Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Contrasting the chaos in the Outter Gates, things were relatively peaceful atop the three-tiered plateau overlooking the rest of the battlefield. Most of the Avataras participating as Representatives of 1-3-Digit Communities stood to gain nothing from achieving victory, so, with the exception of a few outliers, they were focused on collecting relics and biding time until the 'finale.'
Representing one of the exceptions, World Dragon Kurma hovered in the sky over the area where Vahn's palace would have been constructed if the two Little Gardens overlapped one another. She had much to discuss with the woman known as the 'Ethereal Queen,' but she couldn't discover so much as a single trace of her.
With a slight pout on her face, Kurma muttered, "Not being able to make use of my Authority is more annoying than I anticipated..."
Though an Avatara would generally be able to benefit from the powers and abilities of their original, particularly their omniscience, this particular 'projection' of the Little Garden made that difficult, to say the least. It was part of a System that predated the existence of the Central Network, and, were it not for the power of Shiroyasha, they wouldn't be able to access it, much less conduct a 'Gift Game' within it...
Understanding there was a high likelihood that Vahn's Representative had made their way toward the central plateau, Kurma was about to return to her original location when angular, greenish-black tendrils attempted to skewer her. She managed to shatter them with an ostensibly casual wave of her hand, but a crack appeared on the nail of her pinky finger.
Noticing the tiny imperfection, Kurma's brow twitched, her slit-like pupils contracting as she looked toward her attacker, growling, "You little brat. What's the meaning of this...?"
Undaunted by the fierce aura exuding from Kurma's body, what appeared to be a young girl with dark green hair, blade-like horns, and a dragon-like tail covered her mouth and giggled. She was garbed in a black, green, and gold gothic lolita outfit, but the first thing most people would notice were the bloodstains adorning it.
After laughing at Kurma's expense, the young girl narrowed her emerald green eyes, her pupils contracting into similarly thin slits as she playfully mused, "This is a Battle Royale with a single victor. I'm clearly here to try and eliminate you, silly."
Punctuating her words, the petite figure swung the crystalline spear in her hands. It was composed of a translucent, gradient green material and had a series of blade-like protrusions that gave it the appearance of a verdant, fierce-looking flame. When swung, greenish-black tendrils ripped through the space between the girl and Kurma, their velocity so great as to appear instantaneous.
Clicking her tongue, Kurma shattered the encroaching tendrils a second time, shouting, "You're starting to try my patience, Lahmu...!"
Instead of responding with a retort of her own, Lahmu, better known as the Dragon of Chaos, issued a cutesy, "Ehehehehehe~" as she continued swinging her spear around with reckless abandon. Only a small portion of her attacks actually went toward Kurma, the rest impacting the ground or empty air to produce glassy green matter that gradually spread from the point of contact.
Understanding that Lahmu couldn't be reasoned with, Kurma grit her teeth before releasing a thunderous bellow that caused the surrounding space to distort, bubbling outward. Even Lahmu's body appeared to bend in the direction of the distortion, her laughter momentarily ceasing as her fair complexion paled further.
After space had distorted to the point of resembling a fish-eye lens from the perspective of onlookers, the 'bubble' promptly shattered. Lahmu was knocked from the sky, blood flowing from each of her orifices, but she still managed a child-like smile, remarking, "That's the spirit~." before massive tentacles abruptly erupted from beneath her skirt...
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Seeing Lahmu targetting Kurma, a fierce scowl replaced Indra's usually relaxed smile. Lahmu didn't have enough reason to track down and target Kurma of her own volition, and the only person she willfully obeyed was her father, the Demon Dragon Emperor, Andramalech.
With his hands clenched into fists, Indra muttered, "That bastard...what could he possibly be thinking? Don't tell me he genuinely believes he can replace that monster...?"
As they were watching events unfold in the same room, Shiroyasha rolled her eyes at Indra's remark, retorting, "Wow, who could have imagined a being calling themselves the Demon Dragon Emperor trying to take over the Little Garden? Someone notify the press! Mobilize the Divine Army...!"
"..."
Losing a bit of his edge, Indra looked toward Shiroyasha and remarked, "You don't seem particularly concerned...is this 'Ethereal Queen' really all that powerful? You know wh-"
With a deadpan expression on her face, Shiroyasha interrupted Indra's words, stating, "I'm one of the people that's been maintaining the seal all these years. Of course I know what kinds of monsters are sealed within. Just shut up and watch the damn game."
