The time is now

[Anastasia]

"I think in this story that the tales will be true," Latha states, watching them go, ever so patient.

"I heard them from Antenora one time," Strength of Light says, "How old and powerful are they?"

[Ebiris]

"I couldn't say for sure, but they were already mature and powerful dragons during the war of the God King, famous enough for stories of them to endure even as the gnomes themselves receded from living memory," Alicia admits. "We'll see soon, though."

[Anastasia]

Another portal. Everything blurs a moment as the three step through.

Here is a vast hall carved out of the stone of the deep earth. Light comes from the walls, which are rough and unadorned. Great banners fall from the ceiling dozens of feet up to the floor, each bearing a single holy or unholy symbol of a deity.

Prepare, those who have come this far.

A voice that is not a voice speaks, Oberuth sharply looking about. Marianne merely readies her blade with a thin smile and Lyris checks her darts. For a moment all is calm.

Then they emerge - monsters. Enemies. From the small and the simple, goblins lead by a face familiar and yet only seen so long ago.

Malmuthian soldiers, great battalions at the ready, gryphons soaring above, all lead by a long forgotten Emperor.

Devils. Devils of sand and fury. They are lead by a forgotten pit fiend, thought sealed away for all time for his evils and for whom he truly bows to.

Fey and pixies, the spirits of the forest manifest. They laugh along with a voice unseen, the laughter of children heard in the distance and yet from nowhere at all.

Liches. A familiar cabal, absently only one of their members, cloaked in the darkness of the deepest magics mastered by the passing of ages.

Shocker lizards, staring and unrelenting and so many, spreading about the walls and the ceiling, all gazes on the three. They are lead by a blue dragon, a phantasm from a long ago battle.

Celestials brave and true, lining up. They prepare as one, lead by a green skinned planetar once met before the temples of Balmuria.

Shadows. So many shadows, gathering faster and faster yet. Amid them are familiar figures, a royal family as rotten as filth leading them all.

The dead. So many of the restless dead, rising from all about, like a plague joining every force. Amid them you can see what once called itself Death, leading them on.

More. So many more. Memories of the past, of glimpses of battles forgotten in the flow of time ever forward.

"What?" Oberuth says, "Do you seek to drown us in worthless filth?"

"Aaaaah," Lyris smiles tightly, "Another test?"

Marianne merely gestures, cold gathering around her, winds of snowflakes and ice razors coiling before her. "It matters not, we won't be stopped."

Then prove yourselves against the phantasms of the past. Your nation has seen much conflict and turmoil in its short lifetime.

There is a moment after that, until Oberuth raises his blade and lets out a battlecry, before rushing forward. From there chaos erupts, the battle joined.

[Ebiris]

"It really was meant for us," Alicia says a little sadly as she sees so many foes she once crossed blades with. "Does it mean anything to Marianne and Lyris, the faces of those they fight here? At least the Commander knows some of them."

"How do you think Seira feels?" Marie asks. "Those princes and princesses from Kesse are there."

[Anastasia]

Syala takes your hand and says, "It was," she agrees solemnly, while Latha merely adds, "What could have been."

Meanwhile...

It is a battle. They fight as one, disparate memories waging war together.

Oberuth charges into the lines and stands firm, surrounded by a sea of foes.

Marianne takes to the air, cold winds and blasts scything into her foes. She stays above the majority of them, as the forces of the air flock towards her, looking to entomb her with sheer numbers.

Lyris is a blur. She runs to the sides as her hand works. Darts fly freely, seemingly appearing in throats and stomachs without warning.

[Ebiris]

Squeezing Syala's hand Alicia smiles a little grimly at Marie's comment. "Yes, they were meant to take our place in serving judgement after killing us. They got to take part after a fashion anyway."

She watches the battle, as so many old foes get a second death at the hands of Commander Oberuth and a new generation of heroines. "I like Marianne's style, she's making good use of the elements at her command."

[Anastasia]

"Oberuth's style's improved," Strength of Light observes, "I've met boulders that are easier to break than he is."

