It was time.

Dragonsbane's voice rang out from the nowhere, seeming to come from all directions at once.

"I must thank you, Raiden, at last your actions have given me the authority to act."

A burst of light erupted from empty air, a scarlet pillar piercing the clouds. At its center was a single, pitch-black shadow that descended slowly downward, its cape swirling behind it. It landed, and as it stepped forth from the light the changes from its original form became apparent.

Dragonsbane's Raksha arms were gone, or at least covered by the heavy claw-tipped black gauntlets that sheathed up to his elbows. His rune-inlaid pauldrons of bronze had changed too, inky swirls of some dark metal winding their way through the artifacts, twining together and flowing downward into an ebon breastplate. His boots, too had been replaced by metallic greaves of the same black metal as the other artifacts. His katana had thickened and elongated into an unusually large yet elegant single-edged blade, rippling red and orange light too bright to look at directly shining from it. Despite that, there was something odd about the way light struck him, as if he was illuminated solely from within. The illumination from the blade didn't even reflect off of his armor, and his skin glowed with a faint, coppery light.

Yet, these stylistic changes were nothing compared to his eyes. No longer were they pools of darkness, but rather blazing ebony flames that seared all they gazed upon.

"Hmmm, we're still not doing too well," Mauve remarked to herself. "Well, at least Raiden seems more interested in the more powerful and chaotic folks, meaning I'm relatively safe until they're all dead."

Mauve had, of course, overlooked the obvious fact that most team injuries came from their own team members. She had also overlooked the fact that Darth SS's airborne body (sans metal arm) was travelling quite quickly towards her current position.

"Maybe I'll just cast some shielding spells on some folks and then I'll-- HRRRKKKK!!!!!"

That last word, as you may recognize, was the sound a mage makes when being bludgeoned with an aerial-bound Sith Lord traveling at high velocities. Mauve was once more introduced to the floor as the sith knocked her over. Thoroughly irritated, Mauve shoved the armless Darth aside.

"Watch where you're throwing things, dammit!" she snarled at Raiden. Then she realized that what she had just said was probably suicidal, so she decided to shut up and get out of Darth and Raiden's way.

Resurrection is an interesting sensation. Honestly, you haven't lived until you've died and then stopped being dead shortly thereafter. It's really quite exhillerating. That is, until you breathe in for the first time in several minutes, get to your feet, dust yourself off, and look up to see that battle for the fate of all existance that just got you killed in the first place.

Pedro simply watched, dumbfounded at the sight before him. For whatever reason, he usually would have made popcorn, sat down, and watched the show. Now, however, it was different. He was different, and this display was making him feel....

....ashamed?

Yes, that was it. POS had never felt anything like it, and was rather shocked. He stumbled slowly within the temple, unblinking eyes centered mournfully on his allies and the seemingly invincible Raiden. As dramatic a moment as it was, and perhaps worthy of all sorts of Nukie Awards for Best Writer and Best Character, it is perhaps best to note that one should watch where he or she is going when meandering about a battlefield.

"Ow... Hey, watch it!" Mauve cried out in annoyance as the two of them collided, "Eyes on the road, Dress-For-Less!"

Pedro stopped and looked down at the mage, blinking confusedly as he emerged from his trance, then shaking his head and looking back at the carnage. "This isn't right," he muttered, "This isn't going to work. We've got... we've got to stop this.... we have to...."

Mauve stared at the man, raising a brow as she contemplated just how hard the capitalist must have hit his head when Raiden threw him. She prayed silently, hoping that he hadn't damaged the parts of his brain responsible for bowel control. Just as she was about to take him by the arm and pull him to safety, Pedro suddenly snapped back into reality, a scowl crossing his face as he stormed toward the center of the fray.

"...STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!"

Darth got up. He flexed his other arm, and found himself insanely grateful for the detach plate. It kept him brachial artery from spewing blood everywhere. However, Raiden had just disarmed him. No one disarmed him. Except the incredibly huge explosion that took his arm in the first place.

"Honey, go kick his ass."

Darth brushed himself off. Then Darth was gone.

In a feat of bad-assery unheard for the mere mortal, Darth used his fine control of telekinesis to actually grab a hold of individual photons, and direct them away from himself, save those that were going for his pupils. Raiden, however, was smarter than that and zeroed in on the electric impulses from Darth's firing neurons. Darth ramped it up. Darth then grabbed individual chronotons, the particles that made up time.

Then he held them still.

Time froze. Darth quite calmly walked over to where Raiden was. He then stepped behind him, and gave his lightsaber a little spin. He let go of time. And swung. Raiden was bisected nicely, and Darth snapped kicked the legs away from before they rejoined.

"I'm just so fucking tired of this SHIT." growled Darth. His eyes had gone a lovely shade of Sith.

Raiden regenerated and whipped his katana around to Darth. But Darth seemed to instantly transport behind him and lop off his arm, then his legs (again), then just go berzerk on his torso.

