“That’s it?” Jason demanded. He watched the dialog between Amelia and Void, and even he seemed surprised when she cast her final spell and nothing happened. When the sickening sound effect entered the room when Void crushed the life from her there had been total silence. Now they were all watching her death point of view as well as her brief talk with Aidan.

“Waiting for a laugh?” Elias asked tiredly. It wasn’t every day when Amelia let him down. AAO was really dying. Already the screens that he wasn’t streaming but they were watching were flickering out. All across the continents, the screens went dark as if even in the future the world was no more. Void really did destroy the world in the past of AA, negating any future that it might have had.

“I… I wasn’t ready,” Abhy whispered. “I’m not even crying. I’m just too stunned. It was too soon. There should be more?”

“Any comment from the PR department of Centra Holding?” Elias suddenly snapped.

Audrey shook her head. “All their forums went quiet.”

“What are you thinking?” Abhy was holding her husband’s hand, but defeat wasn’t in his eyes. Instead, he was watching Amelia’s screen as one thing after another went dark. “You don’t look like you believe it.”

“Eddie!” Elias removed his hand from hers and went to the studio station, slapping an intercom button that connected to the music studio. “Get ready! Comeback music. Slow. Drumbeat only. Get ready goddammit.”

All the screens finally went dark, and only the music they were playing was heard over the black stream they were sending out to millions and millions of viewers. A snare drum that beat a soft one beat rhythmic tone. They all waited. Nothing happened.

“Get up you punks!” A man in a pub in Scotland threw a paper cup at the light curtain across the room. There were general mutterings of agreement as the screen went black. Some people started to complain that it was probably that the light curtain had lost signal. The pub owner hurried over and tried to check the connection as the disorganized anger continued to grow in the room.

“Why did it go dark? Is it going to be back on next week?” A dark-eyed girl sat on the floor in front of the curtain with her two dads sitting behind her on the couch. Her smile brightened. “I can’t wait.” They smiled back at her uncertainly.

“That can’t be it…”

“Pfft. What a bunch of crap.”

“Well, I mean, it’s not April Fool's…”

All around the world millions, people started to get up in arms about what they perceived to be the biggest load of crap they’d ever seen.

Millions of viewers.

The players were still not released and sat awkwardly in the dark space wondering why it was quiet.

Wondering why they were alone. Wondering why they couldn’t log just yet and the [Forced to Watch] icon was still active.

Active, but flickering.

Elias started to snarl even as all the screens began to spring back to life.

Almost as if it were struggling, a light began to flicker against the dark backdrop. It was unrecognizable at first. Flickering dimly on and off as it seemed to be trying to penetrate the darkness of the scene. The whole world quieted down and waited.

A furious beat of wings and the small creature broke through the darkness. It hovered for a moment, darting back and forth experimentally as if it were trying to decide which way to go.

Ah. It was Fred.

The violet light globe of Amelia’s had been the first thing to reappear against the black backdrop. Then something else happened across all the other live feeds.

Amelia’s feed was first but was in no way unique. Instead of showing anything recognizable, the surroundings just began flickering. Black and white over and over and over on all the screens. Fortunately, it didn’t last long or Elias might have had to stop the feed so people with a history of epilepsy didn’t get surprised. Before long a low rumble sounded over the music and suddenly Blutonsi flared back on the screen as if it had never disintegrated into pixelated nothingness.

“What?” Abhy wanted to know.

“Eddie hit it!” Eddie, the artist descended from a famous 21st-century musician, began to sing.

“Didn’t… think you could stop us now!” Eddie cried, and he started playing the piano to a prerecorded excited drum beat. “Get ready, get ready for the knockback, for the dropkick comeback, for the snap-punch on fire solo act. Get ready for the dragon bite tail swipe tab breaking brawl fight!”

“What’s going on?” Aidan asked without surprise. He seemed like he had a suspicion already.

“The world is being remade. Like I said. It takes a second.” Amelia said. She really wished she could hold his hand. The colors began to return to the shore even as they all heard the rush of air returning to the world. Fred was starting to thrum on the shoreline. Maybe it really would level up this time.

“You’re smiling.” He said accusingly.

“Yeah. Who else gets to see the world end and then get reborn?” She wanted to know.

“How?” Gilduirn whispered, suddenly beside them in his smokey dead state.

“Magic stones that steal life,” Amelia said. “If you just go by the name, they’re technically stone.”

“You transformed his death stones?” Raven was there, bouncing up and down.

“How did you know that would do anything?” Elisha was looking pinched like she couldn’t believe it either.

