it seems.)

The cat would still be in his shaking hand but his grip wasn't tight and it could easily escape with a little effort. Quintus would be unsure of what to do and wouldn't even notice the emergency horn. "It's just like before...except this time the ones who are going to be killed are us...This..." He would be shaking with fear as he was once again confronted with his own certain demise. Facing those fears didn't take them away. They only made him believe that he could move past them but now he was once again faced with the harsh reality of death. He would be frozen in place and unable to react in time to anything that might be occurring.

With the truck broken, Gamma glares at Kotori, he never asked for her help after all, and it obviously wasn't necessary. Yes, I would appreciate being able to move like a normal person. I'm really not as strong as you might think Looking back, its obvious that the others are a short way behind him again. Fantastic. Looking forward to find Kisaragi... That explains why they're approaching him. Oh well, now that he's free, he does the logical thing and slowly walks down the road, away from the truck crash. Don't want to think about what might have been in there. So, I would appreciate it if you would get this thing off me and go join the others. I'm really not in the mood right now. He tries to ignore the other buffs Kalib gave whatever they decide to do isn't really his problem after all.

"K-Kazuya-san! You're not a coward! And besides, now's not the time!" She blushed quite heavily, seeming a little bashful towards the compliments but it was clear she was still enjoying it. Well... at least until the emergency crane snaps, prompting her to look upwards with shock. She raised her hand to try and summon her persona, but there wasn't enough time. If no one else were to do anything, she'd surely be crushed. "Lotan! Quickly!"

[Kazuya was distracted and had walked away for a bit, only to be returned to planet earth by the loud sound of death hovering above him. He quickly turns around and sees both Quintus and Takeno in danger. The young man couldn't think, and at this very moment all he could do was run ahead. Kazuya summons his Persona, Musashi out of pure instinct.] GO!! [He points his hand forward as the mechanical samurai strikes Quintus right on his face, strong enough to get him out of the danger zone. However, with Takeno he didn't have other choices, he ran straight at her with just enough time to push her away, completely taking away Kazuya's chance to get out of danger as he falls on the ground.] GET KISARAGI!! [Is what Kazuya manages to say as he hits the ground, the one thing he was thinking about.]

Kalib notices Kisaragi before he hears the snap and only has enough time to turn around in horror. "KAZUYA! TAKENO! QUINTUS!" He attempts to summon Roland once more in an attempt to have tendrils of darkness hold up the falling crane. But he knew that he might be too slow. "KAZUYAAAA!"

As she fell over into safe territory, she'd turn around, trying to grab Kazuya's hand and drag him out. Depending on if Musashi was able to hold the crane for long enough, she'd try to drag him away from where the crane was to fall. "K-Kazuya-san! You have to get out of here now! Please! Get up!"

Homura stares at the madness unfolding before them... Part of her thinks she should get involved, but there are so many things flyi- no she's not about to sit it out... Tendrils huh? "I didn't know darkness could do that, but um I'll try to help too!" Homulilly bursts to life behind the girl, a glowing light would cover Kalib and his Persona causing their tendrils to speed up. Sukakja might be of some use? The best idea she's got anyway. "DON'T WORRY, UM I'M SURE WE'VE GOT THIS UNDER CONTORL!" Despite her words, her tone makes it clear she's lying through her teeth.

Quintus would fall back several feet before being knocked to the ground. He wasn't sure of what just happened but the knock on the head seemed to snap him to his senses. He would look on in horror seeing how close he was to death but more importantly seeing the one who had knocked him out of the way try to sacrifice themselves. "I-I...Why did you? No, this is wrong. This is all wrong!" He would attempt to summon Yggdrasil but the golden aura refused to form around his body. His mind was unable to focus on the image of Yggdrasil and his will had been broken by his own shock.

(Kalib and Takeno try their best to save Kazuya, but they end up being a few seconds too late. The tendrils of darkness while sped up due to Homura fail to make it in time. The tendrils having lost by milliseconds latch onto air while the crane engulfs Kazuya beneath it's weight. Crushing his body with ease and sending up a bit of blood toward Takeno's outstretched hand. It happens so fast that the others can only process the sharp sound of bones shattering before Kazuya is nothing but a stain upon the park dirt. His arms still able to be seen from beneath as well as his hair.) (Before meeting his terrible end, Kazuya did manage to save Takeno and Quintus from meeting the same fate.) (Staying in her spot Kisaragi manages to see it all with her far seeing eyes and enjoys the show. She claps at the heroic performance and even cheers a bit as she buys herself a drink from the vending machines. Yet the feeling doesn't really sink in for her as her mind has an opposite disgusted reaction.)

"Kazuya..." She spoke softly and quietly, still holding out her hand, as if she didn't process him getting crushed. She simply sat there, completely motionless, her eyes focused on where the crane rested on the floor. After a little while, tears started dripping down her face, but for once, she was completely silent.

