The sun rises high above Silver Junction. The old ghost town had been host to ten days of murder, mayhem, and chaos. Now, one way or another, it would be coming to an end. And no one is more aware of that than Atua, the God of Killing Games. Standing at the edge of town, Atua gazes upon the ghosts, the bound spirits, forced to serve his will. The zombies stand at the vanguard, their flesh and bone giving them greater strength and surviability. Atua turns to look at Silver Junction.

Atua
Tonight... I will overcome the past. The Union Army may have fought and banished Me once, but I will not allow it to happen again. Not in the fullness of My power.

Go forth, and raze this town to ashes! Let My past be destroyed, and My future nigh!

And at that command, the ghosts and zombies storm Silver Junction.

The noise is more than enough to wake up Roland, who springs out of bed, quickly joined by Jessica and McJango. Ranger joins them as well, Roland coordinating the members of the Century Agave Dorm as they prepare to survive the oncoming storm. He manages to get some directions in, and as the ghosts burst into the dorm, Jessica tosses Roland her sword. He quickly begins to cut his way through the ghosts. One of them, Solus zos Galvas, seems to bring a memory to Roland's face...

He promptly slices right through that one. Fuck that guy. Ranger moves alongside him, armored up and aiming to get him and Roland to the while Jessica runs out the north and loops right to grab her shield. With that ready, she starts to charge through the ghosts, aiming to try and catch up with the others. However, McJango begins to run out the north as well, swerving around a bunch of ghosts that are trying to go for the cat.

After all, he needs to meet up with a certain someone else.

In the Prickly Pear Dorm, Akira wakes up to see Cascabela t-posing over her bed. The snake woman explains that she's going to be protecting Akira the whole night, because one of them needs to get out of here alive. Akira fistbumps Cascabela, then walks over to Ace Ventura's bed and repeatedly kicks it until he rolls out and wakes up. Ace groans, then takes the rifle and a walkie-talkie and begins to run through the ghosts, firing wildly and trying to scare them off. Akira looks out, sighs, and swings her sword, the pressure wave from it slicing through a bunch of ghosts at once to clear the path.

With her ghost buddy handy, and equipped with everything she needs, Akira scoops up Panimajesh and dashes out afterwards. Seeing McJango, she hurls a radio to him as they both head towards Desert Sage. Inside that dorm, North Star has already gotten up and begun preparing, as Agent Evangeline checks over her inventory. The two of them nod to each other as McJango and Akira arrive, Akira and North Star leaving to the east as they start to hunt for him. Pete. The High Priest of Atua.

However, Evangeline and McJango begin to climb into the basement. Unbenownst to them, at that moment, the Black Sheep - current possessor of Madame Zalsarona's body - is currently raiding the Crimson Eye Storage for quite a wide variety of items. These would certainly come greatly in handy. Once fully stocked, Zalsarona begins to head out through the Purple Basement.

Aboveground, Roland, Jessica, and Ranger stand confused in the Blacksmith, looking around and trying to find Morgan even as they pick off any ghosts that enter the room. Ace Ventura enters, handing a walkie-talkie to Roland, and asks him what's going on. Roland explains Morgan's nowhere to be seen. Unbeknownst to him, Agent Morgan had used the Phantom Taxi to exit, realizing this was too much to handle and calling for help... but Derek Stiles had taken everything off him as he left.

And Derek Stiles had much different plans. Heading through Explosives Storage, he grabs some dynamite, before swinging into the Ruined Mine. Climbing down the winch, he heads into the Yellow Basement. It was time to provide a special surprise for a couple certain someones.

Up on the ground level, Partitio speaks to Momoyo. He's working on talking her out of attacking the survivors, trying to convince her to make a stand against Atua and his goals. At first, Momoyo had been hesitant, knowing she had the chance to rampage wildly and freely... but as Partitio hits on a deal, Momoyo expresses interest, even as Marisa and King of Clubs both climb aboard to provide support.

Momoyo Himemushi
You've sold something again, Partitio! As long as the rest of them don't get in my way, once Evangeline's dead, I'll put everything I've got into helping them!

And so Momoyo surges off the mountain, the massive centipede looming over the town…

As Akira, North Star, and Cascabela pass by the Blue Building, they are immediately set upon by ghosts. Lots of ghosts. Akira starts yelling and complaining even as she draws her sword and begins to cut them down, while North Star just looks excited. He asks Akira why she's not admiring how cool this wild west showdown is, and she points out that she's an idol. She shouldn't be dirtying her hands this way! North Star just laughs as he aims, fires, and banishes "Just Stamp the Ticket" Man back to the afterlife.

Before she can keep complaining, a loud train whistle rings out across the entire map, with enough sound to pierce even the underground. Akira quickly whips her head around, looking for what she knew that sound indicated. She can hear the buzzing, but she doesn't know where exactly it's coming from...

Underground, Evangeline and McJango listen to the whistle, but keep forcing their way forward, passing by the Black Sheep as she climbs up the ladder with the stoic certainty of one who knows exactly where she's going. Evangeline scouts ahead, explaining the layout of the Basements to McJango. While the ghosts are mostly swarming aboveground, Evangeline still has to cut down a few of the zombies as she makes her way through the Yellow Basement, McJango following up behind her.

At the entrance to Red, Evangeline walks through calmly. Derek Stiles waves to her as she comes in, along with McJango, gesturing as they head along to the Storage Closet. All they need to do is retrieve the parts and head back upstairs. Evangeline steps in - and right as she does, a small portable anvil swings down. She barely has the chance to shove McJango aside, as it smashes into her left arm and breaks it on impact. As Evangeline rolls backwards and McJango grabs up some of the parts, Derek enters.

Walking over, he triggers another trap. A couple ignition sources spark to life, and the Storage Closet begins to catch on fire. McJango starts to retreat, only for another wood piling from Carpentry to hit him across the back, Derek preparing to summon Atua to finish off the wounded... and that's when a series of bullets rip through the air, Derek only saving himself by rolling out of the way.

Hifumi and Kroos run in, the latter glowing with holy light, but uncaring about anything but defying Atua. His gamble that Kroos's grudge would override her willingness to stop the mad god had failed, and as Derek is forced to hide, Hifumi helps Evangeline and McJango up as Kroos grabs the remaining parts. The four of them head out of the burning basement... behind them, Derek remains, shadowed by the flames.

No matter. He had other plans as well.

Above, in the Blacksmith, Roland has been directing everyone. Morgan not showing up had made it awkward, but Ace Ventura was happy to retrieve some occultic weapons from the basement, and with the help of Ranger they'd carried them upstairs. Without the Phasing Knife, Roland hadn't been able to craft the weapon he really wanted, but he'd spent some time improving his occultic sword. Now, as he finishes soaking it, Jessica begins to head over to the forge to work on her own gear.

As she does, the door explodes violently.

Atua
I believe I've given you long enough.

Quickly, everyone begins to scatter as Atua charges. With a massive swing, he aims to crush Ranger in one blow, only for Ranger to avoid it. It does, however, slam into the forge, sending the molten metal flying everywhere, forcing people to duck to avoid it. Atua is quickly blocked by Roland and Jessica as Ace Ventura and Ranger flee the Blacksmith. Grabbing Roland, Atua charges forward and smashes through the north wall into the Ruined Mine, only for Roland to cut him with his upgraded sword.

Though it doesn't pierce his golden skin, the cut it leaves makes it clear that the upgrades Roland gave to it are enough to at least chip away at it. Atua backs up a couple steps to ponder this, and his foot nudges into a tripwire. A makeshift rocket streaks forward and slams into his back, and a the god stumbles, Roland sees Reginald Fikwerther give him a thumbs up. The two of them run out of the Mine area, leaving Atua alone to regroup in his location.

Atua
Heh... perhaps I should have known that these wraiths would be a risk to bring back.

Well. At least some of them will serve Me properly.

To the south, Jessica can see in the distance that Zalsarona has arrived at the Red Building. Bracing herself with her shield, she begins to charge forward, aiming to slam through the ghosts, team up with Zalsarona, and keep going towards Atua from there!

At that very moment, Akira and North Star have managed to move through their ghost horde to the area of the Blue Building. Akira expresses confusion as to why they were moving away from where they knew Pete would show up, but North Star explains he has some unfinished business to take care of here, first. Sure enough, Hollywood Bowl approaches.

Talking to both of them, Bowl explains that he does have one request. North Star says he's not going to throw himself away fighting Kroos, but Bowl shakes his head, and says that all he's worried about is them making sure to keep all the footage and make a good movie out of this, so that when Hollywood Bowl is inevitably dragged back to life by Hollywood, he can at least get something out of dying here.

North Star agrees. Akira asks if she'll still receive top billing, and when Bowl confirms she will, she also agrees. Bowl begins to move with the group as well, though he stops for a minute as he hears some buzzing behind them. He turns, concerned, but still doesn't see anyone, so he steps out with the rest. The group begins to head towards the Plot, only to stop as they see Momoyo and her two riders fighting Storm 1. He's doing his to attack her with explosives and firepower, but she's got the size advantage and the ally advantage.

Marisa and King of Clubs both gun down Storm 1, and North Star whistles, impressed. Akira promptly reaffirms her decision to not fuck with the giant centipede.

