♪ Lobotomy Corporation ~ Second Warning
ReDevil turns to his former allies, occasionally twitching a little. Muffled screaming comes from the inside interspersed with what one can only assume to be swears that Reggae is having fun censoring.

Sorry, Dord can't come to the phone right now. Please leave a message after the beating.

The monster first pulls off a 4th-Dimension Slip, then stuffs deliberately disgusting pizza down everyone's throats twice and proceeds to gang up on the startled raiders with a Race Relay. As a finisher, he violently rams Worker in particular, then, after a deliberately disturbing stare from above, does the same to Ensemble. Afterwards, seeing L00T trying to come to her senses by slapping herself and downing a Gamer's Elixir and then blast everyone with gratuitous Ulfrvetr, he decides to hit her with an Impression of (what should according to turn order still be) a Dire Godstorm.

Then, just to see what it feels like, he forces Dord's hand and raises a Hadal Smoker.

The Beast emerges once more, his wings of pure flame turning into a more mechanical form, with jets creating plumes of fire that look sharp enough to cut a person in half. The mildly ridiculous beak and shades form an impenetrable poker face somehow increase the feeling of rage coming from the fusion. Hovering over the battlefield, Dord clenches his fists.

Again with the words. Blah, blah, BLAH. What, are you trying to break me by talking? You're late on that. I'm already broken. Broken beyond ing REPAIR! It hurts to move. It hurts to draw out every single watt of power that goes into anything I throw at you. I shouldn't be here, walking, TALKING!!!

The flames flare further as Redord spreads his newly mechanical flame jet wings. The wind is howling.

But I AM. Because I HAVE to.
Maybe I haven't been able to save everyone. Maybe I'll fail here again... Maybe. But one day. Now, or in a thousand years! People will stop dying to you. Stop running from you. Stop fearing you!
Because, whatever it costs me...

A storm of swords swirls overhead. The ground shakes violently as one sword flies into Dord's hands, who points it straight at Mevil, and sparks eight times, each one more intense.

I. Will. Grind. You. Into. Dust.

Hadal Smokers burst out of the ground across the whole area, indiscriminately drowning anything corrupted. Dord points the sword directly at Mega Devil, sending a laser beam barrelling straight through his chest.

Knowing full well what to expect despite this display having received priority from a Brave Strike EX, L00T speaks towards the smoke covering the enemies.

You lot seem to be getting desperate just looking at him. And, mind you, this time he isn't the only one standing against you.
And we have all walked off worse hits than anything you have to throw at us.

Throwing another Brave Strike EX at Untedd, L00T taps into the brewing storm... and calls down one Dire Godstorm upon each of the three miscreants.

Dord skids backwards, collapsing to one knee, evidently struggling just to give Mevil stinkeye as he disappears into the dust cloud created by his downfall. L00t looks on, unfazed. She casts Brave Strike EX and Support Buddy once more..

Mevil feels a familiar heat from behind him. As Dord lets his Blazing Wings out once more, the flames from his core opening(??), empty eyesocket and even that stab wound flare up in kind, blasting everything away from him.

I made myself clear, moron. I'm not going down before you.

Dord sharply raises his arm. Nine Hadal Smokers tear into the enemies.

Dord just stares uninterestedly while Mevil monologues.
I...
I don't care.
L00t, having vanished, rematerializes on the Good Guy Side. Sweet baby Gabe Newell... the voices... She instantly upends a can of Monster Energy. refreshing the durations of FoN, SoLaD and Heal Flower for everyone, then Brave Strikes herself. Six extra layers of Plasma Barrier go up over Dord and L00t.
So what if this world is doomed to end eventually? If peace can't go on forever? If I can't save everyone? If all the shit I've been through lets a single life be lived right to the end, that's good enough for me.
L00t finds a Support Buddy in Dord by dragging herself to her feet by his arm. He just looks at her concerned.
That.. That was horrible. I could see and feel everything but I couldn't control myself-- honestly, I'm glad you took me down before I did something...
We have to end them.
Without saying anything, Dord simply points his sword at Mevil again... charging it with 8AP before releasing the resultant blast directly into his chest.

Spit it out? Sure.
Having set up Falling Blades, Dord spits in Mevil's face with the force of three Hadal Smokers.
L00t grants Vat Man quadrupled AP with a Brave Strike, and follows up with seven Ulfrvetr.

I'm not dropping dead before YOU DISGUSTING- YOU FILTHY-- AAAAGHHH!!!
Dord points a huge sword at Mevil, which twinkles thrice at the tip before blasting him in the chest with a huge laser!
Staying relatively more composed, L00T pulls out a Heal Flower boosted by Limstella's shenanigans, further pesters Ephraim to acquire two Weapons Upgrades and swap out her held items with them, then sets up a Plasma Barrier each on herself, Dord and Vat Man.

Suddenly, amidst the usual screaming, the raiders hear noises akin to a hurricane developing behind them... as well as the sounds of a horse-drawn carriage? The air crackles with power.
Hello, everyone! It has been a long while since we've last seen each other, has it not? I have only heard stories of your exploits in the meantime...
...and news of this attack only gave me an excuse to visit you as soon as I could. Let us deal with these monsters.
xX_L00t_Xx angrily stares down the Satanic Fatal Robots, pulling out a Team Baton into one hand. A dull wham is heard in the distance. A very blue figure yells out at her from the background.
LUTE! Did- did you seriously make me drag all these people out here in a supply caravan just for that-?! Do you even know what it does?!?!
A dull wham is heard in the distance. She pays him no mind. Instead, she raises her other hand, casting a second Brave Strike out into the nothingness before calling down an Ulfrvetr and three servings of Múspell Flames upon their foes. A dull wham is heard in the distance.