Quintus would just go wide eyed as his heart begins racing. He would stand for a minute in shock. "I...Dammit, why? Why make that sacrifice for me? You could have saved her and yourself if you just left me behind..." Seeming to throw aside his hesitation he'd begin running away. He wouldn't be running in any random direction of course as he would be searching for Kisaragi. When out of ear shot he would finally mutter something to himself. "Because of that, now I have to care..."

Oof. That look like it would hurt. Kotori shrugs it off as she walks off after Gamma

In spite of his attempt to walk away, Gamma can't help but hear a crash that loud. He briefly glances back.... Yeah, that's not pretty. Continuing down the road, he sighs and mutters to himself No matter, bet that the universe will alter itself so he's fine. Because that's how things work here apparently. Glancing at the others, he looks... Bored more than anything. Its no surprise Kazuya would end up getting himself hurt like that... But surely there's no way its going to stick. Right? That sort of thing doesn't usually happen

(Kazuya's body slowly fades away as if it never existed and within a few seconds of his absence the crane disappears. It takes another tense few minutes for him to appear perfectly fine in the place where he was once squished. His body showing no signs of the damage dealt to him, but his memory burning with the pain and experience of his death.) (Gamma continues down the road and as he walks a particularly large school building comes into view. If he moves any further he may lose the group completely from now to the end of this. Yet his lone journey is not safe in the slightest as he begins to hear a series of car horns around him. It's almost as if he is being encircled by the noise the bright headlights of the car keeping him in place.) (With Kisaragi in full view of the group both Quintus and Homura head towards her. Using her raised speed Homura aims to tackle Kisaragi, but before she can a vending machine falls. The machine for specialty fruit juice lands on top of Homura's left leg trapping her to the ground.) *Kisaragi watches with amusement as she takes a sip of her sweet milk drink.* Didn't anyone ever teach you to be wary of the world~ Miss Homura~

Quintus would only seem to tense up more at Kisaragi's jokes. He would face directly forward as the a golden aura now dances along his body. "That's enough. It's time for you to let us out of here. Human life isn't some joke for you to spit at! Yggdrasil!" Yggdrasil would begin growing out of the ground around Quintus as they stretch out towards Kisaragi in an attempt to bind her limbs and restrict her movement. "I don't want to hurt you even now so just give up without a fight and we can all end this peacefully."

Takeno sat in place until everything before her fades away, causing her to wake up from the trance she'd placed herself into. "W-What the hell? It's gone?! K-Kazuya!? Where... where is he?" She'd look around feverishly, her hands slamming on the pavement as she crawled around searching. Once he reappeared, she'd crawl away a little bit. "Is that... you? This has to be another trick right?! Or.... we really don't die here?"

The girl doesn't even bother responding to Kisaragi, it hurts, but she's had so much worse before, instead she'd take her left hand and run magic through it, tossing the vending machine off herself and rolling toward Kisaragi as a pistol forms in her right hand. Small electric bolts would fly from the gun, toward Kisaragi's chest as Homura glares at their foe and moves forward, the shots should stun and hurt some, but they're pretty weak. She'd also start taking it slower and staying off to the side, keeping track of everything around her and aiming to avoid... Everything, but more so large objects and such that seem dangerous. "I think it would be best if someone else did something too! I'm not so sure we can get her here, but I'm pretty sure I can't do it on my own, so please help okay!?" Speaking of others, Homura was about to have her Persona move, but then Quin did something which renders that plan poor at best. Instead, the light of Sukaja covers Takeno as well, hopefully, it'll do her some good.

[Kazuya takes a minute or two finally catching his breath from the traumatic experience. His entire body is trembling as he could momentarily feel his body being crushed. However, none o that was happening. He knew it, he just died. Kazuya would look ahead to see Quintus and Homura running towards Kisaragi.] I'm back. I really am...! [Kazuya's eyes widen in shock, it takes him another full minute to regain his senses. He would quickly type on his COMP looking for new summonings. He would immediately summon Pascal and Baal, the humanoid riding on the demonic dog's back as it rushes forward towards Kisaragi, aiming to pin her down.] Don't stop, no matter what you have to catch Kisaragi! [After giving his demons the orders, Baal prepares to use his powerful winds to blow away anything that may come their way, and Pascal use his fire and even his fangs to make his way. They had the orders to not injure Kisaragi at all, however.] Takeno...! [Kazuya would then move forward and kneel in front of the poor girl. He could see the blood on her hand and how affected she was by it all as well. Of course he himself was too, but he couldn't give himself the privilege of just stopping.] I'm here, Takeno. [Kazuya would then place his two hand at the side of her arms, greeting her with a warm smile.] I think I came back a bit later than expected.

