#mc vs final boss

[cheapshrimpysheep]

My Heaven's Light

SUMMARY: Rollo managed to kidnap you before sending the NRC students to Fleur City's Waterways, believing he was saving you. Malleus and the others reach the tower, ring the Bell of Solace and rescue you. Malleus expresses his protective side and Rollo apologizes for kidnapping you.

CHARACTERS: Rollo Flamme VS Malleus Draconia (x Reader)

TAGS: GN Reader; Angst to Comfort; Jealousy

WARNING: Spoilers from Glorious Masquerade; Kidnapping

WORD COUNT: 4.220 Words

COMMENTS: Thinking about the fact that Rollo is the twisted version of Frollo and thinking of MC as Esmeralda, it is inevitable to imagine Rollo kidnapping MC. But not for the same reasons!

Rollo is a really complex character, but one I've wanted to write about for some time now. I plan to try writing more with him in the future.

Until then, I hope you enjoy this one. 🐲🦐🔔

By the way, do you have ANY idea how many times I've looked up synonyms for common words just to get as close as possible to Rollo's way of speaking? One thing is for sure: I am greatly expanding my English vocabulary with this.

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Amidst the panic that the firelotuses were causing, both your colleagues and Professor Trein end up paying more attention to the flowers than to you.

As you move away from the flowers, you end up approaching one of the pillars. That's when you feel a hand covering your mouth and another holding your arm behind your back.

You are carried away through the shadows as you try to free yourself, but these attempts only make the hands hold you even tighter and run the risk of injuring your arm.

The person who is taking you leans over and whispers in your ear. “I beg you not do make this more complicated that it needs to be.” It's Rollo!

He takes you to a room adjacent to the hall and pushes you inside, making you fall into an armchair. Just before he closes the door to lock you inside you hear Grim's voice.

“[Y/N]? [Y/N]?! MY HENCH-HUMAN DISAPPEARED!”

No matter how loud you scream, or how much you bang on the door, the chaos outside is too loud for anyone to hear you. Eventually you realize something is going on, so you stop to listen to the conversation. Rollo had revealed himself and was talking to your NRC colleagues.

“My, my.” You hear Azul say. “That was quite a predictable villain line, you know.”

“Silence!” Rollo's voice echoed. “YOU'RE the villains here! And what's more, you flaunted your magic and mesmerized our good citizens with it... Just like you did with your prefect. You imprisoned them with you and poisoned their mind. The poor thing became numb to the absurdity after spending every day swimming in it. Mages use their magic to lead people astray and cloud the eyes of the virtuous public. It's sad state of affairs, but it's devastating when the victim is someone like [Y/N].”

“What have you done with [Y/N]?!” Malleus's powerful voice demands to know.

“For now, I am keeping them safe. But once I engulf the world in the fiery crimson of these flowers and strip every mage in Twisted Wonderland of their magic, then I will have saved them, and all those like them who suffer at your hands!”

“You have no idea of the atrocity you are insinuating, Flamme!” Not only does Malleus’s voice thunder, but the sky outside does too.

“And there he is, folks! The secret mastermind who was controlling the ‘final boss’ all along!” Idia says. “But what kind of mastermind jumps the gun and shows up this early? Dude has like, zero patience.”

“Could you not right now? You're ruining the moment.” Azul complains.

The discussion continues with Rollo revealing that his plan is already well underway. When the Bell of Solace rang for an unprecedented fourth time that night, it suffused the city with magic. The firelotuses aren't only in the school. They've spread throughout the city, and are sapping the energy from every mage living there. And after that, he opens the floor for everyone to fall into a pit.

“And those accursed mages, with Malleus Draconia foremost among them... They'll all be finished! Enjoy your time down below. Though I think you'll find it quite...draining. At long last... I shall finally mete out my justice.”

Some time later, the door opens and Rollo enters, extending his hand to you.

“Come. We must go to the Bell Tower. It is safer-”

What he didn't expect was for you to attack him with a tall candlestick. And you discover that in addition to being a promising mage, he also has excellent reflexes. He manages to dodge your attack and grab your wrists so you let go of the candlestick.

“I do not aim to harm you!” He says very seriously. “Please don't turn it into something I have to do.”

“Then what are you doing locking me here?”

“Preventing you from falling for the tricks of those magic-addled fools once again.” He comes closer, still grabbing you by the wrists. “You poor thing. Blinded by villains who wear an elusive mask of companions. But worry not, that tragic state of affairs shan't last much longer.” He brings his face even closer to yours. “Now, I will provide you with a choice. You will accompany me peacefully to the Bell Tower, where you will be safe by my side. Or you will make me forcefully assure your safety. Which one will be?”

If you choose to resist, Rollo will pin your arm behind your back again and place a handkerchief over your mouth and nose. Whatever is in that handkerchief, will render you unconscious. And you will wake up on the top floor of the Bell Tower, lying on a blanket.

You see Rollo with his back to you, looking down at the bright scarlet below. You stand up.

“For the Righteous Judge's sake, don't try to go against me again.” Rollo says, without turning to you. “Even without the use of my magic you will not be able to overpower me.” Still without taking his eyes off the outside he calms down to invite you. “Would you be so kind as to join me in gazing out over the city?”

If you choose to accompany him peacefully to the Bell Tower, Rollo will release your wrists with a smile and give you his arm for you to intertwine with yours.

“I'm glad my judgment of you is aligning with the truth.” He says calmly as he guides. “To remain so virtuous amidst the chaos of magic, you must surely be one of heaven's lights.” You see now a new smile, a peaceful one.

The climb up the tower was silent, as you needed to breathe to climb all those stairs. When you finally reach the top, Rollo extends his hand to you. If you give him yours, he will guide you like a gentleman to a point where you can both see the ominously lit city below.

After your choice:

“Ahh, the city's turned a marvelous shade of crimson... How cleansing it is. I've never felt so at peace before.”

“Why are you doing this, Rollo?”

“Once magic vanish from the world forever, no one will have to suffer with its consequences. Magic is not something to be lionized. It is an evil temptation that, behind its illusory wonders, only causes pain and suffering. If it wasn't dangerous, it wouldn't be like a toxin in your body... However... I wonder how much you actually know about it.”

You look at him as if to ask what he means by that.

“Are you even from this world [Y/N]?” He finally looks at you. “I don't know what it is, but there's something about you that's different from every non-magic user I've ever met. And the circumstances surrounding you are quite... abnormal.”

You choose not to respond.

“I see you have your secrets. I have mine owns as well." He takes his handkerchief to his face. "If you don't feel comfortable talking about your past, then allow me the right not to talk about mine either.”

He puts the handkerchief back in his pocket, and you observe the city in silence for a moment, until he speaks again.