"What's the matter little Raiden? Are you upset that you were used? Are you upset that the mortals are executing a coup d'etat? Or, are you just dissapointed that you're faced with the ultimate realization-

Raiden lashed out, with his same cold fury. Darth met every slash with his lightsaber, until the two of them finally locked against one another, the air fleeing their clash. There was grunting on both sides. Then Raiden dropped and swept for Darth's legs. Darth did a backflip that ended with him booting Raiden away.

"-the universe is not order. It is not a series of math calculations, nor is it little building blocks for gods to toy with. It's something gods can never control. It's humans. Who day by day, learn to shape the universe, and render gods obsolete. Humans with free will, who make illogical and disorderly choices."

Raiden did not go down so easy, and managed to brace himself on P.O.S. before flying back at Darth. Darth met him mid-air, and neither one of them scored a blow. Whereas Raiden could just regenerate over and over, Darth doubted he'd get that chance. Thus, Darth made sure that Raiden never got a cut in. When they came back at each other this time, Darth rammed a point home. He dropped his guard and left himself open. Raiden went for the kill. Darth twisted over the blade and lopped Raiden into two pieces. He also caught the legs and interuppted the rejoining. The odds of Darth being able to pull that off were incredibly slim, so his doing that was disorderly.

"Are you afraid, little god? Are you afraid of man? Do you fear the day we are greater than you? The day when you are dethroned? You are right to fear. We are your play things no longer. You are forced to abide by rules and codes, and you can never exist outside of those. We can. I could let you stab me, and then spit in the face of defeat and kill you."

Raiden threw lightning at Darth. Darth raised his hand. Lightning was merely a transfer of change. Essentially, it was just a stream of electrons. So, Darth tore the electrons off of some nitrogen around him and let Raiden's electricity bond onto to those, and stop the ionization. Darth then tossed the electrons back to Raiden. Since there was a constant stream of negatives, that meant that there had to be a positive behind them. The thrown electrons shut that down.

"You are right to fear, little god. Yes, godly wrath is something to be afraid of, but it is nothing compared to the wrath of man."

Then Darth felt a presence behind him. As the katana pierced his chest, he felt the presence even more. The Raiden that Darth had been fighting was merely another sprite, a figment of imagination that Raiden had made real for but a few moments.

"I fear nothing, little man. For while you men grow old and die...I will always live. Remember your place and keep your Order." The katana twisted, severing muscles and tendons in Darth's chest. Before Darth could fall away, Raiden kicked out with his legs. One knee broke, then the second. In an almost ironic twist of fate, Raiden then snapped Darth's remaining elbow, doing to him what he had done to Raiden's puppet. All that was left was to snap the neck...

Then he noticed the others starting to gang up on him. With the foes closing in around him, he turned around. Of course, as he turned in a 360 degree spin, a giant shockwave erupted from him, sending them all flying back away from him. His energy eyes glanced at each of them, scanning their individual strengths and weaknesses. When he looked at them, he didn't see them, persay. He didn't see their clothing, hair, eyes, weapons, armor, or anything.

All he saw was Rune.

Each infinitely long strand of glowing symbols that made up these beings was visible to him, and for those that knew how to read it, it was even better than seeing their forms. He could find out every small and insignificant detail about them.

He sensed their location being changed, but he paid it little mind. That planet was merely a small speck of sand in the beach that was the universe. It would be put to order in time. As for now...he had to settle the chaos.

His hands clapped together, and something strange happened to the ground they were all on. Large tentacle-like fixtures of stone and mineral snaked up from beneath their feet, striking out and wrapping about them. While it was doubtful it was enough to trap them, it left him free to handle the two he was more focused on. Namely, this new form of Dragonsbane and the now female moderator that was syphoning from his power.

He looked up at Krylo, his glowing eyes looking down to the bracelet.

"You're stealing my power."

There was no sign of movement. No sign of any flexing of muscles or preparation. He simply appeared in front of Krylo, his arm elbow deep in the mod's chest. Blood dripped down from his arm as he pulled it out, leaving a giant hole in Krylo's body. Before she could even drop to her knees, his foot went up and crushed her face in, sending her flying up into the air. Another teleport, and he was above her, his hands held above his head in a hammer fist. He swung them both down, striking her in the back and sending her barreling down into the ground beneath them, creating a small crater as her body crumpled into the stone.

He landed gently, reached down, and grabbed her wrist. It took no effort to tear the hand from her arm, taking the bracelet with it. He stared at the trinket, and crushed it in his fist. He opened his fingers, allowing the pieces to fall to the ground.

"This device is a blasphemy against Order. It takes the life energy that belongs to me, and gives it to one that would use it for Chaos."

He took another look at Krylo, and noticed something. One of the runes was fractured inside that body. The regenerative limit. A human normally has a limit of regeneration they can have. This rune was broken...a guardian of Order could never allow that. He kneeled down, and a single rune appeared on two fingertips. With a quick strike the fingers pierced Krylo between the eyes, imbedding the Rune inside the mod's brain. It was little work to repair the fractured Rune.