Gamma covers his eyes, wincing a little in the bright light judging by the highly improbable array of vehicle sounds around him, he either stumbled onto a biker gang, or he isn't supposed to be going this way. This last thought makes him grin, his breath visible in the gathering chill. His persona already formed around him, all it takes is a simple order. The school building is too far for him to be able to latch onto it, instead Shiranui, Ice Age. With that simple command, A wave of ice bursts forth from the ground at his feet. Rather than bother dealing with guessing where they'll try to ram him from, or trying to wreck each car, Gamma builds himself a pillar, roughly five feet on each side and ten feet tall. If his pillar finishes, he'll be able to start building a much smaller platform out towards the school building, extending the ice outwards from the pillar, focused on the top. The platform would look triangular in shape when viewed from the side, additional ice forming in order to support the weight of the construct. Between this and the truck he would already begin breathing heavily from using so much energy.

Kotori enchants herself with wind and jumps onto the pillar, following Gamma as he goes We're supposed to be breaking the game, right?

"You don't know how relieved I am!" She'd return the smile, not seeming to mind the blood on her hand as she wipes her tears away and sighs in relief. With a quick snap of her attention towards Homura, Takeno slashes her hand in the other girl's direction, summoning Lotan forth. "Lotan! Psiodyne!" The lumbering giant of a Persona reached into its mouth, pulling out a glowing pink-ish ball of energy, letting out a loud, low-pitched and blood curdling howl that would easily attract the attention of anyone or anything nearby. With one heavy swing it tossed the ball of energy at Kisaragi with startling accuracy, but its initial roar probably would've alerted her to what it was doing.

[Kazuya would blink a couple of time to process what was happening in front of him. Without looking away from Kisaragi, he would slightly tap on her shoulder, both eyebrows raised.] H-Hey we shouldn't be trying to d-damage her. [Kazuya laughs nervously at what was going on, but hopefully they could avoid death. But with that in mind.] Takeno...if I die again...I don't want you to forget the goal here. It doesn't matter what happens, keep moving forward. [Kazuya would place his left hand on Takeno's right shoulder as he slowly walks towards Kisaragi's direction.]

*Kisaragi continues to drink the sweet milk she just bought allowing Quintus' vines to sneak around her limbs. With a pleased sigh she finishes off the drink at a leisured pace and just holds the empty can in her right hand since it's now bound. Kisaragi then looks to Quintus and Homura with a cold smile that doesn't quite reach her red eyes.* Oh but you see human life is a joke~ The more times you die the funnier the joke becomes until you don't even feel it anymore. *Homura's small electric bolts simply pass through Kisaragi as her chest opens up revealing black snakes only to close once the bullets are through. Kisaragi begins to laugh as though the bullets tickled her while passing.* And since I was just a worthless character I died more times then any of you can count. So It's only fair that the rest of you die too since your not the heroes of this story. Bye Bye~ (A black haired boy comes out from the shadowed bushes and aims a gun behind Quintus' head. The boy's smile is easily identified as sadistic and his yellow eyes are the picture of glee. He doesn't even take time to think as he shoots Quintus through the head. The bullet coming out soaked in front of Quintus' feet. The boy then dissolves and appears to rejoin with Kisaragi's vending light created shadow.) *Kisaragi then notices the two demons and energy coming towards her and pouts* Well looks like i'm being ganged up on~ Kinda lame but I can one up it~ *The demons go straight through her body as it takes on a similar reforming effect with the snakes working afterwards to mend her fallen off upper half. As for the psidyne she just braces against it and comes out with nothing, but a light scratch.* You see i'm kind of like an important character now and those never die in the shows! As for you lesser characters ... *She snaps her fingers and the whole array of trees around the group begin to fall.* You can die~

(Gamma successfully finishes his pillar as four cars ram into it at once. The pillar shakes for a bit and then settles allowing for Gamma to carry out his movement plan. As he approaches the school he can a red scarf hanging from the rooftop and the noticeable absence of any life around it. Not even the animals stir around the building eliciting an eerie feeling. It's as if the school itself is a morgue and with the lack of light there is no telling what would be inside.)

Seeing her attack do basically nothing and listening to Kaz's words, she made no hesitation to pick herself up off the ground an try to find a way out of the mass of falling trees. Due to her unfortunate timing, she was rushing way too much, causing her to slip and fall on the floor, struggling to even lift herself off the ground now. "D-Damnit! Run as fast as you can! Anyone!"

Kotori speeds up just enough to catch up to Gamma and speak to him You ain't losing me, so you may as well tell me what we're doing so I don't screw it up for you... It's called teamwork, it's not something I'm good at, but at least I grasp the concept. You could at least think of me as a tool to use.

