A Divine Comedy: Rewritten

Ven and Mollia both readied themselves, the portal looming above them growing ever so larger as Pandora continued channelling her power to fully open it. Panila stood back with the others to watch, knowing any interference would mean death.

"So... Mollia was Rat. Who knew?" Avis said with a sigh, wiping a few tears from her eyes. Vinea gave a half hearted smile, exhausted from everything that had happened. "It was kinda obvious when you think back on it..." 

"Y-Yeah... O-Oh Mollia... W-What are w-we gonna tell V-Vex?" Senshi asked with a nervous look at Zamtika's body. Panila sighed and summoned a chain that ran through Zamtika's chest. "I can use necromancy and just bring her back?"

The three looked at Panila, dumbfounded. They all began yelling at her to do it, but she simply waved them off. "Why would I do that now? We have a life and death situation to handle first."

"Because if Ven loses, Mollia is going to kill you!"

"Oh well. I have more faith in the rabbit then you'd think." She smirked, turning her attention back to the dual before them.

"Are you prepared, Artemis?" Mollia asked with a cold tone as she stood before him. "Eh, I'll either die a hero or live long enough to become a villain." He smirked, readying Chainbreaker. 

The two bowed before running towards each other, both their swords clashing in a blinding display. One of the floating swords behind Mollia flew behind Ven, trying to pierce him from behind as she pulled back for another strike. 

He opened up a portal beneath his feet, opening the exit behind Mollia. He dropped through and kicked her, staggering her slightly before pulling himself back up, only to be met with a beam of light trained at his head. 

He couldn't dodge, instead trying to block it. He felt his hands tremble from the impact, barely able to hold the shot back before getting swiftly knocked back into a wall of light Mollia had created. "I expected more. Did the Rat not train a worthy fighter?" Her voice was muffled slightly by her helm, yet she sounded almost impressed. 

"Nah. She... Just made me sell t-shirts." He smirked, slowly getting up while Mollia began throwing her swords at Ven, which he easily dodged. He rapidly began running towards her, preparing one of his bigger attacks. 

"Come on, did you think I would be so obvious?" Mollia raised two fingers, confusing Ven slightly as he portalled behind her, trying to slice at her helmet, but was soon knocked to the ground by the swords, that were seemingly rewound in time to the point back to when they were on Mollia's back. 

As he hit the floor, Mollia went to stab at him with her sword. Ven began rolling as the ground cracked from her strength. "You may have space, but I have time on my side." She ran over and gave him a hard kick to the face as he tried to get away. 

As he flew back from the impact, he redirected himself with a portal, launching himself back into Mollia. She let out an annoyed groan and shoved him off. The two were both trying their hardest to win. And even though Mollia was at a clear advantage of both strength and speed, Ven wasn't going to give up.

"So... So... So... Determined." 

Pandora watched with awe, the three sisters watched the scuffle between what was effectivly the same fight they had once lost. And they couldn't help but feel something break in Eden's programming. Pandora broke free of Mollia's hold as they began to laugh. 

The spire was soon enveloped in chains, stars and clouds, creating a beautiful scene for their fight. "Ven... Rabbit... Artemis... Why don't you get some help?" They let out a laugh before ripping out the centre heart of Eden and tossed it to Ven. 

Mollia didn't interfere, letting him grab the heart. Ven shoved it inside his chest as it began automatically connecting to him, sitting next to Tika's heart. "Two hearts... Now it's a fair fight." Mollia almost seemed to get excited as she quickly launched herself towards Ven.

He let out a laugh as he teleported away without the need for a portal, appearing above Mollia and striking her with the blade, knocking her down as he fired a shot off. She quickly rewound her position back in time, slicing up towards him. 

Ven didn't even think as Tid-Bit appeared in front of him and yanked him forward, making him instinctively teleport behind her, where he managed to strike her helmet, breaking it just enough to see Mollia's eyes fill with awe. 

She jumped back and took off her helmet, letting her twin braids flow in the twisting landscape that was the Spire of Stars. "You... Actually managed to damage me?" She began trying to rewind her helmet, only to see that it couldn't be fixed.

She looked genuinely surprised, letting out a laugh as she threw it to the side. "You needed the help of the a lobotomised god just to damage me? Yet... This is fun? Why is it so fun?" She couldn't help but smile as she summoned another sword. 

"'I bet it's cause you're more like Rat then you think." He said with a smug look, opening thousands of small portals over the room as he put the barrel of Chainbreaker inside the entrance portal. 