Meanwhile, to the east of the Green Building, Derek exits from the Bank and looks around for who he's trying to find. There, he sees him - Pete n VB. With a grin, Derek waves him down. He asks Pete if his new liturgic powers give him an endless supply of any bullets, or just pistol bullets. Pete confirms it's any bullets. Derek hands him the surprise he found in the Purple Basement.

Pete begins to laugh.

As Atua exits the Orange Building, he can see one of the Wild West Wraiths running up to him. Quickly, he raises his fist in order to crush the interloper, only to see that it's Lasagna Cat, approaching him with the Ultimate Lasagna. The cat asks him to bless the Lasagna, to let it reach its full potential.

Atua laughs and agrees, placing his hand over the lasagna and beginning to infuse it with liturgic energy. It grows and roars, before leaping onto the battle, Garfield leaping on top of it as it ravenously rips into the ghost of the unfortunately-located Jon Arbuckle. As it begins to run around and charge into the Orange Building, Atua watches, impressed, as it begins to smash through the rooms. Anyone left in Orange will have a very unpleasant time.

Elsewhere, Evangeline and McJango finally make it to the ground level, with the help of their ghost escort. As Evangeline takes a step outside of the Purple Building, she hears a rumbling, and then a loud crash as the massive centipede slams her front body down in front of her. Partitio shouts from the side to tell the four of them who she's here for, and Evangeline quickly uses her good arm to shove all the parts on Hifumi and Kroos. She runs out towards the north desert, Momoyo laughing and beginning to coil after her.

Hifumi looks a little surprised, but Kroos grabs her by the sleeve, and they and McJango begin to run to the south. As they do, Pete starts to approach them, ready to intercept... only to slip on a banana peel. He crashes to the ground and looks over, seeing Strong Bad running away, still dressed as Wonder of U. The flow of calamity inhibits those who would work with Atua.

Oh well, Pete thinks. He can have some fun with those two down at the end of the street. Starting to fire away at Akira and North Star, the former is ready to stand and fight right there, but North Star convinces her it's probably safer to bait Pete into their existing trap. They run into the Purple Building along with Cascabela and Bowl, as Noise runs up to face off against Pete.

The two of them both draw their guns, Noise still carrying his silver bullets and Pete now with infinite ammo. They hold still for a minute, time seeming to freeze, before they start firing. Noise manages to hit Pete a few times, but Pete's firing a lot more freely without any care for his bullets, and he rips through Noise, banishing him once more. Still, it allowed North Star and Akira the chance to start preparing in the Purple Building. While scouting out the possible routes to the roof, knowing Pete will eventually be forced to climb up there, Akira hears the buzzing again. She turns around, and they come.

The bees. Hundreds of bees immediately fly in, Akira starting to cut the bees down in wide swaths with her sword. While she manages to cut the bees, though, Nico begins to sneak up behind her. A grin on her face, Nico prepares to finally prove the superior idol by bashing Akira's head to bits. She's got a hammer ready - and right as she prepares to take her down, Cascabela runs in and clobbers Nico. Akira turns around, sees her, and promptly cuts her in half. With Nico dead, the remaining bees begin to disperse, before suddenly getting set on fire.

North Star walks in, flamethrower ready, and asks what that other noise was, to which Akira explains she just had to finally prove she was the superior idol. North Star says he doesn't watch idol shows. The two of them regroup, determining their plan to intercept Pete... even as he enters the General Store, whistling at the big hole and going to the Army Post. After all, even if he has to go upstairs, he can have some fun on the way.

In the Saloon, Ranger and Ace Ventura stumble in, seeing Tsavorae, Reginald Fikwerther, Not Shane, and Gyro Zeppeli playing a game of poker. The two living take the chance for a brief moment of respite, Ranger even thinking about getting dealt in, only for a sudden roar from the side to make it clear that's a bad idea. The Ultimate Lasagna begins to squeeze through the Saloon doors, and Ranger and Ace Ventura run through to the Stable.

In there, they notice the Red Horse and the White Horse still tied up, and look out as the Black Horse takes to the skies, Mizzlebip aboard. Cutting them both free, Ranger begins to push them out the door. As he does, they manage to flee in time before the Lasagna can catch up to them, Garfield chasing after it. He doubles back for a minute and hits Not Shane with a shovel, the sheriff sitting up irritated as he does so, and then goes to work with his Lasagna. He lost track of them...

So why not simply rampage around for a bit, and let the Lasagna feast as it was always meant to?

Meanwhile, at the Train Platform, Zalsarona had been sitting in quiet meditation, until a ghost had arrived. Lynne had walked up to speak to her, and she had said the part she needed to say. The two of them wait as Jessica fights her way through several ghosts, even shield-bashing Luthier and Cabbage Guy back out of Silver Junction. While arriving, a few different zombies charge towards Jessica, but Zalsarona quickly lights them up. The liturgic dead are no match for the fire, and crumple quickly.

Jessica thanks Zalsarona, and asks her where the flamethrowers are. Zalsarona says they're just a bit over, and leads Jessica over. As they walk together, Jessica notices a small fire on the platform. She looks in confusion, to which Zalsarona tells her to watch her melons when she sees Atua, and tosses her two watermelons. Obligated to grab them, Jessica still looks bewildered... as the Black Sheep kicks up a flaming, oil-covered blanket. Jessica yelps, and turns to flee as the blanket sails towards her.

Only to see Pohatu behind her.

The victim of night 1 promptly fulfills his grudge by kicking Jessica in the chest, sending her stumbling back and ensuring the burning blanket lands directly on her. Jessica is ignited immediately, and as she stumbles, Lynne shoots her once in each leg, causing her to collapse. In the hopes she can somehow turn the situation around, Jessica projects her soul from her body, and prepares to fight the ghosts-

At which point the Black Sheep simply walks over and gives her body a massive kick. That impact, while her spirit is projected, is enough to activate Jessica's Forbidden Action, and she spasms a bit as the poison kicks in, before her spirit form fades as she dies.

@Jessica has been killed!

Spoiler: Show

You are the ULTIMATE REVENANT, returned to life by divine power incarnate. Though you've lost your previous role as part of your return, you have gained new power, channeling the nature of your soul's weaker connection to your body. You have the power to project your soul from your body, allowing you to travel around as a ghost. When in ghost mode, you can move through any door - as long as it's not in the basement, which is spiritually shielded. You can also interfere with machinery near you, ensuring it doesn't function properly as long as you are there, and other people will not be able to identify you. They will be aware of a mysterious glowing figure, but they don't have the first area who it is!

Forbidden Action: The connection between your body and soul is still weak, after being severed once. Your body getting injured while you astral project will be enough to break it, and send you right back to the afterlife!

"With this kill, I claim your soul in the name of the abyssal court. May this land be rid of your liturgic stink, and Atua be denied his feast." Thus says Zalsarona, before she turns to Pohatu. She explains that to prevent Atua from getting any more power, she's going to shoot him now, but she does appreciate the help with killing Jessica. Pohatu says it's cool, Jessica dying was pretty much the only thing he needed to accomplish. Zalsarona shoots him, and she and Lynne grab Jessica's corpse and toss it into the Caboose.

With her first priority done, Zalsarona gathers up the flamethrowers, and moves off to assist the others against Atua. Meanwhile, Lynne heads off to the west. She's got her own target to hunt for.

Trying to avoid the monstrously huge centipede looming over her, Evangeline's certain she's gotten the parts on the way to the train... but the problem is now getting herself there. If it was just Momoyo's massive, telegraphed movements, that'd be one thing, but both King of Clubs and Marisa Kirisame remain perched atop Momoyo, and with Momoyo trying to bombard Evangeline, they are more than happy to go along with her.

As Evangeline tries to avoid them, her broken arm hangs limply at her side. A couple bullets from Marisa veer wildly to the side, but King of Clubs is able to catch her in that arm with a bullet, Evangeline staggering. She can't win a one on one fight against a centipede kaiju! As she notices Hollywood Bowl in the window of the Purple Building, though, she gets an idea. She doesn't have to fight the kaiju... the commitment to not attacking the others is all she needs.

Quickly, Evangeline dashes towards the Purple Building. Marisa leaps off towards her, ready to finish the sweep, only for Evangeline to skewer her with her sword - even down to one arm, she's still a pretty good fighter. Marisa poofs, while Momoyo and King of Clubs watch. Momoyo begins to curl around Purple, a wide circle with some entrance points. Sure, Evangeline can wait in there for now... but she can't hide forever.

But for now, Momoyo can focus on the other problem she wants to take care of. The massive centipede surges down the road... towards Atua. Slamming into him bodily, Momoyo begins to carry him out into the desert. He starts to laugh as he realizes what she's doing, and she lets go at the base of the Radio Tower as his punches begin to crack her shell. Atua might be much smaller, but he has the strength edge - what will win?

Back in town, as McJango, Kroos, and Hifumi reach the area of the train, they are joined by Madame Zalsarona. She explains that Jessica was ambushed and killed by Pete, and McJango expresses his condolences for the other cat. On her advice, they load up all the train parts into the locomotive, before stepping back to wade into the fray. A couple horses run towards them, the Red and White horses thundering as they're escorted by Ace Ventura, who manages to coerce the horses to enter the first passenger car of the train.

