MLP: Actualization Online

by Slendy

Raid 2 [Castle of Glass]

Behind us was about twelve more players, all awaiting the gemstone bearers to open the doorway, meanwhile, I stood in the middle, my key now resting in my hoof as it continued to hum the colours of the rainbow with a resonating heart beat. To my left, Laxus held a Ruby. Summer held out her Topaz. Bombard held out an Amber. Next, to my right, Yin held onto her Sapphire. Yang stood with a Emerald in hoof. Last was Summer, holding an Amethyst.

"Place the gemstones, and key." I called out, before we lightly tapped our Relics to the doors, awaiting the sound to begin the Raid Lair's activation

"Here we go again...." Bombard grumbled to my far left

"Then....whoever did this is out there, and if he finds someone else....shit, we need to move, now."

"Refraction!!!" At the name, the thin, crystal Boss turned towards the gem bearers with a sharp blade pointed in their direction

"Kill...."

Within the moment the word left Harbinger, Internal Refraction moved for the gem bearers, it proving to be faster than the lumbering Raid Boss from the first lair, as spell casters threw magic beams from their horns, and other elemental attacks in its direction to stop it, it was struck without any immunity buff over its health, but this did very little to start the battle, because at the sudden affliction, its body glowed, before it threw its arms to its sides for a moment, burst with red shards of glass, before it continued to stride towards them.

Another wave of spells flew towards the Boss, only for it to raise its arm, and reflect the attacks with a swing, throwing the elemental assault to the walls, and ground, before it raised its left arm, swinging down on the group as the separated, leaving Laxus to duck under its right blade, the sharp arm digging into the ground, before it swung horizontally to its right with the left arm, catching his cheek slightly. Laxus retaliated, bringing his greatsword up with his left hoof, before he swung the blade into the side of Internal Refraction, it didn't even try to block it as it struck, knocking the Boss to the side, its bladed legs digging through the tiled floor to stop itself. Then it bent itself over to look down at him, before Laxus charged again, alongside Bombard, who raised his sword high in his blue magic.

Then the Boss' aura ruptured blue, throwing another shell of blue glass shards to the ground. Laxus then swung down with a massive leap, with Bombard thrusting upwards, his buckler rising to defend his exposed head. When the hits made contact, all parties, even I was stunned to see the attack strike the Boss, shaking the ground, and causing a layer of smoke to rise, but the Boss' health didn't move an inch, instead it stood with its arms under its pits, both arms glowing dark blue, whist Bombard and Laxus' swords still touched the Boss' armour.

"Oh shit!" Bombard cursed, before they were both struck with a wave of sharp glass, knocking them flying back, allowing the rest of the supporters to defend the two as they healed, as more magical attacks struck Internal Refraction, damaging it again as it strode towards me, Rain, Klaw, and Silver. Then once more, its body shredded another rain of glass, and all attacks with magic did nothing to faze its charge

"Its got the ability to adapt to damage it takes, hit it with everything we got before it can do it again!" I called out, just as Rain took flight somewhere, leaving me, Silver, and Klaw to face it, just as we watched it right arm glow a bright crimson. "Rage Spike!"

Its form soon rushed our way, as Klaw stepped towards its attack, swinging his buster sword out, holding a hand to the face of the blade, just as he bit his lip at the massive force striking the blade, causing it to ring at the contact with metal, before he pushed back, grabbing it with both hands, before he swung to Internal Refraction's side, stunning it, before he swung it up, and brought it down on its left shoulder, before he spun the blade like a corkscrew, before thrusting the blade into its chest.

I took the next leap, striking its back vertically, then I spun intersecting the line horizontally, before my blade glowed a bright blue, as Silver used one of his auras on me first, coating me body in a green aura of flames, as my blade gained another layer of colour, as I looked briefly to see the shining sword symbol above my health, 'Gaia's Wish', my next strike will be twice as strong. Perfect!

I pierced Internal Refraction's armour, causing it to stumble from trying to adapt, then I spun upside-down, swinging my blade from left to right, then right to left, then I spun right-side-up, swinging my sword vertically down, the vertically up, before I spun around clockwise, slicing across its spine in a horizontal arc twice left, then right. The green aura dissipated at this point, burning across the wounds in its back, before it finally shredded its armour, firing green fragments into my face, blinding me, and cutting me slightly, but we did it, it lost a good piece of its health with the combo. What I didn't see coming was the sharp leg to puncture my chest, throwing me flying in pain, debuffing me with 'defence down' as I tumbled into the hooves of Summer, as she began to use a healing spell on me quickly.