Cowed by the fierce expression on Shiroyasha's face, Indra appeared to shrink in place as he returned his attention to the battle between Kurma and Lahmu. The former was ranked much higher than the latter, so even if Lahmu's power was a natural counter to Kurma, the outcome shouldn't be affected. To that end, it was highly probable that Lahmu was just sent as a distraction, preventing Kurma from reaching out to the Representatives of the Aldrnari Empire and its affiliates...
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After waiting several minutes to confirm Paragon wasn't going to pop out and sneak attack her, Madara permitted herself a moment of respite. The prohibitions against Authority placed a tremendous burden on her Mental, Spiritual, and Physical Energies, so she was actually tired for the first time in centuries.
Despite her harsh words targetting the Heroes of the West, Madara had to admit there were a few capable individuals among them. Paragon was a good example, but, despite being the Rank 1 Hero, he was only Rank 7 in terms of Madara's priorities. The person she was actually worried about was the Rank 9 Hero known as Dragon, a Technomancer whose brilliance and adaptability rivaled Da Vinci's.
With Dragon's ability to manipulate all forms of technology, even objects as mundane as a stone wheel, the ruins of the original Little Garden were both a treasure trove and an ideal battleground. They had yet to make an appearance, but Madara knew it was only a matter of time before an army of Dragon-themed automatons began swarming the battlefield, much like when Vahn gave Bulma access to her own personal Moon Cell.
Fortunately, as troublesome as Dragon's abilities were, Madara was the closest thing to a perfect counter against the enigmatic inventor. She was capable of creating tens of thousands of Shadow Clones, and though the rebound would probably liquefy her brain, she could sustain a moon-sized Susanoo with each of them.
"Hmmm...?"
While searching for an ideal place to rest, Madara sensed a powerful intent spying on her position, triggering her Rinnesharingan. The intent vanished the moment she attempted to lock onto it, but Madara was able to approximate its position and manifest one of her Limbo Clones over the area.
As the pale, white-haired version of Madara looked around, the smell of blood immediately caught her attention. The intent emanated from what appeared to be a long-abandoned battlefield, yet, despite the apparent passage of time, many of the corpses still oozed fresh, luminous golden blood.
Recognizing the thousands of deceased as former Gods and their kin, a curious glimmer reflected across Madara's eyes as she softly mused, "Are these the remains of the Divine Army...?"
Sensing the same intent from before, this time locking on to her Limbo Clone, Madara directed her attention to the decapitated corpse of a 3m tall man wearing golden reminiscent of an ancient Persian warrior. The moment she looked over, the plating covering the figure's chest began to bulge before bursting open to reveal the head of a strange, bone-colored lizard with round, emotionless, unblinking amethyst eyes.
As if it was confused by Madara's presence, the strange lizard tilted its head to one side, the ridges above its sunken eyes raising ever so slightly as a piercing, bone-chilling voice echoed through the area like a whisper from the void, remarking, "I thought I sensed an 'outsider,' but I dared not believe it. Tell me, woman. By what means did you enter the place...?"
Furrowing her brows, Madara ignored the creature's query as she softly remarked, "Now I understand...this place wasn't selected because of its convenience. Those bastards in the Inner Gates want us to clean it up for them..."
Instead of getting annoyed at Madara's apparent disregard, the bone-white lizard managed an uncanny smile as it mused, "I see...you come from the Second, or is it the Third now? Either way, it was a mistake to come here. Once I've devoured your flesh, I will find the path back and lay waste to as many playgrounds as those pathetic Gods have prepared."
Though others might be intimidated by the creature, especially those that knew its identity, Madara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, stating, "I have no interest in relics from the past. Get in my way, and I'll crush you like the insect you are..."
Unable to contain itself, the eerie lizard threw its head back and released a cackling laugh that caused visible cracks in the surrounding space. The ground beneath it appeared to heave as if influenced by an overwhelming gravitation force, while everyone unfortunate enough to be observing the scene felt a sense of existential dread.
Unaffected by the aura of malice that had descended upon her like a veil, Limbo Madara extended her hand toward the cackling creature and said, "Begone..." in a cold, icy tone. The peculiar lizard heard her and adopted a taunting smile, but before it could retort, a skyscraper-sized pillar of black energy impacted, seemingly erasing it from existence...