“They will come here. I don't know which students will be strong enough to reach the tower, but Malleus Draconia will certainly be one of those who will be able to reach me. And when that happens, I will guarantee that he will be the first to fall.”

“Why all this obsession with Tsunotarou?”

“Obsession is a very strong word, I simply...” He stops to process what you just said. “I beg your pardon, but am I correct in assuming you were referring to Malleus Draconia just now?”

“Of course, he was who you were talking about just... Oh, I called him Tsunotarou didn't I? Sorry. But yes, I was talking about Malleus.”

“T-Tsunotarou?” He takes the handkerchief back to his face. “Is it some kind of mocking nickname?”

“No! I mean yes, it's a nickname, but no, it's not to mock him. It's a long story but that's what Grim and I call him.”

“Does he know about this... name?”

“Oh, yes. He even likes me calling him by that, he thinks it's funny. Or at least that's what it seams. He smiles every time he hears me say that name.” Just like you were smiling talking about him. “He calls me Child of Man.”

“You have a playful nickname for each other.” Rollo whispers with the handkerchief covering his angry (jealous) expression. “Soon enough you'll feel disgusted by it.”

“Sorry, I didn't understand.”

“No, nothing. Pay me no mind.” He takes the handkerchief away from his mouth. “Ah... I hear the firelotuses rustling... Those wretched Night Raven College mages are making their way up the tower, aren't they? Villains are always so stubborn.” Before you could complain about his words, he puts his hand on your arm and continues. “I must get you in a safer place. Those monsters won't give up without a fight.”

“Who do you think we’re calling-”

He ignores your reprimand and takes you by the arm to a small room that they will not have access to without first going through Rollo.

“I am deeply sorry for what I'm about to do, but I need to make sure you do not alert them to your location.” With his magic, he makes ropes appear to tie you up and a piece of cloth to silence you. “See how despicable magic is? An atrocity like trapping you is completed in seconds. But I will release you as soon as the danger has passed.” And he closes the door.

“Here we are.” You hear Malleus’s voice. “The very top floor of the bell tower.”

“The Bell of Solace stands out even at night.” Azul comments. “Look how it glints in the moonlight.”

“Now to ring it, wipe out the flowers, rescue [Y/N] and finish this stupid pop-up quest for good.” Idia points out.

“But to do that...” Malleus returns. “We must first pay our respects to the host of the party.”

This was Rollo's cue to reveal himself. Which he does.

“At long last, you've arrived. The greater the villains, the more they insist on stopping around. Deplorable.”

“Where are they Flamme?” Malleus demands to know.

“Safe, of course, away from you and your wicked lies.”

“Okay, I really need to ask.” Idia says. “What does our magic-less Prefect have to do with this flower plan and ending magic thing? Why kidnap them? They have no power to stop you. Unless you kidnapped them to keep them for yourself. Good taste tho. But you only met them literally today! That’s like the ultimate desperate creep move.”

“My actions involving your Prefect have nothing to do with personal motives. Innocent victims must be rescued from your evil hands! And that is exactly what I did.”

“I don't know if you would use the word ‘Innocent’ like that if you actually knew them.” Azul comments with a smirk.

“If this is true, it will be proof of your corruption!”

The flowers reach the bell and the exchange of words follows a course that ends with the three fighting Rollo after Malleus said:

“Regardless of your reasons, you will not have your way. I shall stop you for all the fallen in this city... For the wonderful person you kidnapped... For the people awaiting us at school... For Briar Valley... And for myself. You see, I harbor a particularly potent animus toward you. A feeling aggravated by the disrespectful actions you had towards  who is dearest to me. I shall eradicate the firelotuses and put all to rights. With the Bell of Solace itself!”

They lose the first fight against Rollo. And it's after that that Idia reveals what they read in Rollo's diary that they found in the fireplace. About his brother. About him not being able to do anything to save him... And you hear Idia going down a not so empathetic path, to which you would react with a facepalm if your hands weren't tied.

You hear Rollo getting angry and starting to lose his composure, Azul attacking him with Deuce's signature spell, with whom he had made a deal, the astonished reaction when seeing that Rollo is still standing, and finally, you hear Rollo use his signature spell and the sound of flames bursting forth.

A new fight, even more violent, until the sound of the flames died away and...

“Rollo collapsed, and his flames went out...” Azul says. “That means Malleus won, right?”

“Dude, Malleus is out of breath.” Idia says “I can see why he wanted us clear. We could've easily been collateral damage.”

Rollo says he accepted his defeat, but only to try to attack Malleus one last time when he turned his back on him. He failed, and Malleus rang the Bell of Solace, making all the flowers wither.

“The firelotuses...” Rollo was sobbing. “My flowers, my salvation, they're all withering away... You VILLAINS. What have you done?!”

“More important than that.” Malleus approached, his figure towering over Rollo's on the ground. “What have YOU done to [Y/N]?”

“Why do you show yourself so worried? A being like you would never truly care for someone like them. Admit your true intentions! You want to see them suffer on the long term.”

You finally manage to get your feet close to the door. You hear the worried voices of Azul and Idia telling Malleus not to succumb to Rollo's provocations. And you knock on the door with your feet so they can hear you.

You hear hurried footsteps coming your way, see Malleus opening the door, and look down in horror.

“[Y/N]!” He quickly reaches down to free you, breaking the ropes with his own hands and untying the piece of cloth around your mouth. He would have preferred to use magic to ensure he didn't hurt you, but he was relatively weak in that regard. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

You say you're fine, but that doesn't stop Malleus from picking you up in his arms.

“Is [Y/N] hurt?!” Azul asked, worried.

“They say they're fine. But just in case.”

“Something tells me that Malleus just really wanted to live the scene of the hero who picks up the princess in their arms after saving her from the clutches of the villain who kidnapped her.” Idia comments, just between him and Azul. “Hey, no judgments. This is what I call sense of opportunity.”

Rollo was furious, but he would never admit how jealous he was. Not even to himself.

You watched the shows that your NRC colleagues prepared. The music was beautiful and they sang so well! Especially Malleus. After that, you all talked for a bit in a group before Malleus disappeared. Only for you to see him dance with Rollo. Seriously? All that and he's still going to dance with Rollo before he dances with you?!

You dance with the others, until Malleus appears to bow to you and invite you to dance with him. However, to his surprise, you look sullen.

“Is there something wrong?” He asks you. “Did I do something that displeased you?”

You answer yes, that after everything, the first person he danced with was Rollo. He chuckles, and you get even more sulky.

“Forgive me, but I could not resist provoking Flamme one last time. That, and warn him never to even come near you again.” He says with a smile, which makes it a little scary. “I jest. Well, partially. I did threaten him if he did anything to you again.” He pauses to see if you would cheer up a bit, but you still didn't seem completely satisfied. He smirks. “I must admit, a little jealousy can actually be charming and cute.”

