The human's surprised cry, "Oof!" was cut short as the knife clattered harmlessly on the tile floor. They writhed in pain, releasing the grip on the weapon and dissolving into a whimper of defeat. Their initial murderous rage was replaced by a pathetic plea for mercy that echoed hollowly in the vast chamber.

Dash, meanwhile, landed with a pained groan, bringing a hand– or was it a hoof? – up to her snout and rubbing it gently. The disorientation was overwhelming. One moment, they were soaring through the sky; the next, they were sprawled on a cold, hard floor.

"Wha...?" Dash mumbled, confusion evident in her voice. She brought their other appendage – hoof? Hand? – up to examine it, and a gasp escaped her lips. Blue fur covered her limbs, and a long tail swished nervously behind her. "Oh, c'mon!" She bemoaned, her voice laced with disbelief. "Again!?"

"Get. Off." The human beneath Dash grunts, pushing off the ground with both arms.

A strange sound pierced the air – a high-pitched "Ping!"

A blue light emanating from somewhere unseen illuminated the area beneath them. Swirling with energy, it materialised inches from their chest before abruptly falling downwards. The human, caught in the invisible current, was dragged along with the spectral heart. Their grunt was cut short as they slammed into the hard floor with a crack.

"I don't think so, buddy." The skeleton said, their left eye glowing a similar blue. Thanks for the assist, Blue-y." Turning to Dash, he shot her a thumbs up, a smile plastered on his skull. "I got it from here."

"My name's not Blue-y." Dash deadpans, to which the skeleton shrugs.

From the chaos above, Yuta tumbled down, landing with a bone-jarring thud beside a scowling Usowamoto. Dust motes swirled around them as Yuta scrambled to his feet, Rika looming protectively behind him. Before he could react, Usowamoto lashed out, a vicious kick aimed at Yuta's face.

The force of the blow had sent the sorcerer reeling back, winds whipping past him with a harsh whistle. Usowamoto, propelled by the momentum of their attack, backpedalled several steps across the checkered floor. But Yuta lunged forward, undeterred. Grabbing hold of the very foot that had just assaulted him.

A surge of blinding positive energy erupted from Yuta's hand. It channelled with an unnatural intensity into Usowamoto's limb, the flesh and bone warping and contorting under the unnatural pressure. A sickening "splat!" echoed through the chamber as the curse's leg imploded in a gruesome display of violence.

Usowamoto stumbled back, falling flat on their ass. The loss of a limb barely fazed them for a moment. With a desperate snarl, they slammed a hand onto the floor, attempting to tear open a portal large enough to escape.

But the attraction of Blue forces them back into the sorcerer. The nascent portal flickered and died. Usowamoto yanked back towards the sorcerer like a puppet on invisible strings. Spinning on their heel, Usowamoto used the momentum to launch themself forward. Their remaining forearm slammed into Yuta's throat with a crunch. The air whooshed from Yuta's lungs, a strangled gasp escaping his lips as he crumpled back, his vision swimming with black spots.

Perhaps it was the sheer force of the blow or Yuta's fading consciousness, but he couldn't stop the momentum. He slammed back into Rika, the colossal apparition stumbling under the unexpected shove. The domino effect was immediate – all three of them, a tangled mass of limbs and desperate flailing, careened backwards into the sulking skeleton, a prismatic pegasus, and the human she was sitting on.

The impact sent all six of them tumbling in a heap of limbs and confusion. In the pandemonium, Usowamoto reacted first. Another swirling portal manifested in front of them, a desperate escape route. With a final, triumphant roar. Usowamoto steered the rolling ball of bodies into the portal, dragging the chaotic mess along with them. The portal snapped shut behind them, leaving only the echoing silence and the lingering stench of burnt flesh and despair.

In the swirling mess of the wormhole, the skeleton latched himself onto Rika, holding on for dear life in the mess. The human came rushing in from the side, swinging the dusty knife wildly at the monster. The skeleton released his hold on Rika, the knife flying by harmlessly. Summoning a bone, he shoves it into the human's stomach, launching them into the side of the wormhole, phasing out into nothingness. The skeleton seemed content with this, allowing himself to fall back into the wormhole as well, smiling at Dash all the while.

"Skeleton dude!!" Rainbow yelled, reaching out a hoof in vain as the monster faded into the light.

The world dissolved into a dizzying mixture of colours as the portal ripped them through space and time. Yuta felt himself tumbling through a chaotic vortex, the air itself a swirling mass of blues and purples. Rika spun madly beside him, her monstrous form dwarfing the churning chaos around them.

Suddenly, a bony hand clamped onto her shoulder. It was the skeleton, his empty eye sockets fixed on some unseen point within the swirling vortex. He clung to Rika with surprising tenacity, his legs flailing haphazardly behind him.

From the other side, a figure hurtled towards them. Somehow freed from the aftermath of the battle, the human charged recklessly, a dusty knife glinting menacingly in their hand. However, their rage was no match for the monster's quick reflexes. With a jump back and a swing of their hand, a bone erupted from the air, a sharpened point aimed with deadly accuracy.

The bone sunk deep into the human's stomach with a sickening thud. A choked gasp escaped their lips as they were launched backwards with unnatural force, the vortex rejecting their presence. They slammed into the swirling barrier of the wormhole, their body phasing erratically before dissolving into nothingness with a final, desperate scream.

Seemingly content with his handiwork, he allowed himself to fall back into the vortex, a wide grin plastered across his skull. He turned his head for a fleeting moment, his empty eye sockets relaxed as they landed on Rainbow in a gesture that could be interpreted as either "I'm glad that's over." or a "Take care.".

"Skeleton dude!!" Rainbow Dash shrieked, a note of genuine sadness lacing her voice. She reached out a hoof, desperate to grab onto something, anything, in the swirling chaos. But it was in vain as he vanished into the light.

In her despair, a new wave of light washes over everyone, emerging to a new world with a loud screech.

Earth - 2xxxxx - New York City.

The world snapped back into focus with a bone-jarring jolt. Yuta groaned, his head pounding as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He lay sprawled on a bed of rough gravel, the metallic tang of blood filling his nostrils evaporating away with RCT. The smell of polluted air filled their lungs. Disoriented, he looked around the splintered wooden tracks. Rika got up, dazed a few feet away, her enormous body taking up both sets of tracks they were currently on, and the ridges on her face taking in the scene with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

A deafening screech shattered the air, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Yuta. He scrambled to his knees, his gaze falling on a sight that made his blood run cold—towering above them, a sleek, metallic behemoth of a train barreled down the tracks, its horn blaring a continuous, ear-splitting warning.

Panic surged through Yuta. He whipped his head around, searching for Usowamoto and Rainbow Dash. The blue pegasus lay sprawled a few yards away, her wings tangled beneath her. Usowamoto slumped beside her, their face bleeding loose, and their eyes glazed over to meet Yuta's, their leg still missing.

The bustling city of New York stretched out before them. Towering glass and steel skyscrapers scraped the sky, their windows reflecting the harsh sunlight in a dizzying display of light and shadow. Streets teemed with yellow taxis weaving through a sea of speeding cars, their horns adding to the cacophony of sound. People hurried along the sidewalks, oblivious to the drama unfolding on the railway tracks below.