But I wasn't paying attention to that, my eyes were glued to the magical attacks striking the Boss, just as it shredded another coat of purple fragments, before Klaw swung his blade down, only for it to slide across the blade of Internal Refraction, as it used its left arm to slice Klaw's arm, before it split into fingers, grabbing his neck, before I lifted him off his feet, throwing him, before it crossed its arms, releasing them when they came eye-level with each other, a massive blue 'X' splitting Klaw's health in two, and throwing him away with his buster sword.

"Do it now!" We all heard Klaw call to us, and just then, something struck from below Internal Refraction, as the shadowy hoof connected with its face, knocking it back, before Rain appeared from the shadows below the Boss, as she spun round in the air, her back leg striking the side of its head, then she turned upright to give it a left cross, causing the Boss to stumble into a group of players, all swinging down on the Boss, stabbing, slicing, thrusting, chipping its health piece by piece, then it erupted again, throwing them back with small amounts of damage, but that was what put a smile on my face, seeing Rain directly before the Boss, placing her hooves directing on its chest, before they hummed a dark purple.

All was blinded as the beam of concentrated purple and red struck the Boss' chest, reflecting the beam across the arena like a light show, one nearly hitting Harbinger above, but it mere phased right through his body as he too smiled in surprise at the action. The beam threw the Boss backwards, just as it flipped onto its legs again, slipping through one of the mirrors on the wall, vanishing into the fixture.

"Where'd it go?" Summer asked from behind me, just then, I looked to see one of the mirrors shimmer, then I pointed at it

"In the mirror, run!" I cried out, but it was too late, Internal Refraction appeared behind a player, swiping its left arm down to block a sword swing from Silver, before it pointed the blade up suddenly, knocking Silver back, before the player turned to strike the boss with his spear, only to see the Boss tilt its head slowly, and....he dropped the spear? "What the-Get out of there, hurry!"

He didn't respond, instead the look of terror covered his face, as if he was staring into the eyes of Death himself, as he began to tremble, then, the Boss' arms pulled back slowly, still staring down into the soul of the player. Silver tried to attack with a sword skill, but it was already immune, and he soon recoiled in pain from the failed strike, then, we were silent. The player snapped out of his trance, only to silently cry at the arm sunk through his chest, followed by another, then another thrust, before Internal Refraction threw him to the ground roughly, repetitively stabbing the player, before lifting him atop his bladed arms, before the player screamed, as his body was....was torn in two, and thrown to the sides of the Boss like paper.

"N-no....!" Summer cried, covering her face, as I only bit my tongue, hearing the cries of laughter above my head only fueled my rage, my hoof shaking around my blade, he was dead....an innocent player was murdered in front of millions like a game to Harbinger, hell, the bastard was clapping

"T-That was priceless~! Di-Did you hear him beg, ahahahahahaha!"

I was still being healed and held at bay in Summer's hooves, so I became a spectator for the next assault over the death that had befallen us. Nox swiped violently towards the air Internal Refraction once stood, his body a breeze within the wind. Nox ran with hardened malice, following Internal Refraction who ran across the ceiling with its pointed legs. Upon its rotation, Refraction was met with a resounding crack of claws striking through its head, shards of glass flying off in the process, followed by two left crosses and a downward spiral kick, Ambulas had snuck up without it knowing managed to knock it back down to the earth. Grounded, Ambulas flapped his wings to avoid its lumbering, yet lightning quick swipes, followed by Refraction holding its arms high above where Nox stood, so without a glint of hesitation, she spun her naginata around to defend herself, the aura around her weapon growing in saturation and thickness.

It roared, both arms crashing hard against the tiles and weapon, with Nox wincing at the strain it managed to put on her aura, this blocked strike had thrown a blast of concussive air and magic across the arena. Thankfully, Silver had came running into the fray, spinning his body to slice two horizontal lines through Refraction's form, causing its persistent assault to cease, and its body shattering again, so the two retreated, speaking to each other.