Behind them, Ranger, and behind him, the Ultimate Lasagna. Some zombies approach them from the right, but Hifumi quickly pours some water into the Temporal Pressure Cooker, and unleashes a blast of steam that scalds them and Makoto Ohno, alongside some more ghosts. As she reloads, spraying another batch of ghosts, Kroos asks if she can borrow that. She's got some ideas for it that will probably destroy it.

Hifumi says sure, and tosses it to Kroos, as she pulls out the blender, preparing to blend ghost hands and do enough damage to disrupt them. The first victim of said blender is the unfortunate Nemechef, who was just about to give them a burger. Granted, it'd poison them, but still. At Zalsarona's direction, the two ghosts begin to head up the street to find the Pete team, while the four living prepare to face off against the Ultimate Lasagna and the cat mastering it.

On the way up there, a sudden noise from inside the damaged Orange Building catches Hifumi's attention. As she turns to see it, Derek Stiles clobbers her in the face, knocking her over. He wrenches the blender from her grip, and blends both of her hands off together in a single move. Before she can try to recover while handless, Derek grabs her and hurls her into the sky, before channeling the power of Pohatu, Atua's grace letting him break the old limit of his role to let him obtain wrestling moves.

Jumping after Hifumi, Derek brings her down headfirst in a picture-perfect Kinniku Driver through the roof of Orange and into Mineral Storage, avenging his Night 4 as Hifumi is banished back on impact. Satisfied, Derek returns to Orange and begins to walk towards Explosives Storage. He'll need to be careful, with Atua somewhere in the desert, but he's not done saving the living from life yet.

Meanwhile, Roland tries to find one of his allies. Separated from everyone else by Atua and the Lasagna earlier, the ex-cultist barely even notices as he keeps slicing through the waves of ghosts pursuing him. Even Mr. Peanutbutter only gets a second of "wait, wasn't that the guy from TV?" before he gets carved down.

Though he doesn't see allies, Roland sees two more wraiths of substance approaching him. As he cuts down a zombie of an old miner, Honoka and Deathborn come up close. He prepares to slice through them, but Honoka quickly tells him to wait. She explains that she may hate Roland for getting her killed, and Deathborn as well, but there's another, more important target. And Honoka's got something of a plan to help Roland kill him.

Roland says he's listening.

Up in the Purple Building, North Star hears the mad cackling of Pete. He quickly confers with Akira, and they start hiding in the Mayor's Office, ready to leap on him when he climbs up to the roof. Someone comes in... and it's Agent Evangeline. North Star sticks his head out of the wardrobe, and tells her to hide so they can wait for Pete. Evangeline agrees and climbs into a shadowed corner.

It takes a little more waiting, but Pete finally walks in, head twisting and tilting around as he seeks out the enemies of his glorious golden god. The five enemies in question hold still, quiet and careful. Pete looks around, pistol at the ready... and then heads to the window of the Mayor's Office, climbing up to fulfill the note that called him out there. Now's their chance.

Quickly, the anti-Atuaist group rushes up the ladder after Pete. North Star makes them known by shooting out Skull Face's rope to Blue, isolating Pete on the roof. He looks at the lineup against him - North Star, Akira, Evangeline, Hollywood Bowl, and Cascabela. Five against one, and all he has is a pistol with infinite bullets. Or at least, that's all they knew him to have.

Pete's first action is to throw down a smoke bomb, a huge cloud of smoke springing up on the roof. Derek had recommended he grab a couple from the Army Post, and for all of Pete's oddness, he wasn't about to turn down the suggestion of one of his only allies here. But that was just the appetizer. It was time for the main course of Derek's help. There's a click, and as the living try to find Pete, he begins to fire.

Approximately sixty bullets rip out of the smoke, shredding Agent Evangeline's torso in seconds. She stumbles backwards and falls off the roof, dead before she hits the ground.

@Agent Evangeline has been killed!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Atuaism Investigator. Alone among those here, you are firmly aware that this is strongly tied to Atuaism. You can't tell how, exactly, especially with the High Priestess Angie Yonaga dead, but the signatures here are a match for the readings left at Jabberwock Castle and the OCGA Central Facility. Considering your role in the BPI... yeah, it's time to take care of this. You come equipped with esotera detection technology, giving you a leg up in searching out the truth of this mystery. You also have Bureau of Paranormal Investigation classified information, which nobody else here has - maybe this is the key to find the truth?

Forbidden Action: The BPI frowns upon its agents breaking the code of silence. You may not publicly divulge any unrevealed BPI information you have. Privately is fine, however!

As the smoke clears, Pete laughs again. Atua's blessing had given him the ability to create infinite bullets he could reload for any gun, not merely his pistol.

Even the gatling gun he had received from Derek.

With the gatling gun now revealed, Akira immediately tries to slice it in half with a single cut. Unfortunately for her, Pete's Atua-enhanced strength makes it easy for him to hoist it around like it weighs nothing, meaning he can pull it out of the way of her cut and prepare to fire. It's only a couple gunshots from North Star that keep him from getting to shoot her up like he did Evangeline, forcing him to divert his attention. Before he can gear up to shoot North Star, Hollywood Bowl flashbombs him with a bright camera, and Cascabela takes the chance to run up and clobber him with the spike maul.

Pete reels back, but it's clear the High Priest is a lot more durable than your average wraith as well. He manages to bring up his pistols, and starts shooting around, Cascabela jumping back and dancing around the bullets as she tries to avoid getting blasted. Of course, the problem with the pistols is that they still only hold six bullets, and Pete has to pause a minute to reload.

This is what gives North Star the chance to shoot him with an occultic bullet. It pierces Pete's increased strength, and he hisses before laughing again. The gatling revs up, a calvacade of bullets sailing over North Star as he ducks, chasing him around the rooftop. However, that's what gives Akira an idea. She motions to Cascabela and Bowl, as they start to run around and also distract Pete. Trying to gun them all down, Pete's focused entirely on the three. Akira begins to sneak up behind him, and prepares to cut him down!

He suddenly swings around and catches her upside the chin with a pistol whip. Akira stumbles backwards as Pete prepares the gatling, but North Star slams into him, and THIS is one he wasn't prepared for. Pete stumbles away, and North Star grabs the gatling gun, quickly turning it towards Pete himself. He revs it up and shoots, Pete trying to run away - and though he manages to make it pretty far, the last of the gatling bullets catch Pete, causing him to stumble with a few new bullet wounds.

Pete springs back up, but North Star yells to Akira, and she slices through the gatling gun. Now that it's useless, Pete just pulls out his pistols, resuming the quick pistol fire. North Star returns fire when he can, but he can't just use up all the occultic bullets here, while Akira can attack at range but doesn't have much in the way of pinning Pete down, sword swings pretty obvious to see coming.

There's a yell from below up to the group on the roof. Kroos is there, and she's working with the temporal pressure cooker. She tells everyone to get off the roof as soon as possible, and Akira doesn't need to think twice as she runs to the ladder, scrambles down, and then tucks and rolls as she jumps to the ground. Kroos hurls the pressure cooker, time powers fully activated, through the General Store. It arcs through the air as Cascabela gets off the roof, and falls down the hole as North Star hits the ground as well. Pete runs for the edge as well, but Bowl realizes what he must do.

Grabbing Pete and pinning him to the roof, Bowl clutches onto him, refusing to let him go. The Temporal Pressure Cooker hits the base of the Storeroom, just as the massive amount of compacted dynamite and the added Occultic eneergy Kroos stored inside with her skills goes off. The temporal acceleration intensfies the explosion beyond reason, and the blast blows through all four rooms of the Purple Basement, leveling them and destroying the excavator and Crimson Eye materials. The explosion continues upwards, blasting through the first and second floors of the Purple Building and erupting through the roof, Hollywood Bowl holding on even as it blows him away.

Even as they hear a second explosion, the four on the ground are forced to block their vision, and when they can look again, the Purple Building is nothing but a crater. As he sees Bowl's charred body, North Star places his hat over his heart, but at least it was a worthwhile sacrifice. They turn to leave...

And Cascabela yelps as she's shot six times in the back, keeling over. Akira, North Star, and Kroos turn around to see Pete climb out of the crater, cackling. He's missing an arm and a hat, has several large burns all over him, and is clearly devoid of his Liturgic aura after the explosion stripped him clean. However, he's still maniacally laughing, and without his bullets to renew, he doesn't even care.

Pete runs forward, gnashing his teeth wildly as he just lunges at Akira to bite her. However, now that he's in close range, Akira is ready for him. She steps forward and makes a single slice. As Pete lands, he suddenly feels his chest explode into blood, and Akira pivots and slices him clean down the middle. Pete laughs and laughs, even as he finally falls apart, and his body slowly begins to disintegrate, burning away into nothing.

@Pete n VB has been killed!

The three remaining members of the Alliance to End Petemania all take a minute to self-collect. North Star says that with no trace of Atua, the best bet now is to regroup and head towards the train. They turn to move, only for a gunshot to ring out and piece Akira's leg. She yelps and collapses, as Lynne emerges from the Yellow Building, preparing to get her revenge.

Lynne is promptly riddled with bullets from the sky. Mizzlebip lands on the Black Horse, nodding to Akira, before taking back off. Pushing herself to her feet, Akira grumbles as she begins to limp along, she, Kroos, and North Star walk down alongside the west edge of the map, and stop short as they see a huge pile of rubble where the Red Building was. The train is still there and still intact, but it's clear something big went down.

