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The Golden Quiche
Chapter 135: Destiny of Destruction

Chapter 135: Destiny of Destruction

Spirits rang high. Super Papyrus had returned!

This means he can see the best way to beat Sans, right? Right?

“YES INDEED!” Papyrus answered. “I’M DIVING IN NOW. BE RIGHT BACK.”

His eye burned bright beneath the cloth. The colour and intensity reminded you of a fireplace: warm, and hopeful.

It was the complete opposite of Sans’ last powerup moment. You remembered how eerie that was. Otherworldly and unreal, he had the shades of the will-o-wisps.

You wanted to ask about this ‘Ascension’ and how it works. But then, this may not be the best time. All that matters was the fact that you could activate your power on command.

Papyrus’ face contorted? He appears to be struggling.

Worried, Undyne called out: “Papyrus? Paps! What’s wrong???”

Oh no! Is he stuck?!

The Gram on the red scarf intensified. Its nullifying properties cut the vision short and saved his life.

Wow. That’s handy!

Papyrus shook his head. Blinked. His bones rattled and he appeared to be sweating.

“H-hey. You okay?” asked Undyne.

“I… I CAN’T RECALL MUCH OF IT,” he replied. “I KNOW I SAW MORE THAN THE BEGINNING. BUT BEYOND THAT… IT’S A HAZE.”

You remembered the Snowdin vision dive. Back then, he had a difficult time rendering one moment in Genocider’s history. Does that mean he saw something unspeakably horrible again?

“NO FRISK. THE OPPOSITE. IT WAS… THE BEST OF THE VERY BEST. GREAT BEYOND COMPREHENSION! THAT’S HOW I FELT.”

You tilted your head in confusion.

“I’M AFRAID I CAN’T EXPLAIN MORE.”

Recovered in full, he puffed up his chest for his announcement. “ANYHOW! WE SHOULD INITIATE OUR ESCAPE! FIRST THING’S FIRST, WE NEED TO GATHER OUR EQUIPMENT.”

“LADY LUCIDIA, UNDYNE’S ARMOUR SHOULD BE DONE SOON. YES?”

“Status: 95% complete. Once fitted, she will require a moment of calibration.”

Undyne raised a brow. “I’m not a robot…?”

“NEXT…” Papyrus’ Eye lit up before he could finish the sentence. “HOLD ON. I APPARENTLY DON’T HAVE ALL THE PUZZLE PIECES YET.”

You hope that this time he will come back safe and sound.

The dive was much shorter than expected. He looked back at the Snakeface with sheer concern.

“…YOU TWO NEED A SERIOUS DOSE OF FRIENDLY HANGOUTS WITH EACH OTHER. THOSE ULTRA-VIOLENT JAPES WERE SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE!”

“Japes?” the other responded. “Nay, nay, nay. Yer brother and I be bitter foes. ‘Tis war. Ah rather grind his bones fer me meal, aye.”

“ALL THE MORE WHY FRIENDSHIP IS IN ORDER! MY BROTHER HAD MANY UNSAVOURY HABITS, BUT HE’S THE NUMBER TWO TO MY NUMBER ONE, NYEH HEH HEH~”

Cenna burst into a cackle. “Oh man Gael, there’s no turning back for ya. Hey, hey, hey. Don’t look so sour.”

You heard a displeased grunt.

Papyrus turned to you. “FRISK, MISTER GAELIC NEEDS YOUR HELP. MY CUNNING BROTHER HAD STOPPED HIM FROM USING HIS AWESOME DRAGON STEED.”

A-a dragon?!

“What?” The owner was just as baffled. “Nay, it ain’t a dragon. It be a snake.”

“A GIANT DRAGON-SNAKE THEN. IT’S HUGE! WERE YOU TOO SHY TO SHOW ME? NYEH HEH HEH. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO NOT DISCRIMINATE!”

Stern, Lady Lucidia interjected: “The full size Armament would have destroyed my house. I for one am glad he kept it within boundaries.”