"Take it down you two!" Nox barked to the flying Klaw and Ambulas, the latter not making a single word, yet when I met his gaze, something made a chill run up my spine, that guy was seriously creepy

Klaw's cheeks had puffed themselves out again, and I watched the lime green aura surround Ambulas' horn, firing a veil around Refraction, resulting in a 'slowness' and 'weakness' debuff. That, combined with the torrent of flames that had licked the air with a fierce glow and heat, and the health of Refraction fell by a good portion. Whist the waves of fire continued to eat away at the tiles and Boss, something struck Ambulas out of the air, a large, red gash across his body when he crashed to the ground a few feet away, followed only by a set of glass claws clasping the maw of Klaw shut. Its armour shattered again, the fires dispersed in the process like water to their might.

Now in his grasp, I felt my being shake with something new, I wasn't going to let someone die, not again, but this feeling was different, as if the thought of Klaw dying would be the end of what I knew of him, everything he's done for me and others. My....friend....was going to die, and that thought, this lingering ghost of a image struck me with more fear, and rage than I've felt in years.

"You....you....bastard!!!" I screamed, flying out of Summer's hold as I felt my rage boil over, my wings pushing faster and faster as I saw its armour shatter again to someone striking it with a magic bombardment, I think I broke a tooth from grinding my teeth at this point, just as I came within arms length of the Boss, my blade a menacing violet hue. "Dragon.Cry." It replied by throwing Klaw away, perfect

The first hit was a horizontal swing from left to right, immediately followed by an uppercut, then I flew over its swiping glass strike, and slashed the Boss from left to right while spinning, twice. I then landed, facing the Boss and slashing an 'X' from top to bottom, before inversely slashing the 'X' again from bottom to top. I quickly leapt at the Boss and made two diagonal slashes from the same starting point, with Parting Glass heading from top to bottom to the left, before switching to go from bottom to top toward the right. I wasn't done yet!

Afterwards, I reversed my grip on Part Glass, slashing another 'X' with my sword from top to bottom. Its arm slashed my side, but I quickly barrel-rolled, while slashing at the Boss's chest like a corkscrew. I followed by slashing another two 'X's' into its defending arms, first from top to bottom and then bottom to top. Breaking its guard, I made a diagonal slash with my sword from the top-right to bottom-left, then spun left and used this momentum to deal a horizontal right to left slash with my blade. Gaining the speed advantage buff from this skill, I made an uppercut with the sword; then another coming downwards, before I inverted my grip to slash upwards again, then a downward diagonal slash towards the right with Parting Glass, spinning and repeating the previous attack, before thrusting my blade through its left leg, I cried out, feeling its arm strike my left arm, but I quickly finished the skill with a final, forceful downward lunge with Parting Glass.

"Holy...." Seraph breathed in the background

"Shit...." Rain spoke from my left

"Excalmation mark!" Thanks for the input, Yin, I needed that....I was now hunched over in pain, seeing my health in the yellow, whist Internal slowly moved back to its feet, its first bar gone, and even its left arm was shatter on the ground before me, I could still see the boiling heat leaving my blade with the remaining energy, then I watched as everyone screamed out, all ganging up on the now defenseless Boss, its immunity being wailed on from all sides, with its second bar slowly depleting

"Dragon Cry....the twenty seven hit combo skill, and one of the most powerful One-Handed moves at our level or even at levels higher than us." Laxus broke down for the others, as Summer worked on healing me, whist Silver added a few buffs to my body to help me recover. "It seems we are on the verge of victory."

"Oh yes, please cheer for the man who somehow gained a skill like 'THAT'!" We turned our heads to the cameras, and Harbinger, who was still smiling sickly at us, something wasn't right about that smile he gave me, it was chilling. "Tell me....what happens now, boy?"

!!!!

"GET AWAY NOW!" Laxus called to the groups, but it was far too late. A massive rupture occurred, and every player was thrown back, the shards of red raining around us all, turning the whole area's lights slightly red with blood, whist we stared at the player strung from Internal Refraction's massive, scythe-like claws, no longer two long shards of glass, but five massive fingers of glass, as its chest seemed to expand, parts of its armour stretching, and turning blackish-purple, with blade sticking from a skirt around its waist, before it head molted into a large pane of glass, almost like Zer0's helmet, its core was now an exposed red orb among its broad chest

