The glyphs in his book were on fire. The flames what he could read changed shape every second. But only one name stayed, Willow's.
"Willow gives us a chance." Aucteros said as he scanned the pages of his book, but fate… it was writhing.
(Just like when the Demon Queen first awakened, pages bending, ink shifting. Fate isn't linear anymore. It's choosing them.)
His metal fist curled in anger.
(I dismissed that once. A fluke.)
(But this?)
(An awakened Worldeater, with multiple worlds inside him?)
(It shouldn't be possible.)
(And yet my book shows only one solution.)
(Willow.)
(He's the focal point.)
(Rhenvar healed him and is recovering.)
(Corvessa is barely getting up, alive, but drained.)
(Meowfunction is glitching, frozen, watching. I still don't know what she is.)
(But I know this. We can kill him.)
(Calamity, doesn't preserve the worlds he devours. He uses them. Twist them. He is stronger than anything I've ever faced. But Willow, Willow fought him. And held his ground.)
(Why? How?)
Aucteros trembled.
(What kind of love burns in him that even this monster feels pressured? How is it these people are making my book bleed?)
His eyes became vacant.
(Was I always on the wrong side? Am I really saving worlds from their endless loops?)
"Hey, book mage!" Variable's tone cold and calculating.
Aucteros' thoughts snapped back.
"Yes?" He said, not looking up.
"What can we do?!"
(Variable. He really does care about this world. Maybe more than he admits.)
"We buy Willow time." He flipped the page consuming every detail about everyone as fast as possible. And then pointed:
"Sinephilim use your new barriers. Veronica's poisons are still weakening him. Apex, use the anti-magic clamps. Use them when you find the opportunity."
"And Bunnygirl," he added. "She's the bait. We use her as a distraction. Calamity wants to end this world, for him it's personal."
(More than personal, it's because he was stuck here by Ultimateman.)
Aucteros scanned the pages with strained eyes.
(I don't get it, it's not enough.)
(We don't have enough power.)
He looked at Sinephilim.
(She's still holding back. I can return her demon powers… but if I do, she becomes someone I can't beat.)
He reached into his cloak. The crystal pulsed faintly.
(No. Even now I can't risk it.)
"We have to go help." Veronica said. "Syrethe!"
The snake coiled up.
"Fenrus!" Sinephilim roared, and her wolf crashed into the realm like thunder, racing beside her into battle.
(It wasn't enough.)
Aucteros ran with them.
"We need more power, we need-" Aucteros was cut off by a scream.
"Viir!" Rhenvar's voice rang out in the distance.
Over his body, a red glowing light hovered.
Viir.
She darted like a crimson meteor above them, tracing red circles in the air.
"Oh finally!" She chimed. "Sin, Veronica! Your souls are sooo shiny!"
The flame like letters in his book finally took form.
(This is it; she is perfect.)
(She's one of the strongest ones here.)
"Viir," Aucteros said carefully.
She tilted her head. "Ew. Don't talk to me or I'll split your head open."
Viir started giggling.
Sinephilim cut in. "Viir, Aucteros is helping us. We need your power."
She paused.
Then she cracked her neck as she floated backwards.
"Oh, that hulk who beat up Rhen? Sure."
She lifted into the sky, red light dancing like crimson sizzling fire. Giggling. "He's not worth my true form."
She zipped through the air, racing to meet the monster head-on.
"Apex," Aucteros ordered.
"On it. Switching canon to kill. Readying magic-nullify clamp." He launched after Viir, boosters flaring.
Everyone was moving. It was time.
He looked back to Bunnygirl, who stood steady, eyes shining with purpose.
"Protect her!" He commanded. "She's one chance to make Calamity distracted. If we lose his attention."
(To give Willow enough time to gather power.)
(And when he does- is it enough, can we really kill one of the strongest Worldeaters?)
He hoped so.
The battlefield erupted.
Calamity swung again, down toward a charging Willow. Willow only stood, the blade to his face. Eyes closed.
Then Sinephilim flashed into his path, shielding him with her powers.
"You're dead, crow!" Corvessa burst into feathers, slashing with her bone scythe.
"Nya~ this is fun!" Meowfunction tossed exploding bunny plushies the pixelated bombs showed large numbers as they hit.
Apex landed rolling in with precision, his clamp locked onto Calamity's right wrist with a hiss. "Magic nullified," Apex growled. He boosted away as he started shooting his cannon.
"You lost your buff~" Meowfunction chirped, twirling.
Then- a dragon's jaws. Urithax crashed in, biting down, white fire erupting from his maw.
Aucteros raised his hands, casting copied spells of stolen and forgotten magics.
(We have to keep the pressure on.)
Calamity howled and swatted the dragon away. Then stomped the ground- The shockwave threw them all back.
Sinephilim held the front line, pushing her barrier outward with Willow beside her, still burning.
Viir dropped in next, graceful, glowing, a dancer made of blood and chaos.
Blow for blow.
Strike for strike.
Viir was giggling as the red tyrant tried his best to fight her off. He looked as if trying to swat a fly.
Aucteros saw it, Willow was burning bright.
(This was it.)
(Calamity's hatred for this world will throw him in a fit of rage. He will throw out reason just to end it. His obsession with world eating will be his downfall.)
Aucteros turned, pointed.
"Calamity! The Worldheart is in that little girl!" He shouted, pointing at Bunnygirl.
Calamity's eyes flickered with anger and annoyance.
He hesitated.
Viir didn't. Black spikes burst from the ground beneath him. Stabbing him in all places.
"Hehe~ you look good skewered!"
Calamity ignored her.
His body twitched.
His instincts said to charge Bunnygirl-
But Willow's fire surged, hotter than anyone had ever seen it.
This was it. They're one and only gamble.
They were so close.
Just who does Fate favor.