[ Creators ]

Chapter 21

When Straus, Koto, and Red arrive back to their Space, they're met with a dreadful sight. Koto steps through the portal, "Ok, what's going o- What is this?!" A pale-green aura surrounds the World Orb containing DreamWorld, it looks infectious by nature and seeps into the air surrounding it. Without hesitation, Koto tries to hold the orb in their hands, but it's hot to the touch and immediately burns her. "OW-!", she drops the orb, "grr- who could've done this!?" The realization hits Red, "Oh no...That's..."

Koto applies healing magic to her hand, "That's what?"

"It's Synthis' magic..."

"Synthis?"

"He's Jupiter's merc...He's putting this World under quarantine for 'purification'..."

"No- no no no no! He can't do that!!"

"These people are the rulers of our society. Their way is law...they're after us because we seek to go against that."

"We've got to stop them though.", Straus says in a determined tone. "I'll help too", adds Red, "...This is Jupiter's best mercenary we're dealing with." Koto summons a portal to DreamWorld, "...I'll lead the charge...This is my World, I have to protect it!" Straus and Red nod in agreement.

Koto summons her knife, "Let's go."

When the gang appears in DreamWorld, they see everything with a green tint over it and glitching. Koto stands speechless, her work, her dream, it lay before her broken. Synthis is standing amongst it all until he spots the trio, "Hello, children and...Red...glad to see you're still standing. After what Venus did, I figured you would have keeled over by now, but I guess impurities still linger to life..."

Koto points her knife at Synthis, "Bring my World back to the way it was and leave."

"That would be against the will of Jupiter. Insubordination towards her will not be tolerated...I would think twice before going against her."

"I've never known of such a will, so why follow it now!?"

Red steps forward, "Leave her World out of this! It's me you want, and I know SHE'S watching!" Straus glances her way, "Wait- she can see us through him?" Indeed, she could, Jupiter watches all of this unfold from her castle, "Insolent children...Synthis, dispose of the cosmic and the boy posthaste." Synthis summons his weapon. "(Understood, your highness. Commencing.)" He charges forward and swings his weapon, launching the trio back and making them tumble over. Koto picks herself up, "GRR- OK. First off, OW? Second off-!", with a flash, she activates Illuminer, "It seems you've left us no other option than to take you down!!" Straus stands up and brushes himself off, "High gear it is then!", upon activating Paranormatrix, his eyes flash with bright indigo magic as he charges a beam from his mouth and fires it point-blank at Synthis. "What the- MMF-!", Synthis blocks the beam with his weapon, making it launch into the sky as it pushes him back, "(What was that just now-?? Did he just fire a laser from his mouth?)" Red stands flabbergasted, "(They have beasts...?)" Frankly, everyone was surprised at this attack, Straus even shocked himself. "Ahem-", Koto breaks the silence, "Yeah-! Um- Leave my World now-! Or- er- there's more where that came from??" Synthis steadies himself, "You two seem special...pity that Jupiter demands you both be dealt with. As for you, Red, Jupiter wants you personally." Red takes a step back out of fear but Straus stands in front of her, "You will not touch her. In fact, you won't be touching anything! You've overstated your touching-...ness..." "Yeah, we'll go with that", says Koto. Jupiter leans back in her throne, "Despite that...display, these two are getting annoying." Synthis tries analyzing the situation, "(Yes. This is pretty bothersome. Plus, it's slowing down the process much more than it needs to-)"

"PUNCH!", without warning, Straus socks Synthis while his guard is down. "Watch your back!", Koto warps behind Synthis and strikes him from behind. "(These two...)", Red thinks to herself, "(Well...no time like the present, right?)" Red conjures a fiery aura in her hand and blows it at Synthis. "Woah!", exclaims Koto, "That's cool- er- hot!"

Synthis staggers, "Hhh...this is embarrassing... (Me, getting bullied by a bunch of kids? How are they this capable of fighting? ...Am I having an off day or something?)" Jupiter calls out to him, "Synthis what in the worlds are you doing?! JUST KILL THEM!" "Mm...!" Synthis grips his weapon and clenches his teeth, "...For the GODDESS!!" Synthis' energy explodes into a raging shockwave that pushes everyone else back. He then dashes between the trio and strikes them all down individually. Koto tumbles over, "Hhh- (Illumi what is this?!)" "(I do not know-!)" calls Illumi, "(He does not have a Beast yet his power skyrocketed as if he had one!") Synthis huffs, "I will not allow children to beat me. Despite how talented you three seem to be", he points his weapon at them, "You're not surviving this day..." As Koto lays on the ground she starts to panic, it's obvious to her that Synthis is something well beyond them. She tries to devise a plan that will allow for everyone to get to safety; she glances at Straus and Red, then back at Synthis. She ponders, and puzzles...

...And she comes to a conclusion that she doesn't like...but to save her Brother, it must be done.

"BARRIER!", a barrier is formed in a small radius around Koto and Synthis. "You two, get outta here!", she gets up, "I can handle this! This world is MINE, I'll protect it even if it kills me!"

Straus doesn't believe it, "Koto-?! What are you doing?!"

"Just get outta here and get far away!"

"No! Don't be silly!"

"Well,", Jupiter grins, "Someone has a death wish." Synthis dashes up to Koto and attacks her.

"GAH-!" Koto holds her side, "BROTHER JUST RUN!!" They slash with reckless abandon at Synthis as Straus watches on in horror, "I'M NOT LEAVING YOU SIS!", he bangs on the barrier. Red calls out, "JUPITER PLEASE STOP THIS. DON'T HURT THEM BECAUSE OF ME!"

Jupiter has lost her patience.

"End it."

"Your day is over, kid." With one swift motion, Synthis takes his weapon and plunges it into Koto's chest.

"Straus...sorry..."

Silence.

Synthis retrieves his weapon and retreats while Straus stands in shock as Paranormatrix deactivates. As Koto collapses to the ground, the barrier, as well as the World itself, begins to break down completely. Koto lays there motionless, Straus rushes to her side and picks her up, holding her close. "Koto...Koto, no...don't-...don't go..." Koto closes her eyes; her body fizzles away into stardust and falls out of Straus' arms, leaving just her scarf. As DreamWorld, Koto's World, fully collapses in on itself, Straus and Red are automatically teleported back into their Space. Straus is still holding his arms out as tears begin to fall from his eyes.

"Straus...", says Red quietly, "I'm...so sorry..."