Pascal! Baal! [Pascal and Baal would quickly react as they shoot two powerful spells. Baal uses Magarudyne while Pascal uses Agidyne, they combine the spell as they try to get rid of the trees by carbonizing them on the spot. The two spells combine and soon become into a whirlwind of nothing but fire that will hopefully at least get rid of the dangerous trees.] T-Takeno, be careful you...! [He would quickly turn around and lift her up. Now that the girl was resting on Kazuya's back, he would summon Musashi, the mechanical samurai. Kazuya's Persona would prepare to slash down any trees that may be on their way as he rushes at Kisaragi once again. Sadly, he would notice Quintus falling victim to this perverse game the Snake created. Without much time to waste, he keeps running forward.] I just pray you can stand up again...!

(Wandering the silent school Gamma and Kotori find nothing of note on the first few floors. Just your standard classroom setting and a few club rooms here and there. The walls as expected are decorated with fliers and other attention seeking notices. If it weren't for the silence combined with the pitch black element then the school could be mistaken for normal. Yet it's not the two begin to see this as they notice a red light coming from a classroom down the hall. The classroom has it's door wide open and in front of it lies a puddle of red liquid.)

Gamma sighs and briefly turns over to Kotori, looks like he's not getting out of this. Very well, he makes a show of shrugging as the younger girl follows him around If you MUST know, I was simply trying to get away from the heroes back there. I don't know what's happening right now, nor do I really have any plans. Things will move on without me. If you're going to follow me, I'd advise against turning on a light. Its safer to let your eyes get used to it. Otherwise you become a target.... Not that there's anything to worry about here, just general advice With that, Gamma would begin his usual routine of tossing and catching a small shard of ice. Probably won't be needed, but the little exertion doesn't mean much to him at this point, and the motion is calming. The two soon stumble across a lit classroom. The red is generally indicative of the serpent in some amount. At least in places like this, so he casually walks inside and looks around Well well, looks like we found something after all. Guess going off the beaten path works out sometimes, doesn't it?

(Quintus slowly fades away as he embraces the cold grip of death and the bullet he was shot with does as well. Similar to Kazuya, it takes a few minutes for him to reappear yet when he does he comes back relatively unscathed. Mentally though he can remember his recent death quite clearly.) (From the combined whirlwind and slashing no trees are left in the vicinity. This leaves the area wide open to anything that may come in the near future. Kazuya then rushes at Kisaragi and she just stands there grinning as if given the best news in the world.) Didn't you learn yet that it's pointless to strike at me upfront? *Kisaragi tilts her head as she asks this as if the problem is a bit too heavy on her brain. Strength begins to flow into her limbs in preparation for the strike and her heels dig into the ground to provide a solid stance.* You know there is no point in struggling with the inevitable. Once the snake decides you die then you just die over and over again until he gets bored. *Her eyes momentarily take on a reminiscent look as if gazing into the past and then they refocus into something fierce.* It's either become someone important or die as a worthless puppet. That is just show biz my fans~

(Ayano? turns around to face Gamma as her walks in. Her red eyes matching an odd sunset hue coming from the windows behind her. The red scarf around her neck lays still as she beckons to Gamma seemingly ignoring Kotori completely.) I am glad you finally came. (She smiles at Gamma as she says this. It's almost as if he were the exact kind of person she has been waiting for the entire time.)

Right. I'll just follow. Kotori silently stands slightly behind Gamma, her eyes on the lookout for any danger, covering his blindspots

Take would cling to Kazuya, her breathing incredibly heavy as he'd probably be able to notice. She looks around, widening her eyes in surprise before she looks down at Kaz. "Why the hell did you do that...? You could've just... Thanks. My leg is in a hell of a lot of pain, but you should drop me if you need to." She sighs a little, seeming focused on the situation but it was clear her spirits were lifted just a little. With a snap of her fingers she'd command another Psiodyne out of Lotan. "Lotan! Give her more!" This second shot wasn't quite aimed to hit Kisaragi however, being thrown where she would eventually go, but not quite where she is.

The girl just looks up at Kisaragi curiously, how sad that somebody actually has such a demented view of things... "So you're okay with that then? You think that snake should get do whatever it wants? Just putting people through hell because it can?" Homura shakes her head, that's not the way things need to be, and Kisaragi must understand considering what she's been through. "He's done awful things to you, didn't you say that? You've gotta do something about him! Come on Kisaragi-chan, don't you wanna be the hero and take down the villain!?" She hates these metaphors, too blunt and too foolhardy for her... Kisaragi's views seem pretty foolish too though, perhaps she'll be able to get through speaking like this?