To answer what happened, we need to step back to a little while ago...

Stepping back to around the start of the encounter with Pete in the Purple Building, the Ultimate Lasagna, fully restored to its massive size and backed up by a cackling Lasagna Cat, faces off against Zalsarona, McJango, Ranger, and Ace Ventura. Eyes and body still glowing with pure Occultic power, Zalsarona quickly takes charge of the situation. Dispatching McJango and Ace Ventura to the engine, she tells them to focus completely and entirely on repairing the train. This is their best chance to do so safely.

Understanding that, Ace Ventura grabs the cat and the two of them bolt towards the engine, climbing on board and beginning to carefully install the various parts the train needs to actually start moving. Well, Ace Ventura is the one installing, with McJango using his gun and knife to hold off the ghosts that attempt to climb the train. He shows no mercy to those ghosts who seek to interrupt them.

Even Guy Fieri gets nothing but a stab that causes him to poof.

However, this has left Zalsarona and Ranger alone against the Lasagna, and a massive, roaring beast that seeks to rip them to shreds. Ranger attempts to put a couple bullets from his Spooky Iron, his occultic gun, into the monster, and while it clearly damages it, the completely bizarre, liturgicly-powered monster clearly didn't need whatever was shot out. The Black Sheep has much better success, hitting and running to claw off sections of the lasagna, but with Garfield consistently directing it and calling out where she is, it makes it difficult to actually make an impact.

Attempting to chase down the brains of the operation, Zalsarona starts to go for Lasanga Cat, but that's quickly prevented by the Ultimate Lasagna, lunging with unprecedented speed towards the Black Sheep. Ranger thinks fast, and shoves the ghost of Hannibal Lecter in the way, resulting in him being devoured by the lasagna, but it gives Lasagna Cat the chance to run towards the Orange Building, followed by Zalsarona. Still, he's gonna be able to lose himself in the nooks and crannies of Orange...

That's when a burnt piece of wood flings out of Carpentry. Lasagna Cat trips over it, faceplanting hard and allowing Zalsarona to catch up. She skewers him through the chest with her liturgic claw, as Wonder of U gazes upon the calamity that befell Lasagna Cat. The Ultimate Lasagna roars at the death of its master, and Zalsarona runs into the Blacksmith, pursued by it and Ranger chasing the lasagna. Strong Bad prepares to follow them from Carpentry, only for a sudden form to leap out of the dorm.

Wrapping his legs around Strong Bad's waist and his arms around his shoulders from behind, Derek locks Strong Bad into the famous Camel Clutch wrestling move, and bends him back until he rips in half. With his death avenged as well, Derek tosses aside Strong Bad, and heads to keep an eye on the Lasagna. He's already prepared the Orange Building... now he just needs to find the right moment.

Outside, Ace Ventura takes a deep breath as McJango continues to hold back the ghosts. He has about half of the parts installed at this point, the engine already looking better than anyone had seen it before. Deciding to step out for a moment, Ace Ventura looks over to the distance, seeing the massive centipede coiling and twisting around. As he watches, Momoyo coils around the entire Radio Tower and rips it out of the ground, bringing it down on a particular spot a few times, before Atua catches it and hurls it away.

The Radio Tower comes crashing down on top of the Red Building while carrying King of Clubs, collapsing the whole building and platform into the basement with the sheer force of impact. Ace Ventura and the train are untouched, but he decides it's better to stay in the Locomotive for now anyway.

Meanwhile, inside the Orange Building, Zalsarona is currently in the Ruined Mine room. The entrance to the Mine lies behind her, and the Lasagna roars, Ranger chasing it through the new hole from Blacksmith and giving it a few shots. He kicks some minerals at the Lasagna and watches it lash out wildly, chomping down on Gregg Wallace, Sheamus Finweather, and Falconhoof before they can do more than run into the room. Elster leaps in with some substance, though, and begins to ride it, hammering away at the top.

Zalsarona takes stock as the Lasagna leaps towards her. If she baits it down the hole, it will take some damage from the fall and be unable to get up on its own power, but the sheer liturgic energy will still let it give power to Atua. Better to figure out some way to destroy it now and deny him any possible gains, especially with Elster assisting in its destruction as she rips off a piece of pasta. For his part, Ranger decides to get some extra firepower. Running behind the Lasagna as Zalsarona rips out a huge gash along its side, he goes through Mining Equipment and hits the door to Explosives Storage, noticing it's been wrenched open at this point.

He stops short. Ranger gazes upon an empty room, not a single explosive left in it. He quickly runs back to the Ruined Mine, only to see Zalsarona holding off the Lasagna as Derek Stiles stands at the north entrance. With a grin on his face, the mad doctor gestures to the mine hole, and then hurls a lit stick of dynamite at it. Derek quickly starts to run, and Ranger begins to haul his way back out to the south. Zalsarona, however, can't seem to force the grip of the Lasagna open, and Elster is focused on finishing this beast.

That's when an idea hits her. With a leap, Zalsarona jumps into the monster...

The dynamite goes off at the base of the Mine. This on its own wouldn't do much, but Derek had spent some time planting all the other explosives throughout the Mine, the Orange Basement, and the Orange Building. Going off together thanks to it, a massive blast goes off right behind Ranger, blowing him flat as the Orange Building is obliterated. He hears a second, far-off blast during this, and turns around to see the crater where it once was.

In the center of that crater, the Ultimate Lasagna groans, severely charred and damaged from being in the middle of the explosion. Elster lies re-banished nearby. The Lasagna shifts a bit, then suddenly bursts apart from the inside as a claw stabs through. A very annoyed Zalsarona walks out, aiming to find a towel to clean off the pasta and sauce.

The Ultimate Lasagna has been destroyed!

With the monster lasagna no more, Zalsarona grabs the towel from a passenger cart, and begins to towel off, as Ranger pats himself off. He looks around, but he's lost track of Derek in the chaos, so he resolves to stay vigilant. The two of them watch a bit, only to see three figures coming around from the west. Ranger and Zalsarona prepare to fight...

Only to realize that's Akira, North Star, and Kroos. As the two groups meet up, Ace Ventura leans out the window and informs them that the engine is fully repaired! All that's left is finding Roland, and stopping Atua. The groups split up - Akira, North Star, Kroos, and Zalsarona to go find Roland, and Ranger, McJango, and Ace Ventura to guard the train.

As they head north, looking, there's a sudden shadow up in the air. Looking up, the four of them see a flying centipede... or falling centipede. Momoyo crash-lands on top of the Green Building, her bulk collapsing and destroying the entire building of commerce and the lab beneath it. The rest of the centipede's body follows in that slump, sprawling outside Silver Junction.

The golden form standing atop her broken head walks forward.

@Momoyo Himemushi has been killed!

Atua looks battered and scarred, even his golden skin bearing the marks of the combat with Momoyo. However, he also looks unbent and unbroken, the God of Killing Games pursuing his greatest goal with more fervency than even Angie herself could.

Atua
So, more of you survived Pete than I hoped. A shame - he will be penalized for that in due course.

For now, let the sacrifices begin.

As Atua begins to charge towards the group, there's a sudden shout of "NOW!" Honoka and Deathborn slam out of the east, knocking Atua down the street to the west. He stumbles towards the edge of the Blue Building, caught off guard as those two ghosts hold him down. While Zalsarona, Akira, North Star, and Kroos catch up, Roland leaps out the window of Blue!

Bringing his sword down into Atua's chest, the occultic energy glows as he slams in... and he manages to crack it, but not pierce it. Roland looks surprised for a minute, before he begins to keep the pressure up. If he had maintained it at that moment it would have shattered, but Atua takes the moment to counter, flinging Roland off. The ex-cultist rolls and springs up, Atua looking down at his cracked chest.

An obvious weak spot, right above the heart of his vessel. Atua smirks.

Atua
Well, I must say, you have put me in a dangerous spot. Another strike like that could pierce through.

However, I have toyed with you for long enough!

Atua charges forward. Even without either buffalo horn, his head is solid, and he's able to headbutt North Star into Zalsarona, sending them both falling over. There's a few muffled complaints as they fall, while Akira swings her sword, a slash cutting through the air and slamming into Atua... not carving through him. The one thing that even her blade could not instantly sever. However, a deep cut does appear down his chest, golden blood leaking.

Atua continues to charge towards her, knowing that giving her the chance to follow up would be a problem, only for Zalsarona to spring up behind him. Claws glowing with Occultic might, Zalsarona prepares to stab into Atua from behind... and then a flying figure catches her across the throat with their leg. Interrupted, Zalsarona staggers backwards as Derek lands after his picture-perfect Leg Lariat.

Rubbing her throat, Zalsarona quickly waves to Kroos, who starts to fire a couple of her Occultic Bomb Arrows at Derek. However, he's got the instincts of a pro wrestler, and dodges and weaves around them. The detonations merely claim unfortunate ghosts such as Hurderer, Barton Roberts, and Pizza, while Kroos watches in dismay. She's gonna need to pin him down somehow... but how?

Even as he manages to backhand Akira hard, sending her skidding across the ground, Atua finds that Honoka and Deathborn refuse to give up. This was the entire reason they had started this Killing Game and brought this sin down upon their heads. To let Atua win here would mean all this had been for nothing. Roland had told him part of his plan, the truce a difficult one... which is why the ghost duo have forced Atua back to the north of the Yellow Building. They're holding him there, even as Derek recovers and runs towards him.

