T̢H̶͏É͠ ̵̢͜T̸͘H̸̶͞I͢ŔD ̵E͘͢X͘E͠͝C͞U͟͠Ţ̡I̕Ò͢͞N

[strangerpeople]

T̢H̶͏É͠ ̵̢͜T̸͘H̸̶͞I͢ŔD ̵E͘͢X͘E͠͝C͞U͟͠Ţ̡I̕Ò͢͞N

[Just as before, as time runs out, an alarm blares, and the dot matrix screens on the podiums of the suspects flash. The suspect with the most votes flashes red three times.]


[Once more, the true culprit is marked with a blacker-than-black X.]

Congratulations, Strangers. Those of you who've voted are unanimous and correct. King Milton is guilty of murdering Vita Clotilde-Morris and Jonathan Morris.

[Hiyori's voice is like chipper ice. The details aren't coming out this time, apparently. There's a pause. Hiyori gets up to put a hand on Link's shoulder with a gentle concerned expression on his face. Then they speak in unison.]

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the execution! However you see fit!

Comments

[unwittingking]

[King's terrified-he might be dying here if he doesn't do this right. The pups would grow up without a father, he'd never see Bailey again, he'd just be a memory to every friend he's ever had...

But he is not dying here.

He's glaring at the hosts, paws still up, ready to fight.]

Come and get me, then.

[otherworldlyking]

[ So, he supposed idly that they're getting a chance to fight together sooner than he thought. He didn't lie, he's here for the fight.

Though, he'll move closer to the other, Angbar in one hand and whip in another, ready for what's coming. ]

[incendiarize]

King, here. [He hands over the vials he's got....and turns into glasses.]

I dunno what I can do, but you didn't let me die alone. I'm returning the favor.

[katzenpfote]

Neither of you are dying.

[unwittingking]

[He'll take them...and put on the glasses, though a bit confused.]

Thanks. That doesn't mean you get to die with me, though.

[Especially not on him.]

[poorlovefool]

O-Oh shit! Ambrosine, if you're gonna turn into a weapon, do it now!

[Otherwise... he'll have to pick up his normie weapons and hope for the best.]

[necroyalty]

[She closes her eyes, channels all the energy she can muster, and...

She's going to turn into a drill unless the mods decide she can't. ]

ENJOYMENT

[mermaidkin]

...No?

I'm flattered you want to be petted by us so much, but wow, you really don't get how this works, do you.

[Hiyori holds his gaze for seven more seconds. In that moment, without either host making a single motion, King is teleported away.]

EXECUT̀͡͝ ́H̸̵At̕͠È̵͜s̛ I҉̢͘͟T̶̸̕ ̸́͜H́͟͡A̧͝t̵̡͞E̢͞҉̷͝s̸͡I҉͟

[strangerpeople]

[No one even has a chance to react when King reappears in the restricted area, alone, surrounded by Taboo Noise. Stenciled monsters that looked like pups, like an adult female dog, like other animals of all sizes hissing and snarling, people from the trains that Caleb and McBurn might recognize. Survivors. The dead. All black as shadows, all with red eyes. All hungry. The room beyond the force field is teeming with them.

There isn't much time. Arthur is on the floor, and King is moments from death.

If the Strangers want to save King, they've got to give it their all. And they have to do it now.]

[katzenpfote]

[Shit. Shit shit shit. He raises Estelle's weapon form in one hand and shoots off blue fire with the next one. He attempts to smack the force field where his fire hit, trying to freeze it and break it.]

Let him go, gods damn you!

[incendiarize]

[Crap, plan A failed, but his resonance with Caleb is only just worse--]

Caleb! I dunno for sure what I can do, but I have an idea!

[Be the dual-wielder!]

[strangerpeople]

[The force field is hit by the urumi, and the fire. It's not breaking. But it bends.]

1/2

[unwittingking]

[He freezes for a second, because he was right. He was right, again, in the worst way possible, and he recognizes them...]

2/2

[unwittingking]

[But he moves, and a red vial is being thrown the closest one's way, and he's praying it's not them as screams.]

I'M NOT DYING HERE, DAMN IT!

Re: 2/2

[strangerpeople]

[Fire. Oh, fire.

