[HAV0C'S mental stability has greatly deteriorated.]

[GvfhvgvczfAWAKENING has been activated.]

One by one, they fall. Clone after faceless clone. They're flustered, unable to combat the new threat as it barrels right into the middle of them, tearing apart with his bare hands.

Is it really okay to leave him be when he's like this?

Eclipse watches, hands clenched in uncertainty. The only notification of where he is is frequent roars and flying bodies, missing various limbs.

"Wow. Of course he has the overpowered protagonist ability."

Taro's back to watching and giving his unnecessary commentary. The clones have drifted away from them and are rushing to the absolute carnage happening in the center of the mall.

"Who's willing to bet we have to use the power of friendship to snap him out of his rage?"

".............."

Kichi keeps his mouth shut.

Why is what he's saying making so much sense?

"Eclipse."

The frail girl jumps again, glancing at the equally skinny boy beside her.

"Yes?"

Second smiles.

"Stop spacing out. We have a game to win."

"What....?"

She stares at him for a moment, then remembers the flag pole in her hand.

"Ah! Right!"

The sooner the game is over, the sooner everyone is safe.

She hefts the flag pole over her shoulder and runs, stumbling momentarily from the weight.

"MEGHAN!"

Second watches, frowning as he gazes up at the clock in the sky.

[5:00]

[4:59]

[4:58]

This....is going to be close.

______________________________________

Meghan stares down at the muscled man infront of her.

Eclipse is heading this way. The best thing for me to do....

Her eyes glow purple her palm crackles with violet energy.

Is eliminate him first.

FWEEE-

"!?"

Her gaze goes skyward.

That sounds like-!

Eclipse watches as Meghan and Andro are lost in a green explosion, the aftershock knocking her off of her feet. She pushes herself up, ignoring the jarring ache in her now rattled bones. She continues on, preparing herself to use her power to heal them.

Please be okay, please be okay-!

She runs headfirst into a wall, bouncing back and falling on her ass.

"Ack-!"

"Embodiment of Will."

The smoke clears and Eclipse finds herself infront of a small purple dome, a few feet taller than her. It cracks, before shattering to reveal a visibly exhausted Meghan and terrified Andro.

"Forcefield."

"MEGHAN!"

Oh, thank the stars!

She picks the flag up and gets to her feet, rubbing at her now red nose. "Meghan I have the flag-!"

Meghan doesn't seem to be there, gazing around with a shell-shocked expression. [Titan] has vanished.

So it was a cover-up for him to escape. But what the hell was that? It was like....

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"A mortar." Meghan glances down at Andro, nodding. "Yeah, exactly."

So where did he retreat to? You'd think he'd go for Eclipse, since she has the flag, but.....

"Meghan?"

Eclipse holds out the flag to her, snapping Meghan out of her thoughts. "I think the flag is safer in your hands."

"Oh-nice job, Eclipse."

The moment Meghan touches the flag, a new notification appears.

[Meghan has acquired the Leader's Flag!]

And we know exactly where to go to set it down.

Meghan allows herself to relax a little, a small grin setting across her features. But then the ground begins to shake.

"...........?"

She looks up to see a mass of white, faceless bodies stampeding towards them. And in the middle, a boy is being juggled and tossed around in the chaos, screaming.

"......Well, fuck."

"Go."

Eclipse surprises Meghan by stepping infront of her, orbs of light circling her form.

"We don't have enough time. You need to find the marker and set the flag down."

".....We already know where the marker is."

Eclipse turns to her and grins. A strange fire is in her eyes, giving her a presence bigger than herself.

"Then go and set it down. Let's win this sick game and survive."

"....Alright."

Meghan nods, one hand on the flag, the other gripping Andro's.

"Keep those mannequins off of us until we set the flag down."

A part of her knows very well this could be the last time she ever sees Eclipse alive. Or any of the others. And yet......there was some kind of reassurance in her heart. They'll all survive.

All she has to do is set this flag down, and make that an actual reality.

"Let's get this over with."

______________________________________

HAV0C screams as he's slammed and dragged around, every shuddering impact feeling like knives stabbing his skin and peeling it off of his bones.

"It...hurts...STOP IT!!!"

He lashes out blindly, his fist striking the ground and causing a shock wave that sends the surrounding clones flying. The moment his feet touch the ground he's off again, smashing through the clones with a flurry of punches.

I'm not weak anymore. I'm no longer the prey.

Despite the ever-present pain, a wild grin grows on his face. Then he begins to laugh, a chilling sound that rips out from his throat and rises above the clamor of stamping feet. He lets all of his anger out, swinging with reckless abandon into the crowd that pushes against him with tears in his eyes.

I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU-!

[GvfhvgvczfAWAKENING has been deactivated.]

........Huh?

And just like that, the strength vanishes.

He tries to call it back, attempts to cling unto the fading embers of power. But it refuses to return to him.

[Please wait until the cooldown time is complete!]

Ah. Of course this has a time limit.

Without his power, he's nothing against the tidal wave of bodies that slam into him and trample him underfoot. He curls into a ball, waiting for them to pass

I'm such an idiot! I let it get to my head.....

The feet never seem to stop, raining down on him and battering his bloody into the floor. Then he realises with a jolt that it's because they're all actually focusing on him. Circling around and pummelling him with their hands and feet.

It's a strange thought, but he always did wonder what it'd be like to get beaten senseless by a group. Now he knows.

Once again, he's let his confidence get the better of him, and now there's no second chance. He's going to die a pathetic death, and nothing can stop it-

[Use skill! TALES OF STRENGTH!!!]

[HAV0C is returned to his previous buffed state.]

The power surges back into him as well as the pain, igniting his skin and dragging out a scream, his fingers digging into the concrete.

______________________________________

"It actually worked!"

Loreminder watches from above on a pillar of ice as the white mass of bodies is blown apart from the center, followed by a roar as HAV0C is consumed by the same madness from before.

Frozen can't help but stare at her in wonder as he stands besides her.

So not only can she buff people to a significant level, she can even rewind someone to a previous state of strength?

"Well, the guy is mad again. What now?"

"Um, let him get rid of the rest?"

It feels like we're just using him as a weapon.....this is so wrong.

He frowns, spotting something in HAV0C'S palm.

".....Is that a potion?"

Loreminder squints, following his gaze.

".....Yeah. Since when did he have that-?"

[Minor Strength Potion has been used! HAV0C'S strength has increased!]

"........Isn't that a little overkill?"

"Ehhhh-"

Frozen winces, feeling something akin to sympathy to a clone body-slammed into the floor, the loud CRACK of their spine snapping like a twig echoing in the hall.

"Maybe....?"

______________________________________

Fuck. What's with these guys? If it wasn't for all of the mana potions I've collected....I would've ran out of steam a long time ago.

I almost had them a few minutes ago...but then that guy just came out of that done and turned everything around in an instant.

I have one more potion. I have to beat them with this last one!

[Greater Mana Potion has been used! Mana is greatly increased!]

"Use skill....."

[CLONEX1000!!!]