Time seemed to slow down for Yuta. The screech of the approaching train was a constant, a terrifying death knell. He scrambled towards Rainbow, his heart hammering against his ribs. He had to move, had to get them all off the tracks. In his thought, Rika instinctively jumped in front of them, outstretched a palm to shield them from the oncoming hunk of steel.

"Don't! Rika!" Yuta screamed, the word ripping from his throat and causing Rika to shrink back.

"Rika?" Rainbow questioned. However, no one cared to give her an answer.

A split second later, Yuta and Rika leapt above the rushing train. Rolling and tumbling on the steel roof. Following suit, Rainbow flared her wings and soared just in the nick of time. Toppling over on the edge. Leaving Usowamoto alone on the tracks.

The train slammed into Usowamoto, pinning them to the front of the car. With a herculean effort, Usowamoto managed to raise a hand. A swirling vortex, a portal not unlike the one they had emerged from, materialised on the tracks beneath the train. But instead of pulling Usowamoto in, the portal seemed to latch onto the entire train. With a screech of tortured metal, the locomotive ripped free of the tracks and surged upwards.

Yuta, Rainbow Dash, and Rika, still sprawled on the steel roof of the train carriage, were flung backwards by the sudden shift. They scrambled to their hooves and hands, desperately clinging to the cold metal as the world tilted on its axis. Below them, the bustling streets of New York City shrunk into a dizzying blur. Rocketing skyward, the monstrous locomotive acted as their unwilling chariot.

The train roared between the towering skyscrapers, and screams of the passengers could be faintly heard over the whistles of the wind. The wind whipped past Yuta's face, stinging his eyes and threatening to tear him from his perch. He glanced at Rainbow Dash, her wings shaking and usually bright red eyes wide with terror. Across from them, Rika mirrored their fear, her form flickering with unease.

The train roared between the skyscrapers as it began arching backwards. It was a matter of time before the locomotive did an entire loop and came crashing into the tracks below. Yuta gritted his teeth, launching himself forward and sprinting across the slick metal roof of the looping train.

Peering over the edge, Usowamoto stared at Yuta with frightful eyes, their trembling hand already summoning a swirling portal in their palm, aimed directly below them and at the fast-approaching human.

"STAY BACK!!" They warned, panic itching at their throat.

The portal pulsed with an otherworldly light aimed directly at the tracks far below. Firing it off at blistering speeds, Yuta raised his left arm to block the shot. He stumbled back, a searing pain lancing through his arm. It didn't take long for the beam of energy to vaporise his entire arm from his fingertips to the ends of his shoulder. Still retaining the power, the beam Flew past him and straight into a carriage of the train behind him, exploding the front of the car and severing the link between it and the front of the train, revealing the passengers inside.

This reckless act caused the civilians inside to get sucked out from the pressure difference, screaming as they plunged from the safety of their seats.

A primal scream tore from his throat. "RIKA!! RAINBOW DASH!!"

"I've got it!!" Rika and Rainbow yelled back in unison.

Rika, the larger and stronger of the two, reached for the entire carriage. Her fingers coiled around the undersection of the train, digging into wires and rigid metal sheets and lifting it, stabilising the half-end of the train in her two hands. At the same time, Rainbow raced down around the entire subway.

Barrell rolling down so fast her mane was slicked back, Rainbow dove towards the falling figure. Her wings beat furiously as she positioned herself, extending her forelegs with lightning speed. With a desperate grunt, she managed to snag the woman, her wings billowing as she slowed their descent.

"I got you!" Rainbow reassured.

However, another scream, this time a deeper voice, came from further down the side of the train. Flashing a glance downward, Dash catches a glimpse of a younger boy, his limbs flailing as he plummeted towards the unforgiving streets below. Her heart lurched, with her already being weighed down by the woman. Could she handle carrying another person? However, that's not all, as three more passengers were falling above him, while two more fell on the opposite side of the train and would soon crash into the tracks below. Their faces were etched with terror.

Not wasting another second, Dash races down to the teenager, stretching her other foreleg to the boy's hand. Adding another body drastically slows Rainbow Dash down, her wings flapping at maximum output to try and keep her and her passengers afloat. The weight was pulling down her front body, and her forelegs were shivering, reaching their limit.

"H-heavy-!" Rainbow grunt. At this rate, there was no way she'd be able to catch the rest of the falling passengers on time.

Suddenly, a flash of movement caught his eye. A blur of blue streaked across the bottom of the train car, leaving behind a shimmering web of what looked like thin threads with a "Thwip!". The structure was strong and resilient, catching several falling passengers with an almost imperceptible bounce. More flashes of red and blue and threads woven into a makeshift net, and before Dash's eyes, the remaining passengers were snatched from the jaws of death.

From behind, a hand clad in red gloves with webbing that spread throughout the entire outerwear snags Dash and the two civilians in her grasp in one fell swoop and swings them onto a nearby building rooftop. Landing safely, the man in a red and blue suit, with a mask that covers his entire head and a black spider logo on his chest, releases them.

"Sorry about the detour!" The masked man said, his large white goggles reflecting with a shine. "This train's about to make an unscheduled stop at 'Nope-ville.' Don't worry. It's much safer on the platform!" He gestures over to a door leading into the building. "By the way, exit's that way."

"Who are you?" Dash asks, earning the attention of the mystery saviour.

"What the? A pegasus" He scratched his head through the mask, intrigued by Rainbow's appearance. "Are you from Asgard? Did Thor leave his ride here?"

Rainbow Dash blinked, completely lost. "...Thor?"

"Oh right, introductions. I'm Spider-" A sudden, unanticipated explosion from the train halted their conversation. The man immediately turned around, leaping off the rooftop and swinging straight to the falling train. "Sorry! We'll continue this later!"

The Spider swung through the air, firing web-lines with pinpoint accuracy. He secured several falling train cars to the nearby buildings, his webs acting as massive safety nets. He darted from side to side, his movements a blur of red and blue. Across the train, he repeated the process, layering several webs to strengthen the support for the locomotive. Within seconds, the entire train suspended precariously in mid-air, hung immobile.

Landing with a practised crouch on the underside of the now vertically-facing train car, the hero scanned the scene. He spotted Yuta, locked in a desperate struggle against... the air? Yuta's face was contorted in a snarl, his remaining arm lashing out with energy.

"Hey, kid! Relax!" The superhero yelled, trying to get Yuta's attention. "I know you're freaking out, but I need you to control your powers!" The hero slowly crawls over to the duel, taking calculated steps over the eerie presence Yuta is giving off. "...Are you a mutant?"

The masked man didn't get an answer. Instead, he was utterly ignored as Yuta threw a punch at Usowamoto. The hero only registered as Yuta throwing a punch at nothing.

"Um, I'm going to take your silence as consent to web you up, alright? I can't have you punching me while I'm trying to get closer to talk to you!"

