(3rd Person POV)

This wasn't something they were expecting. One moment, The Harvester was soaring through the darkened skies, hiding among the lavender clouds looming above what still remains of Starlight City, and spying down in order to locate any remaining survivors that have managed to last this long. Then without warning, the sky become nothing but static, lights began to flicker and go out in an instant, the air became still as stone, and the unsettling feeling of something going wrong was formed in the stomach of the winged jester.

They soon landed on the rooftop of a skyscraper to catch their breath and try to think of the reason behind the sudden occurrence, only for it to disappear just after 5 minutes of arriving. This left The Harvester more confused as before, as their mind frantically tried to come up with explanations for this. They knew about myths of being able to alter reality, and the danger it poses to everything, but there's no proof of such feats even being possible! So what happened?! Eventually, their mind came to two possible answers: Either a demon more stronger than they are has now entered the game...

...Or an anomaly has entered through a rift of sorts.

As they continued to sit on the ledge of the skyscraper, carefully thinking about which option would be the most likely to be correct, The Harvester soon picked up the sounds of footsteps behind them, and turned around to face the Lemon Demon slowly walking over to join him. Despite the fact that his face has been forced into a constant smile due to the corruption on him, one look into his eyes shows he's just as confused about the situation as his partner.

Lemon Demon: I had a feeling you'd be up here, since skyscraper rooftops prefer to be your favourite view point.

Harvester: (silently glares) You're one to talk about disappearances. Ever since the unsuccessful attack on the fleeing train, you've vanished for quite a while. Care to explain where you've snuck off to?

Lemon Demon: Apologises for my uninformed vanishing, but I was picking up any info on if any fools from the outside world would attempt to break into our land and try to save the small number of survivors.

Harvester: (intrigued) And your results?

Lemon Demon: (his smile grows) Two figures will be attempting to sneak in undetected by entering through the sewers, and this duo of troublemakers might be a pair that you recognize. Here, let me show you.

The Lemon Demon then pulled out a picture, showing just the two figures that would be soon entering the destroyed Starlight City, as The Harvester takes the picture with his hands and stares intensely at it. No words are exchanged as an ominous silence fills the rooftop, but the fruit-headed monster can instantly tell what his partner is thinking as he sees The Harvester's glowing white eyes begin to disperse into darkness.

Under that mask, The Harvester is grinning like they've never been more ecstatic in their life before...

Before The Harvester could give his partner any orders involving this new piece of glorious information, both of them feel a third presence now arriving to them, and turn to its incoming direction. Flying up to the rooftop appears to be the Corrupted Boyfriend, being carried by the Corrupted Girlfriend. Judging by their frantic movements, they seem to have something urgent to tell them.

Harvester: The both of you are back a little later than expected? Has the attack not gone as it should have been?

Corrupted BF: (lands) No, our masters. While we were prepared to get the jump on them, we unexpectedly ran into another straggler, that being the cursed Russian that holds a unremovable grudge towards the demon that owns Starlight City.

Lemon Demon: (tilts his head) That soul of hatred? What was he doing there?

Corrupted GF: (lands beside BF) The same reason as the one you seek, first master: Shelter from our gaze. During the showdown between that fool and Dearest's wife, I intervened, but wasn't able to do much. Luckily, BF soon arrived with one of the limos and with the perfect timing, knocked them all unconscious.

Corrupted BF: (looks proud) Aww, thanks babe. We then brought them onto the limo, ready to find you so we can claim a prize alongside Cassandra, but then they awoke and begun to fight back. Although, the Russian seemed more focus on fighting against both dear (Y/N) and us. Then, when he noticed a brief moment of vulnerability, he struck us with his mic and stabbed the henchmen driving the vehicle, causing us to go off course and crash back inside the heart of Starlight City.

Harvester: (gripping the ledges tightly) What happened next?! Don't leave any details out.

Corrupted GF: (growing slightly afraid) When we recovered, we found Cassandra unconscious, both (Y/N) and the lanky figure slightly damaged and infected, but our attention was drawn to Tabi and Mrs Mearest, who were nearly fully corrupted. We focused on infected him, which we were successful in achieving with the assistance of Pico and his two friends. However, when we were about to turn over to Mrs Mearest, a large blast knocked us out.

Corrupted BF: We awoke again to see a sight that left us all speechless: Dear (Y/N) was possessed by some strange force! (The Harvester and Lemon Demon's attention is now caught) His face was glitchy, his hands looked like they were turning into claws, he had horns coming out of his head, and he had grown a long sharp tail!

Corrupted GF: He then defeated Tabi easily in a battle, even when that psychopath tried to stab and kill him throughout him. Once it was over, he rushed towards the lanky partner, and disappeared through a portal he summoned. Once that show was over, me and BF begun to look for you, while the others stay and hold down Tabi, should he awaken.

After hearing the full story, both The Harvester and Lemon Demon were speechless for what felt like an eternity. They both knew just from the description of (Y/N)'s sudden change in appearance that it matched how a Glitch Soul, but that's impossible! The whole purpose of a Glitch Soul was to follow orders and assist the corruption in keeping the respected vessel contained! There's no way they could ever achieve sentience!

Unless...

The Harvester knew that this wasn't a normal Glitch Soul, but was something they weren't expecting to encounter again. They knew this might turn into a massive problem in the future, but for right now, there's something else they have to take care of first. In an instant, they moved their hands off the ledge and onto the shoulders of BF and GF, gripping them with the same force as he had with the ledge before speaking clearly to the infected couple.

Harvester: (in a threatening tone) Take me to that Russian this instant.

The Corrupted BF and GF nodded their heads as fast as they could go, before taking flight with The Harvester spreading his wings and flying after them, with Lemon Demon doing the same just with pitch black angel wings. Just like his partner, the fruit-themed demon knew what really happened, as The Harvester shared some secrets with him when they first formed their alliance. He'd wish to question why aren't they dealing with this problem now, but seeing how The Harvester is clearly pissed off, it's best to wait until he's calmed down.

A few minutes later, and the four of them have arrived at the street where the previous major disaster took place, the remains of the decimated limo still slowly burning away. Just like what the infected couple said, the now Corrupted Mommy Mearest was using her demonic magic to try and weaken the now Corrupted Tabi, with the Corrupted Cassandra in her Penilian form, ready to pounce the minute the popstar can't do anything. Also there is the Corrupted Pico, Darnell, and Nene, having their weapons drawn and ready to join the brawl.

However, when the five corrupted figures notice the return of their fellow partners, plus the arrival of their bosses, they immediately stop whatever they were doing and bow down. Taking this opportunity, the Corrupted Tabi pulls out his knife and prepares to end the life of the closest figure to him, being Mommy Mearest, only to feel something grip his wrist tightly enough it could be snapped off. With rage in his eyes, he turns towards whoever interrupted him, only to see The Harvester glaring at him with even more hatred than he has.

Corrupted Tabi: (feigning fear) And who the hell are you supposed to be? Some scrapped antagonist from a failed Alice In Wonderland remake?

Instead of responding to that insult, The Harvester just throws the Corrupted Tabi over their head, slamming him into the ground, before repeating this process five more times. After that, they then threw the Russian right into the remains of the burning limo, summoning chains to hold him down, before ominously levitating over, as the others silently watch.

The Harvester: (looks to the crowd) Schizophrenic and pyromaniac, go search for the one I desperately seek and see if he's recovered. I don't care if you have no clue where he vanished. Rapper, daughter of a demon, suicidal addict, popstar, you four go and search for any more survivors. If you find any, you know what to do. And partner, go back to our usual spot. I have to sort something out first.

All six figures present all silently nod, before going off in their assigned groups and to complete their given tasks. Once they've left, The Harvester turns their attention back to the Corrupted Tabi, their eyes glowing brighter then before.

The Harvester: As for you, you wished to have the ability to bring the Dearest's to their knees, but you foolishly neglected the deal you made when succumbing to the darkness. You attempted to kill the person that I care for so deeply, and for that, you must be punished for your misdeeds.

Upon hearing that, The Corrupted Tabi began to feel his bones and body rattle and shake with fear. Never before has he ever felt this afraid in his life, before or after the disaster Dearest brought onto him. But now, here he is forcefully restricted by magical binds as a malevolent jester-dressed demon stares him down with stronger hatred. All that the Russian could do know was silently wish that his punishment wouldn't be long and painful.

Unfortunately for him, that was exactly what the punishment was...

(Julian POV)

If someone told me that when I return to Starlight City, I'd be thrown into something akin to a zombie apocalypse, with a strange black paint-like parasitic substance instead of a plague, I would call that person completely looney. But as for right now, I'd believe that person in a heartbeat. One minute, I saw (Y/N) get run into an alleyway as Tabi slowly approaches him like a serial killer, and then all of a sudden, he changes into some kind of strange creature from a sci-fi movie and proceeds to brutally beat up that goat-skulled opponent.

And I'm not overexaggerating. Even those that were corrupted and sent to infect us found themselves unable to look away from the carnage, almost like all of us were trapped in some kind of messed up trance. Once the onslaught had properly finished, I saw the thing that was supposed to be (Y/N) lunge straight at me, its arm reaching out towards me, as I felt something extremely cold form from behind me. I let out a quiet yelp and close my eyes, dreading what was to come, but nothing bad came to me.  Was I hallucinating or something?

To make sure that I wasn't, I hesitantly opened my eyes, only to be left speechless upon fully opening them. I found myself back at the bunker me, (Y/N), and Charlotte were attempting to reach for the last day or so. The corrupted figures that were also watching the fight were nowhere to be seen, and the only sight of a infected person were the corpses that Tabi had a hand in making when we encountered him. But at that moment, I didn't really care about that, because I was in the clear! Everything might be coming up Julian!

Julian: (raises his fists into the air) Man, am I the luckiest dude in Starlight City or what?!

Unfortunately for me, my mind came to a sudden realisation the minute I took a moment to stop celebrating. If I went through the portal that appeared behind me, and the glitchy figure was lunging at me, then that must mean...

My eyes widened with fear as I slowly turned around, hoping that what my mind came up with wasn't true. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Standing right behind me was (Y/N), still being possessed by whatever force that took over his mind, and still having those slight appearance changes. I jumped back in fear the instant that... thing slowly moved over to me, putting my hands up in case it decides to attack, but it just chuckles at my reaction, before speaking in its strange voice again.

"(Y/N)": Console.Write("BE NOT AFRAID, JULIAN TECTONIC. I HAVE MERELY TAKEN CONTROL OF THE YOUNG BOY TO SAVE BOTH HIM AND YOURSELF FROM TRAGEDY. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I SHALL DEPART AND RELINQUISH CONTROL BACK TO (Y/N). DO KEEP THE BOY SAFE, AS HIS GRAND MOMENT HAS YET TO ARRIVE, BUT IT IS GROWING CLOSER BY THE MINUTE.")

After that creepy entity said that, the glitchy eye, horns, and tail slowly begun to disappear, and (Y/N)'s face went back to normal. I was about to ask him if he was okay, but he then leaned forward and was about to collide face first into the concrete floor. Luckily, I reacted quickly enough and caught him, noticing his chest slowly rising and falling, followed by the sound of him breathing quietly. Seems like his energy was drained during that possession, and he's fallen asleep immediately upon being released. What to do now?

As I ponder about my next action, I remember that I have an answer right beside me, and quickly enter the abandoned bunker with (Y/N) still in my arms. Inside the building are some rooms made to replicate living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, basically whatever a regular house or apartment has. In just a few seconds, I found a room with some comfy beds in it, and placed (Y/N) down onto one of them, pulling the covers over him to help him sleep easier, and putting his gun and knife to the side.

With the little dude now sleeping without any worries, I pick up the sound of my stomach rumbling, and realise that we haven't eaten anything since we encountered Tabi. I could scavenge through (Y/N)'s bag of supplies for a quick snack, but that would be rude. Instead, I head over to the kitchen area, and search for anything that could be edible or easy to cook a meal for two people. The little dude's saved my butt a few times, it's about time someone repaid him back.

(Y/N POV)

Well, here I am, back in the black void of my mindscape once again, only this time I haven't entered from falling asleep. One moment I was hiding behind a dumpster in a darkened alleyway as the Corrupted Tabi slowly getting closer with each fit of rage, and then I hear Glitch (Y/N) speaking to me through a headache, telling me that he'll deal with my attacker, while I get sent here. I don't know what he's done out there, but judging by his tone of voice, I feel slightly bad for what's about to happen to Tabi.

But that's enough of that topic. Right now, this black void is more confusing then the last time I've been here. Unlike my previous visit, where I couldn't see of feel anything around me, I can at least touch the "environment" I'm in. My feet can feel some kind of puddle every time I take a step, with a ripple forming from my footsteps. Aside from that, whenever I take a few steps in any direction, I collide with an invisible wall, trapping me from continuing forward, and making me feel claustrophobic by the second. Is this supposed to be some kind of nightmare?