Realizing what's going on, Akira begins to head south of the Yellow Building. North Star and Zalsarona, already briefed, clear out, as Kroos sees everyone else moving away and follows their guidance. Derek is able to grab Deathborn and pull him off, and Atua takes the chance to grab Honoka and leap into the air. Bringing Honoka down headfirst as Derek leaps up with Deathborn, the two of them smash Honoka and Deathborn's skulls into each other, taking out both ghosts as Atua shows no remorse over crushing his demigod daughter.

However, as they land, Akira sees her chance. After all, there is nothing she cannot cut.

With a mighty swing, Akira cuts the entire Yellow Building in half lengthwise. Nanao screams "THE SALOON! THAT'S WHERE I WORK!" from somewhere, and the four card players look up in surprise, as the whole top half comes crashing down on Atua and Derek. Hotel, Restaurant, Brewery, Gambling Parlor... the rubble of all those rooms fills the north street. A bottle of “F_ji” water falls into Akira’s hands, and she immediately pockets it. She might have missed one letter, but she’s certain she finally got her Fuji water - a treat for after this mess.

The pile remains unmoving. The group begins to examine it from different angles. The card players stick their heads out of the saloon. Even Ace Ventura, McJango, and Ranger head over to check it out, the train remaining safe behind them. It's still and quiet. Gyro Zeppeli walks over and pokes it.

The golden hand of Atua erupts from the pile, grabs him by the head, and smashes him into the ground with enough force to take Gyro out instantly. Everyone backs up as Atua throws off the rubble, Derek standing up as well. The two of them have to work fast to get out of this, both of them showing injuries from getting caught under the building, but Tsavorae tries to hold Atua back for others to regroup.

However, Derek sees that with everyone running in different directions to replan, he's got an opportunity. Running into the Saloon, now roofless, Derek sees Not Shane. It's nothing personal, but he needs him out of the way, so Derek quickly grabs Not Shane in a picture perfect German Suplex, smashing his head on the saloon floor. Ranger runs through to regroup, and then... Ah. Perfect. An ideal target.

Outside, Roland lunges in as Tsavorae holds Atua back. Thanks to that chance, Roland is able to slam his sword right into Atua's chest It cracks further, Roland trying to end this early, only for Atua to see Akira. Grabbing Akira, Atua swings her forward, smashing her into Roland. They both go over in a heap, and as all this happens, Derek kicks McJango into the air.

He soars through the air like a football, only for Atua and Derek to run towards him, one from each side, with an arm outstretched each. Their arms collide on McJango, and as the stunned cat drops, Atua grabs him and Tsavorae and leaps up. His hand and foot glow with Liturgic power, and he hurls an esotera-wrapped Tsavorae straight through the floor of the Yellow Building. There's an explosion of energy, and the building collapses in on itself into the Yellow Basement, the Outhouses shattering as well just from being too close to the explosion.

And with his other hand, he lets go of McJango... before kicking him with immense force, sending McJango streaking far out of sight, clearly not surviving the sheer impact of the divine kick.

@McJango has been killed!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Telegraph Officer, and though the cables may not be as vital as they were in the old days, there's still a lot of power in them! Thanks to having the ability to pick up on current events, you can get a report of the weather in advance - Night 2's on Day 1, for example - and can correct the forecast. You can't change the weather outright, but you can make it stronger (rain into a downpour) or weaker (rain into a shower), or leave it be. Note that some weather can't be changed. You're not against the future, either - you can use the telegraph lines to set up CCTV cameras around the map. There's only five cameras available to set up, you can set up one per night, and the feeds can only be viewed in the Telegraph Office - so it's a good thing you have the only key there.

Forbidden Action: You have a noncompete agreement with the postal service. Setting even one foot in the mail room will violate that, and the price will be your life!

However, as Atua lands, he's suddenly struck by a massive blow from the side. Zalsarona had been waiting for him to land, and she's able to cut into one of his massive arms, clearly cracking it like his chest. At this point, the myth of his invincible golden skin has been thoroughly broken, it's just a matter of finally shattering it.

On the other side, Derek prepares to run away and sabotage the ghosts from afar... only to suddenly be caught off guard by a knee and a punch to the back. Neil Marshall and Partitio Yellowil send Derek sprawling. He's barely able to roll up before the gunfire from above rains down upon him, Mizzlebip preventing from running away.

However, as the Black Horse swings down for a massive kick, Derek leaps up towards it. He's got a knife, and as he aims to slash Nozzleburp's throat, Mizzlebip is forced to send her horse flying up, leap down, and grab Derek and tackle him into the dirt. Before he can shank her, the Black Horse flies over, kicking Derek hard in the head and launching him away from Mizzlebip.

As he woozily stands up, clutching his head, Reginald Fikwerther grabs him. Holding firmly onto Derek, Reginald yells to Kroos, and she notches an occultic bomb arrow. Derek frantically tries to reason with Reginald and Kroos, attempting to win them over to the side of Atua, to join him in opposing the living. Kroos thinks for a minute, and then makes her reply.

"Koko da yooooo!"

With that, she lets the arrow fly. Reginald ensures Derek can't run, and the bomb arrow goes off, the occultic blast banishing both Reginald and Derek Stiles back to the afterlife. Kroos looks at her arrows - good, she's got a few left.

The true target still remains.

The odds for Atua, in sheer numbers, have become slanted against the God of Killing Games. However, a massive punch to Ranger that sends him sliding into one of the rubble piles makes it clear that just because they have the numbers advantage doesn't mean they can ignore safety - he'll demolish them with ease if they don't work together.

It's a good thing they have a plan, and even some extra assistance. Mizzlebip lands the Black Horse, motioning to Ace Ventura and making it clear that he must, under all circumstances, ensure Nozzleburp rides with them. He throws a thumbs up and goofy smile, promising to keep Nozzleburp safe after the whole mess. That's enough for Mizzlebip to tip her hat to run in, shooting at Atua to try and keep him boxed in near the Blue Building. As long as he's still over there, they at least have only three sides to worry about flanking him from.

North Star quickly aims a couple occultic bullets towards Atua's leg. He fires them off, and though the bullets break uselessly on his leg, the occultic marks leave scars. Still, as he grabs the door to the Lobby, North Star is forced to duck to avoid it as it sails over his head. Behind him, Mizzlebip leaps over him, the clown firing a few times. Her bullets might not be as spooky, but they're enough to chip off a bit of that cracked body.

Running towards Atua, he prepares to clobber her with the other pane of the Lobby door, only to realize she's got a bunch of explosives attached. Instead, he shields himself with it as the clown detonates, the blast forcing Atua backwards into the Blue Building. As he realizes he's been cornered inside the lone remaining building, he takes stock. The living won't rush in - they know he could ambush them. Conversely, that means that he can take the chance to recover.

That's before he hears a hissing. Looking to the side, Atua sees the two cowboys who didn't need to worry about consequences - Partitio Yellowil and Neil Marshall. Partitio steps forward and speaks.

"Atua, you varmint, you're lower than a common rat! Least a rat makes a pest of itself 'cause it has to survive same as anyone else! You? You came 'round these parts and made a pest of yourself for nothing more than a grasp at immortality and power!"

"But I've cottoned on to a mighty effective way of dealin' with a pest. You know as well as anyone I've had the pleasure of watchin' a snake dine…"

"...so, boys 'n' girls, that's the dinner bell ringin'! Have at him!"

With that, he suddenly hurls a whole heap of snakes at Atua. They bite on, and while normally it wouldn't affect the golden god, the many cracks and injuries he has already are enough to let them deliver a poisonous payload. Neil follows up by shooting at him a few times, Atua using the snakes to absorb the bullets. He staggers for a minute, before charging forward and lowering his head.

Atua
HERE COMES THE PAIN TRAIN!

Even without the horns to use the full Hurricane Mixer combo, that headbutt is more than enough to send Neil and Partitio flying. The two of them crash into the wall of Blue, and as Atua grabs up the couch, Partitio quickly pushes Neil aside. He's not able to get out of the way himself, the couch smashing into him, busting a hole in the wall too.

Neil realizes this is their chance, and throws himself bodily into Atua's back. All this gets him is grabbed by the head and spiked into the ground, but it does mean that Atua's now outside the Blue Building. And because of that, he's suddenly under a barrage of firepower. Ranger and North Star keep up the gunfire, and Akira launches a sword wave. Pushing forward, Atua is able to grab a piece of the wall and hurl it with enough force to throw up a wave of sand.

With their vision disrupted, he runs up towards them, only to suddenly be intercepted by a figure he didn't even expect.

Ace Ventura stands there, looking very nervous but also holding a sword at the ready. Atua begins to laugh.

Atua
You? You of all people? The only one who would not raise a hand against the others, even to save his own life? You wish to fight the God of Killing Games?

Fine then. If you want to die so quickly, who am I to deny you?

Using his arms against Ace Ventura's sword, Atua begins to duel the dedicated pacifist. His massive fists remain powerful, if slowed by the venom and pulled by his various injuries, but Ace Ventura has decided to give it his all. He brings up his blade, consistently deflecting and blocking. He's not even trying to kill Atua, the god realizes, just playing defense. Not even a direct fight with the true force responsible for this Killing Game can get him to go fully violent. Ace Ventura is joined for a minute by Ainsley Harriot, but the latter is quickly struck down by Atua.