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As one of its countless offshoots was slaughtered, a vaguely humanoid figure with three draconic heads, each sporting stakes, awakened from its previously assumed eternal slumber. It had shackles on its long and thin limbs, shadowy wings protruding from its back, loose trousers sewn from its own flesh, and a red cape sporting a symbol that appeared to blur and distort when viewed directly, making it impossible to make out.
Rising into a squat, the creepy white creature raised its three draconic heads, the outer two sniffing the air while the centermost head inquired, "How long has it been since one of our brood met its end in this timeless place? Did they stumble across one of the remnants of the Old Gods...?"
Though they shared the same body and purpose, the three heads each possessed unique Egos, the left-most growling, "This is why I suggested we devour everything..."
Disagreeing with its left-most counterpart, the right head retorted, "There was good reason to believe those fools would eventually return to try and reclaim their lost heritage. If this turns out to be them, you're going to end up looking even more foolish than usual..."
Snorting through its nose, the left-most head growled, "We look exactly the same..." before following the gaze of the center head. Because of the restrictions on Authority, its perception was severely limited. The corpse it was inhabiting also got in the way, so, after a moment of silence, it raised its left arm and blasted a massive hole in the 'ceiling.'
Feeling a little annoyed, the center head took control over its left arm and pulled on the tassel dangling from the left-most head's stake. This caused all three of them tremendous pain, but the bulk of it was experienced by the left-most head, telepathically screaming, "You bastaaaaaaaaaaaard-!" until the central head released it.
As the left-most head attempted to use the horn-like ridge above its eye to stab it, the central head just ignored it, choosing to stare up at the hole overhead. It was annoyed by the left-most head's act of autonomy, but it couldn't deny the gaping hole made things easier. Various 'scents' rained down on it from above, some familiar, others entirely brand new. Thus, for the first time in eons, it cracked a malevolent smile and mused, "We have visitors...and quite a few, at that..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Chaos Deities can be a pain in the ass xD...','Madara doesn't play around...well, not too much...','*triple kek*')

While most spectators chose to pay attention to the movements and actions of the more high-profile Representatives, that didn't mean there was no excitement occurring near the Little Garden's periphery. Rather, as each Community could only put forth a single Representative, the majority of Players, representing Gates 10,000-9,999,999, had been transported to the ruins of the Outer Gates.
Among this comparably large portion of Players, a young man with blonde hair and amethyst purple eyes could be seen bounding through the air, his laughter echoing through the area as he shouted, "Come on! Are you even trying to aim!? You'll need to try harder if you want to hit the Great Izayoi, Strategist of the No Names...!"
Frustrated by the young man's laughter, the leader of the group that had teamed up to eliminate him bellowed, "Fuck you, you No-Name little shit! If you're a real man, stop bouncing around and fight me...!"
As flight-related Gifts weren't common among Communities occupying the Outter Gates, the group targetting Izayoi could only pepper him with ranged attacks in the hopes of knocking him out of the sky. Their leader was a voluptuous, blonde-haired woman with inordinately large, ram-like horns that framed her face and a thick, alligator-like tail. Her outfit, which consisted of a tube-top, vested jacket, form-fitting pants, and multiple belts, gave people the impression she was a bit of a delinquent, a notion further backed by her words.
Leaping hundreds of meters into the air, the horned woman attempted to tackle Izayoi, but he effortlessly evaded to the side, compelling her to shout, "Aaaaah! So you're so fucking dead! Just wait until I get my hands on you...!"
Instead of exhibiting even a hint of fear, Izayoi exhaled a light chuckle as he danced around hundreds of fast-moving projectiles. He knew the 'real' battles wouldn't start until the major players got a feel for the situation, so he was just killing time until something interesting happened.
*Mistress Asuka will not be pleased if you continue playing around with other women...*
Hearing the ethereal voice of his whale-like Companion, Seiun, the smile on Izayoi's face visibly cramped. He could easily imagine Asuka getting upset with him if he was 'too friendly' with another woman, so when the aggressive blonde leaped at him for the umpteenth time, Izayoi adopted a marginally more serious expression and said, "Better luck next time, gator girl."
Before the blonde could process Izayoi's words, a heavy blow impacted her abdomen, sending her crashing toward the ground like a meteor. The attack caused her little pain, but the moment she opened her eyes and prepared to launch a counter, she found herself in the familiar setting of her bedroom, eliminated from the Pandemonium Game.
Realizing what must have happened, the aggressive blonde gripped her horns and shook her head violently as she shouted, "You son of a bitch! Don't think this is over, Izayoi of the No-Names...!"