Then, coming out of the darkness, a thousand glowing pink faces make their appearance, having the same corruptive glow and grin that makes up these monsters. I jump back in fright, getting creeped out by their focus on me, as the sound of a damaged music box rings out from... somewhere. This atmosphere keeps growing more and more unnerving, as I dread whatever these faces are about to do to me, but none of them move forward, instead staying submerged in the shadows.

After what feels like an eternity, staying in this confined void with nothing but ominous faces staring me down, a bright white light slowly begins to form in the distance, getting closer, and eventually forcing the corrupted faces to sink back into the darkness for safety. By the time it reaches me, I'm unable to see anything but pure light, until it dies down and reveals a new location it placed me in. And this location is...

The streets of Starlight City?

This is starting to become familiar to that nightmare in the park again. Upon looking around, the buildings aren't falling apart, the street and pathways don't have cracks, and the bright pink sky showing that dawn is now starting. But despite this, there is one noticeable difference that this occurrence has that the park didn't: There's not a single person here at all. I look down other streets, enter random buildings, even try to look through windows on higher floors, but there's still no one here. I'd even take some false-looking citizen to try and interact with!

Am... Am I really alone here?

Attempting to shrug off this feeling, I form a hardened expression and begin to walk through the desolate and static streets of Starlight City, with the unsettling feeling of paranoia growing ever so slightly, until I spot something, or rather someone in the far distance. They have a slightly dark skin colour and black hair, with some blonde strands being visible, while they have their back turned to me. But what caught my attention the most was what they were wearing. They had a familiar hat, hoodie, shoes, fingerless gloves and jeans, which used to belong to a recent victim of the corruption.

Could... Could that be Tabi back when he was human? Only one way to find out.

(Y/N): (calls out) Hey, are... is your name Tabi?

No response from the figure. Maybe he didn't hear me from my distance, so I carefully take a few steps forward and try again.

(Y/N): (a little louder) Excuse me?! Could you tell me your name?!

Still nothing from the figure, and this silence is continuing to creep me out. I begin to take more steps toward who might be Tabi, feeling the atmosphere grow more tense and ominous with each footstep forward, and the pit in my chest slowly becoming larger. Eventually, I was close enough to where I wasn't in his personal space, but still able for him to hear me, but first I had to get his attention. With a deep breath, I moved my hand over and lightly tapped his shoulder...

That was a bad idea...

The instant my finger brushed against his shoulder, the entire environment shifted, becoming more darker. The buildings were now crumbling into dust, the roads and pathways had holes and cracks decorating them, everything became just like how it is back in the real world. While looking around, I then notice my pocket knife and Pico's Uzi in my hands, both of them dripping... Blood?! Speaking of blood, I then find more of it along my clothes, even feeling the sticky metallic-smelling liquid on my face. Where did it even come from?

It was then I picked up an awful stench penetrating my nose, and made the mistake of looking to where it was coming from. There, laying on the ground, was the corpse of Tabi, his body being decorated in stab wounds, bullet holes, and a puddle of blood forming underneath him. At that moment, the corrupted faces soon return, this time forming a small circle around me, before... laughing? Are... Are they laughing at what I did?!

"You killed him"

W-What?

"You're just as heartless as we are"

No... No I'm not. I swear.

"Don't deny it. You know what you did"

No... No, no, no. I didn't kill him! I wouldn't!

"What would your parents think?"

Shut up... Just Shut Up!!!

I try to find a way out of this prison of mockery, dropping my weapons, but every time I run to an opening, more corrupted faces would just block my way, their taunting laughs getting louder and louder with each attempt. At this point, my breathing was becoming heavy, with that feeling in my chest weighing more than an anvil, and pulling me down to the ground. I try to keep myself up with my hands, but my body's fighting against me, as my heartbeat starts to go faster. Tears begin to run down my face, blurring my vision...

...Until I spot the Uzi I dropped beside the knife.

A dark thought soon flooded my mind, one that just touching upon it would make me seem more insane than the corrupted monsters around me. But at this point... is it even wrong to admit they might be right for once?

"Go ahead and do it"

"You'd be doing everyone a favour"

"Don't keep us waiting"

The crowd begun to chant louder, their voices overlapping with each other, almost becoming impossible to make out whoever was speaking. As for me, I shakily move my hand towards my head, the Uzi gripped in my grasp, with it also being pointed to my brain, and my finger on the trigger.

Maybe... It's for... The better... If I...

*BANG*

(3rd Person POV)

(Y/N) awakens with a jolt, causing himself to fall out of the bed he was placed in, and hit the ground face first. As he slowly begins to lift himself up, with every part of his body shaking life a leaf in winter, he notices the Uzi on the desk beside him, placed right next to his knife. Instantly, his mind quickly goes back to the dream, his eyes widening upon remembering the last few moments, and his... final method. Not wanting to think about it any longer, he begins to leave the room, refusing to look back at the gun until his mind is in a much calmer condition.

After leaving the bedroom he awoke in, the young boy found himself in a hallway with a dark green colour scheme. (Y/N) looks confused for a moment, only for him to realise he's inside the bunker. With a sigh of relief, he starts to follow the signs that point towards where the kitchen is, only for his nose to pick up the scent of... burning? Following the scent leads him to both the kitchen, and a hilarious sight: Julian attempting to cook some type of breakfast, only for it to literally go up in flames, and now results in him desperately trying to put out the fire.

Julian: Come on, go out already! (notices (Y/N) watching) Hey, pal. I was trying to do something nice for you, but...

(Y/N): (chuckles) I can already tell what happened. How about you tag me in and I'll make us something edible to eat?

Julian: Are you sure? You look like you've just crawled out of a grave. No offense.

(Y/N): (waves his hand) None taken. And yes, I'm sure. You get a table set up while I cook up breakfast.

Not wanting to keep this continuing, Julian obliges and goes to the nearby closet, getting out some folding tables and folding chairs, and setting them up while (Y/N) makes them something to eat. After a while of waiting, the young boy soon returns with two plates of scrambled eggs and beans on toast, making Julian's mouth water from the sight.

Julian: (amazed) Wow, dude. How do you know how to cook this stuff?!

(Y/N): (shrugs) My parents taught me, since when we were staying in Dusty Hills, their jobs had them leave super early and arrive back super late, so they decided to teach me how to cook so I don't resort to constant take out.

Julian: (nods) Smart. (lets some time pass) So, now what do we do?

(Y/N): (shrugs again) Honestly, I have no clue. My head feels like it's been falling apart slowly as time passes. (sighs) All that we can do at the moment is just stay hidden in here until some miracle shows itself.

At that moment, (Y/N) remembered something and pulled out both his phone and the USB, quickly plugging the latter into the former, and calmly placing it down onto the table. A few minutes later, and then the mobile device begins to turn on, having the same red eye as the virus that briefly took control of Hex on the screen instead of (Y/N)'s regular background.

???: You sure took your time transferring our virus into your human device. We nearly thought something happened to you both for a minute.

(Y/N): Yeah, sorry about nearly forgetting about you. The last few hours have been incredibly stressful for both me and Julian, and it took a while to remember you sort of joined our little rebellion.

Julian: Same here.

???: It's no trouble, you mortals. Whatever you both have been forced to withstand, it must've not been pretty, judging by your expressions and the dismay they present to us through the screen.

(Y/N): (looks away for a moment) Yeah, it... wasn't pretty. Hey, just wondering something, since you mention yourself in third person, I'm guessing your some kind of group. Could you introduce yourselves?

???: Since we are on the same side, we might as well. We are a media conglomerate from the depths of hell known only as "IRIS", but we also hold the title of the first demons to ever work with the legendary Atlas Dearest himself.

Julian: (shocked) Woah, hold the phone for a minute there! You guys used to work with the musical emperor of Starlight City himself in the past?!

IRIS: Affirmative, Julian Tectonic. Our music division was the first ever label he signed onto us, but then a few years passed, and he grew to resent us. (the eye scowls)

(Y/N): How so? Did you guys trick him with a sketchy contract or blackmail him with some disturbing secrets?

IRIS: (disgusted) Don't be so daft, child!! We would never sink to the levels that you mortals consider monstrous!! That traitorous fool broke our deal all because he grew tied of appeasing the fans with the hit song "Daddy Disco", and then undercut us by creating his own label, officially removing all connections we had!!

IRIS: But our company never forgets traitors, nor do we forgive them, not until they've faced karma retribution!! (the eye goes back to a neutral expression) But now briefly moving away from that backstory for a while, you seem to look familiar, child. Were you perhaps at the basketball court with that foolish counter-hacker and the daughter of Atlas?

(Y/N): (nods and frowns) Yeah, I was. I also remember you guys taking control of Hex, going through all of his files, and even attempting to strike a deal with us so that you would continue your scheme! (realises something) Speaking of your scheme, what exactly was it?

IRIS: Well child, our original plan was to gather information on any of the Dearests, whether it be from Atlas himself, his wife Charlotte, or their daughter, who has become an interesting topic down in hell for being the first ever demon to be born within the mortal realm, and with that information in our hands, send a nice, big bomb to their doorstep. We think you know who that bomb is.

(Y/N) + Julian: You mean Whitty?

IRIS: (the eye nods) Of course. We were planning on using him, but unfortunately, we weren't able to properly track him down, so we had no choice but to abort that plan. So, we were sent back to the drawing board, desperately trying to come up with a backup plan, and by the time we were ready to execute it, that black infectious substance became something we weren't expecting to deal with.

(Y/N): I don't think anyone was expecting some kind of apocalypse during Christmas Eve. (eyes widen) Wow, that day feel so recent, yet we're three quarters into the year. Time feels slower than usual.

Julian: I'm with you on that, (Y/N). Everyone hates how everything feels slower, and wishing this whole disaster ends quickly.

IRIS: You both speak the truth, but just like most prayers that mortals wish on, many of them forever remain as impossible dreams nobody can ever achieve.

(Y/N): Harsh, but also true.

Julian: (eyes widen) Hey, IRIS? There's something I just realised. If you wanted to enact your revenge on Atlas, why did you bother hacking into Hex when you could just come up to the surface and deal with him yourselves?

IRIS: (the eye sweatdrops) To put it simply, the depths of hell aren't really easy to leave nowadays, but it wasn't any trouble to hire a hacker on the other side, and the machine you both know as Hex was an easy target for us. (the eye returns to a neutral expression) Now, moving away from the introductions now, it's clear that we need a plan to deal with this plague.

(Y/N): So you're helping us out?

IRIS: (the eye nods) Of course, child. You helped us out in our time of need, so we should repay the favour by assisting humanity in putting an end to this corruption. But first, we request a newly built body for our virus to inhabit. No offence to this device, but it truly limits our abilities.

Julian: (scratches his head) How can we build some sort of android without the required parts? There's barely anything we can use in this bunker!!

(Y/N): Hold on a moment. (checks the map app on his phone) It says here there's a junkyard nearby, just half an hour away by foot. I've been there before, when I had to take a break from fleeing a large crowd of corrupted friends. It's also where I freed Mrs. Mearest until... what happened back there.

Julian: (pats (Y/N)'s back) Hey, don't feel so blue, dude. At least she went down internally fighting instead of giving in, plus she held on for as long as she could so we could escape to safety!

IRIS: Then that's the plan. We shall accompany one of you two in retrieving the necessary parts, then bring them back here in order to construct the new body for our virus. Now, which one of you two delinquents will be brave enough to dive back into dangerous territory?

(Y/N): (raises his free hand) I'll do it. I've got a gun and a knife for self-defence, plus some shadow magic for backup.

Julian: (concerned) Dude, you said it yourself that your mind isn't handling these things as easily as you used to. One bad moment, and you might never recover. Let me go out there.

(Y/N): (shakes his head) No I won't, Julian. You might have that cool wireframe trick, and a stronger mental state, but you have no offensive abilities to defend yourself with. Meanwhile, I may have a deteriorating mind, but I've got magic made for defending myself and others, and weapons in case my magic tires out. (sighs) It may be frustrating for you to just keep watching me sacrifice myself without letting you provide any sort of assistance, but I don't want to see or hear anyone fall to this corruption.

Julian: (gives (Y/N) a hug) You're right, it is frustrating to watch, but the best I can do in these situations is give you support. You've become sort of similar to a family member to me, and I don't want to lose you like how I lost Whitty.

(Y/N): (chuckles and hugs back) Same here, Julian. Everyone here in Starlight City might as well be considered family, since it always finds a way to bring everyone together.

IRIS: Sorry to interrupt, but could we halt the emotional moments for later and start retrieving the parts to build our new body? The longer we stay here, the more time that plague has to get stronger.