With a disgruntled noise, Atua steps back a bit and prepares to simply move in and kill Ventura. However, as he straightens up, a sudden bolt streaks out of nowhere and blasts him in the chest! Kroos's Occultic Bomb Arrow™ detonates, leaving Atua reeling, his liturgic defenses severely weakened by such a point-blank dose of occultism. Even that hasn't fully shattered his golden chest... but that's when the Black Sheep charges in.

A single claw strike to the golden chest of Atua, and it finally shatters. Golden light pours from his chest, even as he simply punches Zalsarona away, leaving him reeling. He staggers forward, and tries to cover the hole, but the damage is too great... and that's when Atua sees him charging. Roland. His sword glows with occultic light, and as he runs forward, Atua tries to swing at him and crush his head once and for all.

Roland's just a little faster. With a quick move, Roland ducks under, stabs upwards... and pierces the heart of the god. Atua screams, as bright light begins to shine, far too bright for anyone to see-

And then it winks out. Of the golden god, there is no sign. Roland looks at Superchao, standing in front of him, and then pulls back his sword. The body of the Vessel collapses backwards, landing with a thump - no golden skin, no white hair, no red eyes, simply the ordinary Superchao. Nothing of Atua left.

@Superchao has been killed!

There's a moment of relief, as the survivors begin to take stock of themselves, and the ghosts fade. Kroos remains, empowered enough on her own to avoid vanishing with the rest, and she watches as the last couple zombies crumble as well. For a minute, there is silence, as Zalsarona walks away, standing slightly separate from the other six.

She then spins around and holds a gun up.

"Though Atua walks no more, YOU are all GUILTY of unleashing his liturgic plague onto these lands in the first place! In the name of the abyssal court, I sentence you to death!"

Declaration of intent made, Zalsarona quickly makes her first move, taking the gun and beginning to fire bullets while declaring that they are for specific people, forcing them to pursue said bullets due to the power of the Ultimate Storekeeper. Even with five of the six buildings completely destroyed, and the sixth damaged, it's still a wide area to spread them out in.

Compulsively following the bullets, Roland finds himself in the south desert, while Kroos is over by the graveyard. Ace Ventura stands by the Outhouse Crater and Momoyo's massive body, as Ranger hunts for bullets in the ruins of Orange. North Star is forced to run upstairs to the second floor of Blue, while Akira remains behind. Zalsarona just begins to rummage through her inventory... and to throw.

Akira looks at her, dumbfounded. A big betrayal moment, and this is how to back it up? A bunch of rocks and tools? With ease, Akira begins to slice through everything, her sword practically cutting through the air. A couple of the sword waves she can do even slice through the air itself, managing to leave cuts on Zalsarona that she only survives via careful dodging. However, that very same skill is, itself, a potential trap. One that Zalsarona has thought ahead about.

Hurling another object at Akira, she slices through it like anything else, only to get a huge faceful of motor oil. With a yell, Akira clutches at her eyes, stumbling backwards and temporarily blinded by the container that Zalsarona had thrown. She'd fallen right into the trap, cutting it and letting it spray over her. Zalsarona quickly rushes in, combat knives at the ready. She plants one in Akira's chest, stabbing the samurai and letting her stumble backwards, backing off as Akira starts wildly cutting to try and drive her away.

Before she can move in for the kill, she hears the sounds of music. Specifically, the song Big Iron, as performed on a banjo. Turning, Zalsarona sees that Ranger and Kroos have managed to find their bullets, and have caught back up to her. Dropping the combat knife as Ranger keeps playing, the Black Sheep switches to a sword and a shield, and charges towards the two of them. Kroos begins to prepare a bomb, while Ranger just keeps playing.

As Zalsarona gets in close, Kroos prepares to hurl a detonate-on-impact bomb on her... only for her to draw a flamethrower and light Kroos up. While her arm's too extended to have that particular bomb ignited, the rest of the materials Kroos has go up at once, causing a huge explosion to blast off. Ranger is knocked back a bit, and as the smoke clears, Kroos stumbles out.

Right into a sword swing from Zalsarona that takes off the head of the empowered wraith, putting her lights out. Literally.

@Kroos the Keen Glint has been killed!

With that taken care of, Zalsarona turns to Ranger and his now-resumed banjo playing - and is suddenly shot in the arm, one of the only spots not covered by the shield. She blinks in surprise, but couldn't see where he did that. A second shot is blocked by the shield just due to Zalsarona making sure to keep it up at all times, but once again, she couldn't see Ranger fire. Right. Best bet would be to retreat inside the Blue Building... and prepare for North Star. Moving backwards with the shield up, Zalsarona steps inside the Blue Building.

Right as she does, North Star begins to head down the stairs, so she shoots him. Nice and simple, though it only winged him thanks to him quickly tossing himself aside. Moving around the environment, Zalsarona lets North Star keep firing. For his part, North Star's hand moves to the jar of pure Liturgic esotera... no, he can't risk wasting it. Too dangerous. Instead, he keeps up the pressure, working on forcing Zalsarona into a corner.

As one gun runs out, he tosses it aside and prepares for the next - only for Zalsarona to lunge in. A sword stab slashes out from her, and the blade bites deep into North Star. He slumps over, and the Black Sleep backs up, preparing for the killing blow. Once again, however, she is interrupted... this time, by a wraith. The last wrait, the only one that had not been seen.

Bud appears, questioning Sheep Lady as to why she's doing this. The Black Sleep explains that it is the only way to purge Atua's influence. With McJango dead, only Ventura was worth saving, and the rest would pay with their lives for their contributions. Bud asks what happened to the Sheep Lady he had met, the one who was happy to encourage him to cook and who helped support him as the Mayor, who wanted to fight Atua through rebuilding, not destruction.

The Black Sheep challenges Bud on this point. Did that not lead to his own death? Bud says that while it's unfortunate it ended that way, he would not have wanted to see the group slaughter each other. Not even over him.

Madame Zalsarona stops for a second. Deep within, the old sheep woman hears Bud's words, and begins to regret the path she's chosen.

But the Black Sheep remains in control, and it has one goal. Taking full control, the Black Sheep lunges forward, her sword cutting through Bud and banishing the last of the wraiths. However, that's given North Star the chance to recover. Unsteady on his feet, he has the jar of liturgic in his hands, and he hurls it at the Black Sheep... before firing one shot from his Occultic gun.

The shot hits the Liturgic jar, and the reaction immediately sets off a huge, primarily-holy explosion. The blast hurls North Star out of the Blue Building, and the sheer impact within shatters the structural integrity of the building. The last building of Silver Junction, the only modern one, caves in on itself, the impact even collapsing the floor and sending the whole thing crushing the basement of the church.

As North Star stands up, looking dazed, he sees that the Black Sheep was blown out of the other exit to the Lobby. She staggers over, no longer having the sword... and hears the banjo once more. This time, Ranger proves the most important part of Big Iron to be true here as well.

That the Ranger's aim was deadly with the Big Iron on his hip.

Two gunshots ring out as Ranger shoots the Black Sheep through the head and the heart. The body wavers and collapses, the Black Sheep still grinning - even with this vessel struck down, and not all the living slain as they should be... Atua had still been brought low. The bargain was fulfilled.

@Madame Zalsarona has been killed!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Storekeeper, lifeblood of the town. And you can sell anything to anyone, even in a Killing Game! Each night, you can choose someone to sell items to. They will automatically take the items you give them, and will be incapable of voluntarily discarding them during that night. Whether you choose to make that a benefit or a detriment... well, that's totally up to you. Additionally, you have the key to the Store Basement, your major repository of goods, products, and whatever you might need to have handy. Nobody's getting in there without you letting them in there!

Forbidden Action: You've got a reputation to keep, and you'll lose it if you start handing out death in a barrel. You can't sell anything that will directly harm your customer - no passing off the lit bomb! Indirect harm you can set off later is a-okay, though.

Second Forbidden Action: It's very important to have control over your kitchen! And to prove it, you can't allow any unwanted interference in your cooking! Wanted interference is fine - that's just assistance.

Ranger and North Star look over Zalsarona's body with a sigh. As Roland and Ace Ventura catch up, Roland makes it clear he's burying her before they leave.

A little while later, Ace Ventura is leading the Pale Horse into the first passenger car, to join Red, White, and Black. Akira, face vaguely toweled off, and North Star, the both of them bandaged, climb into the second passenger car, while Roland and Ranger finish the burial in the cemetery.

With the grave done, Ranger asks Roland if he wants to say something, but Roland shakes his head. The two of them head back, and Ranger joins Ace Ventura in the Locomotive, while Roland heads to the Caboose. He sets up on the back end of the Caboose, watching Silver Junction, while Akira slumps into her seat and North Star watches out the window.

In the Locomotive, Ranger loads up the engine, as Ace Ventura looks over the Locomotive's controls. He has very little experience with these, but he can make it work, right? Right. Surely it can't be that hard. Poking and prodding at the engine a bit, Ace Ventura finally figures out how to start it. The Locomotive finally begins to move. After ten nights of chaos, bloodshed, and ritual, the train starts to pull away from Silver Junction.