You moved yourself to the mid-section of the car. Arriving there, you noticed that Gaelic was flustered beyond words. Tried to look away to hide his growing purple blush.

“Ah cannae deny.” He said, “But… a dragon… ‘tis a name too grand fer me. A snake be more down-to-earth, aye?”

“OH NO, I THINK IT FITS YOU TO A ‘T’! WE NEED YOU TO GO MAXIMUM. NO RESTRAINTS.”

A curious glint flashed in your eye.

Now you’re just dying to find out. What did Sans do this time?

Just the mere mention of Sans was enough to make Gaelic snarl. “That scurvy bastard! He planted this curse on me being.”

He pried open a cut on his black t-shirt. There it sat, on top of his white ribs. An angel’s Mark.

Well then, that shouldn’t be that much of a problem. After all, you had successfully busted Tsunderjudge’s Claimed Mark. A fake shouldn’t give you any issues.

Deep breaths.

Focus.

From the bottom of your heart, you’re determined to free Mister Gaelic!

You tried to nicely pat the Mark. But, it repelled your palm like a bouncy balloon.

What the heck?! Oh that made you so, so, MAD! Mad Dummy level mad!

Want to do things the hard way??? Fine!

You balled the same hand into a fist and executed a precise punch right on the sternum!

The Mark shattered right on impact. And your ‘frisky punch’ also knocked the wind out of your unfortunate victim.

You winced. Oops. Asked if he’s alright.

Gaelic did his best to smile. “N-nay. Cor Blimey, ya pack as much punch as yer sis.”

“Of course!” Cenna slung her shoulder over you. “They’re my little sibling after all.”

“Yer ain’t e’en related by blood. But. Heh. Ah get ya.”

“Notice: Armour synthesis at 100%. Equipping now.”

In a snap, she fitted the strongest fish with a set of cool armour. You were taken aback by the design. The last time you saw that… you weren’t in a good place.

Undyne’s singular eye widened. “Whoa. Whoaaaaaa!”

“This feels weird,” she said, “Like… the last time I guzzled down a mug full of Robusta.”

“As part of the initialization procedure, the systems pushes your magic beyond the levels of conscious use to calibrate its output. Do not worry: it’s not harmful.”

“Your energy efficiency should have increased ten-fold.”

“That’s… that’s oddly refreshing.” You noted Undyne’s face shift from surprise to excitement. “Empowering. I feel like I can take on the world now! YEAH!!!”

A form more powerful than Undyne the Undying… that’s insane.

“Would you be interested in testing a military prototype?”

“Sure,” She answered with an excited face. “Gimmie all your extra weapons, ma’am!”

Lady Lucidia installed something in Undyne’s empty eyesocket. It’s an eyepatch?

“Was not expecting a cyborg eye.”

“I noticed you had quite a huge leak from there. It’s a waste if left untapped. Since you lean to Justice, perhaps this ocular implant may assist you?”

Undyne asked: “If this works, can I get one in the real world too?”

“Certainly. And it will be further improved from the data I gather here. You’ll have to hide it under an eyepatch though. It’s weapons-grade material after all.”

“This is sooooo anime. I LOVE IT!”

“Also, Gaelic, this is for you.” A large flask of orange potion spawned in front of the skeleton. That’s the biggest bottle you have seen so far.

“This should help ease some of the energy demands.”

The man was so happy, he started singing praises in a foreign language.

You didn’t find him too weird. After all, you had done the following: dated Papyrus, set Undyne’s house on fire, and orchestrated a role-playing date session with Alphys in a garbage dump.

Oh. And also you had once petted Lesser Dog to where no dog has gone before. Yep. Just a normal day in Ebottland.

You watched Gaelic guzzle down the potion. Contents gone, he lobbed the flask toward the charred field and unbuckled.

He stood: head facing towards the sky, spine arching back. From there, he let out a howling screech.

You covered your ears, but it did little to muffle the noise.

The biggest Blaster you had ever seen rose up from the earth below.