(Y/N): (nods) You're right, IRIS. (leaves the hug) Wish me luck, Julian.

Julian: (flashes a thumbs up) I will, (Y/N).

(Y/N) quickly rushes back into the bedroom he awoke in and grabbed both his knife and Uzi, the latter being after a few moments of hesitation. After grabbing his gear, he went back and retrieved his phone, with IRIS still connected to it, and slowly leaves the bunker, ready to endure more possible disasters along the way...

(With Sunday and Sarvente)

Straying away over to some of the remaining survivors, Sunday and Sarvente have been having a few moments of both good and bad luck, just having no way of predicting which of those two types of luck will appear. For example, one minute they might find a building that has food and shelter to last them a few days before continuing on their search for hope, and the next they'll be forced to run away or fight through a crowd of infected citizens, which tires them out a lot.

Currently, the two females are wandering through a quiet street, anticipating what might come out and attack them from the fog rolling in, and both of them looking incredibly tired and stressed.

Sunday: (groans) This sucks! We've been wandering for who knows how long, fighting off our own exhaustion, and having no clue where exactly our destination is! I just wish I could play a quick guitar solo to blow off my steam, but...

Sarvente: (finishes the sentence) It would attract unnecessary trouble and result in our downfall being more disastrous than Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. (looks to Sunday) I know you wish to indulge in your methods of reliving stress, but until we're in a safe and secure environment, we have to do our best to hold off on them for now.

Sunday: I know, but that doesn't mean the itch is easy to ignore, it wants to be scratched, and won't stop until it gets sorted out. (sighs) This reminds me of how Carol would get me to calm down, as I can usually get a bit too out of hand. Honestly, I'm surprised she still has the ability to put up with me considering my antics.

Sarvente: (smiles) Ruv could learn a bit from your friend's patience. He always resorts to violence whenever either of our beliefs become challenged. (puts a hand to her head) I don't even want to remember all the types of damage he can cause to both the chapel and to guests.

The two females chuckle, reminiscing on how their partners helped compliment their negative attributes, those being Sunday's carefree attitude and Sarvente's refusal to resort to violence, and wishing in their minds that their close partner is okay, corrupted or not. They soon reach a new street, where upon walking down it causes Sarvente's eyes to widen. The nun quickly runs over to the sign saying the street name, noticing how familiar it is, before quickly sprinting down the road, with Sunday trying to keep up behind her.

Sunday: (panting) Slow down, Sarv! Why are you in a rush all of a sudden?!

Sarvente: I know this street! The chapel I run is one this street! We can perhaps use it as a place of rest!

Sarvente then begins to pick up the pace, causing Sunday to have trouble keeping up, since she's usually not an active outdoor person. After a full minute of running, the nun and the guitarist soon reach the spoken chapel, with the exterior filling the former with both joy and dread. For good news, the building of god seems to be still standing, yet its pink walls and pillars show multiple cracks and missing pieces, with some of the windows being destroyed.

Sarvente forms a small smile upon seeing the building she takes much pride in still standing, but worried that there might be something horrific awaiting for her and Sunday behind the front doors, as the guitarist finally catches up to her, taking a moment to catch her breath.

Sunday: (panting) Never... do that... again... Sarv. I can't... keep up... that easily. (sees the chapel) Well, at least the place is still standing, right?

Sarvente: (puts a hand to her heart) I don't know, Sunday. We still don't know if the house of the lord has kept its interior unharmed from this devilish infection. (blushes for a moment) Sorry for going back to my nun behaviour, I just go into this personality whenever I'm here.

Sunday: (waves her hand) It's cool, Sarv. I usually fall asleep onto a comfortable couch the minute I spot and feel one. (cracks her knuckles) Well, if you're afraid of what's inside, then I'll play the role of bouncer for now.

Sunday walks up the stairs, with Sarvente beginning to worry for the guitarist's safety, as she forces the door open with an aggressive kick. Surprisingly, the inside of the chapel appears to be untouched, with the only signs of damage being on the row of pews and the podium where the priest stands. The two females slowly walk in, closing the door behind them as they take a seat on one of the pew rows, where Sunday instantly falls asleep while Sarvente pulls out a phone and dials Ruv's number, a concerned look on her face.

(With (Y/N) and IRIS)

Back with (Y/N) and IRIS, the young boy and virus have managed to reach the junkyard without attracting any trouble, and the former is currently searching through multiple piles in order to collect the right parts, while the latter informs him on which ones will be required or not. During their trek to the junkyard, (Y/N) explained to the virus about what's been happening since Christmas Eve, including what he knows about both the Lemon Demon and The Harvester, with whoever's on the other side taking this information with importance.

IRIS: So, these two are considered responsible for the plague that the mortal realm has been threatened with, yet nobody knows of where this substance came from?

(Y/N): (shakes his head) Not a clue. I would ask some of the other resistance members if they found out anything, but none of them have answered any calls, which means they either are occupied at the moment, or have fallen.

IRIS: Then we should consider focusing on a more positive outcome, as staying stuck in a negative mindset would only make us easy martyrs. Also, there should be an undamaged hard drive buried under some tin cans by your right foot.

(Y/N): Got it. (picks up the hard drive) Also, thanks for your words.

After picking up the required piece, the young boy places it into a bag, filled with two monitors, some untouched wires, a CPU, a hard drive, a few screws, a start up button, and other pieces meant for building automations. Now that the virus is satisfied with the gathered equipment, (Y/N) carefully tightens the bag, puts it around his arm, and begins to make his way to the exit, carefully stepping down the stack of thrown out metal in order to avoid falling down. However, once he reaches the bottom, he looks to the exit, and quickly hides behind the pile.

The reason behind his sudden rise of fear being that the Corrupted Pico and Darnell have just stepped foot into the junkyard, their iconic weapons drawn and clearly looking for something, or someone. As (Y/N) once again peeks around the corner, he sees how the duo have begun to split up, presumably to cover more ground, and so comes up with an idea, soon looking to IRIS in case of assistance.

(Y/N): (whispers) Alright IRIS, we've got some company, but we need to avoid any contact in case they brought backup. You think you could help out with a quick and quiet way to help us get out of here?

IRIS: (whispers back) If that's your request, then we can provide some assistance.

With their plan ready, the two begin to put it into motion. (Y/N) would carefully sneak around or through the mountains of thrown away machinery, while also throwing anything to create some noise in order to distract either of the two infected friends, while IRIS would quietly instruct him in order to get closer to the exit.

Unfortunately, the demonic virus soon makes a blunder, as when instructing (Y/N) to grab a discarded pipe piece and throw it, a large pile of rubble ends up falling down, creating a bunch of noise that attracts the attention of their pursuers. Left with no form of a backup plan, (Y/N) quickly puts the phone in his pocket, and sprints towards the exit, pushing his legs to their fullest and hoping to make it out in time and lock them in. He's just about to take a step outside when...

*BANG*

As the sound of a gunshot rings out, (Y/N) turns around, narrowly avoiding a bullet flying by his head and clipping off a few strands of hair. Standing a few steps away from him are the Corrupted Pico and Darnell, with the former having one Uzi aimed right at the young boy, as he quickly pulls out his own Uzi and takes aim.

Corrupted Pico: So, you still have our little parting gift, do you?

(Y/N): Yeah, of course I still do. Why would I throw it away? I have no reason to.

Corrupted Darnell: And you won't even after you join us. With both your impressive skills with those weapons, along with your evolving magic, we'll-

(Y/N): (interrupts) Save the speech, Darnell. I've heard it a thousand times by now. You guys desperately want me in your ranks, while I continue to stand my ground, saying the only way I'll bow is if you can earn that chance. So, how about we get this song and dance over with? I've got a safe haven to be heading back to, and a friend waiting there.

Corrupted Pico: (cackles) I agree with you on this one. No bother wasting time in delaying the inevitable. Prepare to fall.

(Y/N): (smirks) And that cockiness is why you guys still haven't won yet.

https://youtu.be/oppWAk7OxOQ

*Song Name: Inception by WeegeeDude but FNF (Imagine it's Corrupted Pico and Corrupted Darnell Vs (Y/N) instead of Pico and Darnell Vs Corrupted Boyfriend)*

The battle soon begins, sounding similar to most of Pico's songs, only difference being that he's got Darnell assisting his verses. (Y/N) keeps his bars more defensive and slower, his eyes keeping a steady focus on his opponents, and making sure that neither of them are plotting some kind of disastrous plot.

While the young boy continues facing off against his two infected high school friends, IRIS monitors the battle from (Y/N)'s hand, taking the moment to analyse the opponents through their tactics. There, the virus is able to notice how Pico appears to be the larger threat with his more aggressive bars, while Darnell is more calmer and seems to be playing the support in this duo.

As IRIS begins to form a plan to take advantage of them, the battle soon reaches their end, with the Corrupted Pico and Darnell not showing any signs of breaking free, and none of the corruption on (Y/N)'s arm continuing to spread. Nothing but a stalemate.

Corrupted Pico: (chuckles) Even if it was a draw, I have to admit that little sing-off was pretty fun.

Corrupted Darnell: (his grin grows) Doesn't this remind you of that little competition we had in high school? Where we all-

Before the Corrupted Darnell could continue any further, he's struck in the face with a bullet, generating a crack right on his left eye. This leaves the both of them speechless, getting them to look back to (Y/N), where he has aimed his Uzi and pulled the trigger, with his expression being annoyed over anything else.

(Y/N): I thought I told you to save it with your little tactics. You're not going to convince me through emotional manipulation or any other dramatic speech. If I hear one more mention of the past, then I am going to lose it and unload onto anyone in my sight!! (takes a deep breath)

Corrupted Pico: (speechless for a moment) Such aggression, no holding back on letting out your anger. (smirks) You always find a way to keep our attention onto you.

Corrupted Darnell: And don't worry about having any more trouble, cause the friend group we used to have will make sure no threats shall ever harm you, through physical, mental, or emotional methods.

(Y/N): (in his mind) You say that, yet your clearly doing those tactics!!

IRIS: (whispers to (Y/N)) (Y/N), I notice your building rage, and you must try your best to subdue it for now. I have a plan on how we can make this circumstance more manageable for us. All you have to do is focus your own assault onto the pyromaniac, as all he's doing is providing the schizophrenic more strength.

(Y/N): (nods and whispers back) Alright, just help keep an eye out for any deception tactics they might pull. (looks back to the duo) Hey! How about we continue on our little game, for old times sake?

Corrupted Pico: Go ahead. Let's make this more fun than the last round.

https://youtu.be/zlKVfIj2rMw

*Song Name: Chimera by funny man (Imagine it's Corrupted Pico and Corrupted Darnell Vs (Y/N) instead of Pico and Darnell Vs (Y/N))*

Round two begin the old friends begins, with the music sounding slightly more upbeat than the previous song, and properly commencing after the Corrupted Pico and (Y/N) fire at each other, showing their patience slowly running out. Following the advice from IRIS, the young boy focuses his firearm at the Corrupted Darnell, slowly aggravating the pyromaniac, and getting him to start using more aggressive bars in the battle.

Thanks to the help of his unlikely ally, the battle slowly begins to shift in (Y/N)'s favour, as halfway through the song, both Pico and Darnell begin to sing more familiar rhythms, with their eyes briefly flashing white for a moment. However, that doesn't mean that the young boy shouldn't take this lightly, as earlier in the battle, a dark vehicle pulls up from behind him, but he can't do much except focus on the current showdown.

As the song draws to a close, it seems to be another stalemate, however the two members of the resistance now seem to have the upper hand.

(Y/N): Okay, I think we're getting the advantage now. They're starting to show less signs of aggression. Maybe they're breaking free now?

IRIS: Well, the pyromaniac seems to be having an easier time internally freeing himself. As for the schizophrenic, the corruption appears to be keeping a more aggressive grip on his mind. Has he been broken free before in the past?

(Y/N): (thinks back) Well, I briefly was able to get through to him back a few months ago at some arcade, and then Darnell, Nene, and I nearly freed him before the other two got infected through a surprise attack. Why?

IRIS: Call it an unfinished theory, but perhaps if someone has broken freed before, only to find themselves getting corrupted again, then it becomes slightly more difficult for them to be saved a second time.

(Y/N): (unsure) Then explain Mrs. Mearest. I broke her free before, yet before she fell to the corruption, she was able to fend it off both physically and mentally.

IRIS: I did say it was an unfinished theory, but there is another explanation for that. Charlotte Mearest is a demon, and while slightly weaker than her husband, is considered to still be a difficult foe to best down in the ranks of hell or on the surface. Meanwhile, the two humans in front of you are more simpler beings: Just mortals that have mental and attitude problems. Anyone that has a fragile or broken mind, this plague may have the abilities to alter that victims senses.