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Unaware that he had just acquired a 'nemesis,' Izayoi made short work of the blonde-haired beauty's remaining allies before perching atop the ruins of a partially collapsed tower. He could get a better vantage by flying up into the sky, but that came with the risk of exposing himself to individuals that could fire long-range projectiles at faster-than-light speeds.
Though he was pretty confident in his speed and reaction time, Izayoi had once fought against a 'serious' Wu. Her base speed at the time clocked in at around 1.4 quintillion times the speed of light, so Izayoi had no illusions about being the 'fastest' person in the Little Garden. Heck, with Vahn able to pull powerhouses out of his ass, he may not even be in the top 100.
Recalling his most recent encounter with Vahn, occurring just a few hours before the onset of the Pandemonium Game, Izayoi couldn't help feeling a little helpless. He could generally tell whether or not his opponent was more powerful than him, but the most recent version of Vahn gave him no impression at all. It was almost like he didn't even exist...
Sensing his partner's thoughts, Seiun whispered, (*If you wish to oppose my Creator, you have my complete and total support. Just know that, unless we have a good reason to win, he will never permit himself to be defeated.*)
Adopting a wry smile, Izayoi playfully remarked, "Most people don't have a say in whether or not they'll be defeated. Even your Creator must have a weakness..."
Though it currently lacked a body, Seiun nodded in response to Izayoi's words, stating, (*If he didn't, he wouldn't allow himself to be defeated at all. Because he believes everyone is entitled to pursue their own path, any sufficiently resolute individual would be able to depose him.*)
Raising his brows, Izayoi retorted, "Is that so...?" before tilting his head to the side, casually evading the laser-like beam of light that tried to pierce it. Several others followed suit, but Izayoi just narrowed his eyes, a simple action that caused the lasers to bend around him, almost as if they were afraid.
Seemingly realizing that Izayoi wasn't an opponent she could deal with, a bronze-skinned woman with ruby eyes, cat-like ears, and apparel befitting the sensibilities of the West abandoned her position and tried to flee. She was barely faster than an Olympic athlete, however, so Izayoi appeared in front of her in an instant, asking, "Is that a laser sniper rifle? That's pretty freaking cool, not gonna lie..."
Before the woman could respond, Izayoi snatched the futuristic-looking rifle out of her hands and began to inspect it. He could toss pebbles and deal more damage than the rifle was capable of dealing, but, as someone from a relatively modern version of Japan, he was still intrigued by mechs and futuristic weaponry.
Though her primary weapon was snatched away, the bronze-skinned cat girl made no attempts to protest or steal it back. Instead, she just stared back at Izayoi with caution, her body tense and mind racing to conceive a method of escape.
Fortunately for the woman, remaining silent was probably the best thing she could have done. Had she tried to negotiate or try to seduce Izayoi, he would have had little choice but to eliminate her. Since she just stared at him with worry, however, he felt no qualms about tossing over her rifle and suggesting, "You should stick to the outskirts and only target Players you've seen in action. You won't be able to achieve victory, but you might be able to gain some reputation if you're able to hold out till the end."
Before the woman could think to thank him or request a partnership of some kind, Izayoi flicked his middle finger and sent her stumbling back with a fierce yet ultimately harmless wind. He briefly got a glimpse of the contents of her skirt but resisted the urge to comment on it as Asuka was doubtlessly scrutinizing his every action...
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"Ahahahaha~! This is so much fun~!"
Despite being knocked around like a ragdoll by Kurma's attacks, Lahmu was in high spirits as she continued to attack haphazardly, spreading the influence of her corruption.
Seeing the battlefield gradually morph into a miasma-filled hellscape, the look on Kurma's face became increasingly grim. Unfortunately, while her power dwarfed Lahmu's by several orders of magnitude, she had nothing that could put down the cackling lolita permanently.
Balling her right hand into a fist, Kurma covered the distance between her and Lahmu in an instant, punching the latter with enough force to send her head spinning like a top as she growled, "You're beginning to try my patience, Lahmu...!"
After stumbling back a bit, Lahmu reached up to stop the spinning of her head, an expression of childish glee on her face as she replied, "Lahmu is just having fun. It isn't often Lahmu gets to play with others, so won't you keep her company a while longer~?"