Jaw, meet floor. Floor, meet jaw. Now you understood Lady Lucidia’s concerns. Imagine a train of bone towering above you. Then make it slightly larger. And a thousand percent deadlier.

Papyrus was right. That’s not a snake at all. It’s definitely a creature from some unmentionable part of the ocean. A macabre version of the legendary wyrm.

Flowey commented, “This is on a whole other level of crazy, you crazy!”

…Huh? He’s not glowing. No Ascension? And he could summon that?

Before you could satisfy your curiosity, Gaelic leapt toward his Blaster. The creature snapped him out of the air mid-jump with its jaws wide open.

Did you just see him get eaten!?!?!

Cenna patted your shoulder. “Calm down, Frisky. The skull is his cockpit. Though, I’m worried about other things.”

Such as?

“His energy expenditure. See, it takes lots of effort for him to maintain basic mental functions. So, the more he spends on magic, the more the wild goes to his head.”

Berserker mode, on?

“Ayup.”

Another beastly cry confirmed your suspicions. It’s already trashing the field by digging its skull underneath the soil.

How is this supposed to help???

“Worry not,” said Lucidia. “I’ll do my best to guide him. We have the bond--”

“I wanna ride that too.”

Oh. Oh no. Undyne looked like a kid in line for a theme park, brimming with wondrous excitement for all the thrills that await her.

Wild sea wyrm plus crazy fish. Double the salty calamity.

Is that really a good thing?!

Papyrus said: “GO AHEAD! WE’LL BRACE FOR IMPACT.”

…That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

The behemoth skirted next to the car. You felt the earth rumble as the bone ground against the side of the fixed ‘road’.

Undyne also abandoned all car-related safety measures. She leapt straight into the fray, grabbing one of the spines.

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Feeling the presence of the unwanted hitchhiker, the Blaster thrashed around MORE. The Great Wyrm of the Deep totally absolutely certainly didn’t like that at all.

You heard Undyne scream past you: “Alphys how do you tame a dragoooooooooonnnnnn???”

Good question. One that should have been asked before making the jump!

You could hear the pressure on Alphys from a mile away. “Um. P-pet him? Maybe show who’s the boss? Or. We need a leash…?”

The Karma imbued road shook from the relentless assault, but not even the sundered earth could knock you off. You wondered if that’s a good or bad thing.

“HMMMM… THAT’S NOT ENOUGH.” Papyrus mused out loud.

“…Are you trying to break the road using this chaos?…” Grillby asked. He’s so quiet, you forgot he’s there.

“YES!”

Grillby replied: “…I think we’re over-complicating this…”

“OH? HOW SO?”

“…Can’t Sir Gaelic simply tear us away from the path itself?…”

You saw the orange Eye flash. Then, Papyrus slapped both hands on his face.

“A VALID POSSIBILITY! THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU DO HAVE A GOOD HEAD ON YOUR SHOULDERS. NO WONDER UNCLE GASTER CONSIDERS YOU A VALUABLE FRIEND!”

You heard the doc murmur over the line.

“Please, Papyrus. I’ve been a poor friend to Grillby.”

“…The past is past…” the fire replied. “…Lady Lucidia, you said you could guide Sir Gaelic, no?…”

“Positive.” she replied.

“…Thank you… Everyone… adopt the brace position…”

That’s a common airplane safety precaution. You did as suggested, while your white fluffy companion hid under the seat.

You could hear the massive rumbling approaching. Fast. As for Undyne, she’s still trying to break in her impromptu ride with much gusto and ‘NGAAAAH’.

Then, a great shadow loomed over you. Rows of thin, pointed teeth crunched the sides of your vehicle. It was just deep enough to get a grip.

You yelped. So did Flowey.

“What are you guys doing?!?!”

You felt the transport swing left and right as the beast tried to pry you apart from the road with sheer force.

“C’mon, you can do it! PULL HARDER!!!”

Undyne? She’s much nearer than you thought. Somehow, she managed to climb into the skull. That’s the cockpit, right?

“Go, go, go, go!”