Firing off a line of web-line onto Yuta's arm, he tugged at it, forcing Yuta's fist to halt in the air. Usowamoto, seizing the opportunity, unleashed a blast of cursed energy from their remaining hand. His eyes widen. The beam tore through Yuta's stomach, a sickening sound echoing as it ripped through flesh and bone. He flew backwards at breakneck speeds. His screams were lost in the wind as he crashed into a nearby building with a bone-jarring thud. Bricks and stones cascaded around the sorcerer as a gargled vomit of blood escaped his lips.

"Whoa!" The Spider Hero exclaimed, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Sorry! Are you alright!?"

At that moment, a familiar tingle sent a jolt through the hero. Performing an aerial cartwheel, he flips over a beam of energy. Landing close to the ground, he scans the surrounding area, trying to figure out who shot that attack.

"He can't see me?" Usowamoto thought, their voice hoarse and laced with surprise. The surprise quickly turned into a malicious grin. If their attack missed, and this strange new foe couldn't see them… well, that meant an easy escape. With a twisted chuckle, they began to channel more cursed energy, ready to open another portal and slip away."Ack-!"

Rocketing in from the rooftop, Rainbow dives into Usowamoto's liver with her back legs together. Folding the curse like a lawn chair and sending them spiralling to the opposite building.

A streak of blue fury erupted from the rooftop. With her wings tucked tight against her body, Dash rocketed towards Usowamoto like a living missile. With a thunderous cry that echoed through the steel and glass canyons, she slammed into the curse with the combined force of a hurricane and a runaway freight train. Her powerful back legs connected with Usowamoto's midsection, releasing a struggling wheeze and a harrowing crunch. The impact folded the monstrous figure like a lawn chair, a spray of dark liquid erupting from their contorted face.

"You're not going anywhere!" Dash bellows.

Usowamoto pinwheeled through the air in tattered clothing. Before they crashed into the opposite building, Dash circles between them and the structure, intercepting them with a rainbow blur trailing behind her.

"I'm not as strong as I was when I was human, but with this body..." With a deafening shuck-shuck, she began to rapidly rewind her hind legs, building up a terrifying amount of kinetic energy. Suddenly, with a mighty buck that sent a shockwave through the air, she launched Usowamoto back towards the train. "I more than make up for it in speed!"

"Hey, Spider-Guy!" Rainbow bellows, turning to address the red and blue clad figure clinging to the underside of the train. "CATCH!!"

From his perspective, watching the pegasus kicking off the air in his direction wasn't helping him in the slightest. Yet she did help save people while he wasn't here. So, putting faith in this new... ally? Sure, he'll bite. With a practised flick of his wrists, he sprayed a concentrated stream of webbing, the silken threads forming a vast, shimmering net. The web caught Usowamoto mid-flight, the cursed figure flailing in a futile attempt to break free. Now illuminated by the web's luminescence, Usowamoto's figure appeared clearly before him – their mangled form writhing beneath the folds.

"I see 'em!" Spider-Guy yelled, swinging his arms and changing the web's trajectory. The entangled mass of cursed energy and shimmering web hurtled towards the underside of the train, slamming into it with a resounding thud. He reversed the swing with a grunt and a heave, sending them hurtling back towards the building rooftops.

The impact was brutal. Usowamoto crashed into the ornate stonework of the building, the sound echoing through the concrete canyons. Their mangled form bounced off the edge, skidding across the rooftop garden before finally coming to a rest.

Dazed and disoriented, they reached for the webbing binding them, their eyes burning with rage and frustration. "What's this stuff made of!?" Usowamoto roared, their voice cracking with anger.

A playful voice cut through their tirade. "Do you ask Gordon Ramsay to spill his secret ingredients?" The Web-head landed gracefully a few feet away, his mask crinkling with amusement. Before Usowamoto could react, Spider-Man unleashed a swift punch, a direct blow aimed at their solar plexus. The impact stole the air from Usowamoto's lungs, a strangled gasp escaping their lips as their entire body lurched backwards.

"Precisely!" he quipped, following it up with a right hook that sent Usowamoto's head snapping back. "So, what's the deal? Oscorp tech? Or are you one of Scorpion's lackeys?"

Still reeling from the hero's brutal combo, they let out a guttural roar of pain. Before Usowamoto could react further, in a flash of azure blue and prismatic light. Rainbow Dash landed a devastating spinning back kick right between their shoulder blades. The impact sent a shockwave through Usowamoto's mangled body, a hollow thud echoing through the air.

The curse stumbled forward, momentarily stunned. Seizing the opportunity, Dash followed up with a flurry of attacks. Raining down her powerful hooves on Usowamoto's side like pistons in a furious engine. Two lightning-fast punches connected with meaty thuds, the force of the blows threatening to break Usowamoto's ribs. With a practised agility that belied her size, Rainbow ducked under a wild swing from Usowamoto's clawed hand—returning the favour with a held breath and a side hook to the liver. Those boxing classes really do come in handy on the most absurd occasions.

"They're slowing down!" Rainbow Dash yelled in her mind. She knew their humanoid body wasn't designed for the kind of punishment they were dishing out, and it was starting to show. Usowamoto's movements were becoming sluggish, their breathing ragged. From the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of red and blue. Spider-Guy unleashed a series of rapid punches into Usowamoto's midsection. Each blow landed with a satisfying thud, echoing through the rooftop garden. Overwhelmed by the relentless assault, Usowamoto crumpled to their knees, their head hanging low. "With this Weirdo-Spider piling on the blows—we will win!"

The victory cry died in Rainbow Dash's throat, replaced by a suffocating wave of dread. The air grew thick with the stench of death, a metallic tang that clawed at her senses. Below, the previously tranquil rooftop garden erupted in a chaotic display of light. Hundreds of miniature portals materialised each one a swirling vortex of blinding energy. From these portals, lasers erupted like a deranged Gatling gun, firing upwards in a relentless volley of red-hot beams.

The masked hero launched himself into a desperate series of flips and dodges. Narrowly avoiding the searing beams, their heat scorching his mask and leaving trails of smoke on his suit. But, caught by surprise, Rainbow found herself trapped in a deadly dance. She twisted and turned, her wings beating furiously as she tried to weave through the pillars of light threatening to consume her.

Then, a searing pain ripped through her right wing. A jolt of agony shot up her spine, stealing her breath away. An attack had gotten through her defences. Spinning wildly, she slammed into a column of light, the searing heat momentarily blinding her. As her vision cleared, she saw Usowamoto, a triumphant sneer etched on their face. Freed from the webbing prison by the sudden chaos, they had launched a vicious counterattack.

A fist slammed into Rainbow Dash's stomach with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact stole the air from her lungs and sent a wave of nausea crashing over her. A burning pain engulfed her entire midsection. She tried to stifle a groan, to fight back, but the world swam before her eyes in a haze of agony.

Taking full advantage of her weakened state, Usowamoto lunged forward. Their hand clamped onto Dash's mane, yanking her roughly towards another pillar of light. A scream tore from her throat as the searing beam bathed her wing, the flesh and fur burning away in a sickening sizzle. The unbearable heat felt like it was vaporising her very limbs.

