Game 82 A: The Final Page of the Grimoire

[Izumiko (Emi)]

The light soon fades from everyone´s vision ever so slowly.

Mari is slowly letting you all come back to the Red Manten and reverts herself into a child once again. This time, there is no red energy to be seen. Only white and blue. As all the lights disappear, it takes you all a while to adjust your eyes once again.

"I-Is everyone ready? We have to hurry and stop the Red Manten before I lose myself again!"

"Although... With all those positive emotions I feel from you... I am pretty sure we will be fine!"

"...So. I guess this is it... Please follow me along and stay close... I am scared..."

Mari clutches Shinobu´s Jellyfish keychain close to her chest as she starts leading you toward the Main Aquarium Area.

The aquarium starts shaking like earthquake as you all approach, but Mari reassures you all that it will be alright.

"Seems like the manifestation of Red Manten knows we are coming for it... We are like a group of legendary heroes right now! I´ve always wanted to be a hero at some point! *Giggle*"

"Ah! The Aquarium Tank! You´ve tried to fix it after it was broken! Some of you really do care about the fishies here!"

Using her energy, Mari goes into a translucent state. She casually steps right through the glass like a ghost, before looking solid again. She then motions you all to do the same as you all go translucent as well. Stepping through the glass, Mari keeps guiding you downwards down to a trapdoor.

Everyone enters an office. Director´s Office as some of you know. Mari ignores this place and goes straight towards a corner where a vase filled with roses is set down

"This vase... I had cast an illusion on a single rose and made it blue... It was to make myself a reminder... Since I was forgetting everything whenever I lost my mind... That one blue light... Trapped and surrounded by the Red..."

Mari then casually moves aside the vase. There´s a small rug underneath it which she also removes. That place reveals yet another trapdoor. Sayo takes out a key that she had on her person and unlocks the door. The trapdoor leads to somewhere very dark. It feels cold. Not caring about that, you and Mari all jump down there.

(Yeah. You all know at this point: Soundtrack)

You all arrive to an area that none of you recognize (except a select few). You can tell that you are all very deep down in the water. You see no fish in the tanks around here and the temperature is low with humid air. A voice quietly speaks behind you

"This... Is it... This is where it all started.... With the fishies dying..."

"This is... Where I died... And soon... The Red Manten... All it´s malicious souls will manifest here... They are coming..."

Mari clutches herself to a wall and is visibly shaking in fear and nervousness

[Kuroneko]

"Then I suppose we should work fast." Shinobu looks around the room and ponders her options. "A warded area would be nice and perhaps some limit where they can appear." She tacks four protection talismans around the trapdoor and places repel talisman along the walls, floor, and ceiling. She thinks for a moment longer before slipping a protection talisman in her bag of donuts and wrapping blessing talismans around her tools.

[Misaki]

Sayo enters the Deep Sea Booth which brings back some unpleasant memories...



"This is it Mari...This is where it all ends... I never thought I'd find myself down here again and I still remember the time I almost nearly died here but you were there to save me and so I thank you again for that. I know I've ran away before but now I'm not running away from this anymore and I will stand by you till the very end! You have nothing to fear as long as you have us by your side and together, we shall end this once and for all!"

Sayo then brings out what looks like a ribbon-like blue hair clip. It was a memento given to her from a certain someone five years ago and has still kept it all this time. She puts it on her hair as sort of a good luck charm and prepares herself as the inevitable battle approaches...

[Tetsu]

Miku looks at Mari.

“Yes..let’s do this together Mari..all of us...together we can overcome anything with our friendship and determination..even the paranormal would be nothing!”

Miku said while taking out the keychain the blue one that Mari wanted to get at first, along with the compact defibrillator

[Sara Soul]

Kanaya smiled and she finally took out the star keychain; the one she recieved years ago. She held it tightly.

"Mari...We're going to be right here with you. There's no reason to be scared. You saved us, and now it's time we saved you. Don't be scared, because you're not alone...We're right here. All of us. We love you."

[Izumiko (Emi)]

Mari sees Sayo put on a hairpin which she recognizes very well

"That´s Eri-san´s hairclip! You´ve kept it as a memory for all those years... I´m glad! We shall purify this entire Red Manten just like we did with Eri-san!"

Mari was then handed a blue keychain by Miku, as Kanaya took out another blue keychain. Those two looked almost identical, with a few key differences

"Those keychains... The one you have, Kanaya-san, was a dear gift from Mizu-tan to Eri-san... The other one that Miku gave to me... It has always been mine... I died with it... So both hold such a big significance..."

Mari finally stops shaking with the motivation words that she recieved

"...I am ready now you all... Thank you all so much... Please trust me on this one... Lend me all your faith and then fight with all your strength... You will determine this outcome... And I trust you all... So let us end this right now."

Mari then takes a deep breath and step forward, away from the wall she was leaning on. She starts to shout into the air

"Come out here, foul beast! Show yourself to us and see if all this energy can defeat our faith and determination!"

(Wheeeeee teh final battle is coming up: Soundtrack )

And as an immediate response to Mari´s shout, the ground starts to shake very violently. And you all see the water in the tank turn deep red. And this time, it doesn´t just look like red water. This looks like real, crimson blood.

Inside the bloody red tanks, you clearly see energy swirl around everywhere. They form into a huge collection of fish. Big and small. Those are all the souls of the fish and people that have died here throughout the many years. All the malicious energy collects into the tanks and steadily starts to stream out through the glass.

You all hear pained and panicked voices screaming out from all directions. Human voices. The fish start floating in the air, but they keep themselves close to the end wall of the Deep Sea Fish Booth, while you all stand in the center.

...Some of you even see unmoving fish corpses spawn in the darkest corners of the room... The smell of rotting fish fills the humid air. It´s almost unbearable to breathe. Even so, most of you stand your ground.