“The stones gather the life of all those killed in the battle with Void,” Amelia explained. “I can’t say that I knew they would do what I wanted but… when you bring a stone object to life it sometimes reacts with its own will. If we’re talking about something that is forced to store the life of the dead, then wouldn’t the life stored within have a say in how it reacts? They aren’t creatures, so it is hard to say what the effect would be. Besides, it isn’t like we’ve won. I’m still dead.”

“That is just nonsense.” Forsythe decided after considering her explanation. "..but I suppose I will accept the outcome."

“Maybe. Hey, everyone can hear me can’t they?” Amelia looked to the shore where all the Transients stood watching.

“Obviously,” Khiafin said slowly. He was nowhere in sight but apparently the dead channel was continent-wide.

Moments later everyone who had been killed in the battle discluding all the enemies they had defeated or had been eaten by Void’s magic was suddenly resurrected.

----------------------

Local Announcement Amelia - You have been specially resurrected during a one-time grand level magical spell - Rebirth of the World.

Gain: 5% base stats

Gain: 12 levels.

----------------------

Startled, everyone looked around for a moment and then stared at Void. Void sat on the sea where he had finished off Amelia, looking dazed and silent himself. They all stared at him, he stared back. No one moved, no one even dared breathe.

“Oh. Then, in that case, I’m going to steal a line from someone I know.” Amelia turned and grinned at Aidan even as the sudden light that raked the shore resurrecting everyone began to fade.

“Aspiria!”

As one, every Transient and Resident that resurrected roared in unison, though many forgot to shout back ‘Rule One’. The air shook with their sudden and fierce cry. Some didn’t understand what had truly happened other than that they were all alive and there was only the last boss in front of them.

“[Rule Breaker],” Void said, looking as if he were a little irritated by the turn of events but not worried. His obsidian robe swirled as he turned to face the army that had briefly and moments before been a dead one. The great lance appeared in his hand.

Too late, Amelia thought, “you already showed me that. [Reflect - Rule Breaker].”

She was not the only one. Voices around her carried in different tones and in heavily accented tongues, “[Reflect - Rule Breaker].”

A shimmering ephemeral blue light played like an eggshell over Void, and a spark of magic descended toward him only to bounce off and turn to strike Amelia and many other Black Mages directly. The result was instantaneous. Amelia and many others swelled in size and grew about a foot taller.

Her robes sparkled and danced with lightning. A shimmering sphere of translucent light appeared around her even as a crown of gold sizzled into being, hovering gently above her head. Most profound of all was the sudden incredible presence she felt herself giving off. It was like the air and the earth under her feet could no longer tolerate her form and were barely holding together. Like the earth beneath her feet trembled and tried to slowly roll away.

-------------------

Local Announcement - Gained Temporary Spell - Rule Breaker

Effect: Spells, Stats, and Abilities gain power for each person on the continent. (+23,543%)

-----------------

Void’s skull seemed to find her all of a sudden. Hideous and angry, his jaw dropped open revealing the nothing that was contained within.

Amelia grinned sweetly. No wonder he had been so overpowering. They had been fighting him when he had all their strength, and then some. Individually, none of them ever could have been his match. They had been ants to him. Sure they could bite at him but the tremendous depth of his health had more than made up for the quantity of their attacks. Until now, that is.

“[Aura].” Amelia whispered.

Immediately the entire shoreline was coated in a golden light that briefly shone and receded. The effect was instantaneous once more. Everyone on the shore was buffeted by her spell that was enhanced by over 20,000%, a ridiculous and unmatchable one-time number. This trend could not continue.

Amelia briefly wondered what sort of countermeasure the game would put in place when they started reaching truly ridiculous levels. Then, as the spell became to take effect, she shrugged. It seemed that they were already at ridiculous levels.

Gold lacquered armor began appearing on Transients and Residents alike. Terrible power raged into and filled casters and made their magical weapons spark with terribly bright lightning graphic effects. Whispers broke out in channels as everyone started comparing their stats with new abilities that had appeared. The world shimmered around them as if it could no longer tolerate their power. Space began ripping around them as they moved and swung their weapons while experimenting.

“Paltry theft is no match!” Void swelled up and swung his lance toward Amelia. It stretched across the expanse from the ocean where he stood all the way across the shore and was about to strike her when a figure interposed itself between it and her, blocking it almost effortlessly on golden shield.

It was Gilduirn.

“Please don’t lose sight of the rest of us.” He grunted, knocking the extended lance aside with effort. He looked pleased that this time he had managed to parry a 'god'.

