A giant pie catapulted into Miguel's face.
The audience cheered.
Arthur gasped, his eyes lighting up. "Ohhh, you triggered the slapstick counter!"
Miguel wiped pie from his face, trembling. "You think this is funny?"
Arthur stared at him for a beat.
"Yes."
Miguel screamed.
He hurled galaxies, bent logic, rewrote reality—
But Arthur?
He just had fun.
When Miguel summoned an unbreakable blade, Arthur swapped it with a pool noodle.
When Miguel tried to erase him, Arthur hit rewind.
When Miguel wished for infinite power, Arthur gave him a breakdown.
Miguel's attacks grew wild. He wanted to win. He desired to win.
But winning? Not fun.
So the world wouldn't let him.
His divine glow dimmed. His breath faltered.
Then—
Arthur booped his forehead.
BOOM.
The cosmos exploded in confetti.
Miguel's form shrank. His glow vanished.
In his place stood…
A tiny cartoon clown.
Complete with squeaky nose.
The crowd lost it.
Arthur patted his head. "Congrats, Miguel. You're now a Mascot of Slapstick. Your job? Be funny."
Miguel squeaked.
Arthur grinned. "And best part? You can't desire your way out."
Miguel paled.
Powerless. Eternal.
Entertaining.
Forever.
The crowd gave a standing ovation.
Arthur bowed. "Thanks, everyone! Time to save the world."
With a snap, reality reset—but Miguel remained a joke.
Camila stared. "What the hell just happened?"
Arthur shrugged. "Eyes of Sloth let me break everything… if it's fun."
Camila looked at floating-balloon Miguel.
"And that was fun?"
Arthur smirked. "Oh, Camila. You have no idea."
Miguel was gone. Sort of. Rewritten into a joke so absurd even gods wouldn't touch it. The world had crumbled… but Arthur wasn't worried.
Because that wasn't fun.
And now? It was finale time.
He and Camila stood before Amelia's containment tube. It flickered, barely working. The fluid shimmered.
Then—her eyes snapped open.
Deep violet glowed. The air thickened. Reality wobbled.
Camila stepped back. "She's changed…"
Arthur tilted his head. "Yeah. Second stage."
The fluid vanished. Amelia stepped forward, barefoot. Her silver hair drifted, power humming off her.
She looked up.
Reality shivered.
Camila's breath caught. "That feeling—"
Arthur yawned. "She's in full Lust mode now."
Amelia's eyes glowed. Her voice, soft: "What do you desire?"
Power pulsed.
Arthur felt it. She wasn't just manipulating emotions now—she could rewrite perception, reality, memory.
One look could trap you in a dream you'd never escape.
Arthur smirked. "Well, that's new."
Amelia stepped forward. The lab flickered—transformed into a ballroom. Chandeliers, music, elegance.
Camila tensed. "She's warping the world."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but like… kinda tacky."
Amelia focused on Arthur. "You resist me."
He shrugged. "Hard to control a guy who doesn't care."
She stepped closer. "Then I'll make you care."
Reality fell apart.
He blinked.
In a cozy little house filled with warm sunlight, the delightful smell of home-cooked meals floated in the air.
Amelia was sitting across the small, round dining table from him, her smile bright and lighting up the room. In the kitchen, Camila was busy moving around, happily humming to herself while stirring something on the stove.
It was such a nice scene.
The calmness wrapped around them like a comfy blanket. Arthur blinked a few times, momentarily surprised by how peaceful everything felt. "...Wow," he finally said, breaking the nice silence.
Amelia tilted her head a bit, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "Do you like it?" she asked, her voice light and welcoming.
Arthur leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the edge of the table with a relaxed grin. "It's cool. But… where's the chaos?" he joked, raising an eyebrow playfully.
Amelia blinked in surprise, her face shifting to one of thoughtful consideration. "There's no need for chaos here. Just peace," she said softly, her voice carrying a calm confidence that matched the vibe around them.
Arthur snapped his fingers.
Everything shattered.
Amelia gasped as the illusion broke.
She staggered. "You—broke free?"
Arthur stretched. "Yeah, sorry. It wasn't fun."
He pointed at her. "Let's fix the real world."
Arthur cracked his neck.
"Camila. I'm about to do something very dumb."
She sighed. "Standard day."
Arthur pointed at the sky. "Hey! Narrative Structure! I demand a fun reset!"
Time paused.
A massive hand formed above.
A god-voice rumbled. "EXCUSE ME?"
Arthur nodded. "Reset the world. Full send. Everything back."
"THIS BREAKS ALL RULES."
"Yup."
"THIS IS STUPID."
Arthur grinned. "But is it fun?"
A pause.
Laughter.
"VERY WELL."
Boom.