You heard a loud snap. It was soon followed by a constant rise of elevation.

You’re free!

“YEEEAAAAHHH! Good boy!!!” Undyne praised.

Good… good boy?! Isn’t that--???

Oh well. As long it works. You just hope that Mister Gaelic didn’t get offended.

Papyrus can now use his Blue to levitate again. The light of Integrity enwrapped the car as the beast loosened its grip.

“WE’RE SAFE NOW,” said Papyrus.

You sat up, allowing you to peer inside the sockets.

Gaelic wasn’t piloting it with telekinesis or some conventional method. He’s on all fours, with osseous matter wrapped around his being.

In other words, he’s one with his Blaster.

Creepy flavour: Mild.

Undyne climbed out and pulled her way up to the top-side of the skull. This was the first time you get to see The Undying in all her glory.

You were awestruck. The solid black armour glistened. Intense magic coursed through hidden circuits, causing the large heart on her armour to glow a stable sheen. Her bright red ponytail danced in the circulating aura of amplified power.

She’s full of life. Compared to the last-ditch effort in the Underground… It’s not a dying star burning both ends of a candle.

Tall and proud she stood. Spear ready for action.

You heard Alphys swooning over the microphone. In her distinctive geeky way, of course.

Understandable. Because this is Sheer. Knightly. Badass.

The captain got down on one knee to pat the wyrm. “Okay buddy. We’re gonna WRECK SOME SHIT! You’re with me?”

The beast responded with a roar.

“Let’s GO! NGAAAAAAAH!”

You watch them inflict utter mayhem on the environment. Anywhere that wasn’t upturned got speared without delay.

Cracks began to show in the false sky. All the while, the air echoed with maniacal laughter.

“JUSTICE!” She yelled. “JUUUUSTICE!!! HUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUFUUUUUU!”

Cenna snorted. “I’m glad Gael made a new friend.”

“Honestly,” said Flowey. “The worst possible one.”

“Aw flowerboy, you’re just worrying too much.”

Nope. He had a point. You told Cenna about your ‘unique’ cooking session with Undyne.

The news shook some of that confidence. Scratching the back of her head, she replied, “Uh… I guess they can match each other’s energy?”

What does Lady Lucidia think about this? You asked for her opinion.

“Hmm, Captain Undyne’s commanding aura is focused enough to translate her thoughts. Though trust may be an issue.”

“I have known Gaelic for over twenty years, and yet there are still times where he cannot hear me.”

“The real test will take occur in battle with Sans Serif.”

…You were expecting a less technical commentary. But, great points.

“Don’t worry, Lady Lucidia!” said Alphys. “If Undyne can manage the Royal Guard, she can keep a dragon in check.”

“…I fail to see the connection.”

Papyrus flew further and further away from the rampage.

“SHE SHOULD NOTICE THE ODDITY SOON…”

An oddity? What oddity?

“DON’T YOU THINK IT’S WEIRD THAT MY BROTHER WOULD LET US DESTROY HIS TRAP WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE?”

Now that he brought it up… he’s right. It’s super strange. You would have rigged an alarm to alert yourself of any funny business.

But yet, he remained completely silent.

From the clouds of mayhem, you spotted a glimmer of gold.

Your sister grinned. “Homing spears, booyah!”

“JUUUUSTIIIIIIICE!!!” so screamed Undyne.

Golden streaks of sharpness zipped across the sky. Hey, those are the ones that turn around at the last moment!

Papyrus steered the car according to the flight path, trailing right behind.

They continued to fly… until they swerved around an empty spot on the tallest hill.

The pinpoint barrage landed their strikes. A light-bending shell shattered, exposing the secret for all to see.

White fire.

Six pairs of skeletal wings.

The Seraphim. Sans. He was here all the while?!

“I can’t focus…”

“Avert your eyes, Tori. It might induce a migraine.”

Mom? Dad? Are they alright?

“You don’t find it strenuous, my child? Perhaps it is because you’re a human. Could you… describe his appearance to me?”