"She was right," Latha mentions, "The Destroyer being the one to bring life and peace is a suitable atonement and symmetry to her life."

[Ebiris]

"Oberuth is the anchor for that team, he's far beyond the other two," Alicia agrees. "But still, Marianne and Lyris are every bit as strong as Seira and I back when we were challenging those ruins, fighting the Dark Six, freeing the children of Androlynne... they have this. And you're right," she nods to Latha, "I think they'll make the right decisions at the end of it all."

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100
<Penuche2> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 5 > [d100=5]

It is like scythe before wheat. Foe after foe falls before Oberuth, fading away once his blade is done with them. What few wounds touch him heal in moments, never even slowing him down. His expression is simply one of determination as he goes on, another, another and another falling. He reaches Ferdi and with a clash of blades he shoves past his guard, taking his head in one blow.

Marianne keeps flying about, striking and evading. She bears wounds but none serious, focusing on her foes and trying to avoid being pinned. At the rate they're going down, she looks to be just fine. When Death comes for her, this time he meets a rapier point of arcane fire, piercing through his empty eye and beyond.

Lyris meanwhile draws away some of them and keeps moving, thinning the pack amid all the chaos. The goblin hordes in particular pursue her, but this time she is faster, stronger. Yezrut himself falls, clutching at a pair of darts in his throat.

[Ebiris]

"It's more of a test of endurance than a serious threat, though they always have the luxury of stopping and resting here," Alicia says as they watch. "No surprises so far anyway..."

[Anastasia]

'In a way,' Antenora says, 'We've been breaking past our bounds for a long time.' Her voice is in your mind, 'Another example here: We were merely meant to judge, now we stand above that.'

"Not yet," Syala agrees quietly, "Marianne's wounded, but nothing severe."

[Ebiris]

'That's an arrogant way to put it, Antenora,' Alicia telepathically replies with a note of chastisement. 'We're witnessing a judgement on the Gods for their folly. That we stand among them now should be cause for humility now of all times.'

"I don't think they have much in the way of dedicated healing either. Might need some time with a wand of cure light wounds once they have some breathing room," she observes aloud.

[Anastasia]

Antenora merely nods her head at Alicia's chastisement, not arguing it.

> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=9 ]{9}

Fortunately, the fight's winding down. The foes are falling faster, the lines broken and the three standing alone, triumphant at last. Oberuth is unwounded, injuries healed. Marianne's bleeding from a few injuries and Lyris is limping, but it seems magic, speed and inhuman endurance have won the day.

"Who were they?" Lyris asks as she limps over, withdrawing a round black stone, about the size of a fist. As she holds her her wounds begin to heal, small bursts every several seconds.

"The past," Oberuth says, "Old enemies, from Emperor Ferdi to liches to worse. Just an echo of someone else's past." He's quiet here as the two heal, Marianne joining Lyris and using the stone. "It must have keyed to the others when they accomplished the first trials, and I'm close enough to those battles that perhaps I maintained it, rather than creating enemies more suited to our lives." He sheathes his blade a moment, adjusting his shield as he says, "Are you ready to go?"

"Not yet. Not all of us are immortal, invincible legends," Marianne turns her nose up, wounds still healing. "At least Seira and Alicia have the decency to call themselves divine. No human fights like you, Hellman."

Glancing back towards Marianne just a moment, "And you don't fight like any tarrasque I've heard of."

There's a moment of silence at that, before Marianne goes, "Hmph," and pointedly strides forward, "Rude."

With the faintest hint of a smile, Oberuth strides forward, Lyris rolling her eyes with her own amused look and following.

[Ebiris]

The banter amuses Alicia ans she smiles as well at the camaraderie shown. "So are the dragons next, I wonder?" she muses aloud after Seira's champions defeat all their challengers.

[Anastasia]

"At what point does a human cease being human?" Syala asks aloud, "I think that's the real question there. Do you think he's found an answer yet, Alicia?"