"We activated Phase Two." Pinkie shakily whispered to my right, pulling me to my feet. Then, the Boss threw the body aside, the player turning to a stream of colours before our eyes, then it flickered, five panes of glass began to circle its body as it made it approach, becoming far faster than before

Laxus moved ahead, defending with his greatsword, whist Silver ran for him, just as Internal Refraction could bring its claws down on Laxus, Silver leapt in, shoving Laxus aside, before the claws phased through the glass panes, striking Silver's side, throwing him away from us, and towards a group of players, leaving me to grab Parting Glass, as I swung it from right to left, blocking a strike from its left claw, before it drove its right into the tiled floor in front of me, then it quickly followed with the left claw, swiping it over my mane closely, then I watched as the red magic aura enclosed my sword, dragging me away to Summer's side.

We then watched as Nox recoiled from trying to strike the glass panes, her attack bouncing right off the glass, before Internal Refraction leapt into a mirror, vanishing into the fixture to another location. Now I needed to think, this Boss was on the verge of slaughtering us, and the healers can't keep their job up forever, just as Summer. Lets see, when he shattered its arms, they became claws, and it always used them to defend itself unless it jumped into a mirror....that must connected....

"White, are you ok!?" I looked up to see Rain looking down on me, whist Bombard joined her side, pulling me up to my hooves with his magic, whist he kept his buckler high in his magic, his eyes focusing around us. Then it appeared again, with it striking Klaw's armour, and kicking out to its right to block Yin, whist Yang, flew down, striking another pane of glass with her hoof, but she was thrown into Yin. "How do we beat 'that'?"

"You don't." Our heads turned back to our commentator, who watched each camera with glee written on his face. "I reconfigured each Boss with the sole purpose to be unbeatable, sadly, the Control Core Gamma made that impossible, so I opted to just making each Boss incredibly difficult to defeat, even now its slaughter you like the cattle you are, and I get to broadcast this to the whole world!" Then he grinned wildly with his sharp teeth. "So I win!"

"How about you be like any other spectator and fuck off back to the stands!?" Bombard spat, making Harbinger chuckle, vanishing into the dark ceiling above us. "Bloody sociopath! I'd like to beat him with a mirror when I get the chance, make him stare at his own reflection as he dies!"

"That's stupid." Rain bluntly pointed out, making Bombard cross his hooves in protest

"Wait.....reflection...." I murmured to myself, then, my eyes sparked with a lightbulb again. I had it! "I know how to win!"

"We're listening." Summer calmly replied with hope in her face, whist I yelled for every player to hear me, I needed to say this now, since Internal Refraction was turning his attention this way, its claws clipping against each other

"Everyone, look for a mirror with the Boss' reflection! If you find one that looks different, call it out!" I ordered them, seeing the groups all fan out, whist my group broke apart, avoiding the claws that sunk into the floor before us, throwing tiles across the room from the Boss' arrival, so I grabbed a tile, and threw it back at the glass panes, catching the Boss' attention, and directing its anger onto me

"HEY, THIS ONE DOESN'T HAVE THOSE MIRRORS!" We looked to see the Therstral from my team back in the maze, her wing pointed at the fixture, so I grabbed another tile, before I spun in the air, winging my idea across the room, seeing the Boss free at the sight, seeing the tile fly past the girl, and striking the mirror, as the cracks formed in an instant, and within the next, the mirror shattered this time, raining glass to the floor below

"No!" I smiled at Harbinger's protest, seeing the glass wards flicker out of existence, exposing the Boss once more. With that moment to finally strike back, I quickly opened my menu, then I entered my inventory to look at my equipment, then I quickly placed Heat of Everfree on my right hip, a grin matching my beating heart, just as Yin and Yang flew towards me, along with Klaw

"Take. Him. Down!"
"Take. Him. Down!"
"Take. Him. Down!"
"Take. Him. Down!"

First I flanked Refraction's left, ducking under a claw, my blades trailing a blade of emerald green behind me, whist Klaw flew in behind me, his cheeks puffed out again with a wink, so I pressed my back legs behind me, pointing my blades to my left.

I spun my body clockwise, both blades striking diagonally from my left to right, as I broke out of my spin once I passed the Boss' side, as the flames burned its left side. Next was Yin and Yang, with Yin's cutlasses turning blue, and Yang's longsword turning red. Both calling out their moves in tangent with each other, both flying backwards to avoid its AOE strikes, Yang, striking from the left, and Yin from the right.