Though she was tempted to shout that they weren't playing a game, Kurma knew the futility of trying to reason with Lahmu. The latter was the 'beloved' daughter of one of the most corrupt and demonic entities in the entire Little Garden, so her idea of fun was ripping people apart with her bare hands or watching them dissolve in her corrosive flames.
Exhaling through her nose, Kurma was prepared to employ a similar tactic as Madara but stopped when Lahmu abruptly looked away from her. She followed the petite Dragoness's gaze, and what she discovered caused a shiver to course through her entire body. It was a being standing a mere three meters tall, but it inspired a sense of dread comparable to watching a planet's host star go supernova.
As it had been observing the battle for several minutes, the bone-white creature just smiled with all three of its heads, the centermost remarking, "Don't mind us. Please, continue..." in an amused, bone-chilling tone.
Losing her usual smile, Lahmu looked at the exposed part of her left arm to find the flesh beneath it writhing about. She could produce tentacles from openings in her body, natural or otherwise. Now, however, they were being made within her body, completely disregarding her will...
As greenish-black blood began to flow from her mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, Lahmu looked toward Kurma and croaked, "This isn't fun anymore..." before bursting into innumerable, tiny chunks. A titanic figure with four eyes, dark green skin, and demonic horns had burst free from her body, half of its muscular frame comprised of fleshy tentacles as it charged at Kurma like a mindless beast.
Despite the creature's massive frame, Kurma was able to send it crashing to the ground with a fairly casual smack, ignoring the devastation wrought by her attack as she stared at the three-headed creature and hissed, "Azi Dahaka..."
Placing a hand over his heart, Azi impersonated a gentlemanly bow as he lowered his central head and replied, "At your service..."
Contrasting the central head's words and actions, the left-most head stared at Kurma with a predatory smile, adding, "I never expected this bitch to be our hundred-and-seventieth prey. This day just keeps getting better and better."
Smacking his left head, Azi pretended to be angry as he condescendingly bellowed, "Watch your language! Don't you know we're in the presence of Her Highness, the World Dragon Kurma!?"
Tired of the center and left head's antics, the right head exhaled a sigh through his nose, grumbling, "What is the point of these theatrics? Let's just devour her and be done with it."
Though the centermost head was inclined to agree, the left head made its depravity known, retorting, "Nah, fuck that. This bitch wants to go around calling herself a Dragon when she's just a turtle? I say we give her a taste of the real thing..."
Wresting control from the central head, Lefty used its corresponding hand to scratch between its legs. Kurma had understood his intentions from his words, but his actions made it even more apparent, causing the glower on her face to become an expression of abject disgust as she asserted, "The whole of Creation will benefit from your destruction..."
Without missing a beat, the left-most head began to retort, "You're about to benefit from these nuts in your-" before receiving another smack from the central head, silencing him. The three of them shared control over the same body, but the central head was the defacto leader between them as it had dominion over their reproductive functions.
With the left-most head temporarily silenced, the central Azi directed its gaze to Kurma, asking, "What is the meaning behind this farce you call a Gift Game? Considering your relationship with Vishnu, you should have at least some idea of the true purpose of this event. Reveal what you know, and I can guarantee you a dignified death. Refuse, and..."
Understanding what his central head had in mind, the left-most head regained a vicious smile as it added, "I'll fuck every hole you have and then create new ones to keep fucking...!"
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Izayoi is completely henpecked...','Ms. Kurma...I don't feel so good...','Team Three Star...!')

As part of the corps charged with collecting information and espionage in the West, it hadn't taken long for Madara to gain a reputation as a famous Supervillain. She had never gone out of her way to attack civilians, but her detractors had labeled her Madara, the Crimson-Eyed Killer, after she had assassinated several corrupt politicians.
Though she didn't really care about the label that had been forced upon her, Madara decided to use the Pandemonium Gift Game to demonstrate just how powerful she truly was. She doubted the general populace would come to their senses, but she wanted them to understand that if she were half as evil as the media made her out to be, she wouldn't stop at killing a handful of people...
Wearing her iconic red and black armor, Madara hovered at the center of a 3000km tall Susanoo, her voice echoing through the surrounding space as she muttered, "Pathetic...and you dare refer to yourself the Symbol of Peace, the Paragon of Justice?"
Having sustained numerous internal injuries, Madara's opponent, Paragon, coughed up a mouthful of blood before returning a smile and saying, "You may think you've won, but so long as a single flame of hope remains, I will never stop fighting."
