Chapter 13 - True Infinity - Chapter Twelve

(Elsewhere in the city)

Infinite and Cross stared in annoyance at the thick column of smoke rising from somewhere in the city. What was that idiot doing? He was going to ruin everything. Scowling, Infinite shot forward, heading straight toward Killer's location, with Cross close behind.

As Infinite leaped from one building to the next, an energy blast struck him mid-air, while Cross deflected an incoming energy spear. Both landed atop a rooftop, coming to an abrupt stop. Infinite turned his gaze toward the source of the attack, not a single scratch marring his form. Who dared to interfere? And why? It didn't matter—whoever it was, they would be eliminated before he continued onward.

"Well now, what do we have here? Two unidentified monsters radiating some rather potent energies… and quite the sum of LV. Now, that just won't do, darlings~." Mettaton chimed, standing alongside Undyne.

Great. The Undyne and Mettaton of this AU were interfering. How utterly annoying.

Without a word, Infinite summoned his curved blade, unleashing a flurry of crimson slashes, each imbued with red soul magic. Cross followed suit, launching his own barrage of cuts with his massive butcher knife. Neither of them had the patience to deal with these weaklings.

To their surprise, however, both Undyne and Mettaton countered the attack with ease. Undyne had already entered her Undying form, while Mettaton had activated his Neo form. Infinite observed the two transformed monsters with vague interest. Perhaps they might provide some entertainment.

Undyne I get, but Mettaton? That doesn't make sense. His Neo form isn't that strong… unless this is one of those AUs where Alphys actually finished upgrading him instead of half-assing it. Annoying, but nothing more. Cross thought as he readied his knife. This shouldn't take long.

Infinite quickly performed a CHECK on Mettaton, assessing the opponent before him.

Glitch!Mettaton

LV – 2

HP – 11,500/46,000/ERROR

MP – 56,900/227,600/ERROR

ATK – 40/160/ERROR

DEF – 40/160/ERROR

Race – Monster (Boss)

Interesting. A challenge, then. But what really caught Infinite's attention was the unreadable portion of Mettaton's stats, implying a third form beyond Neo—one the system couldn't properly analyze.

Without hesitation, Infinite unleashed a massive wave of energy toward the robot, who countered with a concentrated energy beam.

Mettaton frowned. His scanners detected multiple life signs all around him. Engaging these two in a fight while trying to prevent collateral damage was going to be difficult. Thankfully, civilians were already evacuating, assisted by members of the A.M.D.

He didn't particularly like the Anti-Monsters Department, but at least they were actually protecting people—even if they only prioritized humans. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. His focus needed to be here. These two were extremely dangerous. Perhaps attacking them had been rash, but no one accumulated that much LV without committing truly heinous acts. And more troubling still… they weren't in his databanks. That alone carried implications he didn't want to consider.

Before he could process further, Infinite suddenly appeared right in front of him. Mettaton barely reacted in time, blocking the jackal's blade with a laser sword of his own. However, he quickly found himself being overwhelmed. This monster's swordplay was monstrous—fighting him in close quarters was practically suicide. He needed a new strategy.

Meanwhile, Undyne, keeping an eye on Infinite's clash with Mettaton, instinctively stepped back as she sensed another attack incoming. Blocking it was easy, but she couldn't see the assailant.

Wait.

She sensed him—

Undyne turned her head just in time to block a sudden strike.

Cursing internally, she barely managed to halt Cross's blade. How did he get so close without me noticing?

Thinking quickly, Undyne stomped the ground, summoning hundreds of glowing circles that erupted into a barrage of blue spears. Cross dodged them effortlessly before summoning a single Gaster Blaster, which fired directly at her. The fish warrior deflected the beam, but by the time she recovered, Cross had already teleported right in front of her.

She raised her spear just in time to block his knife as he brought it down in an attempt to cleave her head open.

Gritting her teeth, Undyne braced against the sheer force of his attack. The strike nearly knocked her off balance, but she quickly recovered, retaliating with a barrage of magical spears. Cross, however, evaded or destroyed them all.

She leaped backward, trying to gain distance—

Too late.

She barely registered another incoming attack before an energy blast slammed into her face.

Mettaton observed the exchange with growing concern. Undyne had just taken another hit. He wanted to assist, but he was already struggling to keep his distance from Infinite, his energy thrusters working overtime to maneuver across the battlefield.

This jackal… had to be moving at hypersonic speeds at the very least. Keeping up was becoming a strain. Mettaton wanted to help Undyne, but he didn't have the luxury of distraction. He had to trust she could hold her own.

Focusing his efforts, Mettaton unleashed an onslaught of energy blasts and beams, mixing in crackling bolts of lightning. He incorporated energy spheres that alternated between orange and cyan, forcing Infinite to stay vigilant.

Unfortunately, his attempt to apply a yellow soul effect on Infinite's soul failed.

Annoying.

He'd have to manage without it.

Infinite regarded the robot with mild disinterest before deciding to experiment with the Phantom Ruby's power. Imagining cold and towering spires of ice, he materialized a massive glacier into existence. The sudden shift in the battlefield caught Mettaton off guard, but he retaliated on instinct with a super-charged energy beam. The glacier vaporized almost instantly, much to Infinite's surprise.

Fascinating.

Coating his sword in soul magic, he enhanced his body and blocked the beam, his shoes digging into the pavement as he skidded backward. Otherwise, he was completely unharmed.

That was certainly stronger than he expected. This might take longer than anticipated—unless he chose to exert more power. There was no reason not to, beyond the satisfaction of experimentation. But for this fight, he needed raw power over versatility. Anything else could wait.

Raising his hand, Infinite gathered energy into his palm, condensing it into a large sphere. He crushed it, unleashing a wave of zero-gravity. Mettaton adjusted instantly, his thrusters compensating for the shift, but both Undyne and Cross floated into the air. Undyne was caught off guard, while Cross looked more irritated than surprised.

Infinite pointed a finger at Cross, immediately canceling the effect on him. The skeleton simply nodded, hefting his blade. They had wasted enough time on these two.

Cross infused his butcher knife with red soul magic, the blade pulsing with a crimson glow. Undyne's body took on a faint red sheen.

Her stomach dropped.

"Red soul magic?! Shit, this isn't good. I can't move, and blocking isn't an option. I'll have to counter it as best as I can. Fine, you bastard—bring it!"

Summoning all her remaining strength, Undyne forged a red spear, its size and power rapidly escalating. This was her ultimate attack—the Spear of Justice.

With a defiant roar, she hurled the spear just as Cross unleashed a colossal energy wave. The two attacks collided, annihilating multiple city blocks and shaking the entire city.

As the dust settled, Undyne gritted her teeth, blood pooling beneath her.

"Damn it... Guess it wasn't enough to completely cancel it out." She exhaled, her breath ragged. "Sorry, Alphys… Looks like I won't make it to our date after all."

Her body gave out, and she collapsed.

Cross sighed, stepping toward her fallen form. A small cut marked his cheek—he had barely dodged the spear at the last second.

He hadn't expected her attack to be powerful enough to challenge his own. If he had reacted a moment later, that spear would have taken his head clean off. Fortunately, he had followed up with a smaller red slash just in time.

Normally, even with the red soul effect, an attack like that wouldn't be enough to down someone of her strength. But she had poured nearly all her magic into that last strike—a fatal mistake. Then again, she didn't have much choice. It was either that or certain death.

Cross stood over her, blade raised.

"Not that it matters. You're going to die regardless." He brought the knife down. "Goodbye."

Undyne closed her eyes. She didn't even try to move.

Or at least, that's how it should have ended.

(Near Downtown) 

Killer grinned as he faced the two goat monsters, both bearing multiple injuries. Flames raged around them, casting flickering shadows against the ruins of collapsed buildings.

That hadn't been easy, but he managed. He was honestly surprised Chara, Frisk, or Asriel hadn't intervened. Then again, two of them weren't strong enough to make much of a difference.

As for the other… He had expected Chara to try something while his back was turned.

Oh well. Made things easier for him.

He wondered if Infinite had found a new toy to play with yet. That jackal always got so pissy when he interrupted his "experiments." But he was always such a good boy afterward.

Maybe he should check in on him—

A sudden surge of energy snapped him from his thoughts.

Killer teleported just in time to evade a massive fireball, which struck the ground and exploded. He reappeared directly in front of Toriel, her outstretched hand still smoking, and drove a boot into her gut. She hurtled through a building.

Asgore shouted in panic as the structure collapsed around her.

Killer clicked his tongue. "Honestly, if you hadn't tried to blow me up while my back was turned, I might've let you live." A grin spread across his face. "Pfft—yeah, no. You and your little brats are all dying here, whether you like it or not."

Asgore growled, glaring at him.

Killer yawned in response.

Then, the rubble shifted.

Toriel emerged, bloodied and burned but still standing.

"We will not die... until our children are safe!" She raised her hands and unleashed a barrage of fireballs.

Killer sighed and teleported into the air, avoiding the assault.

Toriel quickly cupped her hands together, summoning a beam of concentrated blue fire.

Killer swung his blade, sending a massive red crescent of energy crashing into her attack. Asgore rushed forward, intercepting the blast before it could reach Toriel.

Both monsters panted, exhaustion weighing on them. Holding back collateral damage while fighting a monster like him was taking its toll.

Asgore glanced at his former wife. Even after everything, he still loved her. During the war, they had been feared by all but the wizards. Even they had been wary of them.