The puppies scream with static as they are set aflame, and for a moment, they sound like screaming children, before they devolve into horrible, static screeching and eardrum-shaking, high-pitched shrieks. Oh how they sound enraged. Oh how they sound hateful.

How they want you Erased, King. X. You must be Xed.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ Surprisingly, he tried to reach out to grab the other since he may have thought the tactic could be used. But...well, things weren't easy. Then again, he never took the easy path.

There were expectations. For King not to struggle would be insulting, considering they're going to be on the same battlefield and maybe because he's come to expect so much fight from him as an ally. Maybe expecting him to live from all of this wouldn't exactly be a train of thought he'd have, but...

If he had any hopes beyond the thrill of the fight, it'd be victory. So who's to say that wasn't one and the same?

So without hesitation, McBurn swung Angbar into the force field relentlessly, time and time again without a moment's pause. He expected King to keep it up and not die before they could reach him and his enemies. ]

[strangerpeople]

[Damn, Burnie. Got to hand it to you, you are persistent!

It will take effort, but McBurn will feel like the force field won't hold indefinitely, even if it doesn't look it at first glance.]

[comesaround]

[ Since he was already standing near Osomatsu for the last little bit, he figures now is the best time. No backing down now. Even holding a hand out so he can catch scythe when it happens. ]

Come on, Osomatsu. Let's get this done.

[ Soon as scythe appears, he grips it and runs forwards, swinging the scythe swiftly at the forcefield in a series of fierce slashes, not about to let up and disappoint King. He had to TRY. ]

[poorlovefool]

[Well, if everyone is weaponing the force field for now, he'll join in.... although, is attacking the field itself really the way? Is there a mechanism he can drill into? If so, he'll try that. Since he's got a drill. It's Ambrosine, obviously.]

OPEN, DAMN YOU!!

[He doesn't know this but Does her wormhole ability play in here]

EXECUTION FAILED.

[strangerpeople]

[King is free. The Noise starts to dissipate, screaming with hate and dissatisfaction. This seems to be a victory, doesn't it? It has to be. No one else died.

Yet the area within the portal'ed force field still pulses red. Then, with the next ticking second, King, Ambrosine, Estelle, Arthur, Eric and Caleb all glow the same bright red.

Then, in the next tick, a voice without gender, a voice full of darkness, echoes through everyone's mind.]

Y̷o̷u̡̡͟ ̛w̧il̛͝ĺ ̧r͝e̵g̢r̨̛͜è̵͟t̨ ͢͝t́҉h̵i͠͠s͏͘.̨͟҉

[Then, in the next instant, everything was plunged into darkness. Nothing more happens. There is no sign of the Hosts, either.

Then.

Ding.

The elevator is open. Everyone is free to go.]

[poorlovefool]

[Eric was starting to sparkle in 'light' of their victory, but then.... the entirely different kind of glow is never a good thing. He pats himself down as if that could put it out, but then comes the darkness. And his heart sinks as his brain finally catches up with his adrenaline]

Aaaah - what?! We just...!!

[He didn't think he entered that restricted area... Has he finally pushed his luck too much? He's just going to be here freaking out before he tries to get on the elevator.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ ...

He'd be blind to not notice the red for a moment, and the voice...well, it's not like he couldn't hear it either.

But, the weapons were no longer out on his part.

And he'd be hanging around for a little while. His gaze passed upon the spot where the Hosts were, before landing back on the others, particularly the ones he'd saw under the crimson red. Then he'll leave. ]

[relieable]

[so... that's it, then? Osomatsu transforms back into his squishy human self, panting softly. his adrenaline is still pumping, but he seems to be in one piece.

he's still upset. even fighting like that didn't help him calm his nerves. if anything, seeing what happens makes him even more irritated. so, now, it's time to get the heck out of dodge. which he will do, without saying a word]

[unwittingking]

[He's surrounded by red, and the voice speaks, and for a second he panics. He got them killed, they're going to die, and it's all his fault-

And then the elevator opens, and he's left standing there, unsure if that just happened. Was that a dream? Did he really just cheat death? He doesn't know, but he knows one thing.

He's alive.]

[incendiarize]

Good luck with that.

[He doesn't have an expression as glasses, but his voice is satisfied, with a subtle manic note.]