Standing 190cm tall and possessing a muscular physique comparable to Heracles himself, Paragon exuded the aura of a Hero from every pore of his being. He was getting on in years, exemplified by his quaffed, silvery-white hair and neatly trimmed dark beard, but his race was one that grew more powerful with age. As the last member of said race, he intended to ensure his people's final legacy was one of truth, justice, and, above all else, hope.
No matter the odds.
Accelerating to faster than light speeds in an instant, Paragon smashed into the center of Madara's Susanoo, raising it from the ground despite the drastic difference in size. Massive cracks and a large crater appeared in the Susanoo's armored plating, but they were instantaneously repaired as Madara aimed her left hand at Paragon and coldly muttered, "Shinra Tensei..."
Just as he had been numerous times before, Paragon was sent crashing into the foundation of the Little Garden by the force of Madara's 'Almighty Push.' He had tried to resist it during previous exchanges, but it didn't take him long to realize that the more he opposed the invisible force, the more damage he would sustain.
As Paragon crashed into the ground, his body drilling into the foundation of the Little Garden as if it were soft tofu, Madara stabbed her six, seven-branched swords into the ground after him. Each blade was more than a thousand kilometers in length, but the most frightening thing about them was their speed. When massive objects moved at incredible speeds, even a casual blow could affect cataclysmic results.
Despite the Little Garden's outstanding durability, the entirety of the former West Side seemed to shake from Madara's meteoric blows. Those who had been observing the battle a little too closely, waiting for their chance to strike, barely had time to register what had happened before they found themselves awakening outside, eliminated from the Gift Game in an instant.
Rising from a deep crater more than 20,000km in diameter, Madara took a moment to observe the destruction she had caused, muttering, "It's a lot smaller than expected..."
As the average impact crater was roughly twenty times the size of the impacting object, Madara had expected her attack to produce a cavity at least 60,000~100,000km across. More surprisingly, there were still a few buildings in her immediate surroundings that had endured, devastated but still recognizable.
Interrupting Madara's reflection, a massive column of dust erupted from beneath her, followed by Paragon drilling into her Susanoo's chin. He was a little worse for wear, bearing numerous injuries, but he was healing at a visible rate and packed a punch that could shatter a decently sized moon.
Though the armor around Susanoo's head was a lot stronger than the rest of its body, especially the 'gem' containing Madara, Paragon managed to behead the massive energy construct, shouting, "Justice may falter, but it never stays down! This is the end for you, Madaraaaaaaaaaa-!"
Stabbing his hands into the gem surrounding Madara's body, Paragon accelerated with the intent of ramming her into the barrier surrounding the Little Garden. Not everyone could return to the boundaries of a Game Board after being ejected from it, so Paragon intended to smash through it, eliminating both himself and Madara.
What Paragon never expected was Madara phasing out of the gem the moment he accelerated, their forms briefly passing through one another as if she was an illusion. Then, before Paragon could even think to arrest his momentum, Madara's outfit changed from her iconic red armor to an eerie, ashen-grey cloak. At the same time, six sets of vantablack wings manifested behind her, complete with a strange black halo appearing over her head.
As Paragon turned in slow motion to meet Madara's gaze, the latter closed her eyes, suppressing a sigh as she muttered, "Sayonara, Symbol of Peace..."
In the instant following Madara's utterance, she angled the tips of her black wings in Paragon's direction. Each of the thousands of feathers unleashed thin beams of matching black light, their velocity far beyond their more luminous counterpart as they pierced Paragon's body, forcing him along his intended course.
After seeing Paragon endure the attack of her seven-branched swords, weapons that were capable of piercing just about anything, Madara had no choice but to accept his claims about never giving up. She was certain her attack had reduced him to little more than meat pulp, but as if he was powered by some form of Light-based Magia Erebea, Paragon revived, his strength and speed nearly double what they were previously.
Not wanting to endure the experience of being defeated by a Hero after acting arrogantly, Madara borrowed Paragon's plan and sent him crashing through the Little Garden's boundary layer. His body was immediately torn apart by the chaotic energies that swirled outside, but that wasn't enough to take him out of the game. He was nearly able to force his way out with sheer grit, but Madara was able to undermine his efforts with a full-power Shinra Tensei, repelling him at the last moment.