Toriel met his gaze. She nodded.

They had only one choice.

Their ultimate attack.

It had been centuries since they last used it. Could they still pull it off?

No time for doubt.

They took deep breaths, summoning the last of their strength. A massive magic circle flared to life beneath them.

Killer arched a brow.

He should finish them off now while they were weakened.

But… he was curious.

He decided to wait.

Toriel and Asgore focused, drawing energy from their surroundings. Unlike monster magic, this was pure human magic—something they had learned long ago. Boss monsters couldn't wield it alone, but together? It was possible.

The surrounding heat skyrocketed. A ball of blue fire materialized above them, expanding rapidly until it dwarfed everything nearby. The ground melted. The air burned. The titanic sphere of flame was akin to a miniature star.

Killer tilted his head, intrigued.

This was not monster magic.

Not that it mattered. He'd simply have to use his HATE powers.

Toriel and Asgore gritted their teeth, sweat pouring down their faces. Manipulating magic this way was unnatural for them.

Finally, in perfect unison, they clapped their hands—

And the massive fireball collapsed into a single, infinitesimal point.

Killer immediately unleashed a wave of suffocating darkness, draining the world of life and light. But it was already too late. The miniature star exploded with immense force, a searing burst of brilliance colliding with the abyssal wave. The opposing energies clashed violently before canceling each other out, leaving minimal collateral damage. A fortunate outcome—most of the city would have been obliterated otherwise.

Killer blinked, momentarily surprised that they could muster such power in their current state. Asgore and Toriel collapsed to their knees, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Even that hadn't been enough. At least their children had evacuated safely. Both monsters consoled themselves with the thought, unaware that those very children had been watching the fight from afar.

Chara had wanted—desperately—to aid their parents, but fear held them back. Most of their power had been born from HATE. It may have faded, but using magic again could bring it back. There was no certainty, but the risk was too great for Chara to ignore.

By the time they realized their parents were being overwhelmed, and that death was imminent, it was already too late. They were too far to reach them in time. Fortunately, they didn't have to. Before Killer could deliver the final blow, Gaster, Sans, and Alphys arrived.

Without hesitation, Gaster conjured a massive skeletal hand, sending Killer hurtling through several abandoned buildings. Alphys rushed to the fallen monarchs, activating a strange device. A shimmering green dome enveloped them, gradually knitting their wounds back together.

"I-I'm sorry, b-but this is just a p-prototype," Alphys stammered. "It c-can only manage mid-level h-healing magic."

Gaster approached with Sans by his side. "My deepest apologies, Your Majesties, for our delayed arrival. Thankfully, we arrived just in time to prevent your demise. Sans, locate your brother and ensure his safety. I will handle this."

Sans sighed but nodded, teleporting away. Gaster cast a fleeting glance at Chara and the other children before shifting his focus forward. Killer had already reappeared—right in front of him. The blade descended in a vicious arc, only to slam into a glowing green barrier.

Expression unreadable, Gaster raised a hand. Seven skeletal hands materialized around him, one glowing with the same verdant light as the shield. Killer barely had time to react before a crimson beam struck him, launching him across the battlefield. Staggering to his feet from the smoking crater, he looked up—and his expression twisted into disbelief.

"You have got to be fuckin' kidding me. All seven?! What kind of bullshit is this?!"

The seven hands flared to life, each radiating a distinct color—Blue, Cyan, Green, Yellow, Orange, Purple, and Red. The full spectrum of soul magic had been brought to bear.

Gaster smirked before unleashing a relentless barrage. Blue buzzsaws, yellow beams, orange detonations, cyan threads, and red energy blasts rained upon Killer. He dodged and countered each strike, then retaliated with a flurry of crimson slashes, all intercepted by the green barrier.

Snarling, Killer conjured a storm of scarlet knives, sending them hurtling down. Gaster merely lifted his gaze. The purple-lit hand positioned itself before the barrier, conjuring its own swarm of violet blades. The two barrages met in midair, neutralizing one another.

Killer twitched in annoyance. He weaved through another relentless assault of multicolored attacks before slashing downward, unleashing a devastating crimson wave. Gaster countered instantly, a violet surge meeting the attack head-on. The two forces negated each other in an instant.

Deciding to escalate, Gaster activated Monochrome—turning all seven hands purple. In an instant, hundreds of violet slashes materialized, streaking toward Killer at hypersonic speed.

A slow smirk curled across Killer's face. He released more of his restraints, allowing his HATE to surge, strengthening him. He did not attempt to dodge—purple soul magic was infused with negativity, which meant little against someone like him. He expected the slashes to barely graze him.

Yet when they struck, they cut deeper than they should have. Small incisions multiplied, a thousand small cuts accumulating before he was forced to teleport away.

What the hell? That was purple magic... why wasn't there any negativity in those attacks?

Gaster didn't give him time to reflect. The Monochrome shifted to blue. A hail of azure lances rained down, forcing Killer to acrobatically evade and parry midair. Landing, he raised a hand—blood-red bones erupted from the ground, streaking toward Gaster.

Before they could reach him, they shattered against a multi-layered green barrier. Gaster's expression remained unreadable as the Monochrome shifted again—this time to orange.

A massive compressed explosion ensued, obliterating the entire city block.

Killer staggered as the bones he'd used as a shield crumbled into dust. That crazy bastard blew himself up. But before he could finish that thought, Gaster emerged from the smoke, unscathed, walking forward with measured steps.

Killer's eye twitched. "Oh, so now you decide to use actual color magic in your attacks. You know, you're starting to piss me off. For a weakling who's trying to stop me from doing my job, you sure are annoying." His grip tightened on his blade. "Why don't you just drop dead already? Maybe then I'll actually get a fight worth my time."

Gaster stopped. His hollow sockets locked onto the skeletal killer. Then, to Killer's growing irritation, he began to chuckle—low, humorless, and mirthless.

Grinding his teeth, Killer's grip on his knife tightened as a black aura coiled around it. He'd had enough of this bastard. Screw the restraints. He would cut this obstacle down and move on to a real battle—one with that demonic brat, one that was worth fighting.

Gaster exhaled slowly. "I see. So this is how you view the world." His voice deepened, laced with something ancient and unfathomable. "So be it, then. I'll show the error of your ways. 👎︎🕆︎✌︎☹︎✋︎❄︎✡︎"

Dark glyphs shimmered in the air around him. More hands—smaller, yet no less ominous—manifested. Seven towering skeletal hands loomed over him, while fourteen smaller ones hovered at his sides, their hues flickering through the spectrum.

His sockets burned with intensity as he spoke.

"Well then... shall we begin?"

(Commercial District)

Sans sighed as he teleported to where he sensed Papyrus' magic signature. Honestly, this was a disaster—some doppelgängers of him were going around, destroying and killing people. This wasn't exactly good for monsters, but at least they were trying to help and protect the city. The A.M.D. shouldn't raise too much of a fuss once this blows over—if it blows over.

Sans stiffened the moment he saw his brother. Papyrus stood protectively over a group of children, both human and monster, shielding them from yet another look-alike. This one had his hoodie up and wore a familiar red scarf, both covered in dust.

Sans immediately teleported next to Papyrus, grabbing his hand as he did so. Papyrus turned, startled. "SANS?! WHAT ARE YOU—"

"Sorry, Paps, but we need to leave. Now." Sans said, his tone dead serious, as he pulled his brother away. Papyrus protested loudly, but the other skeleton merely chuckled darkly at the sight. Sans shivered. Something about that laugh felt deeply wrong.

"Papyrus? It's been a while, hasn't it?" the doppelgänger rasped. "Do you see how strong I've become? Aren't you proud of your big brother? I can finally protect you properly—you no longer need to die. Don't you see?! We don't need to fear anymore! I'm strong enough to kill the human now! I can protect you from them! But I… I can't protect you from others. I n-need more EXP… m-more LV. You'll help me, won't you, P-Paps? I LOVE you, after all, and you feel the same way… r-right?"

Papyrus felt uneasy at the words, but his discomfort was nothing compared to Sans' reaction. The smaller skeleton's eyelights vanished entirely, his whole body tensing as his hands trembled. Having worked under Gaster at the height of his research into temporal and spatial phenomena, Sans had a pretty good idea who the person in front of him was—and how they had ended up this way.

Suffice it to say, fighting an unhinged version of himself who had gotten a little too desperate wasn't exactly appealing. But that didn't matter. If he wanted to keep Paps and his friends safe, he had to fight. Sans' eyelights reappeared, blazing twin beacons of cyan.

Dust twitched before a massive wave of purple bones erupted in front of him. Before they could reach the brothers, several Gaster Blasters materialized—some with red eyes, others with blue—and vaporized the incoming wave.

Dust countered instantly with his own barrage of blasters, their purplish-red eyes glowing as their beams clashed and canceled out. The genocidal skeleton grinned, forming a wave of bones while simultaneously unleashing another blaster assault. He coated his own attacks with purple magic, reinforcing his Gaster Blasters, while his bones gleamed with a mix of blue and cyan magic.

Papyrus retaliated with a flood of orange bones, while Sans conjured cyan ones. Their combined magic intertwined, forming an endless wave of self-replicating bones, a technique designed to persist until either they ran out of magic or their opponent was defeated.

Dust was surprised by the unique combination but remained unimpressed. He summoned towering pillars of purple fire, then launched a volley of spears. As a distraction, he conjured a flaming trident, its fire rapidly compressing onto its three prongs. Dust stomped forward, cracking the ground beneath him, and hurled the blazing weapon.