Other people wanted to dance with Malleus, but he asked them all to, please, wait a little longer.

“You are creating a quite long waiting line you know? I will not dance with anyone else until I have my desired dance with my beloved.” He smiles smugly when he sees your reaction.

You give him your hand, he kisses the back of it and brings your body closer to his, placing his other hand on your waist. And you dance together.

“Please be careful.” He says as you dance. You look down at your feet, confused. “Fufu. No my dear, I wasn't referring to your dancing.” The sweet smile becomes more serious. “I was referring to Rollo Flamme. I have reason to believe that, after just one day, he has already recognized your charm. He does not convince me that he did that to you just because he believed he was saving you. But worse than that...”

His expression turns sad and you feel his hand pull you closer.

“He still have hatred towards me and wants to get read of all the mages. Under different circumstances, I would not fear his attacks. I would even invite him to try. But with you... If he realizes how much you mean to me... Despite what happened, I don't believe he has that kind of character, but if he reaches a state of despair where his hatred for me is stronger than the attachment he might feel for you...”

There’s a pause. His expression becomes more peaceful.

“I learned an expression that the citizens here have. Heaven's Light. We don't know what this place called heaven is for sure, but according to some records from the past, it would have been such a wonderful place that it was not even located on land. It was somewhere above the clouds. I believe even the stories of the Lord of the Underworld spoke of a similar place. They say that the name ‘Heaven's Light’ was given by the Kindly Bell Ringer to the woman he fell in love with, for being such a caring and kind person to him.”

He caresses your cheek with one of his hands.

“I understand him perfectly. From the story I was told, I can only believe that I too was blessed with my own Heaven's Light. And just like the Kindly Bell Ringer, I will do whatever it takes to protect it.”

You didn't even realize that Malleus has led you to a more secluded place. Only when you saw that the two were hidden by the shadows and a pillar and he began to bring his face closer to yours. “My Heaven's Light.” He whispers before kissing you.

After your dance with Malleus, he went to dance with the other people who also wanted such an honor and you went to dance with some of your other colleagues.

You were finishing dancing with Sebek when Rollo approached you. Both you and he startled when Sebek quickly placed himself between the two of you.

“What are your intentions?” Sebek inquired with hostility.

“My intentions are not vile.” Rollo replies, hiding his displeasure at the way Sebek is talking to him with his composure. “I would only like to be able to invite [Y/N] to dance.”

“I cannot allow it! My orders are to keep this human safe and away from you.”

Rollo takes his handkerchief to his face, holding back the urge to respond to his audacity and insulting words. However, you tell Sebek that it's okay and that you would like to accept Rollo's invitation. Both he and Sebek are surprised.

“B-but...” He had those sad puppy eyes, eager to fulfil his duty. “My liege told me... he entrusted me to protect you.”

And you say he can still do it. He can watch you while you dance with Rollo. And if something really happens, he can intervene.

“But what if it's too late?”

You say that Rollo wouldn't do anything like that in front of all those people. And that Sebek could tell Malleus that it was your fault for telling him not to stop you.

“But... *sigh* Why are you humans so stubborn? Fine. But I won't take my eyes off you. Even if I have to stop myself from blinking!... Be careful.”

Rollo extends his hand to you and you place yours in his to accept his invitation to dance. He guides you very gently.

“I wanted to apologize for the way I treated you.” He tells you while dancing with you. “I never meant to be rude to you. And regardless of what the students of Night Raven College tell you, at no point did I intend to harm you.” Your expression shows your suspicion. “I don't intend to apologize for doing what I concluded was the best way to save you at the time. I only apologize for the... atrocious way in which I did it. I shouldn't have forced you to come with me. But I feared what those spiteful mages might do to you in a moment of desperation.”

“They wouldn't hurt me!” You say, with certainty in your voice.

“How could you be so sure of that?”

“Because, unlike you, I know them.”

He looks you intently in the eyes, and sighs. The music comes to an end, as does your dance. You bow to each other.

“I find it pitiful seeing someone magic-devoid like you stuck in that villains' lair.” He tells you when you both straighten up. “I am inclined to make my utmost efforts to have you reside in Nobel Bell College instead, however I've already come to the sorrowful realization that it is your heart that keeps you hostage in that island. But before we part, I insist that you know that if you ever find yourself overwhelmed by those circumstances that involve magic, do let me know.” He gives you that subtle smile of his. “I will be glad to provide you with my support and assistance at any moment.”

You give him a smile back, accepting his offer.

“But, just to guarantee that you don't forget my heartfelt offering...” He reaches into his pocket, takes out his handkerchief and extends it to you. “Here it is said that handkerchiefs are powerful guardians of the memories of a loved one. It is common to offer them when we don't want to be forgotten by someone. Despite my mistakes, I would still like you to have the most pleasant memory of me possible." You accept his gift. "I confess that my biggest wish at the moment was to have one of yours too.” Without his handkerchief, he covers his mouth with his hand. “But that is just a mere whim of mine.” He takes his hand away from his face and smiles again “Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would have so much pleasure in meeting someone from Night Raven College.” He gives you one last bow. “May the Bell of Solace allow our paths to cross again.”

He turned to walk away, but you wanted to do one last thing. You had also bought a handkerchief just like his when you were doing your tour of the city, and you wouldn't need two. You ask him to wait and he turns back to you.

“It doesn't have to be a mere whim.” You say, handing him the handkerchief you had kept with you. Perhaps the sign of a second chance.

He receives your handkerchief and looked at it with his natural smile, but his eyes were different, they had a small, almost imperceptible sparkle.

“I will keep it as one of my most cherished possessions. Thank you, [Y/N].”

“Should I assume this was some sort of revenge?” You hear Malleus's voice say suddenly as you step away from the dancing crowd.

You didn't know he was there, and so close. You look at him and he's smiling wryly.

“I didn't give him any gifts, though. Should I have bought a souvenir too? Perhaps make a bouquet of those crimson flowers he is so fond of.”

“It seems you were right, Tsunotarou.” You say with a sly smile. “A little jealousy can actually be charming and cute.”

Malleus makes that cute pout.

“I told you to be careful.” He says, not as a scolding, but as a concerned request.

You tell him that nothing bad happened, that Rollo wanted to apologize for what he did to you and for him not to blame Sebek because you were the one who accepted Rollo's invitation.

“Don't worry, I know Sebek is a loyal guard. And that you are the one with a kind heart. I told Sebek that I believed him when he told me that it was of your own free will that you were dancing with Flamme. It is in your character to give others the opportunity to explain and apologize. I know this well because it's one of the things I love most about you.” His pout comes back. “However...” He smiles smugly. “I would be more reassured if you spend the rest of the ball close to me. Just in case.”