Yin flew to Refraction's right, she slashed from her top left, traveling down to the right with her left blade, before going from that point with her right blade from bottom to top, then with that same blade she struck from right to left diagonally, before switching to her left, and striking up from left to right to a point, then downwards from top middle to bottom right. Then she spun, crossing a horizontal line through its arm, creating a perfect star shape.

Yang was in tangent with Yin, thrusting her blade top right, top left, bottom right, bottom left, then a final, forceful thrust in the center, causing an explosion of red, mixed with the eruption of blue on Yin's side. Both forces consuming the Boss in a cloud of purple. Its health dropping into the final bar. Then, I we all saw the flash of black within the cloud. Reality seemed to freeze in a shade of black and white, our mind fixated on the flash.

"Is this an Ulti-AGH!"

*Shiiiiing-Shiiiiing-Shiiiiing-Shiiiiing*

The cloud was blown away, as I hung in the air with a massive glass blade through my left shoulder, Yin was pinned by on through her right hoof, with Yang slashed across her left side, whist Klaw stood motionless, sating at his left hand which was pierced with a glass shard too. It was one of the most powerful attacks in the game, and Ultimate. No information on how you obtain one was available at the time, nor how many there were or if Boss' could use them. Well, one question was answered.

"Hehehehe, this one is a defensive Ultimate! It strikes out with massive blade of glass to defend the host, if there were twenty people attacking, then twenty blades will spear them to the ground or wall, and you have about three more seconds to suffer, lets see you crawl out of this one, swine!" Harbinger grinned, as my health dropped into the red, with the others in amber.....I was going to die!

*Shatter*

I fell to the tiled floor again, clutching my shoulder in agony as my health ceased its drop, with the others all kneeling in pain, with Yin holding Yang tightly, and Klaw was clutching his hand. We were all paralyzed, so we could only stare at the sight of its head twitching to its left, the glass wards appearing again when it turned to.....no.....no-no-no-no.

"Find....Gah....the mirror, hurry!" I begged, trying to find some way of cancelling the paralysis, her wide eyes fixated on Rain, who was caught in the Boss' gaze, its arms stretched out to its sides, as it continued to leer at Rain, her actions becoming frozen, her eyes wide with terror, as she seemed to whimper at something she saw

"Find the mirror before it reaches her!" Laxus yelled, with everyone running to the far corners of the room to find the mirror without the wards, but no one had spoken up yet. Refraction was now standing above her, its right arm rising slowly, whist my breathing ceased to be

"NO!!!"

"YES!!!"

*Shiiiiing-Thud*

"Wake up you dumbass!" I didn't even say a word, in fact, no one did, even with out paralysis gone, Rain stood there, shot out of her trance as Bombard laid on the ground next to her, five red slashes across his chest, his buckler shattering on the ground beside him, whist his health dropped instantly into the red, leaving him paralyzed too by the claws, but he just saved Rain, a person he once despised.....Yin was right

"N-No, why did you....?" Rain was completely star-struck, but then I stared directly at the face of Refraction, it sensing my approach when it turned, its face now tilted in my direction, causing my own hooves to cease their charge, my blade dropping from my grasp.....why couldn't I move? Why was I so afraid?

I continued to stare into its face, my worst fear conjured in its place, all other sounds seemed to drone out, all muffled, disconnected among echoes, my eyes only stared back at myself, a perfect mirror of me standing there, a frown embedded on his muzzle.

"You nothing.....how long until the figure out what you are? A man.....a lab rat among reality, clinging to life since you were only five.....you're nothing to the world out this one, a false reality to save your mind, without it, without this power, you are merely a waste of matter...." My inner thoughts were completely clouded now, I felt myself beginning to back away in fear, my heart was beating faster, my own breathing was becoming ragged under the weight of my own words. "You are all alone."

". . . ." Its arm rose above me, overshadowing my form with ease. I couldn't move, I didn't want to, no muscle twitched at the mere sight of Death, holding that red thread over his scythe, waiting

My eyes instantly flashed with purple under my glasses, as I fell back, the claws sinking into the ground in pain, as the side of Internal Refraction's face crumbled from the shockwave of both shadows, and fire, the crackling burst of magic brought my strength back to reality, the distant cheers of the other players rallying around me. Yet my eyes traveled up past the swishing, purple tail, black wings flared, as Rain's eyes burned with anger, tears stinging her eyes with gleam.