Sans' eyelights widened as the trident tore straight through their combined attack. Reacting in an instant, he teleported both himself and Papyrus away just before impact. A second later, the ground exploded, the blast engulfing the entire street.

From the rooftop of a skyscraper, Sans wiped sweat from his brow. That had been way too close.

Laughter echoed around them as dozens of Gaster Blasters materialized, surrounding the brothers from all sides. Acting quickly, they caged themselves in protective bone structures while countering with their own blasters. Sans knew he had to take the initiative while his deranged counterpart was distracted.

With a snap of his fingers, the world drained of all color. Everything froze.

Dust's scowl deepened as his body locked up. His own temporal abilities prevented his mind from being affected, but that hardly mattered when his body had been paralyzed. Fortunately, time-stops between manipulators didn't last long—it was the main reason they rarely used them. That, and they drained magic like crazy.

Sans grinned, conjuring thousands of blue bones and hundreds of Gaster Blasters, suspending them mid-air around Dust. Finally, he locked his opponent's soul in place with blue magic, ensuring he wouldn't move when time resumed.

The moment reality snapped back into motion, Dust grimaced. Clever little bastard. But this wouldn't be enough to beat him. He hadn't killed everyone he cared about just to lose here.

A massive sphere of purple fire erupted around him as thousands of spears fired outward, intercepting the incoming bones. From within the inferno, powerful beams of flame lanced outward, tearing through the surrounding Gaster Blasters, obliterating them one by one.

Sans frowned. This guy was good. He had been hoping Dust would be too mentally unstable to strategize properly.

In a blink, Dust teleported behind Sans. The moment Sans registered the shift, everything froze. Against an opponent like him, it would barely last a second—but that second was all Dust needed.

A wicked grin stretched across Dust's face as he summoned a sharpened bone, bringing it down in a lethal strike.

Then, in an instant, he was sent flying.

A massive bone had slammed into his side with devastating force.

As the time-stop faded, Papyrus appeared beside Sans, one eye glowing a brilliant orange.

"SANS! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I WAS SO WORRIED!"

"Uh, yeah, bro, I'm fine. But how exactly did you do that? Time was kinda stopped, and last I checked, you don't have any temporal resistance or sensitivity," Sans questioned, confusion lacing his voice.

Papyrus nervously rubbed his gloved hands together, looking away. Sans frowned slightly at his brother's unease.

"Paps. Pappps. Papyrus, please tell me."

"ILEARNEDHOWTOCONTROLTIMEANDSPACEFROMOURFATHER!" Papyrus blurted out at an almost unintelligible speed.

Sans barely had time to process this revelation before a sudden, malevolent wave of magic washed over them, sending a chill down his spine.

Dust had reappeared not far away, radiating sheer rage. But the moment his gaze landed on Papyrus, his fury shattered, replaced by fractured disbelief.

"P-Paps? Why are you here? I-I thought you died...?" His hands trembled. "No, NO! I saved you! I know I did! ...Didn't I?"

Sans scowled, stepping protectively in front of his brother.

"Stay the hell away from him, you freak. Someone like you doesn't deserve someone like him—not after everything you've done."

Dust twitched violently, his magic erupting in unstable waves.

"What. Did. You. Just. Say? I don't deserve him?" His voice trembled before exploding into a rage-filled scream. "I DON'T DESERVE HIM?! AFTER EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR HIM, YOU DARE SAY THAT?! PAPYRUS IS MY BROTHER! MINE! I SAVED HIM! I SACRIFICED EVERYTHING SO WE COULD BE TOGETHER AGAIN—FOREVER! HE BELONGS TO ME!"

Sans and Papyrus flinched as Dust completely lost control. The brothers braced themselves as a storm of power surged from him, a violent tempest of raw magic.

Sans couldn't help but worry about the others. If there were more monsters like this lurking in the city, they would be in serious trouble.

(City Outskirts)

Horror stared at the military encirclement surrounding him—dozens of soldiers, armored vehicles, and weapons trained on him. They had appeared not long after Killer began his rampage. He had been followed. Not that it mattered. Most of them were weaklings—except one.

The man in charge stood apart, dressed surprisingly casually, yet the magic radiating from him was anything but weak. It wasn't wizard-strong, but potent enough to be an actual challenge. Whether he was a real threat, however, remained to be seen. Horror tightened his grip on his battle-axe. His old one had shattered years ago, but this one was far better—much more slaughter per swing.

Ronan studied the monster before him. When Jess had reported a group of killer monsters wreaking havoc, this wasn't quite what he'd envisioned. The creature's magic wasn't particularly powerful—far weaker than his own—but Ronan's instincts screamed at him, warning that this thing was dangerous. Raising a hand, he signaled his soldiers to prepare to fire.

Horror felt the shift immediately. The pavement cracked as he crouched, then—he was in front of the human mage in an instant. Ronan didn't flinch. He swung a glowing yellow fist straight into Horror's skull, sending the monster skidding back several feet. But the instant he made contact, he realized this would be far harder than he'd thought, because that felt like punching an adamantium wall.

Horror stared, indifferent. Lifting his axe, he prepared to strike—only for a barrage of energy beams and explosives to rain down on him. The soldiers opened fire, unleashing a relentless hailstorm of magic and missiles. Horror didn't even slow down. He walked through the onslaught like it was nothing. Ronan scowled. Military-grade magic weapons weren't even fazing this thing.

"Fall back! Set up barrier blockades with sigil amplifiers! Call the general—have her here ASAP. I'll keep him occupied!" Ronan barked, raising both hands. His soldiers obeyed instantly, some calling for reinforcements as they retreated. Twin rings of glowing yellow energy flared around Ronan's wrists. He thrust both fists forward, and a massive burst of light energy surged toward Horror.

The brute narrowed his sockets, bracing against the attack. Though he blocked with his axe, the force still pushed him back. Horror frowned. This human was strong—but not stronger than him. Planting his feet, he swung his axe down. The strike detonated on impact, forming a crater dozens of feet wide. A deep fissure tore through the battlefield, forcing Ronan to dodge at the last second.

Sweat beaded on Ronan's forehead as the winds from the shockwave ripped through several nearby houses, leveling them completely. He swallowed. That was just the shockwave. An attack like that would've hurt him severely if it had landed directly. Melee combat was off the table. He needed to fight from a distance. Horror slammed his axe into the ground again, and Ronan barely managed to dodge as another fissure erupted beneath him. Gritting his teeth, he activated multiple golden light rings around his arms, launching a flurry of light beams at his opponent.

Horror didn't even try to dodge. Not that he could—none of the Bad Sanses, aside from the boss, could move fast enough to outrun light. Not that he needed to. The beams crashed against his body and fizzled out uselessly. Not even a scorch mark. Horror raised his axe, the blade glowing crimson before releasing a massive red shockwave. Ronan barely had time to brace before he was sent hurtling through several buildings.

He coughed, magic barriers crumbling from the force. Fuck. That hurt. A split second later, his instincts screamed—he backflipped just in time as Horror's axe smashed into the ground where he'd landed. The entire city block collapsed into rubble. Gritting his teeth, Ronan conjured over a hundred light orbs, each firing beams of energy in rapid succession. His breath hitched. The monster walked through the barrage, a barrage strong enough to obliterate a small army. His jaw tightened.

Ronan snapped his arms upward, gathering every orb of light into a single, massive sphere of radiant energy. The entire area was swallowed by a blinding brilliance. Horror squinted, struggling against the overwhelming glare. That was an immense amount of magic. Damn, humans and their ability to siphon power from the environment—always managing to punch way above their weight class. Ronan gritted his teeth as he thrust his hands forward, and a colossal yellow beam, blinding and searing, erupted from the sphere, vaporizing everything in its path.

Entire city blocks vanished. Nearly a fourth of the city was reduced to nothingness. Thank God most civilians had been evacuated—because an attack like that would've obliterated tens of thousands. Breathing heavily, Ronan watched as the massive light beam finally burned through all its energy, leaving behind a vast stretch of vaporized land that extended miles into the distance. That damn monster better be dead after something like that. Frankly, Ronan felt on the verge of passing out.

He froze as the sound of heavy footsteps reached his ears. No fucking way. Fear gripped him as he turned. Horror was walking toward him, looking just fine despite the few small burns and cracks in his body—wounds already healing before Ronan's eyes.

Horror couldn't hide the grin spreading across his face as he saw the fear and shock painted across the human's expression. Normally, he wouldn't take pleasure in such things—that was more Dust and Killer's territory—but seeing this once-confident human reduced to this was... strangely appealing. He was strong, sure—probably upper-expert mage level if Horror had to guess. An attack like that would have killed anyone else. But unfortunately for Ronan, he was facing him. The juggernaut.

Before Horror could finish Ronan off, something came flying at him, striking him with force and knocking him back. Horror scowled, ready to retaliate—until he saw what had hit him. It was Cross, battered and bruised. Nearby, Infinite lay on the ground, bloodied from several cuts, his lone visible eye staring toward the sky through a cracked mask. What the hell had happened?

Earlier

Cross's eye-lights widened slightly as Mettaton appeared between him and Undyne, intercepting the blow meant for her. Infinite snapped his head toward the robot, wide-eyed with disbelief. He hadn't taken his eyes off Mettaton for even a second—so how had he managed that? Sure, keeping up with him had taken effort, but that level of speed surpassed anything the robot had shown during their battle.