(Y/N): (looking upset) Then... Pico, Darnell, Nene, and Whitty... They...

IRIS: It is best we continue this conversation at a later time or date. They appear to be waking up now, and are most likely ready to resume the battle. Just a word of advice, keep an eye on that vehicle behind you, as we're picking up energy readings of both this parasitic substance, and some form of extra-terrestrial inside.

(Y/N): (nods) Alright. (reloads his Uzi) Let's try and end this, or buy us enough time to make a desperate escape.

https://youtu.be/2weeVvVp9UU

*Song Name: Outrage V2 by funny man (Imagine it's Corrupted Pico, Corrupted Darnell, Corrupted Nene, and Corrupted Cassandra Vs (Y/N) instead of Pico and Darnell Vs Corrupted Boyfriend, Corrupted Girlfriend, and Corrupted Nene)*

The third song for the showdown slowly begins, removing the more passive tone of the previous song and going more aggressive in nature. Matching to the more slower tempo of the song, the Corrupted Pico and Darnell lead first, their infected voices sounding slightly annoyed, almost like their growing tired of the cat and mouse chase. Not only that, but now the infected sharpshooter seems to be shooting more than usual.

Still, (Y/N) chooses to persevere, dodging the incoming bullets and firing back whenever the chance presents itself, constantly switching between Pico and Darnell, depending on whoever appears to be the bigger threat at the moment. Once reaching a quarter into the song, the corruption on the pyromaniac's chest begin to be removed, and the same can be said with the schizophrenic's hair, with some cracks beginning to form and grow. This gets (Y/N) to slightly smirk, seeing how he might have a chance...

But then he hears two doors from the glowing vehicle open and close, followed by footsteps walking and stopping behind him.

Taking the moment to turn around, he sees both the Corrupted Nene and the Corrupted Cassandra having now arrived to provide the two boys some assistance, with the song now speeding up. Just like that, the four infected delinquents begin to overwhelm (Y/N), refusing to let him say a single verse, along with the sharpshooter and goth girl shooting at the young boy, the energetic female trying to slash at him, and the pyromaniac also trying to burn him.

By the time the song reaches its end, the corruption on (Y/N) has now spread onto his neck and the left side of his face, slowly changing his veins, eye, and smile.

Corrupted Pico: (cackles) Well, we weren't expecting some backup, but we greatly appreciate it. Though, weren't you supposed to be with Mearest, Nene?

Corrupted Nene: (giggles) I was, but after Cassandra woke up and found us after we tried searching for more victims, she suggested to check out more obscure places, and then we found not only you two clowns, but also our precious friend~. (sighs happily)

Corrupted Cassandra: Careful there, young succubus. The mortal hasn't fallen to the temptations of the devil just yet. Keep provoking him, and the chance to make him yours will be lost forever. Instead, wait until it's the right moment to strike.

Corrupted Nene: (groans) But I don't want to wait!! I want him now!!

Corrupted Darnell: I hate to agree with Cassandra on this one, but she has a point, Nene. If you keep acting like this, then you'll be pissing off the angel. Don't you remember the agreement you both made?

As the Corrupted Pico, Darnell, and Cassandra try to calm down the Corrupted Nene, (Y/N) takes notice of how their attention is now diverted, and quickly takes action, shooting the pyromaniac's lighter and spilling bursts of fire all around them, before running back into the junkyard. It might be stupid, but if he runs back to the bunker, they'd follow him and continue the fight there, so it's better to lead them further away and think of a new plan. While running deeper, he momentarily looks back, seeing how the blazing element is now damaging the corruption on them, being removed on some parts of the four attackers.

The embers soon disperse as the four infected killers begin to slowly recover, noticing how the young boy is no longer surrounded by them, so they quickly chase after him, not wanting to let him escape. Back in the junkyard, (Y/N) continues to keep running, eventually spotting a large pile of thrown out metal and begins to climb up it in order to get an advantage. However, he soon sees a bullet hit a pipe right next to his head, and looks down to see the other four climbing after him. Not wanting to get cornered again, he races up to the top of the pile, and starts firing back down with his Uzi.

Unfortunately, this is where bad luck begins to strike...

Only after firing three bullets, (Y/N) hears a clicking sound come from his Uzi, making his face widen in both shock and fear: His gun has just got jammed. As he looks back down, seeing the corrupted quartet nearly halfway up the garbage pile, he's left with no other option but to start tossing random stuff down at them. Sometimes whatever he chucks down is heavy enough to send them crashing back to the bottom of the pile, though most of the time, it doesn't do much but make them slide down by just a small amount. Eventually, (Y/N) begins to grow tired constantly trying to slow down their progress, and the Corrupted Pico reaches the top.

Once the infected sharpshooter reaches him, the two enter a brief struggle, with (Y/N) using his knife against his corrupted friend, aiming his slashes towards where the cracks are, which are on his head and arms. Unfortunately for him, the Corrupted Pico soon starts fighting back, using his Uzi to strike the young boy right on the head, giving the corruption time to recover and fix up any damage. Soon, (Y/N) pulls his Uzi back out and starts to pull the trigger desperately, trying to get the gun working again.

Then the second moment of bad luck happens...

The Uzi suddenly fires the jammed bullet after enough force gets it out, but the unexpected recoil sends (Y/N) flying off the mountain, and straight down to the concrete ground. Upon landing, he hears a crack coming from some of his bones as he struggles to stand up, feeling the pain coming from both his chest and right leg, while the Corrupted Pico, Nene, Darnell, and Cassandra soon climb down or walk around the mountain of scrap metal, ready to pounce once again.

However, right as (Y/N) is about to stand his ground, despite his broken bones, he notices his phone is generating a red glow, and pulls it out to take a look. Right as he does, the four infected killers lunge at him, only for the glow to suddenly unleash a massive red blast, immediately paralyzing the attackers with red lightning. (Y/N) notices this, looking down at his phone, and seeing the logo of IRIS looking relieved instead of having their neutral expression.

IRIS: That was a close one. Even if you chose to be brave, your fractured skeleton would've made it near impossible for you to escape without falling to this plague. You should count yourself as lucky we could momentarily paralyze them. Now, we suggest you start leaving this place immediately. Our powers can only keep them immobile for a brief period of time, and this isn't the right moment to show gratitude.

(Y/N): (nods) Got it. (flinches from pain) Ow. Guess we'll be travelling a lot slower than expected. (gets an idea) Hey, you think you could get some information on our two main threats? Their names are the Lemon Demon and The Harvester.

IRIS: Of course. The more we know our foe, the better we can stand a chance against them.

Taking in a deep breath and having to fight against both the pain in his body and the corruption on nearly half of his body, (Y/N) puts his weapons back into his pocket, grabs the bag of materials, and starts to make it back to the bunker, slowly limping instead of walking or sprinting. However, by the time the two survivors have left the junkyard and are heading back to safety, one infected person soon breaks free of the paralysis, and soon takes their leave.

They want to have their own little moment, without anyone else...

(With Deejay and Agoti)

From one considered safe haven to another, the demonic duo of Deejay and Agoti have been having some strings of good luck, but that doesn't mean their side of the journey has been smooth sailing. While they had originally planned to use the abandoned building in the graveyard as their base of operations, when they actually got there, it turned out the place was locked from the inside. They tried to break in through the front door, windows, and rooftop, but none of their attempts have shown any progress or luck.

After a few attempts of constantly failing to break in, they eventually gave up and decided to go searching for a new base of operations, especially since the noise they were creating was beginning to attract the attention of some corrupted people, particularly two infected children, and the leader of the strongest force in the badlands. Luckily, after they fled, their search for a new place didn't last long. On the road, Agoti remembered that there was a large skyscraper-like building that belongs to the Greater Good. However, the organization fled the minute the corruption was becoming impossible to stop around in March.

With this information, the two of them quickly travelled over, making sure not to get caught by anybody infected. By the time they got there, their difficulties still weren't over, as upon entering, they unfortunately discovered that the power was inactive, due to the generator being surprisingly damaged. Has the corruption already thought of attacking there? And if so, then might they be the reason why the whole organization fled Starlight City?

Regardless of what the reason why the Greater Good was forced to flee, the two partners had no time to keep questioning it, as they needed the building to be fully operational if they wanted to properly analyse the sample of corruption they were able to collect. Speaking of their plan to analyse the sample, the building did have the equipment required to help find out whatever helped make up the substance. They just had to repair the main generator first, which wasn't easy, even with the right repair kit. In the end, they chose to blame whoever wrote the instructions they had to follow, due to the handwriting being very small.

Currently, Agoti is taking a break from the research by standing out on an open balcony, overlooking the ruined Starlight City crumble slowly by the day, while smoking a cigar from a pack he snuck from Garcello during their temporary stay at Tankman's bunker in the Badlands. He won't tell it to Dee Jay, but the Digidevil has been starting to regret his decision to split the resistance up. He originally did it in hopes that it would keep the others safe, but with the whole city falling apart more, those hopes are beginning to dwindle by the minute.

All he can do now is work hard with Dee Jay and hopefully manufacture a cure for this corruption sooner than later. As for why he's smoking, he can't really suffer any form of lung cancer due to his species, but he still does it because it helps relive stress. Plus, it's slightly addicting. After a few more minutes of trying to take his mind off the previous events, he eventually goes back inside, heading over to a room filled with all sorts of equipment, while Dee Jay rests at a table with beakers full of copied samples of the corruption.

Agoti: Hey, Dee Jay. Finished my little break out there. How are you handling it in here?

Dee Jay: (looks over) It's been going a bit more smooth than yesterday's results, honestly. This substance is sticky like glue, and near impossible to be see through. (perks up) Hey, that rhymes! (both he and Agoti chuckle) Still, I have found some interesting things about this slime. For starters, it can't seem to withstand any form of fire, and will flake off like you're shaking dandruff out of your hair.

Agoti: (smirks) Interesting. Care to give me a quick demonstration?

Dee Jay nods, soon dipping his right hand into a half-filled beaker of the corruption, getting his fingers and palm infected. After that, he calmly took the lighter from Agoti's jacket pocket, and turns it on. Then, he holds it up close to his infected hand, allowing the substance to crack and peel off, while his red skin shows no burn marks. Once all traces have been burnt away, the bouncer looks to the Digidevil, seeing their shocked expression.

Dee Jay: What's wrong? I thought you said you wanted a demonstration?

Agoti: (shaking his head) Yeah, but I didn't mean for you to just infect your hand and light it ablaze! (groans) You know what? I just realised that what you just did was probably the only way you could show me your results, so don't bother correcting me now. Anyway, any other research sorted out? Like what exactly this stuff is made of? Or if there's any way we could create a cure?

Dee Jay: (shakes his head) Not at the moment. So far, I put one sample into the machine, and I've been waiting for the results to show up, but nothing so far. Who knows how long we'll have to wait. (shrugs) Could be a few minutes, could be a whole day. All I know is-

Suddenly, Dee Jay is cut off by the sound of a beep coming from the computer right beside him and Agoti, getting them to look towards the monitor and see a bright green correct symbol on the screen. A few seconds later, some paper dispenses from the printer beside the computer, with some results written on it.

Dee Jay: (excited) Booyah! Forget about waiting, because the results have just came at the nick of time! Now, let's see what we've got on this slimy little concoction. (takes the paper and begins reading it)

Agoti: (curious) Well? What does it say?

Dee Jay: Well, the entirety of the corruption appears to be made of DNA! (Agoti gasps) I know, surprising, right? Anyway, most of the DNA appears to belong to someone whose name is apparently named Yokubo. Strange name. (shrugs) Moving on, while this Yokubo fellow has most of their DNA making up the corruption, some of it appears to have the Lemon Demon's DNA in it as well. 

Agoti: (scratches his head) Well, that does sound interesting, but now that only brings up more questions. Who even is this Yokubo? How are they using their DNA to form this black substance? And more importantly, what's even their motive in unleashing this plague all over Starlight City?

Dee Jay: (shrugs again) I can at least provide one answer to those questions. Back when Atlas and Charlotte were roaming across all the different territories of hell, I've heard of demons sing some of their own DNA to help create their own magic, in order to gain a better sense of control over it. Mr Dearest and Mrs Mearest have also done it, and so have a few henchmen, so I wouldn't be surprised if this Yokubo fellow did something similar.

Agoti: As for the two questions?

Dee Jay: Yokubo could be the name for that demon-winged jester, but as for your third question, we'll just have to wither wait until we can get a hint or get the answer out of them.

With some answers now answered, some information now in their possession, and the reveal of the second and more mysterious enemy leaked into their minds, the two partners decide to take a break from their research. They've already done a lot in getting both the building operational again and obtaining this hopeful game changer, so one little moment to rest won't hurt them. Plus, the place's defences are also back online, so they don't have to worry about someone breaking in.