“Just in case of what, exactly?” You ask.

“Just in case someone else becomes so captivated by you that they want to lock you up in a tower. Which reminds me that in some tales the kidnapper arrange a dragoon to guard the kidnapped.” His smile becomes even more smug and slightly threatening. “Fu fu fu. I would like to see them trying.”

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[chaifootsteps]

A few days ago there was one anon who complained about the tonal whiplash of Helluva Boss, and how "it's can't be Invader Zim meets Pride and Prejudice!" to which you said that words can't describe how you feel you need an actual Invader Zim meets Pride and Prejudice.

... And honestly I thought the same thing, as the idea hasn't left my head since. So I decided "screw it, I'm writing this as a pilot/series" because I love this idea too much to abandon to the Ether of the Unused.

The basic idea is that an eccentric but egotistical alien is on a scouting mission to invade Earth (still deciding on a name, but personality-wise think Zim's ego fused with Professor Membrane and I guess a bit of Bill Cipher). While many in the MC's society resort to violently destroying planets they conquer due to thinking it's fun. the MC decides to try an approach of going undercover in disguise to better exploit physical/psychological human weaknesses. The MC can perfectly appear human (aside from some occasional slip-ups), but when it comes to human customs and mannerisms he really just has to muddle through it on his own with mixed results.

Much like Dib, one human in particular comes to realize the MC is an alien, and while they're a budding scientist invested in stopping the invasion, they also become more and more intrigued by their alien rival, with them having an enemies-to-frenemies (maybe more, eventually, haven't decided) dynamic.

Tone-wise it would be similar to Gravity Falls, where it's largely comedic but knows when to get serious when the time calls for it (the MC and rival's dynamic, the exploration of social hierarchy with the alien society's structure vs. the rival character having some struggles in life and feeling both horrified and enthralled by what the MC's science and status allows for, elements of their beliefs, etc.)

As a side note, I haven't decided what gender the human rival is going to be yet. Part of me leaning toward them being a woman to strengthen the Darcy-Elizabeth parallels, but if I were to make them a man then I could go wth a ZADR (Zim and Dib Romance)-coded dynamic without any of the age-gap problematic stuff that IZ shipping poses, as in this both characters would be college-aged if not mid-20's.

Also, here's my an attempt at a makeshift title card. It's not final by any means, as I'm still debating on the color of their home planet because I don't want it to look too Irk-adjacent at all, but it gets the job done. Title's a working title as well, as I feel it's too long and too goofy but I kind of like it. "Unearthly Opponent" is another contender, but I like the title layout of this one better.

Words fail to express how much I need this. Somebody fund this.

[crehador]

TANAKA HIRONORI. SHAKING UR HAND SIR THANK YOU VERY FUCKING MUCH

hey what the fuck did they put in slf ep18

that was like. sincerely. without exaggeration. easily one of the best fight scenes i've seen in years. maybe one of the best i've seen ever. what started as "oh silly vrmmo show but looks pretty good" has gotten better and better, week after week, to the point where i can hardly believe how good it is

the animation was downright stellar in ep18, but the whole wethermon fight was excellent to me. i feel like i can say i watch A Lot of battle anime, and this was seriously among the best of the best. from start to finish the energy just never faltered (and the build-up in terms of lore was basically flawless too)

i'm just. completely blown away by how i had no expectations whatsoever for this series and it's quickly turned into one of my favorites of this (and last) season. it is silly, sure, but it is gripping! it doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's earnest in a way that just works so well

like the return of the stupid bird mask? epic fucking moment. even though it is objectively a silly ass map, it was such a !!!!!!!!! hype sequence when it returned. kickass nonsense is the best way i can think of to describe it. like sure it's nonsense, but it absolutely kicks ass

really really really hoping for another season now, 25 episodes won't be nearly enough

[locria-writes]

Mulberry MC will have to deal with inner palace drama?!, my c drama inspired dream is it’s going to be a queen dowager VS consort dowager VS MC show down with consort Shu in the corner vaguely understanding she should try not to attract attention. Then MC and queen dowager both team up against qilian sheng realizing he’s in danger as boss music plays in the background.

(In case it wasn’t clear enough I’m obsessed with inner palace fights, especially when they finally realize the emperor is the problem, love you zhen huan and ruyi ❤️)

i generally agree with the emperor being the problem 99.99% of the time, but unfortunately qls is fairly blameless for this one 😩

lady ruan's problems with qls stem more from problems she had with his dad carrying over. a lot of her anxieties are justified and understandable, but she really is out here ascribing traits to qls that he really doesn't have lol

[yuri-is-online]

Just finished the Jabberwock chapter.... there's so many questions (and possible theories) but rn I just wanted to talk about how Hyde mentioned the ghouls who were worried about MC - for Vagastrom, in jpn he specifically says "a certain someone from Vagastrom" rather than "one or two" and I'm willing to bet it's definitely Sho, since Hyde is the one mentioning it, and soon after he says he wasn't supposed to say that, I can imagine Sho giving him the stink eye to not let anyone know about it lol. Also right after this I got a campus event where Sho almost runs over MC on his bike because she wasn't looking where she was going while watching out for some croc anomalies(?) and he gets mad (worried) telling her what's the point if she's dead and points out where she has to keep an eye out on. I love him Your Honor....

We don't know too much about Hyde yet, but from that last conversation I wonder if having his own younger brother be a ghoul contributed in his empathy towards them ("in the end they're just young boys on the inside") or if he always felt that way. I wonder why exactly he wants humans and anomalies to get along, because while the idea itself might sound nice and peaceful, at the same time it sounds like something a villain with "good intentions" would say too lol. Hyde final boss?

Also rip MC who has to deal with Taiga next chapter lol. After fun times with the Jabberwock kids it's back to treading on thin ice (or glass shards in this case)

Cleaning out all the TDB asks before the new chapter drops at 1 am my time (_ _ )⊹ ࣪ ˖ I am so tired friends

Hyde vs Crowley, who is more likely to be a final boss. My money is on Crowley but Hyde do be looking like Gojo and we all know how my girl felt about the school board.

I swear we must have the same game anon because I literally had just read that school moment before you sent this ask. MC is trying to be aware of zipper crocs, which as a side note: each of the boys cards has a corresponding warding card of the same rarity. The higher rarity warding cards seem to be based off of moments in the story or aspects unique to the character while the SR and R cards are based off anomalous creatures. You get the corresponding SR warding card for your first boy in that joke of a pull they have you do in the tutorial, and the Zipper Croc is Tohma's.