Mettaton's smile widened as he met Cross's gaze. "I can assure you, you've just made the biggest mistake of your life. Now nothing is holding me back."

A massive explosion of power erupted from Mettaton, blasting everyone nearby away as a towering pillar of energy shot into the sky, piercing the clouds. Both Cross and Infinite threw their arms up instinctively, trying to shield themselves from the overwhelming energy. This was insane—how much power did this damn robot possess? Infinite couldn't help but feel a mixture of trepidation and excitement as the energy swelled. If he survived this, it would undoubtedly push him to new heights.

Undyne, meanwhile, was reeling from the immense pressure pressing down on her soul. What had Al and Gaster done? This kind of power... it was as though Mettaton had absorbed all seven human souls. The blinding light faded, and Mettaton stood before them, two enormous energy wings spanning from his back, radiating god-like power. This was going to be interesting.

With blinding speed, Mettaton shot forward, his energy wings propelling him as he targeted Cross first. Infinite watched, eyes widening in shock as a single kick from the robot shattered Cross's knife and sent him flying through an entire row of buildings. Reacting quickly, Infinite amplified the gravity in the area, increasing it several hundred times over.

Mettaton barely flinched at the gravitational shift. Instead, he aimed his arm cannon at Infinite and fired a massive laser. Infinite teleported the moment he sensed the immense power gathering, narrowly evading the blast. The laser shot past the moon in a single second, racing through space. Unknown to anyone, the beam would later strike Mars, creating a massive crater the size of a small continent.

Infinite's heart sank as he watched several mountaintops vanish, vaporized by the blast before it even left the planet. If that had hit him... Before he could process it further, Mettaton appeared right before him, causing the jackal to panic. A blade of light manifested in Mettaton's hand, and he swung it at Infinite, who desperately tried to block the strike with his sword. Reinforcing his body as best as he could and gripping his red-coated blade with both hands, Infinite believed he could at least weather one blow from the robot.

He was sorely mistaken. The moment the blade struck, Infinite's sword didn't shatter—it simply ceased to exist. The concentrated heat from the Nova-blade filled Infinite with an intense, primal fear. The Phantom Ruby reacted to its host's distress, amplifying his strength far beyond his own abilities. Still, it wasn't enough.

Mettaton's strike tore through Infinite's mask and sent him crashing away, the force of the blow nearly breaking several of his bones and scorching part of his mask into nothingness.

Present

Horror hefted his axe, his attention divided as Cross and Infinite struggled to recover. His singular eye-light widened in shock as Mettaton suddenly appeared mere feet away from them. He hadn't even perceived the movement properly—there wasn't so much as a blur. The sheer amount of magic radiating from the robot sent alarms ringing in his mind. They weren't supposed to be dealing with anyone even close to a demigod in power.

Before Horror could react, Mettaton struck, a single devastating kick launching him backward with force that left Cross and Infinite momentarily frozen in disbelief. Horror gritted his teeth, digging his heels into the ground as he skidded back, tearing up the terrain in a long, ruined track. That HURT. With a roar, he swung his massive battle-axe with both hands, shattering the ground beneath him as he brought the weapon down on the offending robot.

Cross panicked the moment he saw the attack coming. "Wait, Horror, don't—!"

Too late. The axe collided with Mettaton, unleashing a shockwave that sent ripples through the air, collapsing nearby buildings from sheer pressure. Yet, despite the force behind it, Mettaton barely staggered. His metallic frame endured the assault with ease. But to the surprise of everyone present—including an exhausted human mage—the robot was pushed back a few feet.

Horror hadn't hurt him, but knocking him back at all was impressive. Still, why had the attack done nothing in terms of actual damage? Cross quickly analyzed Mettaton, only to be met with ERROR readings on nearly all of his stats. Of course. He had invincibility. What a pain.

X!Chara appeared beside him, commenting with a smirk. "We could use red magic in combination with the big guy's attacks to actually do some damage. Though even then, it probably wouldn't do much. Maybe that jackal could amp up our magic with his little tricks?"

Cross barely managed to block an incoming strike, summoning twin butcher knives to absorb the blow as Horror was sent flying by Mettaton's nova-blade. Gritting his teeth, he shot X!Chara an annoyed glare. "Are you actually going to say anything useful, or just bring up strategies I've already thought of?"

Unfazed, X!Chara shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I'm just here to offer ideas, not hold your hand through the whole fight. But if you've got a better plan, now would be the time to share it."

Cross said nothing, looking away in frustration. As much as he hated to admit it, it was a solid plan. The real problem was figuring out how to relay it to the others without Mettaton catching on.

"I think I might know of a way to do so without the tin can getting in the way. Though you might not like it." X!Chara stated while smiling mischievously. Cross flinched as his mind processed X!Chara's thoughts; that was extremely invasive, not to mention rude.

Absolutely not! You are not going to connect with their souls and beam the information straight into their heads. Messing with another person's soul, especially without consent, is very not okay.

Oh come on, it wouldn't even be for that long. Just a small connection for a few seconds and bam, a perfect plan put together without any risk of discovery.

No, I'm not risking Horror or especially Infinite freaking out and attacking me while I'm fighting this guy. Besides, how would you even connect with Infinite's soul? It's kept hidden and protected within that gem on his chest. Even Error had to put in a bit of effort in order to get at it and he's a god.

X!Chara said nothing as they faded from view, while Cross tried to intervene he was forced to focus on the fight on hand. X!Chara smiled as their astral form appeared next to Horror who was busy swinging his axe ferociously at Mettaton. A simple touch was all it took to transfer the info needed, though the act caused Horror to trip up and get slashed by the robot's nova-blade.

The ghost child watched impassively as a large super-heated gash formed on Horror's chest only for it to heal almost as fast as it was made. He made his way towards the masked jackal who was busy creating various elemental attacks, all of which barely even slowed Mettaton down much less hurt him.

Reaching out, X!Chara touched the Phantom Ruby—only to feel intense resistance. Ah. Interesting. The ruby was fighting back. But it wouldn't stop them. This plan was their only shot at surviving.

Drawing on what little power remained from the OVERWRITE button, X!Chara counteracted the ruby's defenses. They hadn't told Cross they could still use it—he wasn't ready for the reality-warping abilities of OVERWRITE, especially in its current unstable state.

Infinite immediately stiffened. He felt something foreign press against the depths of his being—someone was trying to tamper with the ruby. Who—?! He turned sharply, and to his shock, found himself staring at a ghostly white child with the same eyes as Cross. The figure was touching the gem embedded in his chest, looking just as surprised as he was.

"You can see me? But how? You never noticed me before."

Snarling, Infinite instinctively swung his sword, its blade wreathed in magical and phantasmal energy, aiming to cut through the spectral intruder. Horror, mid-recovery, stared in confusion as Infinite slashed wildly at seemingly nothing. Had the jackal finally lost it?

Mettaton, watching with clear amusement, spoke up. "You know, while seeing one of you little murderers lose your mind and thrash at thin air is quite entertaining, I do have a city to protect and a show to run in a few days. So if we could hurry this along, that'd be great."

Cross, the only one who actually understood what was happening, felt a cold pit form in his non-existent stomach. He had no idea how Infinite could see X!Chara, but that wasn't important right now. What mattered was pulling this plan together before Mettaton tore them apart.

Scowling, Cross sprinted toward Infinite while Horror moved to distract Mettaton, buying them precious seconds.

(Slightly Earlier – Near Downtown)

Cackling echoed through the ruins as countless red slashes clashed against a barrage of multicolored attacks. Killer grinned wildly—finally, a challenge worth his time.

Gaster remained silent, his hands rotating around him as they unleashed a relentless stream of attacks. Monochrome. JUSTICE. Seven hands glowed yellow, summoning hundreds of laser beams that converged on Killer. Monochrome. PATIENCE. Simultaneously, another seven turned cyan, sending hundreds of threads whipping through the air, aiming to ensnare him.

Killer grinned as his knife rapidly blurred around his body as thousands of red lines erupted into burning slashes of DETERMINATION. Several hundred of said lines appeared around Gaster. Monochrome. KINDNESS. The yellow hands instantly switched to green as a large multi-layered energy dome protected their caster against the DETERMINATION slashes.

Laughing, Killer spun mid-air, his knife pulsating with black energy. He slashed down, sending a wave of pure HATE at Gaster, then twisted to unleash another.

Dual Monochrome. KINDNESS. Hundreds of green barriers appeared layered on top of one another before consolidating into a single massive barrier of immense density. The first wave crashed into the barrier cracking it before the second wave smashed it to pieces.

Killer raised his hand as thousands of sharpened black bones rained down on the seemingly defenseless skeleton. Duality. Four. Bravery. Dozens of large orbs cascaded into great explosions above the city, shattering the bones into dust.

Dual Monochrome. INTEGRITY. Thousands of blue swords formed out of thin air, coalescing together into a massive blade the size of a large skyscraper.

Killer grinned madly as the titanic blade swung down upon him. He snapped his fingers creating over a dozen gaster blasters which fired upon the blade. The sword and beams clashed together which both gained a red tint as Gaster and Killer enhanced their attacks with DETERMINATION. 

In the end the sword was snapped in half as the beams were further empowered by HATE. Killer laughed as a mass of red and black bones erupted around him as he rapidly thrusted his knife forward creating hundreds of beams of DETERMINATION and HATE.