Gamma eyes the girl suspiciously, she's the one from the vision earlier today. At least they look alike, all things considered its impossible to know for sure. The young man steps towards Ayano? with a sigh. Whatever is going on, it sounds like she's fully aware of him, perhaps from earlier loops. He simply looks straight at the other girl, cold eyes staring into her warm red ones, he speaks with a straight face, only the slightest hint of interest in his voice. Very well, if you've been watching me, you'll know I prefer not to beat around the bush. Probably know my name as well, but for politeness sake allow me to introduce myself. Gamma gives the girl a brief, respectful bow, one arm extended to gesture towards Kotori My name is Gamma, at least, that's what I ask people to call me, and my companion here is called Kotori. I take it you're Ayano? Well, if you've been waiting for me, I'm sure there must be much you have to talk about

Quintus would open his eyes as he stares down at his own hands. It was scary how familiar such a feeling could still be to him and this time it was a cold reminder as to his own role. He was a martyr originally and nothing more. More so, his death hadn't served any purpose originally. She was right, he wasn't the hero neither had he ever been. Being a hero was just a sick dream of his as he never truly cared for heroics in the first place. He was only interested in himself and those around him, after all. In a situation like this he couldn't really do anything anyway. "Just like I thought, I really only do get in the way. Hero? Did I really believe in something as idealistic as that? It's just pointless, isn't it? No matter how hard we try some things just don't change."

Hello~ Kotori bows as well, then continues to watch Gamma's blind spots

What kind of teacher would I be if I leave my students behind? Take this moment to rest, if anything to catch your breath, alright? [Kazuya chuckles.] Don't worry, I can hold you for a bit longer. If anything happens, don't wait for me. [Kazuya grins as he looks back to see at Takeno on his back, still holding her tightly with his arms. The sudden Fusion Spell is too much for the demons to handle, and so, the energy takes a toll on Kazuya's own spirit. And so, Baal ends up returning to the COMP only leaving Pascal out. Indeed, Kazuya was rushing from the front, but only to get her attention. Kazuya stops right on his tracks.] I always struggle, Kisaragi. But you have to struggle as well, don't you!? [Kazuya stands his ground, not doing anything, even his Persona is gone.] Maybe even more than me...the same pain the people around have to endure as they wait for my return. I know it all too well. [Kazuya lets out a sigh and gazes directy at her eyes.] I will save you, Momo.

(Ayano bows to the two of them and holds out her hand toward Gamma.) Indeed I already knew who you two were but it's always nice to get some re-introductions. Now as for the business I have to talk about. Well you have to die Gamma. (Ayano looks really apologetic about saying this yet his posture is firm as if she knows this to be the unequivocal truth.) Your promised to help out Clearing Eyes in anyway you can and this is what you must do now.

Gamma of course, remembers the vision from earlier. The feel of the serpent's coils around him. Never got to experience the moment of death, but it must have been rather close to it. The young man sighs I usually say there's no such thing as being too direct. Not so sure about that anymore. Might have appreciated a "oh, there's something small you can do. Make the world a better place" and all that garbage. Gamma faintly chuckles to himself, hardly paying any attention to the other person in the room. He thinks back to what? Yesterday? Last week? Today even. Each day a reminder of how useless he is anyways. Gamma reaches out to accept Ayano's hand But that explains why they never asked anything. I really am just another life to him anyways? A monster, one stepping stone on the way to... Whatever the hell he actually wants.

(The psiodyne shot misses Kisaragi as she hadn't budged an inch after this unexpected turn of events. Her body remains tense in case of a sudden strike yet she senses that no dirty attacks will be aimed for her. It's an odd sensation between trust and distrust. As her eyes narrow on Kazuya she can't help, but feel a twinge of regret that she ended up on the opposite side.) Homura i'm not some dumb child you can tempt with cool stuff like heroism. I died so many times that yes I'm willing to let the scaly thing have whatever he wants as long as I don't die anymore. *She grinds her teeth as an odd anger rises from within.* And I don't need anybodies damn help! When I first came here do you know what the snake showed me? He showed me all the times I died just cause my friend was important. I was shot in the head, drowned, beaten to death, maimed, and choked! I didn't matter ... *Her left hand moves forward and she tightly grips at Kazuya's face as if planning to rip it off.* I don't need saving you idiots. I chose this for myself and I intend to see it through.

Kill me then. [Kazuya slowly kneels to drop Takeno on the floor. The young man doesn't even move a single inch, nor does he resist her grip.] Don't do anything, I want her to kill me if she so desires to do so. [Kazuya knew what was probably going to happen, but he doesn't fight back at all. However, he battles her with nothing but his eyes, showing nothing but determination.] Kill me all you want, enough for you to let me save you. I won't stop.