While it moves, Roland watches, but he doesn't see anything untoward as Silver Junction begins to vanish in the distance. With none of its buildings standing, it fades quickly from view, blending with the rest of the desert as they pull away. Eventually, satisfied, he heads back in, going to the third passenger car. Ranger, meanwhile, heads back from the Locomotive to the first car - now that it's underway, only Ace Ventura needs to stay there to stay on track.

Something moves beneath the Caboose.

Roland slumps down in his seat, exhausted.

Something climbs up to the back of the Caboose, and climbs in.

Roland leans back. He sighs, thinking about Silver Junction. This was not the four he would have chosen to save... but it was the four he saved.

Something hurls Jessica's body out of the Caboose, leaving her to rot by the side of the tracks.

Roland stretches and gets up. He might as well at least go talk to the others to pass the time.

Something knocks on the door.

Roland quickly whips around. He draws his sword and runs towards the door to the Caboose-

And it explodes in a splinter of wood. The golden figure there is no longer solid flesh, but burning energy itself. Atua, in his spiritual form, the esotera that makes up the god, reaches back and grabs the hitch to the Caboose. With a roar, he pulls up and rips the entire Caboose clean of the train, before swinging the train car and using it to shattering the roof and sides of the third Passenger Car, standing over Roland in fury.

Atua
Never have I been so insulted or so betrayed. When Spencer Edwards abandoned Me to the Union Army Paranormal Division, I thought I had found the limits of a God's anger. But today I have understood true divine anger!

I was denied once, and made the mistake of abandoning the game when My vessel was struck low, forcing me to wait another century and a half! I will not make that mistake a second time - even if I must intervene in my true divine form, I will simply exterminate all of you! I will stand alone as the winner of the Killing Game, and incarnate upon the Earth!

Roland! Akira! Ranger! North Star! Ace Ventura!

You should feel honored, as tonight, your worthless lives will achieve their true destiny - the sacrifices upon My altar to My eternal and everlasting glory!

Standing alone on the ruined passenger car, the scenery whipping by as the train continues its blistering pace down the tracks, Roland doesn't fancy his odds against Atua. The god may be in a vulnerable form of pure esotera, but he's still strong enough to swing the Caboose around as a weapon, and unrestrained by the limitations a physical form imposes. As if to prove it, Atua starts to swing again, Roland barely throwing himself down in time to avoid getting clobbered off the train.

Atua backs up, and smirks. Fine, then. If he simply pins Roland, then either he will move close enough to strike or stay behind and be crushed...

And as he thinks that, the door to the second passenger car flings up. Several occultic bullets fire out and strike through Atua's arm, leaving him roaring in pain - no physical form means no invincible golden skin. He drops the Caboose, and a sword slice splits it in half before it can crush the now-flatbed car, the two halves falling to the sides of the train and quickly left behind.

Ranger, North Star, and Akira Kogami stand there, Roland looking at them. He says he appreciates the save, but what's Ace Ventura doing? Ranger points out someone still needs to drive the train, and in a reply of sorts, the Locomotive loudly whistles as Ace pulls the cord. Roland says that makes sense, and then turns to face Atua. The golden god simply laughs. Very well, if four of the five wished to bring themselves to him, that would be enough!

Moving forward with speed he did not possess in Superchao's body, Atua grabs Akira and hurls her over his head, towards the open land behind. He quickly grabs North Star and fling him back too, but his attempt to move in towards Roland and Ranger is deterred by Roland's occultic sword. With a swing, Roland is able to leave a mark, burning off the edge of that esotera. Once again, without the golden skin, Atua is as fragile as anyone else, if not more.

It doesn't change that he's still dangerous. Roland finds that Atua's new speed lets him swing a chair into his face, slamming Roland to the ground. Ranger starts playing the banjo, but while Atua may not be able to see what he's doing when he's playing that song, he can tell that whatever it is will be bad for him. Quickly, Atua swings forward. Ranger stops playing and ducks under his arm, right as Atua spins around - and catches an occultic bullet in the chest.

Staggering backwards, Atua stares in shock at the end of the train. Akira is hanging on desperately for dear life, her yelling and whining and complaining stopped by using her mouth to keep her sword safe, as North Star slowly climbs over her and makes it back onto the train as well. He'd taken the chance to shoot Atua and catch him off guard, and as Atua begins to move towards the back, Roland swings his occultic sword, splitting a massive rent into Atua's left arm. As a pure liturgic being, his vulnerability to the occultic was far greater... but if he could just get rid of this, the tables would turn.

Atua reaches back with his damaged arm, and grabs the sword. His hand smokes and sizzles, but he forces it to keep working as he wrenches that sword backwards. Roland's grip is good, but a sharp kick is enough to dislodge it, and Atua hurls the sword forward, embedding it into the back of the passenger car. With no other occultic weaponry of his own, Roland draws a regular gun and shoots Atua. It's clear from the impact and the recoil of the god that regular weapons will help, but it'll be an uphill climb, so Roland immediately falls back to retrieve the blade.

However, seeing that the regular gun worked inspires Ranger. He starts playing Ghost Riders in the Sky on his banjo again, and takes advantage of the distraction that causes to suddenly lunge forward, and clock Atua across the head with his banjo. Atua backhands him, slamming Ranger to the floor of the train, and then reaches down with his undamaged arm. As Akira pulls herself back onto the train as well, Atua prepares to properly spike Ranger into the ground and finish him.

Up above in the Locomotive, Ace Ventura keeps his eye on the tracks. A pacifist at heart, he had known just from looking back that he wouldn't be much good in a fight against the golden god. He had barely managed to hold Atua back earlier, and even now that Atua was here on the train, he knew that his best role was up here, supporting the rest by keeping the train on the tracks. But as he sees the upcoming major curve, Ace realizes maybe taking a big risk is the best way to help.

Slamming on the throttle, Ace amps up the Locomotive to full steam ahead, and blows the whistle. Right as Atua raises Ranger to slam him, the Locomotive hits that curve with almost enough force to derail. Not even a god can keep his balance, and as Akira and North Star cling to the seats and Roland finds his sword finally wrenching out, Atua stumbles.

That allows Ranger to use his Spooky Iron, the occultic gun, to fire a couple shots right into Atua's good arm. The god loses his grip, and as he stumbles, Akira dashes forward. She cuts through one leg, and though the esotera can repair itself, Atua still collapses to one knee. Ranger puts a couple more occultic bullets in the chest, and as Atua tries to charge liturgic power in his other hand, Roland leaps in and cuts that hand off with his occultic sword.

North Star walks up. He's still got an occultic gun, and he looks eye to eye with Atua.

Atua
Do you think... that this matters? As long as people demand an answer for the Killing Games, I will endure! I am your desire to know why Killing Games happen, made manifest. I am the God of Killing Games that you wish for!

North Star just smirks. What's that to him? He already knows why this Killing Game happened. He could find the answer to any Killing Game with some digging through the records. A God that keeps them happening is a useful excuse, but it's only an excuse to not properly study them.

Akira agrees that ultimately, it's not as big a deal in the world as Atua wants to believe it is. Killing Games are a small fact of life, but like an eclipse or an earthquake, once they're explained, they lose their mystique. So why bother caring when progress will remove Atua's role?

From the Locomotive, Ace Ventura yells that in his opinion, the world's big enough that the "why of Killing Games" just isn't that big a deal anymore. It's not like the old days, where it would be the talk of a lot of people.

Ranger adds that now that they've already figured out Atua is a cult's answer, they know it's not the real answer. Therefore, they have the evidence needed to prove Atua was no true god, no matter what he might be claiming.

Roland declares that he intends to publicize the nature of what Atua was, to ensure that the world knows exactly how Atua worked. So that everyone, even his cult, knows that it was just a creation of man, not an omnipotent god above.

And for the first time, there's real fear on Atua's face. The God of Killing Games only worked because people believed in him. If they shattered his form here, he could someday return from the belief of people in a higher power that directed Killing Games... but if he was fully explained, that would be the true end of Atua. For no one would believe in Atua, the God of Killing Games, anymore.

With that, North Star tips his hat. He raises the occultic gun to Atua's face. He fires five shots.

The world goes white.

At a small train station in a small town in Arizona, the place had been left closed for the day. Though there were no longer regular trains there, the station had yet to be torn down, and still got the occasional maintenance. A maintenance worker finishes the last bit of the monthly repairs, preparing to walk away... before hearing a train whistle.

Looking back in confusion and surprise, they see a dilapidated steam engine, dragging a couple passenger cars and the ruins of a third behind it. The train pulls up just shy of the station, before finally stopping, practically slumping. That on its own is strange enough, but what really catches their eye is four horses climbing off of the train. Red, black, white, and pale begin to roam freely around and eat the wild grasses by the station.

Behind the horses, the man who cared the most about their collective survival. Ace Ventura climbs proudly down the stairs, having made it without ever raising his hand to attempt on another.

@Ace Ventura: Pet Detective has survived!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Barkeep, the one responsible for the most important business in this here town - the saloon. You've made money for years off getting people drunk to the gills, and that's gonna keep you afloat now. You can get anyone drunk if you take the effort to serve them alcohol, severely impairing their coordination, accuracy, and dexterity for the rest of the night. Doesn't matter who it is, you know exactly what to serve them and how much to ensure they're blotto! Note that you can't get the same person boozed up two nights in a row. Additionally, with how often you've had to manhandle angry drunks, you always have the edge in unarmed combat. It's not a guaranteed win, but starting on the front foot can do a lot.