The way Sho speaks to her in that moment (╥﹏╥) the way he's so concerned. Angry even that she's not taking care of herself, because "what good will that excuse be if you die?" I love him so much. And because of that I keep thinking about how guilty he has got to feel about almost letting her die in Book 2. You think he wakes up in the middle of the night to stare at his ceiling because he's thinking about how her mangled body would look staring up at him in judgement if he had just gone along with Leo's plan a little bit more than he did? Do you think that he's eventually going to snap if he keeps hearing Leo talk about MC like she's expendable because the longer he spends time with her the more real she becomes to him? You ever think about Sho looking at her while she's occupied with something else and not paying attention to him and realizing that his time with her has a very real time limit and that she's going to die in a year, however much of which has already passed?

You ever think about an MC who maybe jokes off offhandedly about helping him out now since she won't always be around and him loosing it just a bit because he doesn't want to even think about that even a little. Because I have been oh have I been

I wasn't expecting to like Hyde as much as I do. Don't get me wrong he seems extremely irresponsible, but he clearly loves his brother and his students, which makes him at least ok in my book. If I had to guess I would say Sho being a ghoul probably does have something to do with him being more understanding of the ghouls and their predicament. He has a unique insight into it that the other professors don't, but it could also be that he wants anomalies and humans to get along because through his own research he's seen how important anomalous creatures like the Kraken are to the world and he wants people to have a more respectful attitude towards that. I can't see him doing anything to harm Sho, so if the school ends up being the bad guy I think he'll be our ally.

Well not physically harm anyway... Oooooooh "a certain someone from Vagastrom" that was so fucking Sho. And Hyde so said that to be cheeky about it because he thinks it's cute that his little brother has got a little crush ¬‿¬ no it's ok Shohei, big brother won't tell! He pinky swears! Hyde would be such an annoyingly supportive wing man for his little brother if he'd just let him, if Sho has any classes he shares with the MC he so ends up assigned to a group with her on "accident" more than once. It makes a degree of sense too, I think Alan probably would trust that everything is all right and if it's note he will hear about it, if not from the school than from Tohma. Leo probably thought the whole thing was MC's fault anyway but Sho? He had to be so worried about MC and feel so trapped. It's not like he was going to get permission from Alan to go looking for her, and with Leo being Leo it's not like he really had anyone to turn to about his worries but Hyde, who was definitely supposed to be sworn to secrecy.

I am actually more worried about Romeo and Ritsu at this point than Taiga. Like don't get me wrong, that boy ain't right but I can handle someone being a bit homicidal.

Ritsu is easily the cuntiest out of the freshmen about MC at the intro ceremony and Romeo is willing to take MC in for the bounty dead or alive. I feel like this whole book is a bit of a trip, MC about to be kidnapped by a mob boss fr

[makeste]

So before the next chapter translation/recap drops, I wanted to ask what you think of Bakugo very likely being AFO's final opponent? I didn't really see that coming. The rival is always there, but they usually team up with the MC for the final fight or aren't part of it (Vegeta during all the DBZ saga final villains, Sasuke at the end of Shipuuden). AFO isn't even Bakugo's personal villain, like Dabi is Todoroki's and Himiko is Uraraka's. I'm trying to wrap my head around it so it's more satisfying, but while it's REALLY AWESOME, I'm not feeling the *personal* stakes and ngl I spent half the time wondering if Deku would swoop in. I'm guessing he won't, final battle Shigaraki vs Deku, but yeah.

I think it's an interesting subversion of the usual final boss tropes. it's true that AFO and Bakugou don't have much in the way of personal history. they lack the tragic family ties of Dabi and Shouto, or the frequent homoerotic encounters of Toga and Ochako. Horikoshi clearly went a different route here.

that being said, there are a few things I do like about the setup. first, I really like that Bakugou chose Kid For One to be his final villain (and then inverted things on top of that -- you're not my final boss, I'm your final boss, lol). it's very much in line with his usual stubbornness and singlemindedness. everyone else -- Izuku, Shouto, and Ochako -- were sort of unwillingly dragged into their conflicts by fate. but Bakugou wanted a final boss so much that when life didn't conveniently hand him one, he went out and DEMANDED one. literally DIYed his own. that's the most Bakugou thing ever tbh.

second, I like the recurring theme of AFO creating his own demons. he's so powerful that the only thing that can bring him down is his own hubris. he accidentally created OFA by trying to dominate his baby brother. he tormented the OFA users for centuries only to be mutilated by a royally pissed-off All Might. and he has been snidely dismissive of Bakugou on multiple occasions throughout the manga, which is certainly looking like one hell of a mistake right now. not just because he missed the opportunity to kill him off on earlier occasions, but also because we all know that the more you ignore Kacchan, the more determined he is to prove you wrong.

third, I like that AFO is the one who apparently has personal trauma and not the other way around. even if the extent of his trauma is just, "you look like the guy I really hate!!", lol. it's unexpected and mildly amusing and I enjoy it.

and lastly, while I'm probably not super qualified to weigh in on this (seeing as there's a big chunk of the Deku vs. Tomura/AFO fight which I still haven't read yet, so I don't know how much ground has been covered already), I'm not so sure that this is the actual final battle. as you mentioned, those usually involve the rival teaming up with the MC against a single final villain. and neither Tomura nor Kid For One is giving me genuine final boss vibes tbh. I think AFO, and not Tomura, will be the final "final boss", but I'm guessing it will be a different version of AFO. either the AFO currently taking up residence in Tomura's head, or, potentially, the one possibly hanging out in Deku's.

either way though, that also means the final phase of this battle will likely take place not in the real world, but inside the OFA/AFO Mojo Dojo Casa Realm. and I think it will be Deku, Katsuki (since I'm convinced he also has OFA), and Tomura (plot twist) united against AFO. which I think would make for a much stronger final battle than the current setup. we were promised an ending which would surpass Heroes Rising in epicness, after all. a simple Deku vs. Tomura would hardly cut it, especially with Deku having already pushed himself to his limits and revealed all of his current OFA tricks that we know about. gotta be more to it.

so yeah, those are my thoughts. I'm enjoying the current antics, but I do think they are miniboss antics and not final boss ones. any finale that doesn't involve multiple OFA users teaming up against a single AFO wielder is going to feel a bit like it missed the point. it's literally in the name, lol. we need the "all" versus the "one", or else all that foreshadowing goes to waste. that's my hope at any rate.