Seemingly content with their handiwork, the cursed spirit stopped to admire the damage. A gruesome smile stretched across their face. Missing a significant portion of her left foreleg and wing, Dash hung limply in their grasp, her defeated eyes eye-lidded and staring at the ground. The victory seemed assured.

Delegating more portals to distract that Aracnid Dude, Usowamoto held her to the pulsating portal in their palm. With a ferocious snarl, Dash lunged forward, her remaining strength channelled into her jaw. Her teeth sank deep into Usowamoto's hand, biting down with all the ferocity she could muster. Twisting her body so that her chest was facing upwards, Dash yanked the hand she was biting on and bent backwards. Dragging them down with her.

"Nice one, Rainbow Dash." A voice boomed behind her. A large hand gently pressed down on her head in the blink of an eye, radiating with a comforting warmth. As the hand made contact, a wave of restorative energy coursed through her, easing the searing pain in her wing and leg. The regeneration wasn't complete, but it was enough to allow her to move with a semblance of normalcy.

Yuta was already beside her a split second later, and his injuries completely healed. A ragged hole marred the abdomen of his jacket, a reminder of the piercing blow dealt by Usowamoto. Ignoring his wounds, his gaze fixed upon Usowamoto with steely determination. A single, outstretched palm faced the cursed user, and a swirling portal materialised within it.

"Is that my tech-?" Usowamoto sputtered, their voice laced with a mixture of shock and disbelief. Their surprise was short-lived. A jet of saltwater propelled with an unnatural force erupted from the portal, slamming into their face. The cursed energy Yuta had imbued in the water only intensified the attack, the pressurised stream slicing a bloody gash across Usowamoto's forehead. The unexpected assault sent them staggering back, momentarily thrown off balance.

"Ah, I get it now," Usowamoto rasped, clutching their injured head. "That's how he has so many techniques." The realisation dawned on them with a horrid clarity.

Before they could formulate a counterattack, Rainbow Dash launched herself into action. She surged forward with a powerful beat of her newly regenerated wing, her remaining leg driving her with surprising speed. Yuta, a blur of green energy, wasn't far behind, leaping effortlessly into a low crouch beside her.

The entire rooftop shuddered as Rika erupted from the debris below, a colossal figure dwarfed only by the massive portal tearing open above the city. Two colossal hands wrapped themselves around Usowamoto with earth-shattering force. The curse let out a shriek of rage and pain, their body flailing like a ragdoll as they were lifted skyward.

Dash's determination, burning bright despite the lingering pain, soared alongside Rika's colossal form. Yuta, propelled by a surge of energy, launched himself upwards, effortlessly keeping pace with them.

Just as Usowamoto disappeared into the swirling vortex of the portal, it abruptly shut a clean slice through the fabric of reality. Below them, Spider-Man, entangled in piles upon piles of wreckage, watched with frustration.

"We're going back," Yuta called out, his voice barely audible over the roaring wind. With a powerful kick, he propelled himself towards Rika, landing effortlessly on one of her outstretched hands. Yuta focused his gaze on Usowamoto and mustered his reserves of cursed energy. Pointing his fingers at the cursed spirit, a series of divergence concentrates on a singular point on his fingertips, a dim red light glowing on them.

Dash, following suit, landed gracefully beside him with a crouch. Preparing herself for the worst.

"Hey!" Spider-dude yelled from below, flipping through hunks of debris to get a better angle. "Wait up! I'll help you!" Shooting a web-line to Yuta, he pulled himself upward and closer to the portal. His valiant attempt was cut short. The portal slammed shut just before his web-line made contact, severing the connection. Dropping him back onto the wrecked building.

Catching himself on the side of the building, the hero begins to lament. Putting a hand to the back of his head. "... Man." Glancing around at the carnage, Spider-Man slumps a little. "Why am I trying so hard? It's a Monday." he thought, facing the still-hanging train. Sighing to himself, he leapt off the side of the building, swinging down to the locomotive." Why must the Avengers choose the worst possible time to leave Earth? And worse, Jonas's gonna chew me out for this!"

Apocalyptic Equestria - Ponyville

Laced with the metallic tang of decay, a harsh wind whipped across the desolate plains. Crumbling houses, their paint peeled and windows gaping like empty sockets, huddled together in shared mutual destruction. The once vibrant green fields were now a sickly yellow, dotted with the skeletal remains of what were once apple trees. The mournful cry of carrion had replaced the cheerful soundtrack of chirping birds and crows circling overhead.

In the distance, the unmistakable silhouette of Sugarcube Corner loomed; its candy-cane-striped roof collapsed and half-buried in the dust. A lone, skeletal unicorn with a single, chipped horn stood guard in front of the ruined shop, its vacant eyes staring into another pony's as they munched on their spilt intestines. Its once vibrant purple coat was matted and dull, its flank displaying a gaping bite wound swarming with flies. It groaned, an insatiable hunger to devour in the forefront of what remains in its mind.

Suddenly, a blinding flash tore through the oppressive grey sky, followed by a booming roar that shook the very ground. The zombified pony turned its decaying head towards the sound. A massive portal, swirling with otherworldly energy, ripped open next to the shattered shell of Sugarcube Corner. Spitting out Yuta, Rika, Rainbow Dash, and Usowamoto in an explosive flash of red light.

Boom!

Tumbling through to the main room, the interior of Sugarcube Corner mirrored the desolate world outside. Once filled with colourful cupcakes and tempting treats, display stands now showcased a horrifying tableau of rotten pastries and confectionary waste, slowly dissolving into a sticky, gooey mess.

A nauseating stench filled the air, a sickly sweet cloyingness laced with the unmistakable metallic tang of decay. Streaks of dried blood marred the pastel-painted walls, and foreign pieces of rotten meat, gnawed clean to the bone, littered the once-sparkling floor.

It seemed time had not been kind to this once happy place.

Usowamoto was the first to move despite their injury, ducking close to Yuta, pressing their back against his chest. Pivoting on the spot, Usowamoto delivered a nasty uppercut. Further pushed by portals running along his forearm to extend his reach, sending the boy crashing into the second story of the building.

He crashed through the flimsy wooden ceiling of the second floor, splinters raining down on him like confetti as Yuta bounced off a wall before stopping right in front of a supporting pillar. Using his forearms to prop himself up, Yuta was about to dive back into the action, but the guttural groan piercing through the ringing in his ears stopped him in his tracks, dragging his attention upwards.

Through a haze of pain, Yuta saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake sitting chained to a support beam mere inches from his face. Their lifeless and colourless eyes stared blankly down at him, their once-kind faces now contorted in a grotesque rictus—bloodied saliva drooled from their jaws, their lips torn off to reveal rows of decaying teeth.

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhh...." Mrs. Cake groans, her entire body straining against the chains trying to inch ever so closer to Yuta to take a bite out of him.

This clearly isn't the Ponyville they came from.

A sharp pain jolted through Yuta, snapping him out of his horrified stupor. He looked down to see Usowamoto's hand, twisted and gnarled, fingers digging into his leg. With a feral snarl, they yanked him backwards before spinning him around with inhuman strength. Yuta's scream died in his throat as Usowamoto used his body as a battering ram, slamming him into Mr. and Mrs. Cake. An explosion of gore accompanied by the impact sent splinters flying from the wooden pillar.