The world reformed. Skies cleared. Cities rebuilt. People restored.
Arthur, Camila, and Amelia stood at the center.
Amelia whispered, "You… brought it all back."
Arthur nodded. "Yep. World restored. No refunds."
Camila rubbed her eyes. "So dumb… but I'll take it."
Arthur yawned. "Cool. Let's get snacks."
Three days after the world reset, Arthur was lying on a floating couch made of clouds, wearing oversized sunglasses and sipping a lemonade through a bendy straw that looped around his head twice before reaching his mouth.
"Y'know," he said between sips, "saving reality really takes it outta you."
Camila sat nearby on a stone bench, flipping through a magical tablet with glowing glyphs and probably regretting every life choice that led her to this point. "You haven't moved since we got back."
Arthur lifted his shades. "I moved emotionally."
She threw a small stone at him. It bounced off his head. "You're impossible."
Amelia appeared from behind a garden gate, dressed in more casual robes now, her silver hair braided loosely down her back. Her expression was calmer, softer—but her eyes still held that dangerous violet glow.
"You two done flirting?" she asked dryly.
Arthur grinned. "Never."
Amelia rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "The village is rebuilding. People are smiling again. It's… strange, after everything."
Camila nodded. "It won't last. But we'll enjoy it while it does."
Arthur stretched, the couch groaning under his lazy weight. "So what's next? Space pirates? Interdimensional karaoke wars?"
Amelia shrugged. "The Sun Clan, remember? Camila's got a lead."
Arthur groaned. "Can't we have, like, one chill week?"
Camila crossed her arms. "You got three days of naps, cloud sofas, and candy that regenerates itself. I think we're overdue."
Arthur sighed dramatically. "Fine. Let me just pack my duck pajamas and we're off."
They all laughed. Just for a moment. No pressure. No destiny. Just three exhausted weirdos under a clear sky.
The peace wouldn't last.
But for now?
It was enough
The world was warm again. Peaceful.
But Amelia had to go.
She knelt beside Ava, who sobbed.
"You promised!"
Amelia hugged her tight. "I know. I'm sorry. But I have to finish this."
"But what if you don't come back?"
Amelia whispered, "You're the strongest girl I know. Smile for me. Be their hope."
Ava hiccupped. "I'll try."
Amelia smiled. "That's enough."
She stood. Faced the crowd. Bowed.
"Protect her. Please."
An elder stepped forward. "She's family now."
Ava cried again. Amelia walked away.
Satoshi and Camila waited.
"You sure?" Satoshi asked.
"No," she said. "But I'm going."
Behind her—
"Amelia!"
Ava ran up. One last hug.
"I love you," Amelia whispered.
And then she was gone.
Ava stood at the gate, watching.
And smiled.
Because Amelia asked her to.
They stood on a peak.
Camila said, "We're leaving this world."
Arthur blinked. "Huh?"
Amelia asked, "Where?"
Camila looked to the stars. "Another planet. To find the Sun Clan."
Silence.
Arthur: "…Okay, that's new."
Camila's voice turned cold. "Miguel was just one piece. The real threats? Still out there."
The air shifted.
A new war waited.
And it was going to be fun
The next morning, the sky was a brilliant orange, streaked with gold. The rebuilt village buzzed with life again—merchants unpacked their wares, kids chased glowing beetles, and someone had already set up a makeshift pancake stand that smelled like pure magic.
Arthur sat on the edge of a rooftop, legs dangling, a half-eaten muffin in hand. "Okay, so where is this 'Sun Clan,' exactly?"
Camila joined him, tossing a small glowing stone between her fingers. "Not where. When."
Arthur blinked. "I already don't like this."
Amelia landed beside them, soft as shadow. "Camila found traces of solar magic buried in a pre-cataclysm archive. Stuff that predates even the Divine Realms."
Arthur squinted. "So... ancient solar cult in a time-locked dimension?"
Camila smirked. "Give or take a temporal paradox."
"Cool. Love that for us."
Amelia pulled a shimmering scroll from her robes and unfurled it. A glowing map spread out in the air, points of light drifting in a slow orbit. One pulse shone gold—distant, fading in and out like a heartbeat.
"There," she said. "That's our starting point. A ruined temple at the edge of the Timefracture Zone."
Arthur finished his muffin. "And let me guess… guarded by cursed sentinels, collapsing time loops, and ancient riddles?"
"Probably," Camila said.
"Definitely," Amelia added.
Arthur stood, stretching. "Alright, squad. Let's go poke a sun god in the eye or whatever."
He stepped off the rooftop—and landed perfectly.
Camila and Amelia followed.
The journey to the Sun Clan had begun.
And if the last war was about survival…
This one?
Was going to be about truth.