[warmcoals]

uhh here's my media roundup for the last week or so, w funny x out of 5 reviews. lmk if you hate my opinions or whatever:

dune 2: astounding to see and hear, lots of extremely creative stuff in there, a single pitiful crumb of critical thinking. definitely stwars for this era which means lots of fun and not too much more. love the stupid character drama sadly. we do still owe everything in action movies to fury road, all i could think the whole time. and it was so long.. nothing for it but yr not an epic of yore. 3/5

darksoul 3: it's fun, it's quaint. it's so cynical and straightforward, a patchwork world of tired but self aware references. it feels really easy...too generous, the whole thing from design to gameplay feels like giving in to whiny demands. slow enemy aggro infinite dodge safety cheap levels etc etc. fun but it's like, a fusion of darksoul and blooby b4 it and a prototype of eldy after, and those are all 10/10. ill keep checking it out tho. 3/5

slay the princess: neat. i appreciate where they took the choices vn concept, blew it up to ridiculous proportions while also obfuscating the players role in the story. it's not quite my thing...the splintering "mc" guy and the narrator dick do nothing for me, but the relationship between the choices and the princess (ultimate) is worth a lot. i got the "wait with calamity princess at the end of time forever" non-ending and that's good for now.. curious for sure but i have many books. 3/5 (probly 4 when i get back)

toho19: finally installed the TL patch and it's really, really good. the design upd8s r cute, the new additions are the best in almost 10 games, the woven plots and writing and ending drawings are inspired. i must admit the system feels a bit..wrong to me. for what it is, vs STG, it's radical, but it only Just works. noticing during the final boss (a gender of all time :x) that the spell card pattern and her mini-special are both pretty simple, but combined it's kind of just an unavoidable barrage (charming in its own way). makes me appreciate the perfection of the first windows era more. 4/5

eldy ring no hud mode: fuuuuuuck. you dont even realize how beautiful and ingenious this game is. we dont even realize what was accomplished here. top 3 rpg ever in history. 5/5

twin peaks season 2: it's a drag. pretty much every plot fills me with dread, and not the magical-fearful type but the social schlockmentary bloated exhaustion kind. i love the core cast characters still and the gravity of where it's headed and what comes after s2 but jeez it's hard to see something close to genre masterwork reduced to...this. you cant always just do More, is kinda the media theme this week. 2/5

[ironunderstands]

How do you feel about the Penacony final boss?

I love it both gameplay and story wise.

I’m gonna yap about the gameplay because I actually adore HSR’s combat system so yeah. Personally, I think the weakness break = gained shield mechanic is great, as you are a) forced to use Harmony MC who is an amazing breaker and also buffs characters who like breaking which causes b) you bring characters who also like breaking things, which is a really good way to Segway into the new break effect meta we will be seeing, and allows players to get a feel for it before Boothill and Firefly really release.

Also like, the music, the design, the Bible references, Robin? Robin. Witness the will of the weak? Chucking the fucking astral express at Sunday? How Sunday literally and metaphorically attacks us with music? The boss switching faces to look more like Ena’s puppet form at the end? I love it.

Story wise, it’s an amazing way to end Penacony. Harmony vs the Order, Robin vs Sunday, Everyone vs the Family. The shot where Robin catches Sunday is like engraved into my brain. The fact that he’s the bird who can’t fly and she’s the own who can, so he plummets and she flies to save him. How only when we defeat Sunday, can he be truly free.

“People dream because one day they will wake up “ UGHHHH RAAAAAAAAAA. I can’t express why this line is just so fucking good, but I will try. In your dreams, you experience a warped version of reality. Perhaps it’s what you want to see, perhaps it’s what you don’t want to see, perhaps it’s something else entirely. In this, dreams mirror life. They prepare us to live, they give us experiences we might never have in reality, they show us possibilities we may or may not encounter. However, dreams are fleeting and you will eventually wake up. That’s why people want to dream, because they want to experience reality, every part of it, the good and the bad, even the unimaginable, just without the consequences.

So when you inevitably wake up, and the dreams are no more, the only thing that remains are the memories of those dreams. Those dear memories, which you learn from again and again and again. So you dream, again, and again, and again, because only in reality can you appreciate and learn from the dream, and only in the dream can you truly understand reality. I can’t really phrase why I adore this line, so hopefully you can at least get an idea from this.

I honestly struggle to explain why I love 2.2 (and Penacony as a whole) in general, if I were to try, I’d probably say I just really love power of friendship plots. Call it corny or stupid, you are wrong! Incorrect! People coming together to support one another and achieve a common goal is the best thing ever! I adore how so many different factions with their own goals and philosophies and motives and methods from across the universe of hsr come together to fight for their freedom. To work well, in Harmony. To prove that no matter who or what you are, your life does not and should not be defined by Order.

So yeah, it’s great, hopefully I can phrase why it’s great in the future but for now I hope this satisfies

[yurashinra]

♡Master vs Apprentice♡

Yura(MC)♀️ x Solomon

(Magic ver.)

"I am this game's TRUE final boss." (Solomon)

俺が、この星界の真のラスボスだよ

真のラスボス、魔術師ソロモンが現れた! (L46-14)

ゲームスタート

*Art&animation ©rohmaniyaya1

[seikotakai]

ok so normally i do not do this type of stuff but uhhhhhh...poll of choose one out of five characters (from anime/fighting games) (got inspired by some poll in which of course i choose daddy kazuya-kun!~(◕‿◕))

behold!:

>a martial artist who is known for pretty much being everywhere you go (fortnite, smash bros, marvel vs capcom, snk vs capcom, namco x capcom, sonic and megaman worlds unite comic, hell even power rangers gets a crossover with street fighter). he likes grapes, so maybe get him some grape ice cream or grape juice if you want to give him something.

>an autistic muscular beefy shy stoic bisexual japanese demon/human hybrid man who has survivor's guilt and trust issues. he loves nature (ex. fishing, gardening, and bird watching), forest bathing, and walking in the forest. he tends to be distant towards others (because of devil gene and fear of people getting killed in the crossfires between him and his dysfunctional family) but he cares about them.

>a delinquent cocky high school drop out who may have never graduated high school, but will definitely still be able to make a living for himself by winning martial arts tournaments and defeating abominations threatening society. he loves poetry, riding motorcycles, and broiled fish.

>a gay homosexual goat villain who should've been the final boss of his franchise, but no it just had to be that lame black goo and that stupid lame rabbit lady. anyways - he shits on everyone (he washed the whole allied shinobi army, he washed the five kages, he finally beat his childhood friend/rival/boyfriend hashirama senju, he almost killed the mc jesus-kun- i mean naruto uzumaki and also gave his best friend sasuke the aerith gainsborough treatment.), he has the best drip in the whole anime/manga, and the biggest #1 hashirama senju dick rider (ex. him glazing hashirama during the five kage fight, and him putting hashirama's face on his damn tit).