"[Deus Ex Machina Extreme]" 

As he fired, thousands of bullets began raining down from every direction towards Mollia. She let out a laugh before going on the offensive and setting down an anchor point in time for herself, she quickly began weaving through the bullets, dying again and again until she finally got the path down. 

Jumping, dodging and weaving, Mollia finally reached Ven and sliced for his neck. But he quickly teleported just a few inches to the left to dodge and elbowed Mollia in the chest, knocking the air from her lungs for a moment. 

She couldn't help but feel the enjoyment of the fight increase tenfold once she began swinging wildly, her floating swords trailing behind each blink of an eye strike, creating slashes that seemed to pierce the air. 

Ven wasn't able to dodge every hit, losing a few chunks of flesh, but not enough to slow him down. As Mollia finally let up, he began rapidly firing off shot after shot, making her slow down and deflect.

"I guess the title of hero is actually fitting, eh?" Ven said as he took a brief second to reload, but was met by Mollia now in front of him in the blink of an eye. She knocked him back as light enveloped the two. 

"Well, that title no longer fits. But since I deem you worthy, I will show you why even gods fear me. Prepare thy self for [The Paladins Resolve]!" She cackled, rat ears beginning to emerge from her hair, which began changing into a pure white colour again. 

Ven was blinded by the lights, before Tid-bit began guiding him. He quickly ducked under a wall of light, swords began emerging from the ground. Suddenly, bright balls of light began getting thrown towards him that he quickly knocked away with a slice of Chainbreaker.

He felt the ground begin to rumble and as he dodged back, a giant rat emerged from the ground, biting towards the sky. He couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the hero's attack. Mollia soon appeared on a throne of light, looking smug as a rat tail emerged, flicking slightly.

"You have done well... But this ends now." She began to laugh like mad, sounding less refined and dignified and more like the Rat Ven knew. He joined her laughter as the room of light faded and Mollia began floating in the air ominously. 

"[The four thousand eight hundred and ninety nine deaths of Mollia Chordarum]!" 

Suddenly, thousands of different weapons made of light began to appear. "Each of these is a weapon that had managed to strike me down in my runs for this moment. I truly do hope you live." She smirked before slamming her hand down.

Ven was awestruck by the attack, but only had one idea that he had that could possibly let him win. 

As the weapons flew at him, he quickly launched himself towards Pandora with a portal, who were contacted by Tid-Bit to throw the sub-minds to him. 

Ven grabbed the six remaining hearts before stuffing them inside his chest as best he could. He felt his body go into overdrive as he opened a portal big enough to cover his entire body, redirecting the ever onslaught of weaponry fired his way.

Mollia looked overjoyed that someone was willing to put their body at risk just to have a chance at beating her. She excitedly charged forward, swinging for Ven's head once more, only to phase right through him and crash to the ground, tumbling around. 

She wearily stood up with a laugh as her rat tail flickered. "You are more challenging then the divine trio... Who'da thought?" Her smile quickly faded as she went serious once again, backing away as she began to rhythmically fold her arms inward menacingly. 

Tid-Bit could feel something dangerous brewing in this next attack, quickly yelling; "Hit her now! Quick!" 

Ven blinked over to strike Mollia's head, but just as Chainbreaker was about to connect, Mollia burst forward with a dramatic pose as she yelled; "[Time Stop]!" 

Time began to freeze as everyone looked on in shock, not knowing what was about to happen. Mollia began trailing her finger over the frozen Ven, smugly laughing to herself. "Well... It's not really a time stop as it is just me repeating an infinitely small amount of time over and over again... Why did I explain that? Not like he can hear me." 

She moved over to his head and raised a sword up, ready to cut him in half. But as she did, she noticed his eye twitch slightly, scaring her and making her jump back in surprise. Mollia brushed it off as magnets, and prepared to strike again only to get a hard punch to the jaw.

She staggered back as time began to resume. Ven fell to the floor as everyone looked around confused. She pointed a sword at him with a grin on her face. "How'd you do that?"

Ven gave a playful shrug as he adjusted his coat. "These hearts can do a lot of things apparently." He launched himself forward and blinked around her rapidly, using light attacks to annoy her. Mollia gave a playful nod and stomped her foot down, summoning spikes across the floor to halt his movements. 

Ven tripped over and was kicked away by Mollia, who began firing beams of light to try and damage him, though he easily reflected the beams away as the two were now at a neutral standing again.