In her hoof was a long, white Bo Staff, gold trimming the two ends, with gold locked between several joins of the staff, as she spun the staff around in her hoof, pointing the amethyst face directly at the Boss, its body still lumbering to its feet, just as it shredded another coat, now immune to kinetic as it rose. But I saw the staff in her hoof glow a venomous green, her eyes ablaze with untold fury, I won't lie, it was rather hot. Before us though, Internal Refraction shattered its arms and face, now, its head had five spikes fanning out, with three of the horns pointing up, and the others to his sides, it chin still pointy. Its arms had massive blades attached to the gauntlets, whist its claws became smaller. Phase Three.

Rain wasn't going to allow it time to vanish into another mirror, as it stumbled back to see her staff shattering the frame before it could escape, it seems that if it goes for a mirror, that pane becomes breakable. Now out of luck, Rain swung at its feet, which kicked out to block her left strike, followed by a kick and Bo Staff connecting to the right, followed closely by a low swipe with its new bladed arms, but Rain leapt atop the blade, before she struck it across the face with the Bo Staff, knocking it back, before Rain was battered off its arm by another ward of glass. But Refraction recoiled in shock, to see that its wards were gone.

"Thanks for the advice, Glass Face!" Yin bowed, kicking another mirror on the wall, with her sister neutrally striking one with her longsword

"Now we can stop you greatest defence. Thank you." Yang bowed

"You'd think they were immune unless otherwise, that was ignorance on our part." Klaw added, swiping five more with his buster sword. Then Rain came crashing into Refraction, knocking it backwards, her body now blazing with purple flames, as she scowled at its sight

"You think I'm weak? This is what happens when you mock people who are, because I'm proud I'm weaker than you, because it makes it far sweeter when I become strong enough to crush you!" Rain was proving her worth before the Boss, and I couldn't stop smiling, opting to heal myself for that moment, before I picked Parting Glass off the floor. "Don't 'EVER' hurt my best friend!"

Rain's body morphed into an arrow of shadows, her blue eyes turning into blades of light as she shot past Refraction, before recoiling back like lightning, striking through its spine, and out its stomach, before bouncing back from the floor, and striking through its chest again, then she looped around its left, just as it raising a blade to slice her in two, only for the two forces to clash, ending in Rain shattering its entire arm, before she sliced two of its horns off its skull, as she slid across the ground, returning to normal. I took my chance to strike it now weakened state.

My blades turned emerald again, as I spun across its back, sliding under it right arm as it tried to hit me, leaving behind two poisonous marks on its back diagonally. Then Yin and Yang flew over my head, both spinning together to axe-kick the top of the Boss' head, before I flew back, the two of the parting the middle as I spun like a buzz saw, blocking its downward AOE with its arm, knocking us both back from the parry. Just as two large figure ran by the three of us.

Refraction burst with another coat, now immune to our Sword Skills, as I raised its arm high, a green glow embodying the blade, it was about to channel 'Sacred Calibur'! I grinned smugly though, seeing Laxus swing up from the right, using his magic to forcefully under-cut the greatsword through the Boss' arm, whist Klaw spun down from above, before he drove his buster sword through the top of the elbow, the arm completely shattering into three pieces from the shockwave, throwing all of them back.

Refraction dug its bladed legs into the tiles, stopped just before the smug Seraph, who imbued her horn with magic, just as the Boss smashed its leg down atop her body in the moment it went agro on her, but its leg simply fazed through her illusion, with Seraph jumping back with a laugh, clapping her hooves in joy.

"Give 'em hell, nerd!" Will do! It turned just in time to see me flying down, my left sword glowing bright blue with a downward lunge, as I dug the sword through its exposed red core, before I spun, my right blade glowing blue too as I crossed a horizontal arc through its core, before I turned around, dragging Heart in my left hoof upwards through the core, before I thrusted down with an inverted grip with the left again. Then I hovered back, before thrusting into the core with my right, a blast of blue light throwing the Boss into the direction of Rain, her body still ignited with purple flames

Yet a golden hue had embraced Rain, and to my right, Bombard had lowered his hoof away from her, a spell flickering out within his hoof.