(Ayano tightly grips Gamma's hand and sincerely smiles at him. Her red eyes seem to be prying right into his head as she stares at him with intensity. The window behind her slowly begins to lose the red view as it shifts to black. While the classroom floor underneath looses its pattern and takes on the black hue from the earlier nightmare.) Thank you so much for understanding dear Gamma. (Ayano steps in and presses her left hand against his cheek in a comforting gesture.) Don't worry. You won't be the only monster around where we will be going. You may even feel right at home before your perform your final duty.

Quintus would finally begin to look up before turning to where the others were. He think he finally understood where she might've been coming from but wasn't sure how to convey it. Even in the end he couldn't say he was lucky with his own circumstances but still, he was forgotten too simply for not being important enough of a concern. "So, then why did you do any of it in the first place? Why did you help them? Was it unintentional? I'm asking out of curiosity because even I don't know why I do half the things I do. I'm not trying to be rhetorical here. I want to understand why you would do something like this. Surely, even despite the pain of death you wouldn't resort to something like this simply because its fun, right?"

She sneers, giving Kazuya a confident glare. With a snap of her fingers, she'd hand the reigns over to Kazuya entirely, making no attempt to even move to a more advantageous position. "I'll let you handle this." She steps back a few feet, her Persona lumbering behind her silently and motionless. She'd simply watch their exchange, hands stuffed in her pockets.

So, you're just gonna do it? No questions asked, no "Why does this help?" "How does this help?" You just gonna? There's a difference between helping, and being a thoughtless drone senpai, you're smart enough to know the difference.

(Kisaragi looks to Kazuya, Quintus, and Takeno with actual fear in her lives as her hands start to shake at what was just said. Her obligation pushes her to touch the gun strapped to her uniform yet something within forces her to hesitate. She thought she suffocated that voice inside her head a while ago to carry out what was best yet it is now clawing at her sensibilities. Wanting to procrastinate this choice she answers Quintus first.) Yep you got me I do all this for my own fun and enjoyment~ (Her inner voice practically screams at this statement, but Kisaragi remains steadfast and continues.) See I have grown to hate people so i'm all for helping the snake~ As long as I get to be important. (At this point her head just hurts and she knows she will have to see the snake about the internal screams deal. But with the voice distracted she easily whips out her gun and points it at Kazuya's forehead. Her finger twitches on the trigger but her face remains with a smile.) Well guess you will have to die for the rest of your life then~ Any last words?

Gamma closes his eyes and accepts the gesture... Her hand is warm, much warmer than he's felt in a long time. It really has been a while hasn't it. Feel at home? What a joke... Just like everything else... His train of thought is interrupted by Kotori's... Defiance, he supposes. Gamma doesn't move, but he does answer the girl We already saw how it works. Or at least, that it works. The serpent kills a few worthless monsters, the real Ayano goes nuts, loses control, and the timeline resets... Though, I can't help but wonder how far that works, especially in a place like this.... Does it effectively reset the multiverse? Or simply since this "Nexus" existed? Gamma faintly chuckles to himself, mind alight with theories. Of course, none of them really matter. Still. Perhaps Clearing-Eyes will be courteous enough to answer that before killing me. Not that it really matters. My only home died six years, five months, and eleven days ago. Thinking back on his sister, tears begin to form in Gamma's eyes. He closes them, in some feeble attempt to hide the tears. Its far too late to prevent a few from running down his cheek. His voice begins to crack a little I've been useless all my life. At least this way maybe I'll finally accomplish something. Or maybe not. I'm not even sure if I care anymore. I've lasted far longer than I have any right to. A faint chuckle escapes his lips before he continues I've only ever really been good at one thing. Surviving while my world crumbles around me.

Last words...? I will come save you first thing after I wake up. [Kazuya nods as he says this. Now, he just waits for her to push the trigger, still looking directly at her eyes.] I won't stand down or give up.

Her words stung in a way he could barely understand. He found a odd amount of sympathy that he wish he didn't feel. Resenting others because you never got the spotlight. Something about that hurt him deeply. "I don't understand, this is like with Earwig and that kid... Hurting others because you've been hurt. Why do people have to keep hurting one another. Is that just how people are? T-That is a reason to hate them, isn't it..." Deep down something was festering inside him. It almost felt like Hookworm wriggling around but for what reason he wasn't sure. He would look back up trying to control himself as anger began to take over. "Seriously? You think you're important because you hurt people and make them suffer? You're really just a nobody aren't you? You can't figure out how to be somebody on your own so that snake of yours just decides for you." He would begin backing away. He wasn't sure what he was doing but he knew one thing, that he didn't want anyone else to have to suffer. Perhaps he was still naive compared to Kisiragi but the main character were the ones who had to move on for a reason, right? He wasn't even sure what he himself would do if he ever met the "protagonist" that ruined his own life. It wasn't intentional and he knew that but still it hurt so much knowing he had no place to return to in the end.