"Yes, how very orderly of you, Raiden. You are messing with nature, bending it to your whim."

Darth took a few moments to psych himself up. Holy fuck, this was going to hurt. He then used his telekinesis to grab all the broken stuff and put it back in place. It hurt, a lot. Then he just let his usual regeneration take over, and sort all that out.

Darth quickly cut through the tentacles that held him, and then stood his ground.

"The order of the world is that nothing is the same. Everything is different, just like everything else. Your constant fucking with reality is unnatural, and violates natural order. You are the being of chaos here Raiden. You're the one who upsets normality and interferes with the natural working of things."

Without his second arm, it would be more difficult to grab and fire his god-killer rounds, but Darth remained fairly assured that he could do it, provided he froze time again.

"And, besides, Raiden, who wants to live forever? With infinite time, you will eventually do and know everything. Then you'll just sit around for eternity, being perpetually bored."

Phoenix didn't enter the battlefield in a glorious manner, for while she enjoyed dramatics, this was not the time. Pedro... was different, in a most striking manner.

"...STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!" Yelled he.

"Stop? In our moment of Triumph?" Phoenix scoffed in response, "I think not." her sword, the cobalt-blue, twin pronged crystal blade named Absolution of Desire, held loosely in hand.

"You there, Raiden." She said to the besieged thunder-god from a distance away in a normal voice, knowing the god would hear her despite the commotion of the battleground, "I've got to ask you, what makes you so holy? Just what is considered a god, anyway? To my followers, even I may be seem a god, but you... No, not a god. Not in my eyes."

Phoenix's eyes glew a dull azure at that moment, as she attempted to influence reality and those around her that Raiden was, in fact, no god. He would notice and counter this if his pride demanded it, but Phoenix wanted to frighten him. Frighten him, with her newfound mastery of chaos. She wasn't really Phoenix at all anymore, merely wearing her form.

"As Darth kindly pointed out, everything rises and falls. Civilizations, cities... Countries. Gods even. You are none, but one with everything, and that, that is why I can kill you."

By now, her words seemed to make little sense. They were never intended to, for merely a ruse giving way to another spell. One of confidence, one of name, one of law. Prescribing law to chaos was a near anathema to Phoenix's new form, but it was by name that she took her form, and by name that she claimed her skills. It was now by name too, that she claimed to be invulnerable. An illusion of invulnerability, but a gesture nonetheless.

The Raksha glid forward behind Darth, ducking under a wild swing from the crazed Sith lord as she glared a challenge at Raiden, but did not yet strike.

Kyuubi landed, and his shield returned to surrounding him, his tails at rest. "Damn...he uses the runes now..."

Kyuubi could not use runes like Pyros could, but then again, Pyros was present...but first, with Phoenix's arrival...

"Phoenix, you are a Rakhasa now, are you not? I was aware of their creation, aware meaning I was present when Pyros made a deal with a demon...but nevertheless I know what you are capable of, something which even most Rakhasa are not aware that they can do. Within you is a fearsome inner power, created by the pure chaos within yourself, that even Pyros was being foolish to put in there. Focus upon your foe, and that power shall make itself known!"

Kyuubi hoped she'd understand. With that said, he had something else to do. "Pyros! You're up!"

-----------------------------
Pyros sunk through the floor of the strange inner house, and felt as if a thousand of strings were attached to him. With each string came a sudden sense or knowledge. He could see. He could hear. He could feel his body. And when all were on, he could feel himself back in the concious world, with control of his body.

Kyuubi burst into flame, back to the bright red of normal, and PyrosNine appeared yet again. He called the flametongue and wielded it, ready.

"Alright Raiden. It seems you've grown beyond my special Anti-Raiden form, so I'll just have to give you a headache as good ol' me."

Pyros felt his fists, and by extension, his sword. "Hmm. For some reason i feel more real than real...oh well."

Kyuubi had offered Phoenix something she'd been offered before, and that was suicide. Everyone knew you could mutate your own form to become more powerful, but calcifying or exploding was always a risk. Essentially, Pyros handed her a nuclear weapon and said, "Have fun! It's a great birthday candle!"

So Phoenix glared at Kyuubi. Perhaps he expected she'd come unprepared, or something. The more she glanced at his scroll, the more it seemed to make a mockery of, "Hey, I'm a god and you're not, haha!"

Which really confirmed Phoenix's suspicion that her original plan would work.

"Unnecessary." was the only word she spoke, when tossing the scroll back to Kyuubi. Her quarrel was with Raiden alone, and shaping herself to be a pale imitation of him was a mockery at best. "Killing" Raiden was impossible. She had to fight his pride, and for that, she had to be proud herself.

Pyros felt his hand snap, without him wanting to.

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<Foolish humans and their constant desire to remain living!...Drat. Why couldn't someone like Ecurt, Toastburner, or Blind mime become a Rakhasa?> Sub Pyros fumed, reclining next to kitty pyros.

Sub looked up to Naymedo. "Hm...you are that 'Core' person, are you not? Why are you not with..yourself?"