Most players just gasped at the sight, as my eyes widened with a manic laugh, the red hue of the arena was now basked in a purple glow, infecting the lights with its massive size. Rain's Bo Staff was now a massive, purple scythe of magic, as she swung it down with a victorious scream, first slicing through the Boss' mid section, the blade phasing through all of us, before she flipped it round, bringing it down through the middle of the Boss' skull, spiting its body down the middle completely within a flash, shattering half the floor with the impact of a comet, then, the arena turned back to its original lighting, no red hue in sight. Rain now hunched over, sweating profusely from the final strike.

Internal Refraction stood still for a moment, before its body spazzed, crashing to its knees, as its body broke apart into four large chunks, then the rest all crumbled into a pile of grey crystals, a massive stream of blues, whites, reds, yellows, greens, and purples leaving the shards that remained, before the room went silent for a mere few seconds.

The whole crowd was up in roars of cheers, all happily breathing in a sweet taste of victory over the SECOND Raid Lair, meaning we had only Four left to take down across the lands of Equestria, it may seem far, but the fact we defeated the second Boss was proof that it was possible to beat this game and free ourselves. Whist the crowd cheered, I watched from below, seeing Harbinger cast the broadcasting circles away, before he grinned, floating above us in waiting, but for what? Meanwhile, screens appeared for me to cast my attention to.

"Well-Well-Well, seems you all managed to pull through in the end, quite surprised actually, given the nature of this Boss, guess i'm back to the drawing board." Harbinger sighed, shaking his head with his hands raised in a clueless manner of defeat, before he stepped upon the tile floor of the arena, then pointed a finger at Rain. "You, however, reeeeeally scared me with that move of yours, didn't think a kind soul like yours had that much ferocity!"

I only looked to my side to see Rain grinding her teeth at him, baring a fang, before he raised his hands defensively, his massive grin still bare.

"Hey now, I only call what I see, but now that my job here's complete, I look forward to our next chat, congratulations to you all, expect those who were too weak to even survive their own teammates turning on them." With his message sent, he vanished at a click of his fingers, causing the room to grow cold. What did he mean by that?

"The players....the ones me, and Bombard were with, they were.....killed, by someone here." Rain slowly shook out, causing everyone to begin mumbling to each other, all giving each other odd looks, even I was skeptical of some players, of course, that meant only the players we got for the raid, the others I could trust to an extent

"Hey now, don't start this, I nearly had someone kill me because I starting being suspicious!" Bombard barked at the dishonest crowd, before he shook his head, looking our way to see Rain smiling simply at him. "Great, now I sound like, you."

"Now.....that we can't have happening, can we?"

*Shiiiiing*

As if the world turned red, our bodies gone pale at the sight, we all could only freeze in despair, Bombard looking down at the jagged blade through his heart, before his health bar dropped, vanishing from the face of reality, his body falling to the cold ground like a sack, his body hitting the floor resonated to everyone, with the black body standing behind him, smiling as he relinquished the blade from Bombard's body. His last look of despair glancing at all of us, as he dryly moved his mouth.

"....bastard....."

*Shatter*

"n-no....no-no-no-no...." Rain was horrified

"NO!" I quickly snapped my head to Yin, who was trying to run for the traitor, with Seraph and Yang holding her back as she tried desperately to lunge at the player, her face built with sadness, and rage

"Please stop!" Pinkie cried, holding Yin's tail tightly in her teeth, her bubbly hair deflated entirely

"Stop, don't do something stupid!" Seraph calmed Yin, holding onto her wings tightly, with Yang hugging her sister, tears in her eyes over the loss of their friend. I could believe it myself, I didn't like the guy, but he saved Rain, he protected all of us through this Raid, and the first, and now when he tried to keep us from falling apart, he was just.....murdered.....by!

"I don't see the problem, all I did was hand the key to defeating Harbinger to someone of....better use, seeing as the key was the one to cast that buff as I had noticed previously, so I merely struck down the weakest link." Ambulas stated calmly, rubbing the spot where Bombard once stood smugly. "Of course - ....wait....where is the key?"