Sounds like you're just giving up to me. You think you're useless? Try being unable to move. Try being the weakest around. Try screwing up every time you try to help? At least you can help people like you did me.

(Ayano gently wipes away Gamma's stray tears with her index finger and then hugs him.) Don't worry. You are about to become the most useful person out of all. (She lets go of him and lightly jabs to his heart with a finger.) And it's will be all due to that big heart you have in there. (Ayano moves over to the now black window and holds out her hand one last time.) It's time to go now Gamma. Have you said your good byes ?

(Kisaragi meets Kazuya's gaze stiffening as Quintus' words assail her. A tear begins to form in her eyes as she grips the gun tighter. Quintus' words resonated with the plague inside her mind and now it's fighting her with full fury. Weaving a tale of how this was being manipulated, tricked, and exploited. It hurt so much to even think at this point so Kisaragi uttered one word to answer it all.) I know. (As if in a dream Kisaragi watches as the gun goes off sending a bullet through Kazuya's head. She sees him collapse in on himself as he bleeds such a bright red upon the dirt. Without even noticing she falls after him in shock and can't seem to focus on anything anymore. Her hands grip at her bright orange hair as she lets out a yell of agony.)

Gamma faintly chuckles as he walks over to the window, briefly glancing back at Kotori, allowing her to see the last of his tears. Don't you get it? That's probably the worst part. I probably could have helped. I'm probably physically capable of it. I guess you'd never understand. If I were there, odds are Lux wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself last Christmas. I was even around then, I saw the tower. If I weren't so useless, if I were braver, I might have been there and able to help him. If I were there for her, odds are Homura, not the one you know, a different, older one, wouldn't have vanished off the face of the earth. I promised to help her. But in the end I never ended up doing anything. If I weren't so useless, Robin wouldn't have lost himself. That one turned out to be ok, but not because of my help. I may as well have just stood there and watched for all I did. If I weren't so useless....... Gamma was probably going to add more, but he catches himself. There's no need to worry about it anymore. Useless or not, it hardly matters now. He steps next to Ayano, and grabs her hand Yes. I'm done here. There's really nothing more to say. Still, I wonder. If this is far from the first reset, how many times did I give that speech? Or something like it at least. Was there even a single version who managed to accomplish something before this, or were they really all as worthless as I am? Gamma chuckles to himself, if this has really happened so many times, the odds of anything turning out better for the next Gamma is rather slim. Not anything to hope for. Not sure if she would even know. Maybe the next one will have better luck. Or maybe I'm simply cursed. Guess I'll never find out, will I?

Quintus would walk up to her not even knowing what to do anymore. He just stares at the girl suffering before him. In a way he think he could understand her hatred and that's what enraged him so. "I won't pretend to offer you sympathy. I can't sympathize with what you've done no matter how hard I try. I'm not Kazuya. But that doesn't mean I don't believe you could still be someone on your own. It's terrifying facing something like that though, isn't it? Standing without any help is tough but you have to be able to stand with your own two feet. All that snake wants is to stand for you but that's not really helping." He would do something that he wasn't sure about. He had never tried to reach out to somebody to try to help them but more than helping Kisiragi he wanted her to help herself. He would extend his hand to her to help her up. "It's not as much as offering to make you into someone important. But I want to at least try to help you stand so you can do that on your own."

It's called picking up and moving on senpai. Learning from our mistakes. Screwing up just means we need to improve. Why do you think I'm here? If you were so useless, I'd probably be dead. You've helped, you're just too swept up in the failures to see it. Don't just give up senpai. If you quit then I may as well give up on everything too. Because you're smarter, stronger and more experienced than I am. And if you can't make it, then I don't have any chance.

(The window opens behind Gamma and Ayano allowing for the two to fall backward into a gaping abyss of black. Traveling through the abyss Gamma is able to see flashes of previous time loops until he arrives at his final destination. The nonexistent space between time. The space that he saw in his nightmares. Up ahead he sees the right tower he was chained to and a staircase waiting to take him up. For now it appears this is where Gamma ends.) (Meanwhile, the window closes in the classroom and Kotori is left all alone in the dark.)

At least take me with you....... Kotori sits in the corner of the room, a bit of old trauma catching up with her C-can someone find me now?

(Kisaragi grabs at Quintus' hand as if it were a lifeline and continues to look lost as the battle within her does not quiet. She stares at the dirt unfocused and her voices barely rises above a murmur.) H-How do I stand on my own? (She innocently asks that question since she forget what such a thing meant a long time ago She did know it once, but it was buried underneath all of her many deaths.)

After a bit, Kotori stands up and draws her sword, holding it in front of her shakily I-its ok.... I'm stronger now.... I'll.... I'll be safe.... She doubles her earth enchantment and tries to exit the room, cautiously looking around herself constantly for any signs of danger

(Kotori finds no danger as the master of the building had been appeased.)