Arrows and spells began to fly in stupendous numbers, smashing themselves into Void. He reeled, raising his hand and waving. Vortexes and Portals began to re-appear as he began to summon allies. There were still many, many worlds he had devoured, and many, many mindless survivors he had sent before him. “This is the end!” He cried.

Before he could continue his motion however a golden longsword appeared, point outward, from his chest.

Vienne peered over his shoulder, a terrible countenance of joy and madness.

Even Amelia had forgotten about Vienne.

The goddess had an arrow above her health bars indicating that she was also benefiting from the super aura. She moved the sword left and right, barely budging it but causing Void a great deal of pain from the way he started to pull at it and struggle. He lost control and the portals and vortexes that had begun to open faded in the sky.

“...FOR YOU.” Vienne hissed in a whisper from behind him.

Void managed to pull himself away, reeling even as his dark lance came in line with the great golden goddess. His spear leveled, he prepared to drive it straight through her. Amelia, heart sinking, had no doubt from his posture and the way Vienne calmly and regally straightened as if acknowledging the end; that he would kill her in one blow.

Instead, incredibly, amazingly, dance around spinningly it was so happy-making, Keristrazly burst from beneath the water and grabbed haggardly at Void’s feet, biting viciously with his mouth full of sharp teeth. Off-guard, Void struggled and started to get pulled beneath the surface, completely forgetting Vienne as Keristrazly flapped his wings ineffectively and kicked his legs underwater trying to drag Void down.

He turned toward the dragon beneath the water and started to move once more, hissing and spitting. For a moment it seemed he would strike at the dragon. At the last minute he changed his mind and began moving, dragon and all, toward the shore. Once he regained his feet he shook the dragon roughly free from his leg and kicked the heroic winged serpent, watching as Keristrazly was sent sailing through the air. He spit the Transients who were now regarding him with various degrees of quiet violence with an evil glare.

“Woe to you. You think from Weal or Woe you have drawn Weal! Harken, unto me! This is the end! I shall strike you all down.”

“Shadow Fall!” Hunter started to cry. Now that he was on the shore a deadly wave of steel and shields advanced. At the same moment, Gilduirn seemed to have the same idea and rallied members near him as well.

“Shadow Fall, advance!” Gilduirn, newly inducted with his more than 500, marched forward with shields and swords and spears leveled. There was no hesitation as the highly professional high-level raid team struck itself forward. Amelia felt that old familiar grin stretching her face so far that her face nearly hurt, and that was in game!

“[End of Voice].” Void called cruelly. Suddenly all ambient noise faded. Amelia realized he had cast some sort of silence. Similar to the bird they had faced in the underground labyrinth below the Brack Kingdom, this was much worse.

In addition to being totally deaf, she immediately ascertained from the panicked looks of those around her that people couldn’t even cast spells. Void disappeared, and a quick look to her left realized Amelia’s worst fears. Void was teleporting and starting to pick apart groups that weren’t ready for him. Deaf and unable to communicate, everyone looked around in a panic trying to find him. He immediately killed 15 Transients with one sweep of his spear before disappearing. He had decided that he needed to thin the numbers.

“Can anyone…” Amelia began using the party channel much like they had when they were coordinating against the deadly silencing bird. Instead, she was surprised when her normal audio picked up a strong voice. It was Raven.

“WE ARE, WE ARE INVINCIBLE. WE DON’T BEND WE DON’T BREAK AT ALL.”

Raven cut through the silence,

Once she realized she could hear herself she sang her heart out, and suddenly all the game audio restored as if it had never been gone. She kept singing. “Fear our cry, believe our call! Listen to our courage, come answer proud and tall! Our enemy sings for blood and for us to fall! We won’t because we are invincible!” The lyrics kept coming and suddenly an announcement sprang up.

-----------------

Local Announcement - Legendary Grandmaster Bard Raven sings “Invincible.”

A song that pierces despair and turns terror into hope. One of the first Legendary Grandmaster songs ever recorded in the history of Aspiria.

Effect: All Morale Temporarily Changed to Golden Invincible - No fear, silence, or demoralization may occur.

Effect: No silence or enemy sonic effects

-----------------

Amelia watched Raven, ignoring everything else as everyone slowly turned toward the 'world ender' once more.

The girl was practically shouting the lyrics. Though the range of her voice was boosted by her job and she had always had a lovely voice, the cadence of the song seemed slightly off. No lyricist either, some of the words could use work.

None of that mattered to Amelia at the moment. Right now it was like hearing the live version of a soon-to-be favorite song.