>a 200 IQ brunette soul reaper man who also washed the shit out of everyone (stopped mr. poster boy's bankai with a finger, shits on the whole gotei 13, shits on the Visored). just a handsome lonely dude with a god complex who wants to make the world a better place by questionable methods. ironically saved soul society's ass by literally doing nothing but chilling while sitting on the legendary chair-sama (just like how luigi wins by doing absolutely nothing). he turned into a pretty butterfly at one point while fighting mr. poster boy ichigo. he likes tofu, drinking tea, calligraphy, reading books, performing hollowfication experiments, and he hates boiled eggs.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 10/03/2024

Character Select BGM (KFAD2 Mode)

Season 4 Episode 1 Featured on: SiIva Direct Presents

Ripped by deogenerate, New Guy Visuals by Harmony Friends, deogenerate, dante

Requested by delilahs-pumpkin-patch! (@delilahs-pumpkin-patch)

Today's rip was requested for coverage on the blog due to one very simple reason. Because for all the coverage I've done on the King for Another Day Tournament in Season 4 Episode 1 with rips like Thank You, Everybody!, Unhealed and NIGHTMARESCAPE 〜Unrestrained HyperCam 2〜 (Final Boss Phase 2), there's one part of the project that I've effectively ignored entirely up until now. Indeed, though the excitement of the tournament itself, and its post-contest celebrations in Season 4 Episode 2, are both remembered very fondly, there's a period surrounding the tournament that's yet to be covered. We've covered this story's middle, its end, and its epilogue - now, its time to discuss its beginnings.

I've said before that Season 4 Episode 1 is kind of defined wholly by the tournament event itself, but given that it only took up around 2 months of actual channel time that may come off as a bit strange. That's because, much like the video game series that most directly inspired it, the King for Another Day Tournament did an incredible job in maintaining hype up until its release though reveals and trailers. These being the reveals of, of course, the new contestants - with a roster size doubled from Season 3's King for a Day Tournament, it left 16 characters to be revealed piecemeal in the buildup to the event. Channel creator Chaze the Chat described that he wanted Season 4 to be the most unpredictable and surprising Season yet, and we of course saw that outside of KFAD in rips like Sex - Steve Harvey and the entirety of Chain of Memories II Day - but the way the character reveals were done also played part in this element of surprise! The rip of today, Character Select BGM (KFAD2 Mode), is one of many other rips that contain a secret character reveal trailer within - hidden in the sea of normal channel uploads, these secret character reveals would be shown only to those who truly kept an eye out on every rip the channel uploaded.

Better yet, all these trailers were hidden at the very end of rips - and just like Chaze the Chat had warned, there was no telling what to expect from these rips even if they contained character reveals (shoutouts to Stronger than Mr Krab for being actually deranged). It was the hunt for the character reveals that made me click on rips like Character Select BGM (KFAD2 Mode) to begin with back in the day, as I have little to no connection to rhythm games like REFLEC BEAT VOLZZA, and yet it absolutely paid off in just how solid of a rip this is. This is a no-nonsense quality rip across the board, a high-octane melody swap medley with an energetic and fun sound derived from the source track. Creatively yet seamlessly, it begins by including themes relating to the Christmas Comeback Crisis such as The Noble Haltmann and Wood Man's theme, before pivoting to focus on music broadly categorizable as ones more known within Japan's online remix communities - including music featured in other rhythm games, but also music such as that made by Yosuke Yasui. In effect, Character Select BGM (KFAD2 Mode) was just about the perfect rip to reveal Rhythm Masters in, as a perfect blend of SiIva's own set of jokes and the potential kinds of rips the contestant itself could offer.

Excitement for KFAD was in the air for most of 2019, and it was through rips just like this that said excitement was maintained. And even though I myself lacked the connection needed to rhythm games to really have their reveal and place in the tournament hit home, experiencing that reveal in the way the channel did kept me excited all the same.

[ramonag-if]

First of all I'm sorry if this question was very rude and i'm sorry if i insult you (i didn't mean to) and sorry if my question make you uncomfortable too.

1. I was read what you said about high combat or warriors MC, i feel like MC will alway become bloodthirsty warriors no matter what (i know violence shouldn't happen no matter what but it just feel weird to me) so i wonder it that possible to play as Noble warriors MC who have high moral code, alway protect other people and not kill if not necessary or they will alway become bloodthirsty warriors? Also Can MC become foot soldiers in game?

2. Will duel between two leaders or two warriors in battlefield going to happen? If it happen can MC duel with enemy too?

3. What do you mean you bad at writing fight scenes? Your fight scenes was Awesome! I really like rescue prisoner scene. But i think high combat MC you can add MC to have faster senses than other MC (not like high politics MC who can know what going on or high leadership MC who can make fast decisions to lead the other i feel like high combat MC going to have fast reaction when something happen) and maybe they was the first one who can notice when something or someone be suspicious. (Sorry if you know it already)

4. What did RO feel about MC who have sweet tooth? If MC eat sweets they going to become happy MC for day.

Sorry if i being rude to you and thank you from answer my question.

No need to apologise 😊

There's actually no path that forces a player to become a bloodthirsty warrior. If you want to avoid violence apart from self-defence, you will always have a choice to avoid it. So rest assured, you can complete the game without killing a single soul.

It's a lot more complicated than Irus vs Virion. There will be a lot of variation in the final chapters based on what you choose to do. You can choose to stick with certain characters; if you do that, you might miss out on the final 'boss fight'. But yes, there will be an option to take down Virion depending on specific variables and choices.

Thank you for these suggestions! I will definitely be returning when I start edits to adjust and add more to the combat scenes. I still hate combat so much and writing them gives me anxiety 😂 My ideal version of combat is through manipulation and poisoning, so I'm very much a non-confrontational IF gamer.

The ROs don't care much for what the MC eats, as long as they're happy. Irus and Elora would buy the MC sweets. Oren would probably make the MC something sweet and Anu would just rifle through the MC's belongings for something sweet 😂

[frauleinandry]

given that people have been talking persona 6 ever since the bucket leak*, i thought i'd drop my wishlist/theories!

*for those not in the know, midori said the theme will be green

theories, aka my Overarching Plot Predictions

the plot will either be focused on social isolation, digital relationships and things like that, or alternatively, will focus on man vs nature, e.g. urbanisation/nature reclaiming the city

why do i think this is the case? well, green. green is futaba, green is plants. more importantly though, covid. the whole reason the road trip idea got scratched for persona 6 is because of the tokyo earthquake - real life very much affects the writing of these games. and guess when this game started development? 2019. the conceptualisation of this game would have happened during the height of two things - lockdowns, and to a lesser extent, those shitty pictures of grass growing in airports and what have you

sadly, it's looking like persona 6 is gonna be another high school game, and what are three big issues facing teenagers today? 1: socialisation issues caused by... you guessed it, covid. 2: the increasingly hellscape nature of the internet. 3: climate change. yeah

seriously, even if it's subtle, there's no way in hell covid hasn't influenced the story. no way in heeeeeeeeell

wishlist. there is no evidence for any of these, but god, i want them!!