Total Monochrome. PERSEVERANCE. All of Gaster's hands lit up in a purple light as the exact same attacks countered the maniacal skeleton's. Killer cackled in glee as he saw this. "Yes! YES! This is what I've wanted! A fight to the death. One where I can truly go all out and still run the risk of being killed. Don't you feel how exciting this is?! Let's keep this going until we turn to dust, shall we?! AHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Killer's grin turned almost impossibly wide as black goo fell from his mouth while an intense aura of HATE billowed around him. Hundreds of gaster blasters formed behind him and fired beams of pure DETERMINATION. As that occurred Killer raised his knife and slashed wave after wave of HATE into being.

Hundreds of gaster blasters similarly formed behind Gaster who applied red soul magic to them as they clashed against their counterparts. Dual Monochrome. DETERMINATION. Duality. Seven. Kindness. Right as the blasters fired a massive dome of green, shrouded in red, encompassed the entire area. A smaller dome surrounded the scientist, protecting him.

Each wave struck the dome ceaselessly and with tremendous force, causing a crack every time. Gaster frowned as he noticed the damage building up. This is not sustainable, to think his HATE would be this strong. I'll have to switch things up then.

Gaster teleported both himself and Killer away. For what he was about to do he needed to be far away from any civilization. Killer was taken off guard, having not protected himself against the spatial displacement due to his mania.

(Present - Middle of the Ocean)

Gaster hovered above Killer, amusement flickering in his expression as they found themselves on a tiny island, nearly a thousand miles away from any living soul. "You should feel honored," Gaster intoned, his voice laced with an eerie calm. "I haven't used this particular ability since the war nearly a millennium ago—and that was against a wizard, of all things. Let's see if your HATE can hold up against me at my most powerful. 🏱︎⚐︎☹︎✡︎👍︎☟︎☼︎⚐︎💣︎✌︎❄︎✋︎💧︎💣︎."

As he spoke, his eyes flashed, rapidly shifting between all seven colors, his hands glowing in sync. A rainbow pulse erupted from him, and suddenly, Killer felt something was very wrong. Multiple soul effects clamped onto his being, shocking him out of his bloodlust. He couldn't move—his limbs weighed down by gravity itself, leaving only his arms responsive.

Snarling, Killer summoned his soul, desperate to see what had happened. A target glowed on his chest, but instead of its usual color, it shimmered in a dazzling, unnatural pattern—red, blue, green, purple, cyan, orange, and yellow. All seven soul effects were bound to him. That should have been impossible.

For the first time in ages, Killer felt something unfamiliar—fear. The odds of survival were slim, but he wasn't the type to surrender. Fear gave way to raw, burning DETERMINATION. It's Kill Or Be Killed, after all =).

Killer moved first, slashing his knife as fast as he could, going all out. Tens of thousands of black slashes tore through the air, desperate to counter Gaster's assault. But the scientist wasn't holding back either. Hundreds of orange explosions erupted. Thousands of blue blades and buzzsaws spun toward him. Yellow beams rained down, cutting through space itself. Cyan threads lashed like whips, twisting unpredictably. Purple crescents mirrored Killer's own slashes, turning his attacks against him. Hundreds of green domes closed in, shrinking, suffocating—seeking to crush him outright.

Killer grit his teeth as he felt a yellow beam get past his defense and sear into him with a small dose of positivity. Great, they all have color magic applied to them don't they? That shouldn't have done that much damage but between Red, Orange, and Cyan, the effect is magnified. I'm likely taking somewhere between 5 to 7 times the damage compared to normal.

Gaster narrowed his sockets as he layered multiple timestops on top of each other while teleporting his hands around Killer. I'll add about a hundred gaster blasters of various colors into the mix as well. I need to finish this quick, VOID-infused polychromatism is more mentally taxing than I thought. I can't keep this going without risks for too much longer.

The time-stop ended right as everything was put into position. Now all the attacks were coming from every single angle alongside a hundred gaster blasters firing various colored beams continuously. 

Killer was drowning in the onslaught. His defenses faltered. Every impact tore deeper wounds, exhaustion mounting, body screaming in protest. His frustration boiled over—until it exploded. A surge of pure, undiluted HATE burst from him, a violent shockwave that obliterated the incoming attacks. Gaster reeled backward, his hands shattering from the sheer force.

Before he could react, a hand seized his collar. Through the fading smoke, Killer emerged, grin stretching wide—unnaturally so, nearly splitting his skull. His knife—now black as the VOID itself—hovered above his grasp, and floating just above it, a single word burned into existence.

ERASE.

Panic surged through Gaster. He knew what was coming. He tried to teleport—failed. Killer let out a dark, delighted chuckle. "Game over, Gaster." The knife came down.

Agony.

Gaster felt his very existence unraveling—far more absolute than anything he had experienced before. But he refused. He couldn't die. Not yet. He still had his sons to protect. With sheer desperation, he pulled on the one power he had sworn never to use. The VOID surged. Both of them vanished.

Present - Near Downtown

Gaster and Killer stumbled, reappearing exactly where they had started. Gaster clutched his torso, a deep gash bleeding profusely. Killer, panting, drained of nearly all his magic, barely stood upright.

Gaster immediately pointed two of his fingers in the shape of a gun at Killer. Killer barely even had time to look up before he was erased from existence by the VOID-space that opened up inside his own body.

Gaster clenched his fist, struggling to suppress the VOID from expanding, from devouring everything in its wake. A sharp grunt of exertion—then finally, it obeyed, emanating into existence. He sighed, unsteady on his feet. He had to get back to Alphys. The others. Healing was a priority—that was too close. One more hit, and he would have been done for. He turned away.

But behind him, deep within the crater where Killer had fallen, something stirred. A blood-red star flickered. Black and red energy coiled around it, twisting, reforming. A target burned back into existence.

Killer gasped, body reassembling—D̵̝̏̑Ë̷̺́T̷͆͆͜E̸̩͋R̴̼͑̄M̵̛̹͠Į̸͠N̷̦̍A̴̙͝Ṯ̷̀̑I̴̮̿O̸̻̒N̵̮̒ and HATE entwining to pull him back from the brink.

Pain still seared his being, but he was alive. Barely. Lying on his back, Killer exhaled sharply, an arm draping over his eye sockets. "Dammit… I lost." He scowled. "I survived, but it cost me nearly everything. The boss is gonna be pissed. He definitely felt me die—even for a second."

Oh well. This little venture was a bust anyway. He could sense Infinite and the others struggling against whatever insane magic they were up against. But he was in no condition to help. So instead, he let his body relax, exhaustion finally winning over.

"I think I'll just… take a nap."

(Slightly Earlier - Commercial District) 

Sans frowned as he saw Dust completely snap. With how much magic this guy was giving off he'd have no choice but to use the DETERMINATION gained from the previous resets in order to have a chance at stopping him.

But could he do that? He hadn't even tried to use it even once, heck, he only just found out about it a few days ago. Not only that, he wasn't sure his body would hold up either, sure it was innate(sorta) like Undyne's but she had way more physical matter than him. 

Sans' eye sockets darkened as he just barely teleported himself and Papyrus out of a barrage of gaster blaster beams. Seems like I'm just gonna have to risk it then. This guy's too powerful for anything less than that anyway.

Sans turned towards his brother to speak but before either could react a giant bolt of lightning struck down upon them. Vaporizing the building they stood upon. Sans sweated as the gaster's blaster barrier he set up crumbled into dust from the blast. This wasn't good, he was barely even being given time to think let alone act. Sans snapped his fingers as over a hundred gaster blasters formed, his eye-lights flared yellow as he applied yellow magic to the beams. 

Dust cackled in mockery as he summoned his trident, spinning it in front of him as the beams bounced off the purple weapon. Dust quickly teleported behind Sans who barely dodged the sudden thrust from the trident. But Dust predicted the move and created a large purple bone which erupted from the ground as it slammed into Sans who heaved as he was sent flying away. Papyrus in a panic applied blue magic to Dust's soul and summoned hundreds of orange bones which pelted him like rain. 

Dust looked shocked as Papyrus attacked him. But his shock quickly turned into mad laughter as fire and lightning erupted from his body reducing the bones to dust. Papyrus took a step back in fear and shock at the sight, how could a version of his own brother become something like that. Just what had this poor skeleton monster gone through?

Papyrus created a large bone infused with both orange and blue magic along with a bit of yellow to counter the sudden strike from Dust's Trident. Yet despite the power of the tri-color empowered bone he possessed, the tall skeleton felt the bone crack slightly from the blow as his arms nearly buckled from the blow. Such strength, was Sans always capable of this much physical power? Or is it because of the things he did? 

Dust laughed and cried? as he struck at Papyrus over and over. With each blow deflected the great skeleton felt his arms buckle as the bone he used to protect himself slowly chipped and splintered away. "Please, we don't need to fight. I can tell that deep down you don't want to do this, and you don't have to. I may not know what happened to you to make you like this. But I do know you are still Sans, you're still my big brother. We can figure this out, so please just drop the trident. I don't want to hurt you."

Dust stopped suddenly as his eye-lights went out. Papyrus was surprised and slightly hopeful at this while Sans looked on as he clutched his chest. They needed to deal with him while his guard was down. Dust seemed to have an almost thousand-yard stare as he looked at Papyrus. Sans immediately felt a shiver down his spine, whatever that guy was remembering was not good. 