As the boundary closed up, effectively separating the Little Garden from the rest of reality, Madara stared at the location Paragon had 'departed' for several tense moments. Even when backed into a corner or up against impossible odds, genuine Heroes had the trait of being able to turn things around at the last moment. Madara was fairly certain that Paragon wasn't capable of creating a path back to the game board, but she didn't want to exhale a sigh of relief only for the veteran Hero to come crashing through, stronger than ever...
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Seeing one of their trump cards eliminated, the Patriarch Praelatus of the Ormus Society, occupying the lowest-digit Gate in the West Side, adopted a grim expression. It wasn't the defeat of Paragon that bothered him, but the fact that Madara appeared with six sets of raven wings, almost as if to insult their beliefs.
Voicing the Praelatus's thoughts, an inordinately tall man wearing clothing befitting a futuristic Bishop remarked, "Blasphemous cur from the depths of Hades. To think she would have the audacity to display twelve wings in the West..."
Nodding his head in agreement, the Praelatus looked like he was about to say something when a profound, deep, and simultaneously feminine voice echoed within his mind, sending shivers through his body as it stated but a single word, "&lt;PATIENCE&gt;."
Surprising his much younger counterpart, the Praelatus fell to his knees, hands raised and tears streaming down his wrinkled face as he shouted to the sky, "This undeserving servant has heard your words and shall obey! Glory to the Almighty...!"
Though he hadn't received a message of his own, the Bishop attending the Praelatus immediately emulated his elderly mentor's actions. It had been centuries since they last received guidance from their Creator, but he knew better than to ask questions. In the Ormus faith, there was only one Truth. Anyone that dared to question it was a heretic of the highest order...
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Immediately following Madara's 'blasphemous' display, an underground factory, located deep within a cross-shaped opening, whirred to life. All of the above-ground facilities related to the factory had been destroyed long ago, but the interior was immaculate, pristine, and sterile.
As the ancient yet undamaged facility activated, faint blue light began to fill the interior, illuminating various capsules, pods, and machinery. Among these objects, located at the heart of the facility, was an eerie mechanical bust. Its facial features appeared feminine at a glance, but its distinct lack of limbs and any prominent sexual characteristics made it difficult to know for sure.
Protruding from where the bust's arms should have been was a series of twelve tubes. They were splayed in such a way to resemble the wings of an angel, but anyone gazing upon the statue's visage would feel a sense of dread, not awe.
Located behind the eerie statue, almost as if it was being protected, was a cylindrical tank filled with glowing, greenish-blue liquid. Within said tank was what appeared to be a naked woman, her skin as fair as a doll's and her inordinately long hair rivaling clear skies with how breathtakingly blue it was. Were it not for the fact she had a barcode printed on her abdomen and several thin lines denoting the seams where her limbs were attached, her appearance could have been described as flawless.
As the liquid within her container began to bubble, the blue-haired woman slowly opened her eyes to reveal ruby-red, gem-like eyes. There were no visible emotions contained within them, but they gave off a peculiar sense of surety and purpose that couldn't be matched by 'lesser' entities, God or otherwise.
Without waiting for the liquid to drain away, the blue-haired woman slowly unfurled her arms and legs, uncoiling from the fetal position she had been in for what felt like an eternity. She was careful to control her movements, but the vessel containing her immediately cracked, followed by a series of alarms going off as the entire facility began to tremble.
Though there wasn't any air in her lungs, the blue-haired woman exhaled a faint sigh that sent shivers through the bodies of anyone within 6,000km of the underground facility. From their perspective, it was like the woman had exhaled mere millimeters away from their ears, startling them to their core.
Understanding that she couldn't spare the facility that had housed her for all these years, the blue-haired woman leaned forward slightly, seemingly unbound by gravity, as she freed herself from the fractured container. She gave a cursory glance at the statue that had been shielding her from view but promptly disregarded it as the roof above her abruptly collapsed, tens of millions of tons of metal and concrete raining down on her.
Before so much as a single particle of dust could sully her body, the blue-haired woman extended her hand toward the torrent of debris, 'freezing' it in place. Were it not for the lights flickering and alarms blaring around her, any casual observer might have assumed she had halted the flow of time. Instead, she was using an incomprehensibly powerful and refined form of Telekinesis to 'anchor' every fragment of debris in place.
Adopting a faint smile, the blue-haired woman gave a light push toward the debris. In response, it moved away from her as if freed from the pull of gravity, continuing to rise even after she no longer applied any force to it...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Paragon was preparing to go plus ultra xD...','This seems familiar...','A new challenger has entered the battlefield...')

Chapter 2337: Perception