"How could you!? He did nothing wrong and you killed him!?" Rain cried, grasping her Bo Staff shakily, but resting in her left hoof.....an Amber gem. I held her back with a weak hoof, holding onto her hoof gently as she looked to me with tears streaming down her face

"You know, he gave you the gem by throwing it into a trade menu with you, just before I caught up, I saw you two trading items, but at the last second, he threw a small item into the trade window." I explained with a sympathetic voice. "He must have known someone who target him for his gemstone, so when he casted the buff, the system followed where his gemstone was, that being Rain's inventory. The fact that I didn't realize who you were only makes this hollow pit in my stomach turn, and I bloody hate it..... this is something you would do, right, Mors?"

I saw the changeling's eye twitch at the name, as he threw his grey gemstone across the floor in distaste, grasping his blade in his magic, but he ultimately relaxed, a smile tugging his muzzle like some love-stick puppy.

"And how is it that you know me, White? Does our friendship run so deep that you remember a nobody like me?" Was he really that sad? I barely remembered his ass, being that the last time I saw him was last year. "Or did a little bird tell you my name?"

"No, just that this sadistic way of thinking is what got you booted from Relic Hunters, along with almost every other game in the Digiverse, you have a style that no one likes, and to use your sick games here.....like a fucking joke! It only makes me wonder how I haven't pulled you throat out!" I snarled, trying my damn-well best to keep calm, he always used this against others, their rage to fuel his plans

"Aww, is the little lab rat feeling angry? Well, my plans ain't done yet, you'll see just how weak you truly are in this world, in 'MY' world, I'll make you pay for what you did, not just to me, I'll take that key from your broken hooves." He growled, before his gaze fell to Rain, who seemed to hold onto my hoof tighter at his stare, before he licked his lips with a forked-tongue. "I might just keep 'her' though...."

"Lay a hand on her and we'll break your legs!" Nox dared, pointing her halberd at his body, with every other player raising their weapons in defiance, so he frowned, grabbing a teleport rune from his scarf, before he held it up with a smile

"You have such colorful friends, White, and you call me a sociopath? Hardly, I'm just doing what no one has the guts to pull off, so sorry if that doesn't fit your bill!" Ambulas spat at me, but I just holding back, feeling Rain's hoof hold me over the mixture of emotions raging in her heart right now, me attacking wasn't going to help anyone, so I kept calm. "Well, this was certainly a great time, but I must bid you all adieu. But White, do realize you're not the hero of this story, the sooner you realize your place, the safer you'll be."

"A cowards way out/Pathetic move/For a pathetic weakling." Silver huffed, leaving Ambulas to simple chuckle, calling out the name of his teleport, if I only knew, I might have gone to stop him sooner, I could have connected the dots myself, I might have saved Bombard from his demise. But all I did was watch him die, and his murderer escape with a few final words of triumph

"Stop him, quick!" Laxus ordered

"You traitor...." Summer shallowly added, glaring at the Changeling with a sadistic smile

"Teleport....Phantom Guild." He was gone.....before we even had a moment to move. We may have beaten the Raid.....but at the cost of so many lives

To Be Continued....

Update

Party:
Purplrain - lvl 33 [Stealth class]
(You) White Hat - lvl 34 [Offensive class]
Seraph - lvl 33 [Support class]
Pinkie Pie - lvl 33 [Defensive class]

Current Level: 34
Magic: Sky/Air Magic
Items: Reflective Gauntlets
Reflective Cloak
Hollow Fragment (Long Sword)
2085 Bits
2000 EXP

New Skills

[Dual Edge - Starburst] - Etched a star into your enemy with deadly force (Dual weapons)
[Dual Edge - Serpent Style] - Two quick perpendicular slashes (Dual weapons)

[Sword Skill - Dragon Cry] - A 27 combo with spins, thrusts and slashes at high speeds, grants speed buff, and attack buff (1H Sword)
[Sword Skill - 5-point Steel] - 5 lightning flash thrusts, can cause stun (1H Sword)

[Aura - Gaia's Wish] - Bless your team with twice the amount of power in their next skill (Defensive class)

[Umbra Seal - Nightmare Rain] - A concentrated beam of pure shadows
[Umbra Seal - Callus Revenge Counter] - Turn into a shadow bolt to strike your enemies with fear, and bleeding
[Umbra Seal - Death's Iron God Scythe] - Conjure a godly scythe of darkness to decimate an army with perfect aim

[Unity Move - Great Devourer] - Eat away at your enemy's health with poisonous flames

-Critical Phase-
If your health is in the red, the next fatal strike will not kill you (Death gives you a second chance, don't waste it)