You told Mom that the angel burns bright with white flames. It’s intense enough to make a skyward beam, illuminating the specks of floating ash.

His wings folded over themselves. A shield. Or a cocoon.

Discomfort levels, rising. Your eyes strained from the increasing oversaturation.

You shut them. Gave your head a good shake. That didn’t help much.

The wings opened up like a blooming flower. Sans’ body language seemed lax. Serene.

The hood obscured the upper portion of his face. You couldn’t tell what’s going on inside his mind.

You raised your guard when he lifted his head. He’s crying? In purple?

The way it flowed reminded you of thin oil. Much thicker than tears.

Karma?

His shut eyelids slowly opened.

Sans sighed at your direction. “Guys, really?… I banned that guy for a reason, y’know.”

More of Undyne’s spears hailed upon him. Some yellow. Some not.

You expected Sans to teleport. Instead, he repelled all the hits.

The cranky groaning intensified. “Undyne, you’re making my job way more difficult than it needs to be. …Not like you care …Not like it matters.”

Didn’t care indeed. Her killer grin had no intent on showing mercy.

You imagined the headlines now: ‘Spears of Justice clashes against Skeletal Divinity for the final showdown of The End.’

The great wyrm let out a screech. Undyne jumped inside the cockpit just before it burrowed deep underground. From the rumbles, you could tell its drilling straight ahead to the enemy’s location.

Alphys then stated, “I-is it me… or is Sans being really sluggish?”

“Why yes, you’re right.” Gaster confirmed. “Could it be that his celestial form has massive drawbacks?”

The cavalry arrived. From the depths of the loamy sea, the serpentine bone dragon leapt out. It opened its jaw wide with the fullest intent of devouring its foe.

Sans teleported out of danger at the last second. He left behind all six of his wings, each one of them filled with the same mysterious purple liquid.

The caustic substance splattered all over the skull. Upon contact, it ate through the osseous surface. Layer by layer.

The beast screeched. Thrashed about. Whined in pain.

That immediate decay… It’s none other than Karma.

From the channels, you heard Undyne trying to calm Gaelic down. “Whoa whoa whoa steady boy! It’s okay. It’s okay.”

All the other Blasters acted as a machine detached from their owner. For the snakeface, merged as one, everything hurt like his real body.

You cringed at the thought.

Incoming Lucidia: “Sans Serif appears to be generating Karma far beyond normal capacity.”

“Is that so?” Doctor Gaster mused out loud. “A similar phenomenon occurred whenever I tried to increase his HP. Karma would eat it all away. Symptoms vary in proportional severity.”

Yeah. You had seen this before too! After going berserk, you found him unconscious, bleeding from his sliced off extra limbs.

“Hypothesis: Sans Serif’s lifeforce may be near-infinite. However, it comes at the cost of his own immunity.”

Wait, wait, wait. So he’s incurring a stacking debuff?

You see it now. He cut his wings on purpose!

“A boon for us. What celestial irony.” The goopdoc was in good cheer.

The illusionary world then rippled. A new reality replaced the old.

You pinched your nose. The air was plasticky and sour. Smells like the burning modern age.

Where did Sans go?

You’re surrounded by shattered buildings, engulfed in a thick inferno.

It’s a complete warzone.

Bright streaks of white light flared in the sky. They pelted against a district in the distance. The weakened skyscrapers crumbled under their own weight.

Undyne exclaimed, “Again?! What the hell is with today and stupid fires???”

Sans spoke from his new hiding place. “Oh boy, Papyrus. You sure know how to make a riddle. Worse than crosswords. I’ll be frank. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve given up. But… the nightmare continues.”

“Red Alert! Missiles inbound!”

Shit! It’s one of those worlds that respond to your presence!

Drive, Papyrus! Drive!

Huh? You felt something dislodge from the underside of the car.

It’s two small aerial drones, equipped with mini-guns and magic-shields. Their tailwings had a decal of a golden flower.

“Open fire!!!”

“Time to kick some butt.”