Dust began twitching as he stared at Papyrus before laughing. Papyrus couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable at the maniacal laughter. "You really think that's actually an option anymore?! After everything I've done, after all the people I've killed? It's too late, Paps, for me and for you."

"PAPYRUS GET AWAY FROM HIM!" 

Papyrus looked back towards his Sans only to stumble in shock as he felt something pierce his ribcage. What is-? Oh, I've been stabbed. Dust had rammed his trident straight through Papyrus. The taller skeleton could feel the flame and lightning coating the prongs rapidly tear through his body as his HP plummeted to nothing as he began to turn to dust. 

But none of that mattered to Papyrus as he stared at Dust. Dust stiffened as Papyrus hugged him. "Despite everything you've done, I don't blame you. I know you can be better if you just try, even if you don't think so. I'm sorry Sans." 

Sans looked on in muted shock as his little brother turned to dust, all that was left of him was his scarf. Dust held his hand to his face as he began to laugh. "Ahahahahah. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

Sans eye-lights shrunk to pinpricks as his insane counterpart's laughter quickly turned to anguished screams. Bastard couldn't even decide if he was happy or sad about what he had just done. Dust wasn't even given time to react as his soul turned blue while Sans teleported behind him and blasted him in the back with a barrage of gaster blasters.

Dust crashed through several buildings before coming to a stop. Sans raised his hand as dozens of large blasters appeared above the killer. Right as Dust hefted his trident a blue bone erupted right next to him, knocking it out of his hand. Dust screamed as the blasts hit him. Sans didn't let up as he de-summoned the old blasters and created new ones over and over as the continuous barrage of beams reduced everything in Dust's vicinity to ashes. 

"Die."

Dust summoned a cage of bones to protect himself alongside multiple thunderbolts and vines aimed at Sans. Sans' eye-lights flared red briefly as all the attacks disappeared only to appear right next to Dust. Dust grit his teeth as he was forced to endure his own attacks. What's going on? What was he doing earlier? 

As Dust stumbled from shock Sans used a DETERMINATION empowered time-stop to freeze Dust in his tracks. Dust's eye-lights shrunk in fear as dozens of gaster blasters charged up red energy. But how? Time was stopped and red soul magic attacks couldn't move in frozen time. Sans grit his teeth as rows upon rows of DETERMINATION infused blaster beams hammered into the DIRTY BROTHER KILLER. Dust's soul screamed as the combination of DETERMINATION and KARMA slowly tore his soul apart.

Just a little bit more. I just need a few more seconds and then I'll avenge you Paps. I can last that long right? But jeez, even with this it feels like his HP is draining at a snail's pace. Just how much does he even have? Crap, can't keep this going.

Sans slumped to his knees as he panted in immense exhaustion, he could feel some of his slowly melting. DT Overdose, huh? Guess he couldn't handle it after all. The royal judge looked up as a shadow covered him. A severely burned Dust looked down upon the skeleton as he raised his trident.

Sans closed his eyes as he felt tears well up in his eye-sockets. "Sorry, Paps guess I wasn't good enough after all. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Dust scowled as he swiped with his trident nearly bisecting the smaller skeleton in half, that little bastard nearly dusted him. To think he almost died because he let his guard down. H-he had killed Papyrus hadn't he? But he didn't have a choice. He was in the way. R-right? Dust tensed as he noticed Sans got up while bleeding profusely from his wounds. A perfect slash from shoulder to hip, it looked rather familiar for some reason.

"Guess that's it for me, huh? Shame I really thought things would be different this time, guess this is what I get for hoping huh? Welp I'm going to grillby's. Papyrus, do you want anything?" Sans slowly walked away as he turned to dust. Not even his tears were spared. Dust's hands begin trembling as his trident clanged onto the ground. T-that was. H-he had.

"Heh. I k-killed him. Slashed him across the torso. A-and I-i. I'm just like them. HehahahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Dust spoke to himself as he began to tear at his skull while his HP slowly decreased. Dust quickly snapped to attention as he noticed a massive amount of magic coming from city outskirts alongside three other magic signatures fighting it. It was Cross, Horror, and Infinite. 

Given how strong what they are fighting is, they likely aren't doing too well. I can unpack all this later, or preferably never, right now I have a job to do. Though I feel like shit, maybe I should sit this one out? No. I can't help them in my current state but I can still be useful by getting more exp. Besides, I've already gotten two LV from this mission anyway. 

(City Outskirts)

Infinite growled at X!Chara as Cross rapidly explained the plan they had put together while trying to prevent the jackal from making the ghost even deader than he already is. Infinite said nothing as he rocketed off towards Horror and Mettaton. He had already gotten the message and so long as that brat didn't try that again he had no reason to take it any further, at least not now. 

Cross sighed in exasperation as Infinite ran towards the battlefield, he really hoped Chara's actions hadn't burned any bridges. He was starting to like that jackal. Cross quickly chased after Infinite, with Chara following close behind; seems their little plan worked out after all. 

Infinite stopped in place before rapidly rotating his body while clutching his blade with both hands. With each spin he increased the physical force behind his blade as he concentrated ever greater mystical power within it. Cross arrived just in time to turn Mettaton's soul red, who tensed slightly at the sensation while blocking Horror's axe. 

Infinite completed his final rotation as he swung his blade forward in an arc unleashing a veritable hurricane of red slashes which unfortunately only caused tiny, nigh-imperceptible cracks in the barrier protecting him. However, it was just enough to distract Mettaton away from Horror's follow up attack which caught him right in the chest. The killer robot had an expression shock as he felt himself take damage for the first time since entering this form. 

Horror grinned in sadistic enjoyment as he finally harmed this FUCKING BASTARD. Sure, it didn't do a whole lot but it was the thought that count. The force of the blow knocked Mettaton back several feet before he readjusted, it would seem these three were more dangerous than he thought. He'd have to think that into account then. Hopefully he could deal with them before he ran out of time. 

Horror went to strike again as Mettaton flew into the sky while charging up his arm cannon. Infinite however anticipated this and had been charging up a sphere of extreme gravity which he quickly concentrated only on Mettaton. The robot smacked into the ground with tremendous force, creating a large crater, as his body now had to endure several thousand times the gravity of Earth.

His wings turned from feathers of light into jets of concentrated plasma as they compensated for the shift, though despite his best efforts he could only achieve a low-altitude glide at best. A mere couple hundred feet, maybe not even that. No matter he'd make do, considering the alternative was to overcharge them with enough power to glass a large chunk of the city. 

Infinite cupped his hands together due to the extreme amount of focus it took to maintain such intense gravitational pressure in such a small area. Cross went on the offense as he summoned dozens of large gaster blasters, each imbued with a combination of red and orange magic. Mettaton went to counter only to be forced to block Horror's axe with his blade as the blasters all fired upon him, Mettaton grimaced as he felt the beams blow past his shield and began to ever so slowly damage his body. This was getting out of hand. 

Mettaton unleashed a burst of electricity from his body, blasting Horror away and destroying Cross' blasters alongside Infinite's concentration. Mettaton sighed as he shook his shoulders. "Goodness darlings you've certainly given me quite the workout. Even despite me unlocking this new form and everything for you. It would seem I'll have to take some risks if I want to actually get rid of you." 

Mettaton floated gently into the sky as his wings turned into feathers of light once more. Infinite and the other two looked on in confusion as they readied themselves while Mettaton's wings radiance grew in intensity. They quickly realized what was about to happen as Cross created a massive dome of blue bones while Infinite closed his eyes in thought and concentration. 

An endless abyss, the blackness of space, shadows hidden in faint light, Darkness in its purest form. 

Manifested darkness erupted out of the ground and wrapped around the dome of bones over and over, tightening and increasing in density until it became harder than any known material. Horror took a stance in front of both Cross and Infinite, prepared to shield them with his very body if he had to. 

Mettaton simply gave the attempted defense an amused smirk as he had his HUD track each and every person in the city. Ah, good there wasn't a single soul within several miles of him. Goodness do they work fast, well all the better for me I suppose. Let's give them a show they're neverforget.  

The brightness of his wings had grown so blinding as to be akin to the sun itself. Mettaton stretched his arms out as countless beams of light poured from his wings like rain. Everything within the designated area was utterly vaporized expect for the giant dome of bones and darkness that kept taking increasingly high amounts of firepower. Mettaton didn't let up, this particular type of attack meant he could just pour more and more power into it until either his body gave out or the opposition ceased to exist. And he had every intention of annihilating them for trying to kill his friends.

Infinite frowned as he noticed the increase in attacks, at first it was just thousands striking the dome now it was tens of thousands. It even seemed to be increasing in number as time went on, 52k a second, 62k, 74k. This isn't good there's no way the dome will hold up against this, even now there were cracks spreading across it. He looked towards Cross who seemed to be arguing with that ghost over something while Horror palmed his axe's handle in clear nervousness. 

Infinite decided he wasn't just going to wait for the barrage of beams to destroy them. He'd have to try something new, a different element. One he had shied away from but knew better than any other. 

Shattering of buildings, eruptions of volcanos, meteors falling from the sky, nuclear explosions, cracking of planets, nova of dying stars, airships falling from the sky, cities in ruins, screams and running, robots marching onward despite so much resistance, final stand of humanity, a great whirling point of oblivion consuming a once grand metropolis, so much death, so much destruction. It was all his fault. 

Annihilation in its purest form. 