Shards of wood rained down on them as the support beam gave way, collapsing under with a deafening roar. Yuta and Usowamoto went tumbling through the shattered remnants of the second floor, landing in a heap amidst the rubble of the open plaza below. Yuta dug his hands into the lesser-than-life soil and dirt, slowing him down as he turned back to face the cursed spirit, Rainbow and Rika tailing close behind.

"Don't move!" He commanded, yet Usowamoto's body didn't obey.

"So that's how you counter it," Usowamoto replied, cursed energy spiking in their ears.

Usowamoto landed a heavy punch on Yuta, moving with inhuman agility. They sidestepped the monstrous punch Rika threw, which was meant for their own head. Instead, the blow connected with Yuta's back with the force of a wrecking ball. The impact sent Yuta flying through the air in an ungainly flip. He landed with a sickening thud several meters away, the arm he used to shield himself from the blow straightening back out from its folded position with several cracks.

"I'm sorry, Yuta!" Rika apologies.

"Don't mind me!" Yuta replied, spitting out blood from his mouth. "Keep them busy!"

Usowamoto stepped back, evading an oncoming kick from Rainbow and elbowing her face down onto the ground. Using the distraction, Usowamoto slammed their palms together, and several portals boomed open near Yuta. Giving way to hordes of the living dead to come rushing out, all their rotten eyes trained on him. Ponies left and right swarmed the sorcerer, enveloping him in a wave of corpses.

Performing a sweeping kick, Rainbow manages to get Usowamoto off their feet. Jumping up with a series of flips, her body a blur of blue and rainbow mane. Her aim was clear – a powerful axe kick aimed squarely at Usowamoto's head. But Usowamoto anticipated her move. Just as Rainbow's hoof was about to connect, a hand shot up to catch her by the throat as a sickening tear ripped through the air behind them. A new portal materialised right behind Rainbow.

Rika's colossal fist emerged from within the portal, imbued with enough power to send Rainbow careening to a nearby building. But with heavy restraint, Rika managed to halt her fist inches from Rainbow's face, her arm hanging in the portal. Seeing this, the curse quickly shuts the portal close, severing Rika's hand from her arm.

"You're starting to get predictable." The curse sneered. Swirling back, Usowamoto lasers off Rika's other hand with another portal and leaps into the apparition with the prismatic pegasus in hand. Smashing Rainbow against Rika's big forehead with a choked gasp, Usowamoto powers another portal that emerges behind them. Pushing them in with a shove. "Get lost."

Coughing and sputtering, Rainbow managed to right herself. Spitting a mouthful of dust and saliva into Usowamoto's eyes, she met their face with a resounding headbutt.

"Screw... you," Rainbow rasped,

A red light erupted amidst the ever-growing mountain of rotten flesh and decaying bodies. Yuta used a surge of cursed energy to propel himself skyward. He blasted through the undead horde, flinging rotten bodies in all directions before landing behind Usowamoto. However, the curse twisted their body at the last second, their hands grasping Yuta's forearms in a vice grip. Their eyes locked, a battle of wills raging within their gazes.

With a snarl, Usowamoto activated their cursed technique. Two portals, shimmering with an unholy light, materialised on either side of Yuta's shoulders. But Yuta was prepared. Anticipating the move, he had begun channelling positive energy the moment he landed on them. As Usowamoto released their cursed energy, Yuta unleashed a wave of positive energy in a desperate counterattack.

Releasing their energies simultaneously, Usowamoto's arms ended abruptly just below the elbows. The wounds cauterised by the positive energy. Blood, both cursed and human, streamed down their torso. Yuta fared no better. His arms were missing entirely, severed clean by the cursed energy portals.

"Rika!" Yuta shouts, moving through the pain; he kicks out, aiming for the severed arm with the gauntlet still clutched in its hand. The kick connected with a sickening thud, sending the limb flying through the air in a gruesome arc. Rika ripped a jagged tear in her own chest cavity, snatching the airborne gauntlet, and shoved it deep into the newly created recess.

Facing the curse once more, Yuta knees them in the gut, pushing them into Rainbow. The pegasus used this advantage to get a chokehold in, her hindlegs wrapping around their torso as she secured her hooves around the curse's neck. A wheeze escaped Usowamoto's lips as Dash squeezed with all her might, restricting their airway. It was an unorthodox hold, but it was working.

Usowamoto's face contorted in a mask of fury and pain, their nubs scrabbling uselessly at Rainbow's forelegs. With a final heave, Rainbow, assisted by Yuta's knee, propelled them backwards towards the swirling portal behind them.

The portal seemed to widen and beckon. With a final, ear-splitting shriek, Usowamoto was pulled through the portal, disappearing into the swirling vortex. Blocked in a precarious embrace, Rainbow, Yuta, and Rika tumbled headfirst after them.

The world dissolved into a chaotic kaleidoscope of colours and swirling energy. Screams turned to muffled roars, then faded into oblivion. The broken world of Ponyville, consumed by darkness and decay, was left behind as they were sucked deeper into the unknown.

Canterlot - Equestria.

Moonlight streamed through the arched windows of Canterlot Castle, bathing Princess Luna's horn in an ethereal glow. She paced restlessly before the vast moon mural that dominated the room, her sapphire coat shimmering in the celestial light. Tonight, the moon hung full and heavy in the sky.

A thousand years. For a thousand years, she had guarded the moon, keeping the embodiment of unchecked daylight, Daybreaker, at bay. A thousand years of solitude, punctuated only by the soft glow of the lunar surface and the distant twinkle of Canterlot below. Tonight, the weight of her responsibility felt heavier than ever.

"Just a few days left..." Luna murmured, her voice echoing softly in the vast chamber. "One thousand years... ten centuries trapped in the unforgiving embrace of the moon. Tia... how much longer can you endure it?"

A distant knock from the end of the room stole Luna from her trance.

"Come in," she commanded.

The massive ornately carved doors of her chambers creaked open, revealing a familiar figure silhouetted against the soft glow of the hallway. Moondancer shuffled in, her yellow coat standing out to the moonbeams filtering through the doorway. Burdened by a stack of scrolls and research papers balanced on her back. A warm smile, genuine and comforting, cracked across her face as she saw her mentor. "My faithful student, Luna greeted, "What brings you in at this unusual hour?

"I'm sorry to barge in like this, Princess Luna." Moondancer apologises, floating several pages to her view with her magic. "I believe it's imperative this news must be brought to your attention."

"Oh?" Luna raised, her interest piqued.

"There's a myth from olden pony times. Predating a millennium. The fabled Sun in the Moon is, in fact. Daybreaker, and she's about to return to Equestria and bring with her eternal day. Something must be done to make sure this terrible prophecy does not come true!"

"Oh." Luna lowered, her interest nulled. Turning over to her student, she chuckles, sauntering with a regal step. "You see, Moondancer. Daybreaker is actually-"

Atop the red carpet spanning across the middle of the room, a swirling mass folds the bounds of reality atop the thick woven fabric. It twists the air in a circular fashion, before tearing open.