...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
A magentaish red light can be seen in the distance. Sounds of a building being demolished follow.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
The light grows closer. The screaming is underlaid by sounds of the sound barrier breaking.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blazing Wings out, Dord crashes sidelong into Bass Devil, triggering three Hadal Smokers!!!

---

Or, less poetically: L00t uses Forces of Nature +, giving herself one more AP, which is spent on a Brave Strike, which due to FoN quadruples her total AP to 8, uses The Supply Convoy to obtain one Team Baton, hits Dord with his own Brave Strike giving him 4 AP, then uses Ulfrvetr and one Muspell Flames on each of the Raid Bosses. After that, Dord activates Blazing Wings and uses 3 Hadal Smokers.

Mighty lets out a laugh that's decidedly neither deranged nor indicative of having fun, but rather mocking, as he points towards the attackers. The Hyper Shield he puts up effortlessly reduces the barrage of various oversized spikes and gambling props to impotently falling on the ground... but once the Geno Cannons are fired up, they ever so slowly get deeper and deeper into the barrier, and one hits him straight in the face. After dropping his moves and unintelligibly cussing out something, he instead decides to pull out a bunch of grenades, throwing them by the dozens straight at the dice like bricks!

---

Seeing Vanitas hesitate to take the cup, Chord's smile fades.
...hey, what's the matter? Something got you on edge, or is it just not your favorite blend?

Suddenly, the Time Rogue Star shakes violently, and somehow everyone in the Inventory finds themselves in the position they were in when Mirabilis entered the ominous black sphere around the star with her finger... which this time pops like a bubble, sending out a shockwave. The wallet appears midair in front of the entrance to the hall and drops to the ground. The star is making a humming noise.

---

After getting a positive answer, Chord also pulls out three smooth metal plates of varying size, which expand into a rather futuristic portable table and two chairs hovering a comfortable distance above the ground. He then places the cups on the table and pours some coffee into them. A standard blend, not too strong, but still enjoyable.
Aaand there you go! C'mon, sit down! If you want to keep talking about what you started, I'm all ears, if not - we'll find something else to chat about.
Oh! My name's Chord, as you've already heard. Yours?

The liquid in bottles and glasses at the Inventory trembles.

Then the glasses themselves shake.

Then the ground.

Tables and chairs fall over.

Something blows through half of the Inventory's walls and entire ceiling, destroying most of it.

...then... all the damage is rewound in painfully slow motion?

The only remaining piece of evidence of an intrusion, besides memories, is a large black sphere in the middle of the room. One with a painfully purple star-shaped object within.

After just kind of staring at Smaplar while he leaves, Chord turns back to VaniDS.
You mean, you try to get recognized for something you did? Or you can't find your place in the world? Well... I can imagine that's not pleasant. But if you ask me it's worse if you are something to the wrong people, 'cause that way you get caught up in all these grandiose corporate dealings where they act all friendly just to use you to take down a common enemy, then they inevitably want to keep you in their web forever, and on top of all that some random orb you've never met before knows your name-- I may have to talk to him about that when he comes back--
But, anyway.
It's a nice day and I'm trying to unwind.
Having wandered away and turned away from VaniDS and towards where Smaplar went while talking, Chord snaps back to where he was and puts his arms into his hoodie pockets. With an electromagnetic hum, a large thermos and two metal cups are retrieved.
Coffee?

Oh! Um, sorry, they told me at the gate I could hang around as long as I didn't go into restricted areas - did I do that on accident? I was just trying to get a nice view of the area...

---

Another blob of searing-hot water is unceremoniously hammered into BROKEN SEAL's face at point blank, aiming to push it back. To make it stop. If it can't stop hurting, it will at least stop hurting us. Meandra's pained scowl shows that she's barely keeping her composure.

You know who else doesn't use Discord a lot?

Homer Simpson.

Could this be a clue?

...but in all seriousness, every time you show something off it has the game looking more and more gorgeous. I'm gonna have a field day with this update when it comes out!

Chord looks down at the new arrival.
Um, hi?

Though the mystery figure's jump reaches pretty far and is oddly floaty, it barely clears half the gap between the grenade-tops, though a well-timed airdash sets him back on the right course again. The armor-looking boots decked out with tiny jet thrusters that he used to stick the landing quickly dematerialize so to not take away from the otherwise casual outfit of the newly arrived robot.
Hey, stranger! What- what brings you all the way out here?

Somebody is on the next grenade over. They appear to wave to Vanitas, then catch a running start and leap a good distance towards him off the top of their perch.

Visibly disturbed by Broken Seal suddenly struggling just to stay upright, Meandra takes an insecure step back before panickedly geyser jumping over the darkness. In the air, however, her face twists from a freaked-out expression to an aggressive one as she accosts the entity with a heavy blob of scalding water falling on it from above.

Attempting to inhale the suddenly corrosive fog that lingered directly in front of her mouth causes Meandra to go into a severe coughing fit, forcing her to run a water stream into her face and spit it out so she only has to deal with the chemical burns and not the thing that caused them.

She does not look very happy.

We didn't do anything to you! So you better let us go, or you WILL! One golfer-style swing and a huge ice spike (which soon begins to melt, because it is much too warm for ice) flies out of the ground, tapering off just in front of BROKEN SEAL's "eye." regret it!

Meandra's breathing gets visibly heavier, forming little mist clouds as she further cools. A bit shakily but with visible determination she assumes a much more combative stance, the tip of her staff pointed at the entity.
I don't- I don't know who- don't know what you are, *huff* I don't know where you're from- or- orwhy you're so angry *huff* or anything, but-
She takes a couple seconds to sharply inhale and exhale, then stares the entity straight into the mouth...
but I'm not-! Going to let you-! Take it out on the kids!