A small orb of black and red appeared in Infinite's hand while both skeletons looked surprised, another power. Just how many did Infinite have? The jackal said nothing as he continued to pour power and thought into the rapidly swelling orb. In mere moments the once baseball sized orb had grown even larger than Horror as electricity of the same color began to arc off it. 

Infinite raised both his hands as the sphere of destruction began to consume the space within the rapidly cracking dome. Both Horror and Cross backed away from the jackal as the arcs of power struck the ground near him. Infinite was growling as he thought of all the horrible things needed to fuel this monstrosity of an attack to the max. 

The Fire. 

His Siblings. 

The Great Flood. 

The Shattered Moon. 

The Invasion. 

Broken Memories Of A Maddened GOD.

The Primeval Darkness. 

A Horror Show In Disguise. 

HIM.

The War. 

Infinite roared as he poured every ounce of anguish, grief, hatred, and suffering into this attack so that he may never feel weak ever again. The dome exploded as destruction consumed it and spread high above as the metallic angel looked on in shock. To think he had this much power. Something on this scale could destroy the entire city maybe even the whole region. 

Mettaton raise his sword and poured as much power as he dared into the blade, even going so far as to remove some of its restrictions. As the sphere of destruction rapidly grew in size, annihilating anything it touched, a great blade of solar fire erupted into the sky. Mettaton sweated from the strain of using this much power and yet having to control it to such a fine point. He was unused to something on this scale, how bothersome. 

He swung his blade horizontally as it sliced the oncoming destruction in twain alongside a few mountain tops which became collateral. Mettaton sighed in relief as the two halves began to crack and fade away. Goodness that was close, this poor city has certainly seen better days. 

Infinite scowled at the results of the attack; to think he could actually counter that. It wasn't enough, it didn't matter how powerful an idea was if it lacked the power to back it up. Even something like destruction wasn't an exception. That's what he needed more power and once he had enough then no one could stop him. 

Seven Gems of such power and beauty. 

A Grand Gem of immense size and control. 

A Scepter, a fount of endless magic and wisdom. 

A Blue Blur destroying all in its path. 

A Lifeform wreathed in chaotic red energy. 

A Broken God of Broken Memories destroying everything in a single burst of infinite light. 

Infinite felt his body fill with immense energy as red electricity crackled off of it, his muscles expanded as his body felt lighter and stronger than he had ever felt before. Power in its purest form. 

Infinite boots dug into the ground as he crouched before leaping upwards towards his opponent. Both skeletons stumbled back in shock as the intense force shattered the ground around the jackal. An aura of red swirled around Infinite's sword as he struck Mettaton before he had time to react. The robot in question was knocked back from the blow and much to his shock had sustained a very minor scratch on his chassis. 

Infinite spun around and launched off of thin air as he struck Mettaton again before he could gain his bearings back. Right as the blade connected a burst of energy formed into a massive crescent slash that launched Mettaton into a nearby mountain. 

The robot in question stumbled slightly in the crater he had just been knocked into only to immediately raise his arm cannon and rapid-fire energy beams as Infinite teleported above him. The jackal cut through all of the beams before appearing right under Mettaton, aiming to slice his arm cannon off. However, he met the cursed blade with his own nova sword as the two blades created a massive shockwave upon contact. 

Mettaton sweated from the contact, though he possessed much greater strength than Infinite even now the sheer difference skill alone was enough to nearly bridge such a gap as things stood now. To think he could enhance his power to such an extent, if I wasn't forced to hold back so much even this wouldn't be enough. Perhaps I could try to take this somewhere less at risk in terms of collateraldamage? 

As the two blades rapidly clashed against one another Mettaton began to quickly rack up scratches and tiny dents as he secretly began to prime his arm cannon for his plan. A quick burst of energy to his wings sent back several dozen feet as he swung his in front of him, unleashing a wave of solar energy which was instantly split in two. 

Infinite dashed towards his opponent as the sheer power in his body only continued to increase, he didn't know how much more his body could handle but he was certain it wouldn't last much longer. Though considering he could feel Mettaton's body beginning to overheat, it would seem to be the case for the both of them. 

Just as Infinite reached Mettaton and prepared to swing, the robot dodged as he spun around before firing his arm cannon at full blast right under the jackal. The sheer intensity of the beam sent Infinite flying nearly a mile into the sky. He attempted to adjust and get back to ground only for a metallic heel to crash into his face as his mask shattered to pieces. 

Infinite coughed up blood as he floated in the upper stratosphere, easily a dozen miles above the city. His body instinctually using his gravity powers to prevent himself from falling. He needed to- before he could think any further his world erupted in pain as he felt his body suddenly became significantly lighter. Mettaton had just appeared cleaved his sword arm right off, the vaporized flesh making Infinite feel lightheaded as he barely kept himself from screaming. 

Mettaton went to strike again only to be cut off by a massive beam of energy that erupted from Infinite's remaining hand. The jackal's chest heavied as he tried to ignore the pain while trying to concentrate enough to heal himself. He wouldn't get it as he just barely reacted in enough time to create a mini blackhole to absorb a salvo of energy beams. Each possessed more than enough power to vaporize the entire city they had been fighting in earlier. 

He then threw the engorged singularity at his target only for it to splash uselessly against him and fade away. As the monster grew closer Infinite became increasingly desperate as he threw all sorts of attacks at his opponent, drawing more and more on the Phantom Ruby's power. Orbs of Destruction, Lances of Death, Beams of Power, Comets of Ice and Fire, even some Spatial warping and Temporal Dilation. 

None of it mattered, it either had no effect or could barely slow him down. Infinite then thought of something truly horrible. 

Emptiness. 

A Great Vast Nothing. 

The Universe Before The Light. 

The Universe After The Light. 

The Primordial Darkness. 

The Infinite Abyss. 

THE END. 

T͈͈̗̊_̸̢̫̩͉͉̠͓̥̝̠͒̊̒̊̿̅̄̋͜͜͡H̛̳͓̞Ę͕̤̬̟̗̹̦̺͖͕ͣͨͣ̎̈́ͪͮ͆ͤ̔̑̀͌͛̕ Ṽ̷̧̫͕͙̺̙͈̖̣̞̥͈̤̝͔̗ͧ̓͋̾̉ͯ͐̅̄̍̿̋͗̀ͧ̑̀͆͜͟͜O̰̰̘̅ͬ͠Í̛̲̩̭ͪ̋̽̃ͯ͘͡ͅD̶̵̢̢̺̠̹̼͍͔̲̼̬̪̥͂̔̃ͭͯ̎̈̐̄͗͗̀̒͛̈̄̅͂̔̕͜͠ͅ I̮̗͉̩͉ͬͥ͗̒ͯ͌̂ͥͫͭ͋ͩ͘̚͟N̷̨̢̮̭͇͙̞̤͈͍͇̤̺͚̝̝͖̥̠̪ͦͬ̽ͤ̾̏̆͆͐ͫͪͮͧ́̀̒̂̿ͭ̚̚͢͜͡͝C̵̯̙͖̠̗̣̟̥͉̠͕̍ͧͮ́́͋̏̔̆̊̈́̇̃͌̎ͤ̀͢A̴̢̨̡̨̝͖͉͓̻̱͎̻̫̲̳͎̖ͩ͂̊̎̍̅̈́ͯ̈́ͦ͛͐̍̑̎̆̊̚͢͜͠ͅR̟Ņ̶̛̛̜͍̦͖̱̤̜̗̠̻͍̯̤͒̾ͯ̊̏̉͐̓̏̅̈́̑̑͊ͩ̇͐͘͘͜͝Ȁ͍̇̕_̴̦̯͉͂̅͘Ť̢̨̛̻͕͇ͩ̓́ͦ͒̑̍̕̕͘͟E_̢̜̥̬̳̺͖̘̞͚ͧ̐̆̿̈́͂͑ͨͭ̐̌ͧ̂̾̀̈́̐̍͘͡.̴̷̵̧̧̨̗͔̜̰̫̝̯̐̾͗͋͐̄ͬ͐ͥ̌ͦ͐̃͘͡͡͡͝

 A tiny not-space of oblivion appeared in between Infinite and Mettaton, both of whom reacted rarely intensely to it. Mettaton's HUD started going crazy with error and null warnings as Infinite clutched his head in pain as he saw nothing, felt nothing, became-. NO! He was Infinite, the leader of Jackal Squad, the Scourge of Mobius, and most of all the wielder of the Phantom Ruby.

Making that thing was a mistake, the ruby had no true power or control over it. It couldn't even actualize it in the first place, all it did was lower all the defenses reality had against it within the area. Something which was made abundantly clear as the void-space rapidly grew in size as it consumed everything around it despite Infinite's attempts to force it to dissipate. 

Fortunately for him, Mettaton had a counter and immediately dashed into the encroaching wall of non-existence. The pain was intense as THE VOID attempted to rip his very soul asunder, however he persevered as he unleashed every ounce of energy he possessed forcing creation into being. 

Infinite wasn't given any time to react as a blinding light spread from the void and washed over him, completely disintegrating his body into little more than a cloud of sub-atomic particles. Mettaton sighed in exhaustion as he fell out of his unlimited form, he had burnt up nearly all the power he had to stop that. Well at least that jackal was dead and gone, his friends were still a problem though. He had picked up a communication to General Winter not too long ago, he could only hope that the A.M.D. could handle it. 