(Julian POV)

After (Y/N) returned with the necessary parts in order to build the virus a new body, things haven't been improving or getting worse here at the bunker. While whoever was behind that malicious software was kind enough to send us some blueprints to follow, the actual instructions have been confusing to read and understand. Is this how engineers feel on some occasions? Right now, the kid has been trying to connect the motor, the hard drive, and one of the monitors together using some wires he took out of the bag.

Speaking of the kid, I was completely shocked when (Y/N) returned with half of his body and face corrupted, though that spirit that's living inside him soon came out and begun to remove it, though there is a small patch on his neck that the ghost can't remove, for some reason. Anyway, he's been working for a last few hours, not taking any snack breaks or sleep breaks, and it's becoming clear that there's something up with him, seeing as how he's limping around when working on the virus's new body. Not to mention, he's claiming to see a hanging nurse or that freaky Lemon Demon in whatever dark corner of the room he stares at for a while.

Eventually, after watching him become more frustrated at trying to plug in the wires, I stand up from my table, moving my soda can to the side, and walk over, putting a hand onto (Y/N)'s shoulder, which makes him slightly jump before he turns his head to face me.

(Y/N): (yawns) Oh, hi Julian. Do you need something?

Julian: Yeah. I need you to get some rest, and let me take over the engineering for a while now.

(Y/N): No, I've nearly got this, I think. (almost trips over)

Julian: (catches him) No, you don't got this. Look at you, dude. You have bags forming under your eyes, you keep tripping over your own feet, you scream at the darkness, and you've been limping in every direction. I don't care what excuse you have prepared, I'm not letting you become a walking corpse in front of my eyes!

(Y/N): But-

I soon cut (Y/N) off by picking him up and start carrying him all the way to one of the bedrooms, ignoring his pleading to be let down, and him insisting that he's perfectly fine. Once I arrive at the destination, I waste now time in placing him in, pulling the blankets over his body, and tucking the young boy lightly. As I take my leave, I look back to see him still unsure about my decision, so I decide to reassure him.

Julian: (smiles) Don't worry, (Y/N). You've been working so hard to keep others around you feel safe and secure. Now, I think it's time those others let you have a well deserved break. I'll get the robot body fixed, and the virus transferred inside. Trust me.

My words seem to have worked a bit on him, as after I left the room and closed the door behind me, I hear the little guy instantly fall asleep. He must've been really tired if the comfort of a nice bed knocks him out on the spot, huh? After walking back to the main room, I sit right beside the unfinished machine, seeing the symbol of that virus still on his phone, seemingly having witnessed that whole thing.

Julian: (sighs) I know you watched that, and trust me, I want to help him the best I can. If only I could figure out what to do.

IRIS: I can provide you some key details. The reason behind his limping is because at the junkyard, we were ambushed, and a jammed Uzi resulted in him getting some ribs and his leg broken from falling off a mountain of scrap metal, and the reason he refuses to sleep could be because of constant nightmares, which could also explain him seeing hallucinations, as his mind might be getting damaged severely.

Julian: Thanks for all that- (pauses) Wait, how in the circle of life did you come to that conclusion?!

(3rd Person POV)

While Julian and IRIS have a minor discussion before the lanky figure resumes constructing the mechanical body, over with the sleeping (Y/N), he finds himself back in the mindscape, with the static monitor showing him resting on the bed, while the cracks around him slowly become more larger by the minute. While that clearly indicates that something clearly isn't going well, the young boy doesn't seem to mind. At least it's better than being trapped in another nightmare, that's for sure.

As he wanders around the vast and empty realm that is located within his own subconscious, he notices Spirit now approaching him, though the crimson ghost appears to have an expression of sorrow and guilt on his face. This gets (Y/N)'s attention, as he doesn't know why.

(Y/N): Nice to see you, Spirit. It's been a while since I've seen you in here.

Spirit: That is true, (Y/N), and I'm sorry for not being there in some of your times of need, whether that be when you were facing a dangerous foe in the real world, or trapped in a horrific prison. (looks away) I've been trying to fight off that corrupted entity, but they've been constantly evading my arrivals instead of trying to attack back.

(Y/N): (smiles) It's fine, Spirit. You had an honest reason for being absent for a while, and I'm not mad about that. Sure, there have been... (rubs his arm) some less peaceful moments more than the more relaxing times, but I've been trying my best not to let those get to me.

Spirit: (looks concerned) If that's the case, then how about you stay for a while? Judging by your appearance out there, (gestures to the monitor) whatever's been happening hasn't been pleasant in the slightest.

(Y/N): (nods) Sure, I don't mind. If anything, it at least allows me to help you catch up on what's been happening.

For what felt like a few hours for the two figures, (Y/N) explained to Spirit what happened after the crimson remnant went searching for their intruder. The young boy didn't spare any major event, bringing up about the loss of Hex, Mommy Mearest, and how they should most likely be weary of Tabi from now on, but did mention about the inclusion of not only having IRIS join their small group of the resistance, and how their using an abandoned bunker as a base/resting zone.

Spirit listened with interest, wanting to keep this information as important to him as it is important to (Y/N), though one part stuck out to him the most. When the young boy was giving a recap of what happened when Tabi got fully corrupted and attacked them, he mentioned that he ended up in his own mind after hearing Glitch (Y/N)'s voice. This got Spirit thinking about something. If both himself and the staticky-stained soul could momentarily take control of (Y/N), then he doesn't want to know what might happen if Glitch (Y/N) gets the chance to properly fuse with the child.

But he can't make that assumption just yet, not without any more questions answered.

Spirit: So after hearing his voice, what happened then?

(Y/N): (shrugs) I honestly have no clue. In-between that, I was stuck in my mind, and I only woke up in the bunker. Whatever Glitch me did while he was in control, I have no clue.

Spirit: (still curious) And might I ask what happened while you were in here?

(Y/N): (looks hesitant) Well...

Before (Y/N) could decide whether to tell Spirit about the recent and troublesome nightmare he had or not, both figures pick up a familiar aura of someone they don't want to see again, and it's approaching fast. Suddenly, (Y/N) can see something leap out from behind Spirit, attempting to eliminate the remnant, so he quickly moves the crimson ghost out of the way, both of them narrowly avoiding a glowing pink claw ripping Spirit to ribbons. Once their eyes see the claw, their faces instantly harden into glares, knowing just who it is.

It's the Corrupted (Y/N).

(Y/N): You again?! I thought our previous meeting made it pretty clear you aren't welcome here!! Why do you continue to persist?!

Corrupted (Y/N): As long as you continue to march forward, I will always be there to haunt every action you take, awaiting to drag you down into the abyss.

(Y/N): Save your ominous Shakespeare-like speeches for someone more gullible. All this time, I've heard you constantly critiquing everything I try. (begins tearing up) I know I can't save everyone I encounter, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't get a shot!! Just stop pestering me!!

Spirit: (floats to (Y/N)) (Y/N), you need to calm down. You're only-

Corrupted (Y/N): (launches Spirit away) Save it, poltergeist. (looks back to (Y/N)) Take a proper look at yourself. You're too self-sacrificial. You keep allowing yourself to be broken, but refuse to let others help fix you back up. Why is that? Do you have trust issues? Or is it because deep down, you know that-

(Y/N): (shouts) I SAID SHUT UP!!!

With frustration now taking control of the young boy, (Y/N) attempts to take multiple swings at his corrupted counterpart, but all they do is swiftly dodge every attack, mocking the young boy by chuckling. Eventually, (Y/N) grows tired, resting on one knee in order to catch his breath, all while the Corrupted (Y/N) looms over him.

Corrupted (Y/N): Why do you constantly defy me and struggle? You know that the urges that beg you to comply with the darkness cannot be resisted for long. After all, why do you think the vengeful Russian bowed? ((Y/N) grits his teeth) Still, I'll humour you for a while longer. How about we vent our views at each other through song? Without any interruptions?

(Y/N): (getting more tired) Fine. If that's the type of poison you want to drink, then go right ahead.

https://youtu.be/BaN1TJU-pGo

*Song Name: Breaking Apart*

Original Song: Lost My Mind by Nominal Dingus (Imagine it's (Y/N) Vs Corrupted (Y/N) instead of Sonic Vs Xain)*

(Y/N) and his corrupted counterpart calmly stare each other down, as a soft and sombre tune echoes around them. The young boy starts off, his voice still sounding tired, upset, and wishing for safety for others while partially blaming himself, with the infected doppelganger also sounding the same, with their tone openly mocking the young boy, telling him his words never matter in the end, and that he'll just be making things worse if he keeps fighting, until...

(Y/N): GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!

(Y/N) grips his head tightly, now screaming his lungs out, refusing to accept whatever the Corrupted (Y/N) continues to belittle and mock him. Only a short while, the young boy takes a moment to calm down, seeing his vision blurring due to him now crying, and exhaustion beginning to take control. Despite this mental pain, he still pushes forward, understanding that his double isn't like the other corrupted enemies he's faced. This foe is fighting with more personal weapons.

As for the Corrupted (Y/N), they silently observes the cracks of the mindscape slowly spreading more and more, like a plague. Smirking to themself, the continue to break their foe even more, claiming how fighting against what's meant to be is only an inevitable struggle. While (Y/N) represents the dwindling spark of hope, they represent the growing shadow of despair. Neither can exist without the other, and while they can't permanently remove their opposite, the best they can do is permanently contain them.

After (Y/N) once again begs for his corrupted counterpart to leave him be and stop, only to be denied like before, the young boy now begins to plead that the others get spared, while the infected reflection only insults him more on his selfless behaviour, insisting that he'll just keep hurting others by keeping them alive. After more arguments become exchanged between the two, the song reaches its end, with neither side claiming any semblance of victory.

Corrupted (Y/N): (tilts his head) Impressive. Even in your drained and damaged state, you still cling to a possibility of a positive outcome. Why is that?

(Y/N): (taking deep breaths) Like I'd tell you... You'd just use it against me...

Corrupted (Y/N): Then if I can't persuade you through verbal methods, then I'll have to resort to more brutal and primitive tactics once again.

Letting out a low growl, the Corrupted (Y/N) unleashes an aggressive roar, before leaping at right at (Y/N), claws pulled back and ready to tear open his flesh. Right before (Y/N) can even dodge the attack or fight back, the infected reflection's assault is interrupted when a surprise guest halts them dead in their tracks. This figure is Glitch (Y/N), much to the actual boy and Spirit's surprise.

The Corrupted (Y/N) also remains speechless upon seeing who's stopped him, but has no time to react accordingly, as the static counterpart then charges up a blast of electricity in his palm, and unleashes it right into the Corrupted (Y/N)'s face, sending him flying further and deeper into the mindscape, where the intruder may hopefully not stir up more problems, because if they do...

They'll have to intervene more...

Glitch (Y/N) then turns around and offers a hand to the young boy, allowing (Y/N) to notice one newer change to his appearance. Previously, he had added two large white horns, his hands becoming claws with the ends glowing white, a strange symbol on his chest, and a glitchy tail. Now, it appears that some white glitchy strings have now been added, wrapping around Glitch (Y/N)'s stomach area and arms. While (Y/N) doesn't know why he's been changing his appearance, that's not his area to judge.

That area would be his mother's field of expertise.

Glitch (Y/N): ARE YOU OKAY? APOLOGISES FOR NOT ATTACKING SOONER, AS I WAS SIMPLY WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME TO HALT THAT COPYCAT.

(Y/N): (accepts the hand up) It's fine. I don't think me or Spirit were expecting to see you again. As for how I'm feeling, well... (yawns) I would be lying if I said that the Corrupted me didn't make me feel more tired than I was before.

Glitch (Y/N): (looks around the mindscape) AND THE DAMAGE HE'S CAUSING SEEMS TO BE GETTING STRONGER. DON'T DROP YOUR GUARD OFTEN NOW, OR ELSE THE FUTURE RESULTS WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO END IN VICTORY.

Spirit: (floats over) Even if those words are coming from you, your intentions are still helping us. (looks to (Y/N)) Shall we resume our previous conversations?

(Y/N): (looks a bit troubled) Sure, but do you mind if we talk about some other topics? It's just that where we were getting to previously was a topic I don't want to mention.

While Spirit is unsure of what (Y/N) might be hiding, he accepts the young boy's request and the two pick up where they left off. Glitch (Y/N) also joins in, much to Spirit's reluctance, but he relents upon seeing how the static soul is also helping in calming down (Y/N). For what felt like hours, the three beings would simply ask each other questions and receive answers, sort of like a bonding experience. However, when Spirit or Glitch (Y/N) what happened during the latter's possession, the young boy would freeze up, look down to his shaking hands as if he's expecting to see something there, and ask if they could talk about something else.