Rika slammed against the carpet with a bang that rattled the very foundations of the castle. The impact cracked the marble floor beneath, cushioning the impact for the pegasus clinging to her front– Dash, her vibrant coat streaked with dust and blood. Still locked in an airtight chokehold on Usowamoto, Rainbow tumbled off Rika's form and rolled across the polished surface.

But their reprieve was short-lived. To their dismay, a secondary portal, shimmering with an unnatural green light, winked into existence precisely where Rainbow was rolling towards. With a startled gasp, the mare and the figure in her hold vanished into the gateway in a tumbling mess.

To their dismay, a secondary portal opens where Rainbow was rolling towards. The mare and the curse vanish into the gateway in a tumbling mess.

Yuta sprinted forward but was just shy of a few centimetres before the portal closed. Regenerating his arms in a blink, he pointed a now-whole hand forward, his eyes blazing with decisiveness. Responding to his will, a portal of his own, a swirling vortex of shimmering pink energy, tore open several meters away from him.

"Through there!" Yuta shouted, his voice raw but filled with urgency. Rika, wasting no time, hoisted herself onto her massive form with surprising agility and followed close behind him. "We'll intercept them!"

Together, the two hurtled through the portal Yuta had created, vanishing as quickly as they had come. The gateway behind them shimmered briefly before winking out of existence, leaving behind an unsettling silence and the lingering eerieness of cursed energy.

"... Princess?" Moondancer called, her voice barely over a whisper. Eyes still staring at the empty spot Yuta and Rika ran through.

"...Yes, Moondancer?" Luna replied.

"What was that?"

"...I honestly have no idea."

A maelstrom of colours assaulted Rainbow Dash's vision as she tumbled through the swirling green portal. Disoriented and gasping for breath, she felt a crushing weight slam on top of her, pinning her to the cold, hard ground. Coughing and sputtering, her grip loosened, giving space for Usowamoto to push off her.

Sunlight glinted off the polished crystal buildings of the Crystal Empire, casting dancing rainbows all across the bustling marketplace. The annual Crystal Fair was in full swing, and the air vibrated with the excited chatter of ponies and the rhythmic clanging of crystal forges.

Bouncing off, Usowamoto summoned several portals to their side, but only a single arm was regenerated. Blasting Dash's general location with beams of light. Though none of them hit their mark, destroying carts and stalls left in her shadow. The pegasus reappeared directly below Usowamoto with one flap of her wings, her red eyes glinting from the crystal's reflection.

"Faster...!" Dash chanted with her inner voice. "Their regeneration wasn't as fast as before! Go even faster! Don't give 'em a single second to rest!"

Sending an uppercut flying to the curse's chin, Rainbow's hoof sent their head snapping backwards with a crack. Angling herself, Rainbow rammed her body, hooves first, and dragged Usowamoto flying into a fruit stall. The senseless destruction quickly spread like wildfire among the ponies; screaming and panic ensued.

Releasing her hold, a fist came slamming into her snout, blood dripping down her nostrils as Rainbow stumbled back. Coughing from the blow, Rainbow blocked the next punch with two of her forelegs. But the impact was heavier than she expected.

"Hrgk-!" Rainbow grunted.

Suddenly, a magical aura surrounds the two combatants, seizing them in motion.

"I will not tolerate any more of this." Spoke a motherly voice from behind. Rainbow turned around and saw a rather tall unicorn. She radiated the aura of a princess and carried herself with elegance. Her regal bearings coloured a blue that contrasted nicely with her pale vermillion coat, with yellow hearts adoring her chest and cannon. Even her long and flowing mane sparkled with grace Rainbow had never seen before. "Cease this mindless fighting."

"Princess Amore!" A guard yelled from the side, tackling the princess. "Look out!"

From behind, a beam of light pierced through the air and melted a hole through the guard's entire body. With the dead guard's body slamming into the princess, her magical hold wavered. Returning their autonomy back to them.

Whipping around, Rianbow catches a glimpse of bubbling flesh on the numb of a forearm on Usowamoto.

"Crap!" Rainbow scolded herself, "They're healing!"

Zipping forward, Dash rewound her legs for a dive bomb, but a hand grabbing her by the neck halted her dead in her tracks. Pulling her body up, Usowamoto slams Rainbow into the rubble floor as a portal boomed open beneath her. Sucking in the two as they left the Crystal Fair in a state of disrepair.

11:10pm - October 31st - Shibuya.

The once bustling district had been reduced to a wasteland, with bodies strewn across the streets and buildings reduced to rubble. The air was thick with the stench of blood and death. The Dogenzaka district had been transformed into a scene straight out of a nightmare as cursed residue left an indelible mark on the city, shattering the lives of countless innocent people.

Cars stuck out through buildings, people dangled from rooftops, and molten lava ate up a majority of streets, melting concrete and flowing into malls and shops.

It was hell on earth.

Usowamoto lands with a massive crash into the side of a building; Dash kicks at Usowamoto with both her hind legs, flipping to a safe distance away from them. Rocketing forward without a second hesitation, Usowamoto sidesteps out of the way and opens a portal where they once stood.

The unsuspecting pegasus involuntarily entered the portal as another opened directly above the floor and pointed downwards. Forcing Rainbow to crash into the office ground with an echoing thump.

Silence. Disorientation. Stars swam in Rainbow's vision as she groaned, tasting blood in her mouth. She tried to push herself up, but a searing pain lanced through her back, sending another wave of nausea crashing over her. Through a haze of pain, she became aware of a pressure on the back of her head.

A rough foot.

"Why is it that in both worlds, you prove to be the biggest annoyance to me?" a raspy voice grated down at her. Rainbow flinched as the weight on her head increased, grinding the heel of the foot into her mane. "You used to be my favourite, you know?" The weight lifted momentarily, only to come crashing down again with a sickening thud. Another pained cry escaped Rainbow's lips, tears welling in her eyes. "Guess that doesn't matter now," Usowamoto sneered.

The threat hung heavy in the air, punctuated by Rainbow's ragged breaths. Just as another sickening tear opened beneath her, revealing an abyss of pulsating light, a deep rumble echoed through the decaying office walls. No, not just one rumble. A cacophony of sounds rose around them, a symphony of destruction. The sudden shaking threw even Usowamoto off balance, flailing their arms to steady themselves upright.

Rainbow caught a glimpse of the carnage unfolding outside through the office windows. The neon-drenched skyscrapers across the street were being sliced and diced like overcooked vegetables. Immense sections of buildings, defying gravity, were lifted skyward by unseen forces. Even their own precarious perch trembled as cracks snaked across the walls.

But the tremors, the collapsing cityscape, were all but forgotten when a wave of pure, unadulterated evil washed over them. Compared to this overwhelming aura of darkness, Yuta's negative energy felt like a flickering candle next to a raging inferno. Fear gripped Rainbow's heart.