Flowey?! Chara?!

The agile weapons flew up towards the oncoming missile barrage. They shot it down without a hitch.

Sans huffed. “Was wondering when the ex-human would show their ugly mug.”

“Shut up, idiot.” Chara grumbled back.

“Ok. You do you. I’m gonna continue my exposition here.”

“Look around,” he said, “Believe it or not, this is one of the better places. It’s the year 2142. Well ahead of our time. But there’s no Abomination in the ocean. The Red Victory War never happened. No Core Incident. No ‘Undertale’. Perfect, right?”

The flower children shot down another batch of missiles.

“Except the world still burns. That’s because, heh… lil’ Chara got their ‘bloody’ way.”

“FRISK, THE SKY.”

You looked upwards. Magical rainbow stars arched over your head. Your face froze in horror when you recognized their true nature.

‘Star Blazing’!

Papyrus sped off as fast as he could. The flower planes kept up easily but…

The knight and her steed lagged far behind.

Undyne!!!

Snakeface!!!

A great explosion of light almost blinded you. Great gusts of wind and rock pelted on your back as you tried to duck behind the protection of your seat.

What’s going on?

The unknown frightened you.

The car stopped. The first thing you noticed was the terror on your family’s faces. You then understood why.

You’re at the side of an ocean. A large chunk of the shoreline had vanished, sunken into a wide crater. As for the buildings within the diameter… only rubble lives there now.

As water flooded into the city, you heard something akin to large hollow metallic objects crashing into each other.

Massive battleships then rippled into view. Whoa, they were all cloaked in invisibility magic! No wonder you couldn’t see them at first sight.

The sudden change of currents had created a whirlpool. The ships tried to regain control. Propell back. Anchor. Anything. Yet the water was too shallow, and the force too great.

Jagged, rocky rubble ripped through each hull. They began to sink deeper and deeper into the flooded city.

“Atlantean ships…?” Lucidia muttered. “Why are they attacking humanity?!”

“Are you sure it’s just humanity? After all, this is the world where The Seven Soul God reigns supreme.”

The flower kids gasped.

“No fucking way!” Chara yelled.

“You’re saying I didn’t stop Chara?!?” Flowey followed.

“Apparently not. Somehow, you two struck a bargain. Chara gets to kill all the village jerks. In return, humanity gets a new godking. Let's call him ‘Charasriel’ or ‘Chasriel’. Either way works.”

“Don’t ship us, goshdarnit!” Flowey is not amused.

“So yeah, a Gungnir genocider on the throne, partnered with the Prince of Monsters, upturning modern society in a blink… I think you can see why some refused to bend their knee.”

A fleet of smaller ships made it to shore safely. The hatches opened and an army of monsters marched out.

In addition to their Undying-level gear, the best of the best had human SOULS. Countless Magi sacrificed their lives for this day.

“Makes it pretty clear about what they think about their god, hm? Who’s right? Who’s wrong? It doesn’t matter. The resulting clash will bring forth yet another End.”

Lightning stormed the beach. It’s the ‘Shocker Breaker’, except more potent.

Any who failed to avoid the god’s wrath was dusted in an instant. Not even the husk of their armour remained.

Yet, some survived. They braved against the might of human artillery with their SOUL-infused magic: the elements, electricity, bones, insects, sickles, whatever they were born with.

What’s left after the mayhem were the strongest and the luckiest.

…You looked away. Gore was one of the things best left unsaid.

Then, a great light appeared in the sky. It shone so bright, the night turned into day.

And there they were: the combined might of Chara and Asriel, wielding a pair of Chaos Sabers in hand.

You heard the following praise, announced for all to hear: ‘The Godking has come! He will save us!’

One swing of the blade, and mighty monsters scattered into the wind.

Another swing, and ruined buildings toppled down upon their graves.

Papyrus managed to avoid the danger with his mad piloting skills.

You hear the cries of the monsters from the ocean. Their spirits rose, but for a different reason.

‘The DEMON is here! Fire!’