Both Spirit and Glitch (Y/N) immediately noticed that this might be a touchy subject for the young boy, so they decided to refrain from talking about it in the future, or at least until he gets better. Eventually, it was the young boy's turn to ask a question, and after spending some seconds thinking, he comes up with one he's wanted to know when it was brought up a while ago.

(Y/N): Okay, for my question, could any or both of you explain what you mean by saying you've been possessing me? I know I've been getting used to the feeling, but it would be a little nice to have some information.

Spirit: Very well. Now, beings that have no physical form in the real world, such as myself or the Glitch Soul behind me, can momentarily take control over someone's body and use it for a brief period of time. In that state, we can still use our astral abilities, though the level of their strength depends on whoever's became the temporary vessel.

(Y/N): (intrigued) That sounds amazing. But then how can Glitch (Y/N) do it, if they're instead a Glitch Soul. And can't you guys try to permanently possess someone?

Glitch (Y/N): THAT'S BECAUSE GLITCH SOULS SHARE ONE KEY PIECE OF IMPORTANCE WITH REGULAR SOULS. THEY DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO EITHER TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR CONNECTED HUMAN OR LEAVE THEIR BODY AND INTERACT THE REAL WORLD, BUT ONLY FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME, APROXIMATELY FIVE OR SO MINUTES. IF THEY STAY FOR LONGER, THEN REALITY ITSELF WILL BEGIN TO FALTER, UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY CRASHES DOWN, DESTROYING THE UNIVERSE.

Spirit: As for permanent possession, that is impossible. The closest ability to that is a permanent fusion, but that requires both parties, the mortal and the spiritual being, to grant consent to this idea. It is impossible for either side to force a fusion between themselves, as it will only result in one of them going through a horrific experience as a form of punishment.

(Y/N): (shaken up) That... sounds foreboding and extremely unnerving, especially the end parts of those answers. But, that does raise one more question. How do you know this information? Are both Regular Souls and Glitch Souls given this information upon creation, or do they learn about this through experience?

Spirit: (looks to Glitch (Y/N)) He does bring up a good point. How do you know about this?

Glitch (Y/N): (closes his eye) I WISH WE COULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME FOR ME TO TELL YOU WHY, BUT FATE ISN'T GENEROUS AT THIS MOMENT.

(Y/N) and Spirit give Glitch (Y/N) a confused expression each, wanting to get some form of answer as to why the static soul isn't telling them now, but before either of them can speak up, the former's body begins to flicker and go transparent, meaning only one thing.

(Y/N): (looks at himself) Oh, I see what you mean. I'm about to wake up. (looks to the two figures) Well, I really enjoyed our conversations. Hope to see you guys again when I fall asleep again.

Both Spirit and Glitch (Y/N) bid the young boy farewell as he then disappears from their point of view, leaving them as the only figures in the mindscape. Once all traces of (Y/N) have properly vanished, the atmosphere becomes cold and sharp, with the remnant of what was once a human and the static soul stare each other down. While they can sort of get along when (Y/N)'s around, everything becomes tense and aggressive when they're alone.

Spirit: (speaks with malice) You've been neglecting a lot of my questions, as well as (Y/N)'s on occasion. What even are you plotting? I've been noticing that you've been constantly pushing the boy in the direction that the Corruption wants him to go down, getting more people to fall, and hurting his mental state even more.

Glitch (Y/N): I ALREADY TOLD BOTH YOU AND THE FUTURE VANGUARD THAT I HAVE NO CLEAR INTENTIONS OF WORKING WITH THE CORRUPTION, AS MY PLANS ARGUE WITH THEIR PLANS. NOW, I MUST BE OFF, AS I HAVE TO CONTINUE READJUSTING WHAT I'LL BE DOING IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

Spirit: Before you take your leave, answer me one of these two questions I have for you. Why do you guide (Y/N) deeper down this path? Or what even is your endgame, should you ever reach to nearly completing it?

Glitch (Y/N): I'LL ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION. IT IS BECAUSE IT IS IN THE YOUNG BOY'S NATURE. THE HELPER WISHES TO HELP OTHERS, AS THEY THEMSELVES KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE CLASSIFIED AS HELPLESS.

Glitch (Y/N) then takes his leave, either to continue readjusting his plans, like he said, or to hunt down where the Corrupted (Y/N) has probably fled to by now, leaving Spirit alone in the centre of the mindscape, left to think about what the static soul meant by what it spoke of...

(Back in the Real World)

(Y/N) soon wakes up in the bedroom Julian placed him inside, feeling more slightly more positive and rejuvenated slightly more positive than before. He looks to the side, seeing his weapons and while his mind slowly drifts back to that bad dream, he shakes it off, slowly climbing out of the bed, making it himself, and walking out of the room to see how Julian's going with the progress. Along the way, he hears his stomach growling, so he quickly makes a detour to the kitchen area to make a quick sandwich before going back to looking for his partner.

Though, if he stayed, he would've heard the sound of someone breaking down a vent and entering the bunker through the ducts...

Eventually, the young boy manages to reach the room where they've set up the engineering process, where he sees a sight that makes him give a small smile: Julian is fast asleep on a nearby table, while on another wider table nearby him is the completed machine that the virus of IRIS will be occupying. (Y/N) takes a step closer, taking in the design of the automation that they've all been working hard on. The head is just one monitor, with the spare one not being present, and wires connect the screen straight into the body, while the neck has some small spikes sticking out of the back of it.

Next, the body appears thin, yet the metal plating covering it adds for durability, making the main chest look like something that belongs to a royal knight from a fictional medieval story, with some added metal shark fins for flare. The arms and legs also appear to be slender, with the fingers resembling daggers or pitchforks, and the legs transforming into massive leather boots once they reach halfway down. There's also a tail that looks like a fusion between a plug and devil's tail. All in all, it doesn't look that bad, and makes it look powerful, though (Y/N) may have to ask Julian if he went a bit overboard with some parts of the design.

Speaking of Julian, the young boy soon hears his partner stir in his sleep, almost about to wake up, so he calmly takes a seat at the same table across from his resting partner. About a few minutes later, he sees Julian begin to fully awaken, with the lanky relaxed figure getting shocked upon seeing (Y/N) there for a moment, before straightening himself out.

Julian: (stretches) Oh, hey (Y/N). How was your rest?

(Y/N): It's been pleasant. (looks to the clock) Hey, out of curiosity, but what time did you force me to sleep for a while?

Julian: (thinks back) Well, even if the permanent black sky says otherwise, I threw you into the nearest bedroom at about 1:30 AM. Why?

(Y/N): (turns away from the clock) It's 4:30 PM. We must've been very tired and stressed if we fell asleep for that long.

Julian: (jaw drops) You slept for 15 whole hours?! I knocked myself out when the clock reached 8 AM!!!

(Y/N): (chuckles) What wonders can the human body and mind impress us with next? (stands up) Before we come up with answers, how about we properly finish what we promised a partner?

Julian gives (Y/N) a nod, as the young boy soon grabs his phone and plugs the USB into it, slowly transferring the virus into the portable storage space. Once finished, he then takes a while looking for the input on the mechanical puppet, eventually finding it on the back of the body, and places the USB in. Immediately, the screen lights up, showing a loading screen and a bar slowly filling up, representing how long it'll take until the virus has been uploaded into its new body.

Julian: Alright!! (fists the air) They thought the resistance would be on their knees, but we're rising back up and taking our home back, one way or another!!!

(Y/N): (sighs) I wouldn't get cocky, Julian. We don't know if they've got more hidden tricks we don't know about, but hopefully, we can find a way to turn this disaster around and salvage any hope we have left.

Julian: (wraps an arm around (Y/N)) I know it's hard not to feel happy in an atmosphere like this, but if we keep thinking all negative-like, then we might as well be begging for some kind of demise instead. We have people who'd want to see us still fighting with all the courage in our bodies!! (wipes a tear away) I have Julius and his friends to make proud, and you've got yours.

(Y/N): (begins to tear up) You really have a hidden talent on getting people emotionally moved by your words, Julian. You ever thought of running for some kind of public speaking role or something?

Both (Y/N) and Julian let out a few hearty laughs, wiping away both the tears of joy and tears of sadness away from their eyes, and begin to make their way out of the room. However, right as they're about to take a step into the hallway...

*SLASH*

Both of them narrowly avoid something swinging a sharp knife at them from the darkness, using the shadows as their best way to stay hidden. Clearly not wanting to deal with whoever's trying to attack them, (Y/N) activates his shadow magic and summons chains of darkness, which quickly lunge towards the mystery attacker and pull her out of her hiding spot. Unfortunately for the young boy, the person is revealed to be the Corrupted Nene, with her knife still in her hand.

(Y/N): (looks worried) Nene...

Corrupted Nene: (giggles) Oh, dear (Y/N)! I just knew that you were hiding in here. Granted, I technically knew since I followed you after me and the others broke free from that stupid red lightning, but it doesn't matter! (attempts to escape the chains) All that does matter is that once I drag you back to either the boss or Boyfriend and Girlfriend, we can spend all of eternity spending so much time together. (giggles again)

Julian: (whispers to (Y/N)) Was she like that before she got corrupted?

(Y/N): (whispers back) Unfortunately, yes. Nene gets extremely attached to anything she defines as important in her life. And when it comes to people, she acts like how many would classify as a "Yandere". Well, that's what Hanzou would say. (gives an upset laugh)

Corrupted Nene: (sees (Y/N)'s expression) Oh, what's got you so down, (Y/N)? Do you really miss all those happy memories we used to create back when we were all foolish and naïve? (tries to get closer to him) Don't worry. All those happy times can be repeated and brought back! Sure, we might look different, but that won't be an excuse!! (gains a lustful look in her eyes) And, once you're like us, we can hopefully treat all of those pent up frustrations and let our urges be removed.

The room falls silent, with the Corrupted Nene's mind flowing with all sorts of... desires she wishes to do with one of her high school crushes. As for Julian and (Y/N), the former looks over to the latter, and sees his face has contorted into one of pure discomfort. Judging by it, (Y/N) might have heard Nene speak like that in the past, and just like how it is uncomfortable now, it was uncomfortable back then.

Corrupted Nene: (speaks up) Hey! How about we have ourselves a little duet, (Y/N)? Just like old times? When you offered to help me for the Singstar Challenge? ((Y/N)'s face becomes more upset) And how you always rooted for me, Darnell, and Pico during our matches, even if we faced each other?

Julian: (whispers to (Y/N)) Dude, you're turning whiter than a ghost. Are you sure you wanna-

(Y/N): (nods) It's me she's after, Julian. Plus, it'll hopefully buy us enough time for the virus to finish its transfer. (looks to Nene and speaks up) You've got yourself a deal, Nene. But don't try anything, or else.

Corrupted Nene: (giggles) Oh, don't tempt me to try and awaken your dark side, (Y/N). That gets me more excited. ((Y/N) looks more uncomfortable now) Just loosen these chains, and I won't try anything.

https://youtu.be/vbr9FgqF8UQ

*Song Name: Stalker Serenade*

*Original Song: Disconnection by funny man (Imagine it's (Y/N) Vs Corrupted Nene instead of Senpai Vs Glitch Boyfriend)*

(Y/N) reluctantly obliges, getting the shadow chains to lighten their grip on the Corrupted Nene, allowing her to move her body more freely, but he still keeps them positioned to attack if she steps out of line. Meanwhile, a song begins to echo from somewhere in or outside of the bunker, sounding unnerving and lifeless, which compliments (Y/N)'s gestures in the song. As he sings, his eyes can't help but attempt to drift away from Nene, almost like he can't bring himself to make eye contact with his opponent.

In contrast to his movements, the Corrupted Nene freely swings both her body and knife around during the moments where she sings, with her tone of voice also sounding completely different to (Y/N)'s more cautious and frightened voice. Her voice sounds like something you'd hear from a siren, being intoxicating and attractive, with even her gestures soon following this lustful mood she's attempting to bring to the battle. Soon, the Corrupted Nene begins to beckon (Y/N) to surrender through flirtatious signs, though the young boy stands his ground, refusing to give into any form of lust.

Eventually, they start to reach a moment where they start to perform a duet, and their voices end up combining to create a sombre feeling to the song. It's like looking back at a childhood memory, only to see it twist and warp into something nobody would want to look back at. Eventually, (Y/N) took in a deep breath, knowing that he isn't doing much to stop Nene, decides to break out the big guns now...

Right as the song reaches the last minute, (Y/N) activates more of his shadow magic, but instead of using them for offensive purposes, he instead blankets the entire hallway and nearby rooms in darkness. There, the only things that can be visibly seen are (Y/N)'s eyes and veins glowing pure white, while the Corrupted Nene has her face, blade of her knife, and multiple parts of her body glow an ominous pink. However, Julian, whom has become hidden due to (Y/N)'s shadow magic, notices something shine for just a quick moment in the room they just were in.