Across the district and floating in the centre of destruction, a figure sharpened into view. A young boy, no older than sixteen, radiated this overwhelming evil. His bright pink hair spiked defiantly upwards. A black long-sleeved shirt peeked out over a red hoodie, and black pants and red shoes completed his ensemble.

But the boy's eyes, gleaming with a cold, calculating cruelty, held Rainbow's terrified gaze. He rested in the palm of a monstrous white shikigami. Its single, gigantic hand dwarfed the boy, who placed his hands together in a gesture of power. As he did, an ominous dark energy crackled in the air, forming the sinister symbols of the Enma Ten-In, a malevolent technique.

"Yu-Yuj...?" Rainbow struggled beneath the foot.

A light from behind both of them erupted at the height of tension, splitting the gloom like a sunrise. Yuta and Rika raced out of the portal doorway, a whirlwind of energy pressing forth. Rika lumbered forward with The Chain of a Thousand Miles snaking from the gaping wound in her chest cavity, her lover holding onto the interlocking loops with mastered confidence.

Usowamoto whirled around, a snarl twisting their face. Yuta whipped his arm to his front, his limb blurring as he ensnarled the chains around the curse, its cursed links wrapping around Usowamoto's torso in a vice grip.

Seizing the window of opportunity, Yuta scooped Rainbow into his arms and flung her forward. Playing into the throw, Dash used Yuta's strength to rocket herself into Usowamoto. With Rika hot on his heels, they charged towards the broken window, heedless of the chaos outside, as they shoved the curse through the glass plain and out into the brawl.

The world outside the office was a scene of apocalyptic destruction. Skyscrapers now lay in mangled heaps, victims of unseen blades. Ignoring the falling debris and the howling wind, Yuta pulled himself to the bound curse, Rika following close behind. Their combined weight pushed Usowamoto farther than they intended as Yuta reached a hand for their head.

"『領域展開』: Ryōiki Tenkai."

The echoed words cut through Yuta's focus, his eyes drawn to a sadistic smile etched onto the brazen calamity behind the havoc. Changing objectives, Yuta raised the hand meant for Usowamoto slightly, a swirling portal tinged with an unnatural pink tore open beside Sukuna, stealing the king's attention from his enchantment. Simultaneously, he flared a surge of cursed energy from his person, pulling his gaze back onto him.

Whipping his head around, Sukuna's blood-red eyes narrowed. He was quick to assess the situation, his two pairs of eyes scanning each of their faces one by one. Until it lands on himself.

"Oh," Sukuna spoke with a hint of surprise. They collided hard, the four bodies smashing into one another with folded limbs. "Oh wow."

All the while, Rika dealt with the towering shikigami opposing him, a hand pushing onto its feathery face whilst the excess chain wrapped around its body and pulled it in. Further and further, the four continue to push them deeper and deeper. Until two new faces joined them in their escapade through the portal.

In the blitzing light of the wormhole, the six bodies get thrown left and right. In the midst of the mayhem, a hand with tattoos circling its wrist gripped Yuta's forearm. Turning to the sudden pressure, Yuta locked eyes with The King.

"Interesting!" Sukuna expressed, slicing Yuta's arm clean off with a burst of cursed energy. "Show me what you've got!"

Pointing the wounded limb at Sukuna, a wave of blood erupted out at unnatural speeds. Fully encompassing him in a crimson bind. Pushing stronger, the flow of blood turned into a tidal wave. Supplied by the infinite cursed energy, Yuta pushed out several litres of blood and splashed them onto the king. Sukuna began to slice and cleave through the sudden surge of blood, but try as he might, Yuta produced more than he anticipated.

Even so, the demon managed to cleave through the blood wall, and the invisible slash flew straight at Yuta's forehead. A giant gash formed right above his eyes. Despite the fatal attack, with one final push from Yuta, the king of curses vanished from his sight, the crimson tsunami pushing him into the swirling light of the wormhole where no traces were left behind.

At the same time, Rika and Rainbow had their own battles to deal with. The shinigami shoved the other back, and Rainbow busied herself with restraining the portal curse, a hoof holding their head still while the other was raining down ruthless punches onto them. But it was putting up a much more brutal fight than either had expected.

The stalemate between Rika and the Divine General was broken when Yuta jumped in with a newly regenerated arm and fired off a blitzing piercing blood, the bolt of red ricocheting off the shikigami's head and shoving its entire body off balance. With her arms now freed, Rika punches the lumbering giant straight in the stomach, and its form gets reeled into the moving light below, its silhouette scrapping away in the rushing glow as it disappears entirely.

However, in the heat of battle, Yuta had not thought twice about the repercussions of switching out techniques whilst it was still in use. This meant that the current wormhole they were travelling in "ceased to exist" when he swapped techniques to blood manipulation. The tunnelling mass rumbles, and the fissuring light around cracks as the world around them shatters, the wormhole spitting them out into desolate worlds.

"Do you think anything less than killing you with my bare hands," Spoke a man dressed in fancy-suited attire, his brain rose through the skin on his scalp, even extending past down his ears and neck to the back of his spine. The ridges of skin pulsed with each word, almost as if confirming the hate strewn in each word of the sentence the man spat out at the broken and battered teenager beneath him. His obsidian hands grasped firmly around the boy's neck, the pressure between his fingers increasing. "Would satisfy me?"

The boy beneath him struggled to breathe, his ragged gasps for air through the blood flowing from his nose acting against him at the most crucial time. As he stared at the man above him through the swollen right eye, he couldn't help but think of his mom and adoptive half-baby brother. And the anguish he had caused from being forced to travel so many dimensions to wither him down.

Reaching a hand to the man's face, he burst up in less than a second.

"Stop!" The boy yelled, feeling the dusty air particles and loose bits of sand clinging to his sweaty, exposed body. With the man still in his grip, he flung the guy across the sandy expanses and rusted metal beams sticking up around them.

In that same direction, Yuta flew out of the portal by his lonesome, crashing into the careening man in the suit.

Dropping onto the ochre sand, Yuta picked himself back up in a blink, launching himself into the shattered reality from which he came flying. But the sky reformed and shut the opening in his face before his hand could reach back into the hole.

"Damn it!" Yuta cursed, dropping back to the ground. "We separated!!"

Unfurling a hand with haste, a gateway pulsed into life right before the sorcerer, kicking up sand and dust around him.

"RGGRAAAAAAHH!!" That's when a furious, enraged bellow tore from Mark's throat. Flying in, his arms tackled the modified humanoid man that previously had him in a choke. The bloodied suit of the deformed stranger smashed into Yuta's back first, smearing blood all across his white jacket and forcing him through the portal.

The Grand Canyon, a colossus carved by the relentless chisel of time, sprawled beneath a canvas of bruised twilight. The sun's last gasp bled fiery hues across the ragged cliffs, painting them in a palette of ochre, crimson, and bruised violet. Long and inky shadows stretched across the abyss, swallowing entire mesas into their hungry embrace.

Layer upon layer of rock, each a record of a bygone era, rose in a dizzying kaleidoscope of colour. Buff-colored sandstone, sculpted into fantastical buttes and mesas, gave way to the fiery reds of the Permian Kaibab Formation above.