Red symbols flashed from every battleship. Each a unique sign. You gasped. Those were Living Victories: Crimson Keepers.

They’re charging up their magic.

Papyrus’ Eye flared in alarm. “FRISK, I CAN’T OUTMANEUVER THIS. YOU NEED TO PROTECT US! ASCEND!”

Panic gripped your throat for a moment, but you gulped it down. There’s no time for fear!

Push your SOUL to the max!

Be. Determined.

You were glowing crimson. Yes! It’s working!

You’re DETERMINED to defend!

Charged Green, go!

A second later, you and your friends got caught in a massive crossfire between Hyperdeath and the combined might of many Living Victories.

Great pressure threatened to crush you from all sides. But you have to stay determined.

YOU MUST!!!

You channelled your inner Undyne. Screamed ‘NGAAAAAAAH!’ at the top of your lungs.

The assault soon ended. To your amazement, the immediate environment remained intact. Relatively. You thought that you’d end up back in The Void proper, or some other weird blank space.

It’s… eerily silent. Gone were the armies and their associated thunder.

Sans emerged from his hiding spot, hovering right before you. He had all his wings back. Again, the intense strange glow was messing with your head.

“Congrats on surviving,” he said. “Talk about action, huh? Fireworks. Special effects. Drama. Bloodshed. All that jazz.”

“Welp, I’ve seen world after world… yet not a single one survived The End. It either happens within my lifetime, or a little further down the line.”

“Call me a pessimist. Call me a nihilist. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s far too easy to gain godlike power with our laws of magic physics. Heh, look at yours truly.”

“The fragile peace you’ve enjoyed until today was an agreement between Monsters and Magi: to never merge unless a calamity hangs over the horizon. But even so, we’re on a one way trip to sayonara-ville. Or byebye-town. You get the gist.”

“Meanwhile, The Determined say: ‘The dream can SAVE the world. Ours is the power to change fate’. And yeah, sure, the Red Aspect is like super duper awesome. It prevents discobiscuits. Rewinds time. Reverts entropy. Flips Thermodynamics on its head. And therein lies the problem.”

“Whether you realise it or not, each generation of Reds has gotten stronger and stronger. Less so in the ancient era. But once they cracked the science of DT? The graph shot straight up to the ‘stars’. Heh, it's a never ending arms-race.”

“The Persona. The Abomination. Sir Vampire of Time. Maybe by the next generation we’ll have a succession of pipsqueaks running around. World-killing Seven Soul Gods in the making.”

Sans shook his head, chuckling.

“It’s a divine comedy, I tell you. A very, very lame one.”

“In this fragile multiverse of Bad Times, I’m beginning to wonder if ‘the best world’ is a trick question.”

“IMPOSSIBLE!” Papyrus insisted. “I HAVE SEEN THE GOLDEN PATH! KEEP SEARCHING, SANS. MY EYE DOES NOT LIE.”

“Oh? If that’s the case, I must persevere no matter what. It’s the reason why my pathetic self exists.”

The lowest pair of wings folded over.

“Alright. Alright.” Sans sighed. “Yeah. Guess I gotta try harder. More than I have ever done before. Good thing you’re two powerhouses short.”

You refuse to believe Undyne and Gaelic were dead. However, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re undermanned.

Dammit. Can you really do this?

Oddly, Sans did not summon any additional magic to defend himself. No Gasterblasters. No nothing. You couldn’t tell what tricks he’s hiding up his sleeves.

“Well. Shall we?”

…Yeah.

You’re ready.

You tell Sans to give it his best shot.

Without a warning, you blacked out.

By the time you returned to your senses, it's too late. You heard a loud crash as an entire set of Karmic bones skewered your vehicle from below.

It rotted at a rapid pace. The seat mechanisms failed. The steering wheel locked up, and the engine stuttered.

The dog barked. Your sister cursed.

Mom and Dad held each other close.

Alphys’ panic overruled Lucidia’s instructions, while Papyrus and Grillbz struggled to descend safely before the whole car falls apart.