Quintus would look down at her trying to understand what she meant. The question was hard for even him to answer as he just barely felt like he was learning to walk. "It's not easy. I won't lie to you about that but you'll never have to hide from yourself if you can manage it. Standing on your own means facing what scares all people. It means facing what you're not sure of. Uncertainty isn't something to fear though. There's hope in uncertainty too and once you accept it for what is is it can't hurt you anymore. The most important thing I think is that you don't turn away from what you feel while also not letting your feelings control you. I really do make this sound more complicated than it is, I guess. Just don't hide behind what someone else wants you to be. Then you'll be standing back up without even thinking about it." He would smile at her warmly and this time the smile would come naturally rather than trying to be forced. He would then begin to help her up if she was willing to stand.

(Kisaragi gives a sincere smile of her own and stands up with the aid of Quintus. She may not have understood everything Quintus said but it was enough to quell the conflict within her. So hey she wasn't complaining. This stand on your own deal also didn't require her to kill which was a plus. Sadly she knew she wouldn't be able to commit to such a thing just yet.) That sounds like something I might be able to do. I like it~ (A door to the outside appears behind Quintus and she pushes him using her strength.) But first I need to deal with the snake. So im afraid this will have to be bye for now (Kisaragi knows that the minute she faces clearing eyes she could go back to the before. But something tells her to trust Quintus and his group since they will be able to save her again if it happens.)

(Continuing forward Kotori makes it to a white lighted door leading to the outside.)

Homura just stares in shock... She's been here the whole damn time, staring and trying to understand what she's dealing with. But Kisaragi's question snaps her back to something like reality, she'd smile at the girl and... Shrug. "How do you stand on your own huh? I don't speak for anybody else..." Upon hearing Quin's words however, but her smile would actually widen upon hearing what he's saying... Huh, don't let your feelings control you though, well she can't deny that's best mostly. Still, she can't really stop herself from that sometimes... Despite that, she's mostly in agreement. "Quintinus-san isn't wrong! You've just gotta be yourself, not some snake, not some starlet that the media wants, just be you and do what you want! To hell with people's expectations and hiding behind them!" Heh, there's something she says from experience really. Hiding behind what others want... It's just not any fun either, but... She'd follow after Quin, she'll put some trust in the girl despite herself, walking after the man after a few parting words. "I really hope you can, um snake stuff aside, I think you're a good person Kisaragi-chan... You wouldn't have felt so bad about what happened with Kazuya-sensei if you weren't good somewhere in there, so I'm believing in you!"

Quintus would be shoved into the door not expecting the sudden push. "W-wait? Are you sure that-" He would fall into the door without finishing his question. He hoped he had gotten through to her but he wasn't sure. Either way he felt as if he had dealt with something that wouldn't be the end for him either. That aside now he knew the truth of this Clearing Eyes. To manipulate someone into killing for the sake of it? They took advantage of a weakness he knew he had as well and that was something he couldn't easily forgive. Regardless of what happened now he knew he had to see this to the end.

I own the planet now, please pay me 3 dollars

(Kaz resurrects after 3 turns~)

................... Kotori stares at the door for a while, before closing her eyes C-calm down..... Deep breaths..... She takes a deep breath, holds it, then lets it out before steeling herself and rushing through the door, ready to swing at the first thing she sees

[Kazuya finally wakes up after what seemed like a long ass time. The young man would rub his head and feel a chill as he did. He would look around and notice there is...apparently no one around anymore. It really did seem like it was a long time he was dead.] B-But wait I didn't even get to see what happened...! [He would then notice the door, however. So it must've ended on some kind of good note. The young man touches his own head and feels that strange chill once more.] First with the Heat Haze, two times today... Seriously, I don't like dying...!

(Homura, Quintus, and Kotori make it back to the regular world through the gates. Meanwhile, Kisaragi smiles at the door that her new friends went through. Knowing that if things didn't go well she might ends up fighting them again. She still couldn't tell how she felt about this fact.) (She is then snapped out of her thoughts by Kazuya coming back from the dead. Interestingly enough she actually forgot about the dead guy and now she began to feel the guilt again.) The door to your world is back up. You shoukd go through it before it closes.

Take seemed to have been waiting for Kazuya to come back, hopping up and smiling at Kisaragi. "I'm glad we could help. Truly!" With those simple words she'd nod towards Kaz and dash out the door, clearly not wanting to stay around for very long.

Wait, Takeno you were still...? [Kazuya would rubs the back of his head and sigh with some disappointment. Standing up as soon as the girl leaves. Kazuya gives the world he is leaving one final look. He would then wave goodbye at Kisaragi before walking through the door rather calmly.] At least now I know she likes cats. [Kazuya laughs at himself.]