A faint scarlet red flicker...

A little while later, (Y/N) removes the darkness, wanting to conserve his magic for now unless he absolutely needs to go all out in the future, as the song draws to its close. While they're still in stalemate, both sides are showing that they won't be backing down anytime soon.

(Y/N): There, you had your little moment. Now, leave me alone.

Corrupted Nene: (giggles) Oh, dear, naïve (Y/N). You know that whatever I set my eyes on, I never let it go!

(Y/N)'s eyes widen, before commanding the shadow chains to restrain the Corrupted Nene once again. However, the infected suicidal reaper expected this, so she began to dodge every shackle that tried to restrain her, dancing around them with elegance. When she got close, she'd swing her knife at (Y/N), intending to have him stop using his magic through pain, but the young boy quickly hops into the shadows, and reappears on the other side of the hallway, creating some distance between himself and his attacker. The Corrupted Nene didn't seem to mind, as she always loves it when her prey runs.

While the two have their demented dance, Julian quickly runs back into the room and checks on the machine, having noticed the flash earlier. To his surprise, the automation slowly begins to rise from the table, almost like a classic monster from a horror movie. Still a bit unsure, Julian peeks at the monitor, seeing a loading screen nearly being filled, and forms a smirk onto his face. Help has arrived, and at the best moment.

Meanwhile back in the hallway, (Y/N) hasn't had much time to apprehend or fight back against the Corrupted Nene, as every time he'd try to summon more chains to stop her, she'd just leap closer towards him, forcing the young boy to hop into the shadows and arrive back at a further distance. What's worse is that he notices that he's summoning less chains by the minute, plus his veins and eyes are beginning to flicker instead of glow. He's running low on magic, and there's no room for catching a break right now.

(Y/N): (thinking to himself) I could ask if Spirit could handle her... But what if she overwhelms him too? Well, there's always Glitch (Y/N), but he hasn't told me or Spirit what he did when he possessed me... (grits his teeth) Dammit!! There's not much options left, and I don't want to hurt or accidentally kill Nene!! (sighs) At least I'm sort of buying Julian and IRIS time to think of something... (looks worried) Provided they don't leave me behind.

At that moment, (Y/N) is brought out of his thoughts by the Corrupted Nene slashing through the last shadow chains and lunging straight for him, as he panics and tries to create a wall of darkness. Unfortunately, bad luck moment number 3 hits as his shadow magic fully shuts off, being drained so far, and leaving him completely vulnerable to any attack. As the Corrupted Nene swings her knife one final time, (Y/N) quickly ducks under it, letting out a sigh of relief.

However, he wasn't out of the woods just yet, as the infected stalker then kicks him in the feet, forcing him to fall down onto his back. As (Y/N) tries to get back up, the Corrupted Nene refuses to give him the chance by pinning him down with both her knife and herself, creating what would be an awkward position if the circumstances were completely different. Upon realising what's happening, (Y/N)'s face freezes up in fear, though a visible blush does appear on his cheeks as Nene forces him to look into her eyes, which almost look like beating hearts.

Corrupted Nene: (caresses (Y/N)'s cheek) You know, (Y/N), before you had to leave me and the others because your parents moved, and before you met up with Boyfriend and his dear Girlfriend, I also had a crush on you.

(Y/N): (blinks rapidly) W-What?! B-B-But you d-dated-

Corrupted Nene: I know I dated other boys, but they just couldn't give me the same type of feeling you always filled my heart with. The way you'd give me an honest smile of appreciation, how you'd always help me with whatever problem I was stuck with, how you'd sometimes hide your bright innocent eyes under all that hair... (begins breathing heavily) I want to claim all that before anyone else does!! Forget the deal I made!! It won't matter if they don't know!!

(Y/N): (looking more afraid) N-Nene... I-I...

Corrupted Nene: (giggles) Are you going to say that you only see me as a sister or a close friend? Your blushing is saying otherwise, (Y/N). Now, pucker up those lips, sweetheart!!

In one last attempt to free himself and hopefully, (Y/N) violently begins shaking and pushing the Corrupted Nene, hoping that it'll do something. All that it really does is briefly shake her about, getting her to chuckle before gripping (Y/N)'s chin, slowly lowering her own head to plant a corrupted kiss on him, when...

Julian: Hey!!!

Both (Y/N) and the Corrupted Nene pause their action, their own separate interests being grabbed and look down the hallway. In an instant, the infected stalker of lust gets hit in the side of the head by a blunt weapon, and gets knocked into an empty room nearby. As she staggers back onto her feet, (Y/N) looks over to who intervened at the moment, and sees Julian standing there with a bent metal pipe in his hands. The lanky musician then offers a hand to (Y/N), which he quickly accepts and pulls his friend into a hug, which Julian returns, watching his friend silently fall down his cheeks.

Julian: (pats (Y/N)'s back) Sorry I didn't help you out earlier. I was checking up on something important and didn't realise that she was more... deranged than the others. (sees (Y/N) calming down) Keep taking deep breaths, dude. She won't take another step near you as long as we stick together. Speaking of which... (glares at Nene)

Corrupted Nene: (growls at Julian) How dare you interrupt my moment with him!! It was about to be as glorious as those idiotic priests claiming what heaven is!!

Julian: (doesn't back down) Your moment with him?! You were about to molest him, you sick freak!!! I don't care what kind of lust your mind was being fuelled by, but I'm not gonna let you take advantage of my friend through some creepy gestures and creepy winks!!

Corrupted Nene: (stands up) And what are you going to do? Stop me? (cackles) Your foolish cousin already attempted to stop one of our forces, and look where he is now. Nothing but an obidient and insane guard dog, who'd love to rip you apart. (points her knife at him) Are you really about to make the same suicidal mistake as him?

Julian: (tightens his fists) You know, I have half a mind to run right up to you, and bash in your little infected skull until I see it splatter for daring to mock Julius... (smirks) But I'm not gonna do that. Instead, I think I should let our best player test out their new upgrade.

As (Y/N) and the Corrupted Nene both give a look of confusion, something suddenly rushes into the room, shining a bright red crimson light before tightly gripping the latter figure, and throwing her through one of the walls, but the assault doesn't stop there. As she gets onto one knee, the figure charges forward again, delivering a brutal backhand that sends the infected girl tumbling through another wall, and into a different hallway. The Corrupted Nene rises to her feet, clearly lived as she glares down her new opponent, who steps out into the hallway to face her.

Back with (Y/N) and Julian, the latter calmly takes the former's hand and guides him through the destroyed rooms, until they reach where the infected stalker is staring down her metallic obstacle, allowing the young boy to get a proper look at who's about to duel Nene, and have his eyes slowly widen upon realising on who it is.

It's IRIS in their new body.

Corrupted Nene: (starts bearing her teeth) Why do you foolish abominations keep insisting on preventing me from claiming my perfect prize? Do I have to explain to every single one of you that whatever I deem as mine, I won't allow anyone to stop me from taking it back?!!

IRIS: (the eye scowls) And like you're any better. Just from one glance, we've already gotten all the required info on you, and easily identify all of your clear negative attributes. Not only are you clearly seeking someone to love, despite having others that clearly show you those feelings, but you disgustingly resort to nearly raping one of your closest friends, resulting in him being more afraid of you.

Corrupted Nene: (her eye twitches) You shut the hell up, you walking toaster with a new coat of metal!! (brandishes her knife) Now, I think I should  let loose and smash you up until a used car at the junkyard begins to feel jealous!!

IRIS: (calmly shrugs) If you wish to take the gamble, then go right ahead, you insult to succubus everywhere. Just know that down in the Underworld, we demons show great care in our prestige. You attempt to defy us or make us look bad, then we'll make you look dead.

Corrupted Nene: (chuckles) Then good luck putting me down!!

https://youtu.be/dGWqW9TR3_Q

*Song Name: Malicious Software by Pap7ru5 (Imagine it's IRIS Vs Corrupted Nene instead of Hex Vs Corrupted Boyfriend)*

Wasting no time in delaying the showdown, IRIS begins with a flurry of rhythms flying right out of their voice chip, while the Corrupted Nene stands her ground and fights back, throwing away her movements of flirting and replacing them with more aggressive movements. Soon, the song properly picks up, sounding like something out of a techno-styled record, before the barrage is fully unleashed. Speaking of barrage, IRIS wastes no time in unleashing red lightning from their new body's fingertips, getting an early advantage in the battle thanks to having ranged combat.

But that's not the only trick IRIS has up their metallic shell, as not even a minute into the song, they shift their iron hands into large pincers, the kind that would belong to a crab or a lobster, and start swinging them at the Corrupted Nene, soon overpowering her as she's forced to go on the defensive. Nearby, Julian and (Y/N) watch through the hole in the wall, the latter soon noticing that some of the rhythms that IRIS is using sound like they belong to one of Hex's songs, even using actual bars from the basketball bot. This makes him smile a bit at seeing some resemblance to someone he calls a close friend. Though, after seeing the surprise claws, he now wants to ask Julian about the cosmetics he's added even more.

Back to the song, it's becoming obvious that IRIS is dominating the battle, though the battle still isn't a clear victory, as the machine has some moments of buffering, lagging, and glitching out, which allows the Corrupted Nene to slowly chip away at the defences. Eventually, the infected stalker begins to grow tired and slowly starts to mess up. Soon, the song begins to reach its end, so IRIS begins to perform more simpler patterns while slowly charging up one final electric blast, which the Corrupted Nene doesn't take notice of, until eventually...

The machine unleashes all of its stored energy, causing every single nearby electronic to short circuit or explode, depending on the durability of the device that was hit. As for the Corrupted Nene, she tries to resist the red demonic static striking every part of her body, but the pain is too much for her, and she ends up collapsing, with some corruption dripping off her face, revealing her left eye.

IRIS: (brushes their shoulder) For someone with a body count as high as hers, I thought she'd put up more of a fight. Then again, we were foolishly scaling her to her friend with the guns, who'd be more of a threat then she was. (looks to (Y/N) and Julian) Now, do we permanently dispose of her now, or do we remove her from the premises immediately? It won't be long before she wakes up.

(Y/N): (speaks up) Hold on, don't you think there's a better option instead of getting rid of her through most means?

IRIS: (blinks) I understand you wanting so save her, (Y/N), but she's not in the best position to be saved right now. Out of us three, only you have the highest chance of freeing her from this corruption, but after what has happened, there's only a 14.77% chance of you succeeding. Not to mention...

At that moment, IRIS motions over to the Corrupted Nene, who has the corruption on her rapidly recovering the area where it was removed. It would only be minutes, even seconds in the worst possible scenario, until she would reawaken and repeat her rampage once again. (Y/N) lets out a heavy sigh, and looks to the virus with an upset expression.

(Y/N): Then could you move her to somewhere far away from here? I refuse to let someone close to me get killed, corrupted or not. (looks to a surprised Julian) Julian, I know what she did, but I know the real Nene would never do that. Trust me, please.

Julian: (thinks for a bit, then nods) Alright then. I understand you still want to keep her safe, so I won't stop you. What about you, IRIS? (IRIS shakes their monitor) Okay, so she'll be placed somewhere else, most likely an alleyway far away from the bunker. Does that sound like a good idea?

(Y/N): (nods) It does. Though, I do have a quick question to ask you, Julian. (smirks) Was it you who added those features, like the tail and the claws?

Julian: (nervous) Well...

IRIS: You are correct to assume that, (Y/N). Julian insisted on adding them, saying that they would make our new vessel "look more badass", and wouldn't stop begging to add them until we complied, mostly to shut him up.

Julian: (looks heartbroken) Betrayed by some I thought I could call a teammate...

(Y/N): (laughs for a while) You guys are comedians in disguise, cause you both crack me up at the most surprising of times. (calms down) Okay, IRIS, you can do your thing now. I'll help Julian tidy up the place.

IRIS gives (Y/N) a nod, before picking up the Corrupted Nene and speeding out of the bunker, ready to drop her off far away from their hiding spot. As for (Y/N) and Julian, the two young adults go back to grab some cleaning equipment and patch up the damage the interior suffered. They might not have been able to free someone, but they did make sure nobody else fell to the corruption...

Meanwhile, in the streets of Starlight City, two figures are busy wandering the empty and ruined streets, both of them clearly showing signs of exhaustion after having to risk their lives sneaking into the death-trap that was once a home for them. The first figure appears to be a male with greasy long (H/C) hair, and is wearing a large bright green coat with a purple shirt that has a picture of a music note on it, black jeans, and black shoes. Next to him is a female with her hair dyed pink and red while tied into ponytails, (E/C) eyes that shine brightly, and is wearing a white Japanese-styled kimono, with high heels having gold attachments.