The only oddity that disturbs nature's peace is three figures falling from the torn skies, aliens to a much more alien landscape.

Usowamoto was sandwiched between Rika and Dash, the duo throwing a punch each at the entangled curse between them. Uswaomoto swivels, arching backwards and dodging Rainbow's attack while sashaying an arm free from the chains, using the freed limb and commanding a portal open. With terrifying speed, Rika's fist flew through the gateway and landed on Rainbow's head from above. Sending the pegasus careening into the midnight canyon walls.

Pressing a hand on Rika's arm for support, Usowamoto kicked Rika in the face. Though admittedly with an increased strain of difficulty. The chains are doing nothing in their favour but weighing them down.

But now that they had created enough space, Usowamoto created an entrance to another world for a quick escape, and that would've worked had Rainbow latched onto the curse like a parasite.

"You're not going anywhere!"

The excess chains flying around them suddenly went taunt, on the other end of the metal shackles, Rika pulled onto the fetters with a burst of strength. Causing the two to fly into her in a frenzy. That's went a portal from above shot down to encapsulate the trio before any of them could react, whisking them off to another space and time.

A hush fell over the ruined cityscape, broken only by the mournful sigh of the wind whistling through the skeletal remains of buildings. High above the devastation, two figures stood locked in a silent confrontation on a precipice overlooking the shattered expanse. One, a unicorn pony dressed in the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk, his once pristine mane now a mess of knots and tangles, wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Despite the cool night air, a sheen of perspiration glistened on the stitches on his forehead, betraying the turmoil within.

"I had placed the Prison Realm at the subduction zone," Geto began, his voice calm, "eight thousand meters below the surface, in the very heart of the Japan Trench. And of course," he added, "I placed cursed spirits to act as sensors beneath the multiple layers of seals I had layered on top. Tengen told me all about the back after being absorbed," he continued his voice beginning to waver. "Supposedly, even if the seals were somehow broken, you would perish alongside it."

Sweat begins to pool on his forehead, "So tell me, how in the world did you do it?"

He said, staring at a unicorn stallion standing atop a ruined building. His piercing blue eyes and short white mane flowed in the wind as his blindfold and black jacket tore around him. The white stallion, however, remained silent, choosing to prolong Geto's agony with an eerie stillness.

"It's been a long time since you were truly able to relax," Geto finally ventured, desperate to break the oppressive silence and buy himself some time. "How was it?"

"Hey..." Gojo's voice finally cut through the tension, sending a chill down Geto's spine. "You should choose your words more carefully," he admonished, his tone flat and emotionless. "After all, they will be your last."

The world seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. Then, in a blink, reality shattered. A swirling vortex materialised beside Geto, the air around it crackling with raw energy. His eyes widened in shock as three figures tumbled out of the portal, crashing onto the cracked pavement with a sickening thud. He scrambled back in surprise, his precarious situation momentarily forgotten as he instinctively rushed a swarm of curses from his hooves.

But before any of the curses could lay onto them, another portal arose beneath the fallen trio, taking them whole with the swarm.

World after world, Usowamoto tried to leave Rainbow and Rika stranded. Yet, they persisted on their tail relentlessly. Their bout seemingly went on forever until they stumbled upon the ruined castle.

The Castle of the Two Sisters.

Moonlight filtered through gothic arches, casting long, skeletal shadows that danced across the crumbling facade. The once vibrant murals were faded and chipped, the playful magic they once held replaced by a chilling aura of neglect.

The fragments of the chain that had once restrained them lay scattered across the cobblestone floor, glittering like gems in the moonlight. Relief warred with a simmering fury within the cursed entity. Freedom was close, but the escape had come at a price.

Their cursed energy was bottoming out.

Thankfully, it seems all those worlds travel wasn't for nothing. Opposite them, Rainbow huffed, deep lacerations flowed across her sleek body, and crimson blossomed from below her azure fur. A particularly vicious attack had even sliced into her wing, and one of her eyes was gone. Good, her ability to fly was out of the picture.

As for Rika, her regeneration speed was slowing down. The wounds inflicted in the previous world clung to her like phantoms, refusing to mend fully. It seems all of them were nearing their limit.

Taking the initiative, they opened several miniature warp gates that spewed jets of pressurised salt water at Rainbow. Meanwhile, Usowamoto made a mad dash to Rika and engaged her up close. Throwing a volley of punches at Rika, she blocked them with her remaining arm. Reaching out and grabbing the limb, Usowamoto forces it down and exposes her body. The combined stress of her sluggish movements and lowered output made this a cakewalk for the curse.

"There," Usowamoto spoke, a portal beaming a jet of seawater straight into Rika's chest. The water tore through her flesh like a scalpel, carving a deep gash that severed her body from stomach to shoulder. With her body now cleaved in two and spewing spectral blood, Usowamoto opened one more portal. A gust of wind threw the shikigami back into the castle walls. Her body, lying in a heap of debris, begins to fade away back into the abyss, her trembling hands reaching out to the sky.

"Yuta..." she whimpered, her last words soothing out to the cold, crisp air.

"No!" Dash bellows, landing a sneaky kick on the curse. Spinning around, she swings another backkick to the front of their head. But adrenaline could only mask the limitations of her battered body. A fresh wave of dizziness washed over her, and a spurt of crimson welled up from the gash across her wing, staining the cobblestone beneath her a sickly red.

A muffled groan escapes her lips. The groan quickly turns to a gasp when a leg kicks her straight in the stomach. Her body ragdolling back into the dusty carpet. Getting up, Dash could feel the odd tingle of stray dust and fur cling to the opened wound on her wing. A gradual stinging sensation shoots up the back of her spine as her legs tremble.

Great. She's alone. Fantastic. Now, she's stranded in a world that wasn't her own and facing off against a curse that she'd probably lose to, with no hope of seeing her friends again.

Why. Why did she jump in with Yuta when they were already leaving their world? She could've just watched on the sidelines, not giving a damn about the whole situation.

But... Maybe, just maybe...

"You're alone." Usowamoto began, stating the obvious. "No one will be here to save you... You don't have to fight me... There are other options, you know?" bringing a hand up, a portal sang into life beside the curse, humming from the light. "I can send you back, and you can go on living with your friends like this whole thing never happened. Wouldn't that be better than dying here? To me?"

Rainbow scoffs, raising an eyebrow. "You never struck me as the type to make deals. What's wrong? On your last legs already?"

A twitch, almost imperceptible, ran through Usowamoto's form. "The offer still stands," it rasped, the portal shimmering expectantly beside it.

"Nah, thanks. But no thanks." Dash smiles, blood from a cut on her forehead leaking into the white of her eye. "There's no way I can just stand by while you go on wrecking worlds just for shits and giggles." With a jolt of her head, she flicks the blood clinging to her fur off her face before turning to face her adversary. "It's just like you said; I got other options. And one of them includes beating you to a pulp!!"

They shrug, stepping forward. Waving away the portal to her homeland, the edge of the gateway dissipated, the last chances of her trip home minced to bits as Usowamoto stared a predatory gaze at Rainbow's. "Your funeral."