"Now is our chance to strike! Everyone! Please lend all your faith and strength to me and do not fall into despair or fear! As long as everyone stays strong, we will be alright!"

Aaaand... Here´s the final choice:

- Charge into the upcoming fight and without thinking

- Do exactly as Mari says. Keep the faith, trust and the positive emotion and fight back with all you´ve got

- Sit down on the floor and don´t do anything. Just give up

[Sara Soul]

Kanaya, despite her terrible fear, stays strong and stands her ground. She grips onto the keychain tightly and smiles at Mari.

"You can do this, Mari! We believe in you! I lend you my strength and love!"

[Yuri (Silentking)]

Jotaro silently lends his energy to Mari.

[Misaki]

Sayo holds her ground and stays by Mari...



"Go get em Mari! Show that f*ckin creature who's boss!"

[Kuroneko]

Shinobu pulls out her spear and takes a stance by Mari. "Ready when you are."

[Tetsu]

Miku grabs her head with one hand and stumbles a little.

“T-Those..s-spirits...ugh...t-the pain...in their voices...g-gah...”

Miku holds on to her head.

“M-Mari..w-whatever you do...w-we believe in you...! Y-you can break this curse!”

Miku then slumps to her knees trying to hold on to the voices as she is much more susceptible to the paranormal than the others.

[Sachi]

The final battle has begun without my permission? How unthinkable.

Everyone's favourite prodigy seems unfazed by the events going on around her. She chuckles lightly and then politely sits on the ground.

"Of course, I stay true to my word until the end. If I have any hope left in my heart, it's that the aquarium itself accept my power to beat you all into the ground. It will be by my own choice that I die, if I am to. I refuse to be the servant of fools like you all and follow a dreaded spirit."

[Izumiko (Emi)]

Kanaya, Jotaro, Sayo, Miku, Saya and Shinobu choose to lend all their possible strength that they have to Mari. Ready for anything and everything. Each with their item that plays a major role in this mess (except one person).

Luciana stubbornly sits down on the floor, wanting to counteract everyone´s wish to end it all. Her stubbornness does not indicate despair however.

Fahim, Fuyuhiko, Yasuo, Rem, and Kizuna all stand still and completely paralyzed. They have no idea what the heck is going on or what to do, as they passively stare into the crimson malice in fear.

(Almost the last soundtrack here: Soundtrack)

The six people who choose to support Mari with all their strength all start to glow. Blue light surrounds them and illuminates the area that has been dyed red by the hatred of the dead people and fish.

All the red energy has now collected into one huge pile by the wall. Fish stream into the huge red gathering of energy and start to form something or someone. Condensing all the crimson colour into one being. That being formed itself like Mari, whom the Red Manten previously took over.

"Keeehehehehe! Die! Die! DIEdieDie! YOU ALL DESERVE TO DIE AND ROT IN THIS PLACE FOREVER AND EVEEEEEER!"

The creature(?)´s words sound like a whiny shrill. White noise to your ears. Your head hurts a lot from the screaming noise that it makes.

"N-No! It´s too strong... I can´t-!"

Mari´s panicked words are drowned out as you suddenly find yourselves swept over by the malicious energy. For a short while, you are unable to understand what is going on. As if your senses all cut off for a few seconds. You finally regain your bearings...

You all find yourselves drowning in the bloody water. Looking around, you are all alone. Did you lose it? Is it over? Are you all going to die..?

And then you all see a familiar fish made out of pure, gentle light swimming towards you. It circles around you for a bit- You feel familiar energy streaming from that little thing. It´s the same energy as the six determined people choose to emit. The positive energy of hope and determination.

...And the waters slowly change colour from the aggressive red to the chill blue from it´s light.

"I... Really shouldn´t doubt myself... Especially not now... You´ve all done so much to help me... To save me..."

"That is why... I cannot give up! I promised to do my best and I will! I will save you all and we will end it all together!"

You finally see Mari in the vision of your mind. The same fish that made the waters blue are now swimming around her. Powering her up with energy. Mari herself visibly pales, as her eyes and hair become dyed in the blue colour.

And then white light engulfs everyone´s vision. It disappears pretty quickly though and you all find yourself standing in the Deep Sea Fish Booth once more.

Except now, the area is divided into two

One part of the area is still filled with the bloody water and the smell of dead fish. The collection of the malicious energy is floating in the middle of it all. It´s still formed- like a "deformed" Mari.

The other side is completely blue and calm. Inside the tanks previously empty tanks, there are fish. Each of them emit a soft glow that is flowing into the center of the blue area. And in the middle of the area stands and awakened Mari. She is surrounded by the remaining survivors. Six of them shining more brightly than the rest.

"It... It worked! It really worked!"

"But there is no time to be surprised over this... I have a promise to keep! Everyone, stay with me!"

Some items that people have all start to glow too. Sayo´s currently equipped ribbon hairclip glows. Kanaya´s and Miku´s keychain all stream out with energy too.

Some of the fish that are formed in the red area start to sprint towards Mari like red arrows. Intending to harm and stop her speech and energy gathering. However, they easily get countered by Shinobu and Jotaro, who smack them all down with their weapons.

"All this power... We will all use everything that we have left... One wish... One powerful wish to end this all... I will voice the wish of the stolen lives that you have taken, Red Manten... And with all our powers combined, I will grant it."

"Disappear. Disappear forever and never come back. All of the Manten Aquarium. Cease to exist!"

And as soon as Mari lets out those words, the dead voices of the malicious side all screech out in a powerful scream. The entire aquarium starts to shake very violently as the blue light starts to override the red.

...And that is when everyone starts to feel extremely exhausted. You all black out within seconds.