These two are Dimitri (L/N) and Vanessa (L/N). One's an owner of a music venue, while the other is a successful fashion creator.

Right now, the two have re-entered the destroyed landscape they used to know for one simple reason: To find their son and get him out of there. Upon hearing about what's been happening in their old home, they wished the government would do something about this, but were disappointed when all they issued was a planned quarantine in the future, and forbid anyone from entering the place. Well, they weren't going to accept this, so they made the decision to sneak in.

Though, one of the two wished they had entered through a different way...

Vanessa: (groaning) Honey, did we really have to take the sewers?! I don't want us to encounter our son, only for him to pick up the smell of dying fish on us!!!

Dimitri: Honey, I know you have a habit of keeping yourself clean, but this isn't the time or the place to be complaining about that. We have to find him and get him out of here. (looks upset) We can't let a repeat of the past happen again.

Vanessa: (sees her husband's expression) Okay, dear. I'll stop being as most of my customers say "crabby" for you. (both of them chuckle) Now, where shall we check first? (pulls out a map) They said the mall was when the outbreak began, so maybe he's hiding somewhere further away? (worries) But then that means we might've gone right past him... (hears a noise) Did you hear that?

Dimitri: (looks around) I did, but there's nobody here. (grows concerned) Unless we're being followed...

Vanessa: (shudders) You don't think it was-

Dimitri: (puts a hand onto her shoulder) Don't worry, sweetie. I doubt it could be our son. Even if he can't remember that far back, I doubt he'd let that corrosive paint control him. (takes the map off her) Here, I'll do the scouting for you. (glances at the map) Hmm... It says here that there's a few bunkers that have been set up during the beginning of the infection, and the two closest ones to us are near the Castle of Creation Art Studio, and the Danger Zone Indoor Paintball Site. Where do you think we should search first?

Vanessa: (thinks for a moment) I'd say we should search at the Art Studio first. While both places show great signs of possible camouflage uses, the former has less weapons, and sounds like somewhere the infected wouldn't check first, if not at all. That may be our best bet.

Dimitri gives his wife a smile, glad to have her by his side in both life and this reckless mission, before putting the map into his pocket and guides her through the alleyways, using them as a way to get to their destination quicker, and using the shadows to hide their figures so they don't get caught. After reaching halfway to the bunker they chose, they pick up another sound, this one sounding like flapping wings, only it's more closer than the previous noise. Suddenly, a figure drops down a few steps in front of them, blocking their way out of the alleyway...

...And that figure is the Lemon Demon himself.

Lemon Demon: (smiles creepily) Well, isn't this just nice? Two loving parents charging recklessly into this little valley of death, like a brigade of light not afraid of any clear signs of despair awaiting them should they enter. (leans against a wall) Despite this, it was quite foolish of you to enter, despite what the rest of the world said.

Dimitri: (glares at him) What we're doing here has nothing to do with you, you disgusting abomination. Your very existence is a mistake!!

Lemon Demon: (chuckles darkly) If I'm as heartless as you accuse me to be, then you should know by now that your words mean nothing to me, unless I wish to humour you. Now then, let's get down to business. I know the real reason why you're here. It's about your son, isn't it? (Dimitri and Vanessa flinch) To be honest, I thought the boy wouldn't last this long, even expecting him to be one of our more earliest victims, but as we kept seeing how desperately he keeps trying to come up with plans to save everyone, including himself, we decided to keep him around longer. Well, for now, at least...

Lemon Demon: After all, a game of Cat-And-Mouse can't last forever, can't it? Plus, we're nearing the beginning of the final quarter of the year. We've already assimilated nearly the entirety of this city into our army. But when we do finally get your precious little angel... (his voice distorts) I WONDER HOW HE'LL BEHAVE ONCE HE SNAPS...

Vanessa: (glares at him as well) You better remove all of those thoughts of touching him with your hands, claws, or any other form of contact, you hear me?! (raises her feet) These heels aren't just for fashion, you know!! They can double as weapons!!

Lemon Demon: (doesn't falter at all) Oh, don't worry. Should his sanity be shattered, me and my partner have it all figured out. We'll just keep him forever contained in his mind, and let the corruption handle the rest on the outside. He won't ever have to deal with all the trauma and pain that he's been collecting throughout this entire infection. Best of all, he'll have close friends to help "persuade" him to stay and embrace a new side of himself.

Dimitri: (slowly becoming nervous) You really think we'd let you do that?! We know what this stuff does to the mind, and how it can trap others inside their own mind against their will, and either create a new soul to replace the old one or taint the one that existed. We know your tricks, and we won't fall for it for the second time!!

Lemon Demon: (intrigued) Second time? Well, guess I owe my accomplice an apology. They really told me everything about you, and I brushed it off as them just acting like a simple, stereotypical stalker from a modern day Anime. (chuckles) I forgot to mention, they'll also be providing a more permanent solution to keep the boy close to their clutches. They did say that you'd eventually try and pry them away from your son, like you've done in the past?

Vanessa: (tilts her head) Hold on a minute. You keep mentioning some kind of friend was helping you in spreading this plague all over our old home, and saying that they know so much about us, but that's impossible. The only figure that knows that much is... (eyes widen)

Lemon Demon: (his grin extends) Oh? I see your putting the pieces together! Don't feel ashamed if you've forgotten about your little enemy... (drools blood) BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOU BOTH AT ALL.

Vanessa: (starts shaking) N-No... I-It can't be...

Vanessa soon falls onto her knees, with tears starting to rapidly fall down her face, faster then a stream of water going off a ledge. As Dimitri leans down to help his wife up, they both hear another figure arrive, this one landing right beside the Lemon Demon. And upon recognising who it is, their faces warp into expressions of fear, disgust, and pure anger...

...For that figure is The Harvester.

Dimitri + Vanessa: You...

The Harvester: (in Japanese) Our long awaited reunion after 17 long years, and once again, you choose to interfere with my wishes. Wasn't your "triumph" over me in the past satisfying for you? You already  took away the boy from me, removed all traces of my figure from his memory, and made sure that I would never be able to return for an encore. (chuckles) But now, things are different. I have the numbers. I have the endgame planned out. And I will retrieve the one thing you took from my life: The small spark that brought me happiness and love.

Dimitri: (glares at them) Oh, I refuse to let you get any of your claws near my young boy. Your infection got to him in the past, but we know all of your tricks.

Vanessa: (wipes away her tears) You've brought both of us and this place so much pain and trauma in the past. (stands up) We won't let any more repeats happen. We'll show you what a bond between two loving parents can do, and overpower your darkened grasp once again.

The Harvester: (rolls their eyes) All of your words of confidence are nothing more than empty promises that a fictional character deserves to utter. If you feel that the outcome will be the same as our last battle, then how about we collide our intentions through our symphonic abilities? I promise I won't be pushed aside like you thought I would still be.

Lemon Demon: While I do love myself a little sing-off, I'm afraid that your interference has caused both minor and major delays to our visions, so we won't be holding any form of offense back.

Dimitri: (smirks) And that kind of talk helps show us that you abominations still are unable to overcome your delusions of grandeur. Let's dance.

Vanessa: (steps forward) And make this ballet the last you'll ever perform.

https://youtu.be/vxY08PHI1W8

*Song Name: Parental Confrontation*

*Original Song: Dead End by Valor Genesect (Imagine it's Vanessa and Dimitri Vs The Harvester and Monster instead of Girlfriend, Skid, and Pump Vs Corrupted Boyfriend and Corrupted Pico)*

Vanessa and The Harvester begin the song, singing in the pitch darkness that the alleyway has created, as a ominous and quiet melody echoes out from somewhere nearby them. Despite the fashion creator clearly showing fear through her movements, she keeps leading the song as her opponent simply follows, giving their victim a false glimmer of victory. Eventually, the two begin to sing together, albeit only briefly, as...

A a bit over a minute into the song, both Vanessa and Dimitri's eyes shine with confidence, the alleyway even lights up from glow-in-the-dark graffiti on the walls, and the music blares with determination. Not only that, but the two parents also seem to be giving off an aura of pride and power, with Dimitri having the possibility of victory plastered all over his face, and Vanessa having an angered expression, removing all of the fear she had earlier. Seeing this, The Harvester begins to output more of their energy into their bars, but no matter what they try, they keep getting pushed back. Dimitri and Vanessa's desire to protect their child clearly shows no signs of expiration.

But that doesn't mean it can't be manipulated...

As the song reaches its halfway mark, The Harvester falls onto their knees, feeling their energy begin to waver and disperse as the lights in their mask begin to flicker. This surprises the Lemon Demon, who wasn't expecting to see his partner possibly losing to two humans that have no magical capabilities, but doesn't intervene yet, seeing as how The Harvester is still singing in their condition. Speaking of their current predicament, Vanessa's expression of anger slowly shifts into a more calmer expression. Seeing her foe now weakened has soothed her rage, but Dimitri still keeps his guard up, not trusting the scenario, and viewing it as too easy.

And what a good yet poor choice he made...

The Harvester begins to take a moment to perform a solo, slowly rebuilding their energy back to full, and preparing to unleash one massive blast of corruptive energy. At the last second, Dimitri notices this and quickly leaps in front of his wife, taking in most of the impact, and only having every part of him infected with the substance, except for his right eye and the rest of his face. Vanessa meanwhile, only has her entire back, left arm, left leg, and part of her stomach area infected, but her husband's sacrifice resulted in her accidentally getting knocked to the ground, twisting her ankle and forcing the fashion designer onto her knees.

At this point, the Lemon Demon decides to join in, growing tired of seeing this prolonged struggle drag on for longer than he expected, and wastes no time in firing endless barrages of more corruptive paint onto the two adults. As Vanessa desperately tries to dodge them all, and Dimitri keeps taking most of the hits for his wife, the music shifts from a tone of determination to one of desperation, as the parents fail to focus on singing, allowing the two masterminds to rip the victory away from them, as the song reaches its end, and they charge up their energy one final time.

Dimitri: (having trouble seeing) You... You... You horrible cretins. This... This isn't... over...

Lemon Demon: Oh, it isn't, you say? Well, I'd say otherwise, as you both seem to be incapable of fighting back now. Don't worry, your bodies will be put to good use once your exhausted minds let it seep all over you and take control of your pitiful, defenceless minds.

Vanessa: (silently crying) Please... Please leave my poor baby alone...

The Harvester: (narrows their eyes) Then you should've thought twice before you chose to pry them away from my hands. Now, I'll be taking your duties as his protector and family away. This is all your fault...

And with one final combined blast of corruptive energy from the two villains, both Dimitri and Vanessa fall to the power of the Corruption, bowing before their new overlords. Once it's over, the Lemon Demon looks over to The Harvester, who seems to be more excited than a child despite the mask covering their entire face, when an awfully, wicked idea pops into the monster's mind. They've got plenty of ground forces, and while a small portion of them still need to be properly controlled, it will only take a few months if everything goes according to this new idea.

Perhaps it's time to finally obliterate the one final threat to them...

(???'s POV)

I close the portal to this universe, sighing to myself about not only seeing those two monsters claim more innocent souls, but also about how I could've went down there and helped them escape. If it weren't for him, this endless cycle wouldn't have needed to be created!! I've seen to many timelines suffer similar demises, and I can't stand it, being forced to only watch, and only have a small glimmer of opportunity to enter without causing any disruption, and hopefully do something to steer this disaster into a good ending.

At this point, though, it doesn't matter anyway. I know that this timeline is doomed, but even with the one shot I have, I can't risk using my last two RETRY abilities now. He's become aware of my limits, and is waiting for me to waste it, so he can take full control of all timelines, and reshape them into how he wishes them to play out. I can't risk wasting it on something so pointless as his parents succumbing to the Corruption. They would eventually fall, regardless of if they managed to enter or not.

Feeling despair cloud my mind once again, I sit down in the vast void I'm forever trapped in, upset with how every attempt to change just one outcome always results in a more unpredictable and unstoppable creature to manifest and ruin all my hard work.

This isn't fair...

I just want to see my girlfriend and future boyfriend again...

I want to see them give me a genuine smile one more time...

...

Wait a minute...

My eyes widen with a sudden plan, as I rush back to the portal, observing the current timeline once again. They haven't defeated Atlas yet!! This is perfect!! If I can get to one of their minds, and inform them of what I need them to do, then maybe... The outcome might change, and I might be able to gain a third RETRY!!! Yes!!!

Don't worry, Atlas. Even if you've caused me a lot of problems in the past, I still forgive you, and I'll make sure you're safe this time...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dimitri and Vanessa have fallen to the Corruption!!

Current Party: (Y/N), Spirit, Julian, IRIS.

WARNING: (Y/N)'s Mental Status is now 62.5% Broken!! Proceed With Caution!!