Forbidden Action: No pilferage allowed! Consuming any alcohol from the Saloon, no matter what or how, puts you six feet under. Alcohol from other sources is okay.

Second Forbidden Action: Stocks are running low, and there's only one way to keep them up! You cannot enter the Brewery under any circumstances.

Ace walks over to the train map, starting to study it and figure out where he and the others can go from here. Behind him, a musical refrain plays out through the station, the second survivor trying to pick the perfect tune to mourn and celebrate all at once. Ranger climbs down, still picking at his banjo as he tries to place what would work best.

@Ranger has survived!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Country Musician, traveling the West far and wide to win hearts and minds with your soulful rendetions of country classics. And your skills might just get you out of one more jam! With how appealing your music is, whenever you play your music, all minor actions you make will go unregistered - and it helps that you've brought along your trusty banjo. Sure, you can't distract people from you pulling out a gun and shooting someone while you play, but pickpocketing or planting items? Far different. Additionally, your recordings always come out impressively well - enough to mistake for the real deal. Any recording you make will be identified in accounts as if you were heard playing music. Keep in mind, if people see the playing device, they'll know it's a machine.

Forbidden Action: Your brand value carries weight, so you can't go diluting it. Up to 3 recordings of you may exist at once, and absolutely no more.

Second Forbidden Action: Your Big Irons are your life - literally, now. You must keep a gun on you at all times.

Finally, he hits on just the right tune. The sounds of El Paso ring out over the train station as Ranger performs a tribute to their allies who didn't make it. Accompanied by that is the idol descending from the train, though Akira's got no intention of singing along right now.

@Akira Kogami has survived!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Samurai, and while you think you may have taken a slightly incorrect turn, you will do the best you can with it. And of course, as a samurai, you have a legendary sword of unparalleled power and sharpness. In fact, you can cut through anything with your legendary sword - and I do mean anything! Metal, wood, ground, people... of course, it's only the length of a normal sword, and you can't do any sick anime tricks with it. On the plus side, you are able to do amazing cutting stunts even with a normal sword, though it won't cut through literally anything like your special one can.

Forbidden Action: Your legendary sword craves action! If your legendary sword is drawn for any reason, it must cut something before it returns to the sheath. What it cuts is up to you, but that blade better part something!

Upon the successful completion of the Night 4 motive, Akira received the following upgrade: You may now cut things remotely by slashing through the air when using your legendary sword.

Grinning, Akira rummages through her pockets for what she's finally, finally found - her precious Fuji Water. She pulls out the bottle... and realizes she just has a bottle of Fiji Water. Sitting down on the passenger bench, Akira says "fuck it" and starts drinking it anyway. Panimajesh flutters free from her and perches on the station building, while a somber Roland exits the train, still sighing over the deaths.

@Roland has survived!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Cultist. One of the last true followers of Atuaism, you have been there ever since the prophet Angie first brought forth the holy message, after the great betrayal of the one known as Turb. The cult's fallen apart since her banishment by Ramsay, but you remain. And your god has a mission for you. Forces are aligned against him, and to stop them, he has granted you two boons. You are stronger than most people, capable of lifting, dragging, punching at much greater levels than others. The second boon warps the very rules of the Killing Game, as you cannot be nightkilled. All attempts to kill you at night will fail - though you still need to avoid getting lynched, for Atua's grace cannot save you from that!

Forbidden Action: You must stop those aligned against Atua. The NPCs Honoka Kosakatua, Deathborn, Momoyo Himemushi, and Pohatu must all be dead at the end of the game. Atua has no quarrel with or concern about Hollywood Bowl and Agent Evangeline, so you may interact as you wish with them. Additionally, this FA cannot be discovered by others.

Second Forbidden Action: You may not wear anything on top of your head. Masks and other coverings that do not cover your scalp are okay.

Sitting on the other end of the bench, Roland thinks on them. Evangeline... Zalsarona... McJango. Maybe if they had made different decisions, maybe if he had taken different actions, they would have survived. But all he can do is continue to live on. That's that, and this is this, after all. As he ponders, the final passenger of the train climbs off. North Star twirls his gun - the gun that put the final bullet through a god.

@North Star has survived!

Spoiler: Show

You are the Ultimate Vengeful Cowboy. Once struck down by a wandering adventurer, now you have risen with a drive to strike down everyone who did you wrong... which you have decided is just everyone, now. As a cowboy, you can still call people out through written notes, forcing them to meet your summons. While you can't be sure of when they'll follow it, you know they will for a fateful showdown, and you've still got your trusty pistol with you. Additionally, the strength of your grudge has the energy to disrupt the very nature of the Killing Game itself. Once during the game, you may empower your attempt with your grudge, forcing the kill to happen as an additional murder case for the night. A single murder night will become double murder night with you as a guaranteed killer, and so on.

Forbidden Action: Your grudge keeps you moving, and it is directed at the world that spurned you. You cannot attempt suicide, for your grudge will burn out and leave you the moment you turn it on yourself.

Standing at the edge of the platform, North Star tips his hat in a salute to all those they left behind in Silver Junction, and looks at the footage he had kept safe throughout the escape. It had been hard-fought, a hard ten days of survival and brutality, and a vicious finale afterwards. But they had made it alive together. Whatever lay ahead... there was at least this moment of success and respite.

WILD WEST KILLING GAME: THE END

Spoiler: Show

Far away, a man pulls himself up to his desk. The shock had floored him - the feeling of something he had grown to dismiss as a background hum ripped away.

He looks down at his arms. There were no visible differences, but... he knew. He could feel what had been taken from him. His bond with Atua, still present despite not speaking to the god in over a century, was gone. An emptiness remained.

More than that, though... his mortality had returned. For a man used to not aging, he could already feel time beginning to wear on him once more. He was still middle-aged, and now in a time with longer life expectancy he wouldn't be dying any time soon.

But the mere thought of his eventual demise... that had been part of what led him to pledge himself to Atua. He had seen the god's power firsthand, and become loyal and devout... only to save himself when the Union Army Paranormal Division had attacked. And he realized he remained immortal, even with Atua suppressed by the Union. He had sought the world and made it his own, knowing far more than anyone could learn in a lifetime.

He would not let himself die. He would use the contacts and knowledge of two centuries.

Spencer Edwards, once the preacher of Silver Junction, swears to himself that no matter what, his immortality will be his once more.

fuck

This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2025 at 12:40 AM by Morgan.

Everyone... I'm back. This is my team of the greatest Anomaly Capture Specialists in the world... Atua doesn't stand a chance...

[All around, the devastation of the battle smolders.]



...It was here a few hours ago?...

This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2025 at 3:13 PM by Superchao.

In the dusty ruins of Silver Junction, the massive corpse of Momoyo Himemushi's centipede form begins to twitch at the head.

It starts to crack open.

And then it bursts, and a figure crawls out of it.

Momoyo Himemushi
Holy shit, that was a ride! ...Awww, they broke the mineral room. I wanted to go stuff myself silly.

Momoyo Himemushi, back in humanshape, looks at Morgan.

Momoyo Himemushi
Hey, can you spare some clothes?

Momoyo Himemushi
Holy shit, that was a ride! ...Awww, they broke the mineral room. I wanted to go stuff myself silly.

Momoyo Himemushi, back in humanshape, looks at Morgan.

Momoyo Himemushi
Hey, can you spare some clothes?

Hey, Garfield! Nice cowboy outfit!

So, uh.... you guys know ⠀⠀ each other?

Garfield's my pet cat! He's a funny little guy, isn't he?

Cool ⠀⠀ Anyone wanna play some poker

(LASAGNA NOISES)

You said it, buddy! Deal me in!

...Okay, on balance, I probably do deserve this.

Meanwhile, inside the Orange Building, Zalsarona is currently in the Ruined Mine room. The entrance to the Mine lies behind her, and the Lasagna roars, Ranger chasing it through the new hole from Blacksmith and giving it a few shots. He kicks some minerals at the Lasagna and watches it lash out wildly, chomping down on Gregg Wallace, Sheamus Finweather, and Falconhoof before they can do more than run into the room. Elster leaps in with some substance, though, and begins to ride it, hammering away at the top.

We made it Marty! And now Texas Toast is gone forever and Texas Red and all them other varmints. Guess we didn't find Spence Redwards, think that's important?

Nah

I reckon yer right

I guess this would be a good time to reflect on this whole nightmare and what we can learn from it

Yep

...

I should get a cat

That's your takeaway from all of this?

Yeah

That's a pretty good takeaway

So... What are we gonna do now

I feel inspired to write a new album. I'll write the songs and you can play the songs and get all the money since I'm dead, what do you think?

Alright, why not

I have a great idea for a song called "Ballad of the Long Jumper"

No Marty we can't write songs about Derek Marty! He was terrible and kicked McJango Marty!!

We can just say it was actually someone else who didn't do anything important. Like Gyro!

I guess that works

And we can do one called "Here's How Partitio Did It"

Did what?

Everything. Except anything to do with the ladies

Alright, makes sense

And then I got this other idea for an experimental track called "Glopping Pickles"

...Dang it Marty...