female and male mcs. bonus points if they're twins and the non-selected one becomes a party member/social link

same-sex relationships. nuff said

romantic relationships between characters who aren't the mc. jundori is good, and i'd enjoy more of that - possibly have it so they only happen if the mc hasn't romanced one of them by a certain date, but have it

i'd loooooove an adult cast/university setting, but midori's already bunked that, so a mixed-age cast is my next wish

no mascot character in the vein of morgana/teddie

i don't mind the idea of a traitor/twist villain, but i don't want them to follow the ikutsuki archetype yet again. persona 4, 5, and strikers all have major villains based on him, and like... that's enough, atlus. make the dojima archetype the traitor instead or something, i dunno

no god unless they're heavily foreshadowed throughout the entire game like persona 3, or alternative, they're the warm-up boss opposed to the actual final one

in terms of gameplay, give me at least 8 elements, keep theurgy/fuuka's nav skills (though nerf theurgy slightly), and i think a combination of random and non-random dungeons ala persona 5 works best. also, don't make it so the higher difficulty is just More Stats - improve the enemy ai, and do something like persona 5 merciless with increased super effective damage or something

[atlaslovesedm]

so last night i dreamt i was playing/watching gameplay of the final boss of an undertale fangame

the player character’s name was flo. they looked a lot like pent from supermental except without the hat and with dirty blonde hair (they were also wearing ink sans’ outfit for some reason). and the final boss was fake flo, sort of the same case with fake peppino being an eldritch horror clone of the mc. (i’m pretty sure the game included that FLO VS FLO splash screen too lmao)

the gameplay involved pretty much every SOUL mode (besides the switch one), plus the cyan SOUL being able to dash (sorta like in JSAB)

there was this super big finale moment (in the same vein as that “survive this and i’ll show you my special attack” thing sans had) that expanded the bullet box to be the entire game window (which is so cool more undertale fangames should do something like that) and your SOUL was like REALLY small during that part and it lasted a while

i didn’t see the end of the fight but here are two more things i remembered about the dream:

- the music sounded vaguely like cosmic growl by DJVI

- a bunch of MLP characters appeared for some reason (not even just the mane 6, i’m pretty sure trixie and a bunch of other guys were there too)

[nebulaleaf]

I’m surprised u thought the dlc sucked ass— can u elaborate on why? It def has its flaws but I thought it was pretty fun so I’m interested to hear what you think

its 32 dollars and my total playtime was 3:59:00. my brother in christ that is INSANE. HALF OF THAT WAS CREDITS AND POST CREDITS SCENES ESSENTIALLY

listen the new characters were fun. thw new ost bopped. but this was a cardboard sandwich of content. i chuckled a few times but the mc picks vs. the new character npcs just... DO NOT MESH! ITS BORING! AKECHI HAS NOTHING TO SAY ON ANYTHING (except bickering with joker at times) AND KASUMI IS JUST... YIPEE WE'LL HELP! and OH NO. I ALSO MISS MY SISTER :((( SO WE'LL HELP! there is no sustinence here i genuinely feel bad for akechi fans and kasumi fans. imagine being starving and they serve you a single pea. like yes thank you that is food but also; 32 DOLLARS TO FIGHT A REHASH OF THE FINAL BOSS I ALREADY JUST FOUGHT, BUT WORSE. now. okay mechanically the boss was fun. i enjoyed it nothing to write home about but its no okumura and thats good. the music was super lacklustre and lame. AND MY GOD. I WAS SOOOO EXCITED TO SEE HER GOD DESIGN AND ITS JUST. SALMAEL BUT WORSE. AND I KNOW SHES SUPPOSED TO BE HIS FOLLOWER BUT UM. LMAO? THIS IS *EXTRA PAID CONTENT* YOU JUST REMOVED THE CLOTHING LAYER OF SALMAEL'S MODEL AND STUCK A BIRD ONTO IT. it just feels lazy this dlc is lazy. theres enjoyment to be had about it for sure; but after how good p5t was im just sitting there like. this should be free its a ripoff

[icharchivist]

Okay, so maybe I'm insane, but you could argue the different ending images from Rising tell a story

You can play standard Arcade mode, which is seven rounds you have to beat consecutively. Six random opponent + Beelzebub as the final boss. But these new images are unlocked (apparently) by beating six random opponents with a special finisher, then facing Avatar Belial as your boss and then Lucilius. That's the "true" ending. You could even argue it's alluded to because the coloring of the Versus artworks looks a bit washed out, while the coloring on the new art is super crisp

My point is made especially by the WMTSB gang's pictures, but you could argue that in the old ending, Percy is reading by himself but his true ending is looking pretty while going on a horseback ride. Presumably with someone, likely the MC. The world is saved now, time to enjoy it with his precious person

Or Lancelot was having a lunch date with Vane, but his true ending is him training while the other Dragon Knights look on. He's preparing himself for new challenges, now that he's overcome Lucilius.

I haven't seen all of them yet, obviously

Anyway, the most important ones for my theory

Beelzebub's old art had him posing while Lucilius was in the background, his back turned. The unattainable specter of the rival he's trying to overcome is still haunting Beelzebub. Meanwhile, in the new ending that is achieved by beating Lucilius, Bubs is having a relaxing bath in wine. He's overcome his rival and is now able to move on.

Belial, in the old one, was taking a bath and being sexy. Basically killing time like he had for 2000 years, waiting for Lucilius to return to him. Now that Lucilius is back and Belial has passed his performance review, he

1) either asked him out on a date finally and got predictably stood up

2) or realized Lucilius isn't all that and is finally ready to move in with someone else and that's who he's on that date with

That depends on how delusional you are or which you'd prefer for him, ig

Avatar Belial is much the same, lounging around and enjoying his power in the old one, eating an apple, something symbolic of Lucilius and his connection to him, as Lucilius loves apples and it plays into the whole forbidden fruit of knowledge and all that. Meanwhile, Avatar Belial is still very much flexing in the new one, surrounded by what looks like six skulls. The six random opponents he faced, as Avatar Belial's victory screen has him murder his opponent. Now he's either waiting for new orders from Lucilius, more blood and skulls to add to his collection, or he killed him too and is getting ready to destroy the world by himself

Anyway, that's my theory

Either way, they're all genuinely nice artworks showing the characters being themselves and having a good time

Oooh that makes a lot of sense actually

i do think the idea that the first ending showcase where they are when they achieved some big feat but didn't finish it yet VS the last ending being how they decide to rest AFTEr beating Lucilius is probably the assumption yeah, which does lead to a lot of theories on why they decide to relax one way or another, obviously

but i think you're nailing it in term of Bubs and Belial. Both of them wanted and waited for Lucilius, so their behaviors went from yearning from him to actually enjoying themselves now that Lucilius is there.

it's a pretty good reading imo and i have nothing to add! it's so nice!!!

i love those arts so much