The Phantom Ruby floated in mid-air behind Mettaton who began to fly away only to immediately stop and turn around as massive amounts of energy poured off of the gem. Reality distorted to the extreme as web-like cracks spread from the ruby into the fabric of space-time itself. Mettaton spasmed and convulsed as micro explosions wracked his body while impossible information flooded his HUD. 

Visions of rolling green hills and impossible loops alongside many other things flood the robot's visions as his soul cracked under weight of so much nonsensical data. As the reality-warping power of the ruby reached a crescendo, Mettaton exploded as Infinite's body completely regenerated around the Phantom Ruby as it took its place inside his chest cavity once more. 

Infinite gasped in as touched his face and body in confusion and a bit of fear. He had died, hadn't he? And yet he also didn't? Infinite looked around noticing the extreme cracks in space-time around him, through which he could swear he saw parts of Mobius. The cracks however quickly sealed up, it was as if they were never there at all. 

Infinite teleported next to both Cross and Horror, who jumped in shock at the sudden appearance. Horror rushed towards the exhausted looking jackal as Cross went to locate both Killer and Dust. It was time they left this AU, the mission was a failure. Killer, Dust and Infinite got extremely close to dying and Cross was exhausted from dealing with Mettaton. Horror was probably the only one among them that still had any significant stamina left, thought to be fair Cross wasn't sure he could even get tired to begin with. 

As they all left Glitchtale behind, none of them would have any idea of the consequences this mission would have on them and so many others.

(Undertale - Main True Pacifist Timeline) 

Sans and Papyrus were both walking around a nearby hill, Papyrus for his morning jog and Sans because his brother insisted he come with him. Sans had been sitting under a nearby tree watching his brother's work out when he felt a splitting headache as a magenta crack manifested a few dozen feet away from him. 

Sans quickly stood up in shock as while the pain had passed, he could feel the invisible cracks in space-time on top of the clearly visible one in front of him. "Uh Paps, we may have a bit of a problem." 

Papyrus jogged over to his brother only to see the same crack. "Uh Sans, what exactly is that? It's giving me the heebie jeebies." 

"It's a uh, crack in space-time a pretty strong one too; though none I'm familiar with. It seems relatively recent, about a month or two in age; give or take a week. Y'know this might've been where Infinite came from? Wonder where it leads to." 

Sans approached the crack to inspect it, in doing so he noticed that it seem to be about 3 feet in diameter; just large enough to allow a small kid through or a really small person. However as he went to use some of his powers to conduct a more thorough analysis, the crack flashed and something crashed into his skull. 

Papyrus was surprised as he grabbed Sans before he could hit the ground. "Are you okay, brother?" 

"I'm fine Paps. No need to worry, though I wonder what just-. Huh." Sans cut himself off as he noticed a golden ring floating slightly above the ground right where he just was. The heck is this? 

(Lusttale - True Pacifist Timeline #34) 

Ink sighed as he waved at Lust!Sans while Dream quickly made a portal and went through it blushing the entire way. Another bust, the two of them have been through over a hundred different Au's and still hadn't found anything about the bad sanses much less Infinite. It was kinda weird, they've never been this quiet before. 

Ink jumped through the portal after Dream as they both ended up in the space between universe. The Cosmic Highway as he liked to call it. "Y'know I don't really get why you dislike that AU so much? It's all about love and lust there, so big on positivity which is your all thing." 

Dream just looked at Ink in annoyance before turning away. No way was he explaining to Ink the kind of effects THAT kind of positivity had on him or what the birds and the bees was. He wasn't ready for that particular disaster yet. 

Just as Ink was about to suggest going to the remnants of Dreamtale to find Nightmare directly, both him and Dream felt an intense shock as they felt a distant rumble in The Multiverse. While Dream looked around in shock as he felt several immensely strong sources of positivity and negativity for a brief second, Ink immediately looked in the direction of the disturbance.

Isn't that? It is! That new AU he made, he was super proud of it. He thinks. So that's where he is, welp time to go. Ink grabbed Dream before he could react and jumped into a puddle that led straight to Glitchtale.

"ADVENTURE!" 

"Ink, wait don't!" 

(Omega Timeline) 

Blue stared nervously at the irate Dark God, he had been here to try to convince Seraphim and Abyss to join the Star Sanses when Nightmare suddenly arrived. It had caused quite a scare and many of the fighters in Frisk's domain had prepared themselves to fight. Fortunately Frisk prevented any conflict by informing everyone they had made a deal with Nightmare for his help in further hiding the Omega Timeline. 

Not everyone agreed with that, actually pretty much no one did but Core had already fulfilled their end of the deal, so Nightmare came to honor it. He had been surprisingly calm about everything if a bit distant, though Blue was pretty sure he was responsible for sharp increase in stress, paranoia and general unrest that occurred not too long ago. 

What worried him now however was the palpable aura of darkness and despair radiating off of him that was causing no small amount of distress to everyone in the timeline. He wasn't sure what happened, but Nightmare had gotten a rather shocked expression on his face a few hours ago only for it to quickly turn to anger. He could only assume he felt something bad happening The Multiverse and for some reason wasn't happy about it for once. 

Blue finally gathered up the courage to confront the dark god when everything started shaking. The various residents of the realm looked around in surprise and fear as the buildings shook rather intensely before quickly settling. Blue stumbled right as he got near Nightmare only to feel a strange slimy sensation alongside a strange feeling of rapidly mounting dread and desperation. 

He looked up to see Nightmare towering above him but he was looking somewhere else. Apparently one of his tentacles instinctually caught, he tried to get up only to let out a gasp as the tendril tightened around his body alongside the feeling doubling in strength. Blue began to hyperventilate as more tendrils wrapping around his body and forced more of that awful feeling on him. H-he needed to get away. 

Core!Frisk appeared above Nightmare while speaking in the closest thing to anger Blue had ever heard from them, or at least he assumed it was getting hard to see. When did it become so dark? So....ha....rd.....to.....think. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm.....Scared. I....Scared. I.....Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scared. Scare. Scar. S....c.....a....r....e..........d. 

Blue took a massive breath of fresh air as the tendrils let go of him. Seraphim was in front of him growling as Abyss cradled Blue who was crying profusely and looked deeply traumatized. Nightmare looked on in amusement, he had been so focused on finding the source of such immense negativity he hadn't even noticed his tendrils had been suffocating Blue's mind to death. How amusing~. 

No matter he would be having words with those fools, he had felt Killer briefly die. He TOLD them not to attack that AU if it proved too dangerous without him, and yet they did so anyway. The fools even got one of them killed he could only hope the others weren't dead, he couldn't confirm since he wasn't connected to them like he was with killer, after all it would be such a pain to find suitable replacements for them. 

(Segaverse - Universe Prime) 

Neo Metal Sonic tapped the throne he sat upon, the only sign of his impatience, as he overlooked various reports from the Eggnet. This was a disaster, to be so close to ultimate victory only to lose it at the last hurdle and in such a pathetic manner no less. His creator may be a genius beyond compare but his ability to properly go through with a plan and take into account unpredictable variables left much to be desired.

Fortunately for him a large portion of the Egg Armada was still intact despite the empire's defeat, leaving him quite a few assets to reassert the Eggman Empire's dominance over the hapless fools that called this pitiful world home. It grated on him however that those two worthless piles of scrap were still around. The only reason he hadn't gotten rid of those bumbling fools was because their idiocy vaguely amused him, that and the red one was at least quasi-competent.

Strangely when he had awoken his creator was nowhere to be found and despite searching for nearly two weeks, there wasn't any sign of the ruler of their empire anywhere. This was completely unacceptable and unfortunately he would have to ask those idiots what happened to him, since they were the last individuals of the empire to be aware of the doctor's whereabouts.

"You're telling me you have no idea where he is? Despite being among the last beings to have seen him, you claim to not know where he's been for nearly an entire month. Tell me what exactly is preventing me from just reducing you both to a pile of scrap and creating an eggpawn , something that would be at least useful, out of your remains." Neo stated as irritation began to build in his voice while Orbot and Cubot looked in fear towards the greatest machine ever conceived.

Both robots groveled before their leader as they responded. "Please forgive us Sir, we weren't included in any plans the doctor made and frankly had been largely abandoned before his mysterious disappearance. Honestly we really have no idea where he ended up, all we have is a strange encrypted transmission received by the Eggnet a bit over two weeks ago. Despite our best efforts we weren't able to decipher it."

As Orbot continued explaining the situation Cubot attempted to get a word in edgewise, only to be elbowed in the chest. Orbot shook his head, not wanting his counterpart to ruin this and get them both scrapped. Neo said nothing as he took this in before accessing the transmission mentioned. Interesting, this message was protected by the highest level of security in the empire. Something only the doctor and himself had the clearance to bypass or use.

Neo got up from his throne as he began to walk through the hallway while Orbot and Cubot attempted to keep up. "I'm sorry but where are you going exactly? Was this message important in some way?"

"Project Apotheosis has been initiated, an abandoned base reported a chaos energy surge at nearly the same time as this message was sent. I have a gem to collect and a mission to fulfill. Keep the armada on standby mode while I'm gone. Do not mess this up, otherwise I will make you suffer in ways you couldn't even begin to comprehend."

Cubot looked in confusion as he responded foolishly. "Umm we're robots, we don't feel pain?"

Neo turned his head back slightly, a single glowing red eye staring balefully at the robots beneath him. "I. Will. Find. A. Way. Soon I shall prove to that hedgehog who the real Sonic truly is and nothing shall get in my way."