As the chains of the arena crackled, the stars shining brightly and the clouds beginning to rain upon them, they both gave a final nod. This time they would both go all out and end this stalemate. 

The two ran at each other, unleashing a barrage of attacks. Mollia rewound herself again and again to both heal and make her attacks replay again and again. Ven didn't have anything he could counter with, but Tid-Bit appeared beside him and pointed to the ominously swirling portal above. 

"Right now your power is great enough to open portals to other worlds... Why not, ya know?" She motioned to Mollia, who gave a laugh at Bit's suggestion. "Go on then rabbit. Hit me with everything you've got!" She yelled, her excitement flaring up as Ven jumped into the air.

He began glowing a radiant gold as he charged up every bit of portal energy the hearts could muster into one bullet. In the brief time it took for him to aim, he saw Mollia prepare another Time stop and knew he better make this one count. Forever.

"[Heartbreak Hero]." He muttered as he pulled the trigger. Time began to freeze up as Mollia activated her ability again. She held a smug look as she saw Ven frozen in the air, but soon heard a crackling sound coming from the bullet. She watched with almost bated breath as the bullet began to ever so slowly move forward. 

She looked stunned, quickly blocking as the bullet shot at her at full force. She excitedly used every bit of light to block the bullet, but as time resumed, Everyone watched as Mollia's sword broke in two as the bullet shot through her chest and right into her heart.

The light weapons faded along with her armour. She tried to rewind herself, but couldn't. She tried again, but couldn't. She continued trying to rewind herself back in time, but it just wouldn't work.

"What... What did you do?" 

"I shot ya with a portal... Your heart is both in and out side of reality, meaning the concept of time doesn't apply." Tid-Bit took over with a smug look on Ven's face. Mollia was barely able to stand as she fell to the ground laughing.

Everyone on the side lines began to cheer in celebration, Ven had actually faced the hero of the world and won. 

"Well done." Panila said with a clap of her hands, genuinely smiling. Avis, Senshi and Vinea burst into tears and began hugging Ven tightly in celebration. Nvr and Grey both gave a thumbs up while Iyu stopped smiling, finally able to stop working. 

As Mollia laid defeated on the ground, all she could do was laugh with them. After all, Rat had gone through countless lives, died over and over again just to help her get to this moment... And yet she still lost. 

Rat and Mollia, two sides of the same person... Had lost their one chance to be reunited with their love. Maybe it was fitting they were to die here.

But that was that and this was now, since the portal still stood in the sky.

"Someone order us to stop this!" Pandora called out. 

"Oh right, the apocalypse." Ven said with a casual laugh. "Tid-Bit, would you do the honours?" He said as he threw Tid-bit back into Pandora, who stopped concentrating on the portal, but it didn't close. 

"Uh... Hey, shouldn't we fix that?" Avis chirped. Everyone watched as the portal continued to expand, threatening to consume everything they held dear. "W-W-We s-should run, right?" Senshi stammered out. 

"WE CAN'T RUN, YOU IDIOT! IT WILL CONSUME EVERYTHING HERE!!" Panila yelled in fury as she switched gears in an instant, quickly trying to seal the portal shut with every bit of strength she could muster.

But as she did, the ground started to shake violently, with Avis and Vinea looking over the edge and down to the city to see a steampunk airship had just crashed through the spire and was bringing it down. "Hey guys, that dragon pirate just crashed their ship into the spire." Avis said with a confused smile, mainly because that was a sentence she never thought she would ever have to say.

Ven quickly tossed the other sub-minds he had inside him to Pandora, who quickly unfused back into Eden, Penumbra Ami and Parfait. The three were trying their hardest to try and seal the portal with Panila, but as another crash caused the spire to shake again. 

It began feeling hopeless, the portal was continuing to grow ever larger.

Eden began running the scenario in her head before letting out an annoyed electronic sigh. "The portal can't be stopped... I'm afraid the world is doomed..."

Everyone looked stunned, with Avis and Vinea beginning to panic as they realised they were going to die. But as the four pieces of divinity continued trying their hardest to seal the portal with every ounce of strength they had, Mollia joined their efforts to seal the portal.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING RODENT!?" Panila screamed, watching as the paladin slowly stumbled over to the Eden. She yelled out for the sub-minds and, with a small nod from Ven, Eden reluctantly gave the Sub-Minds to her. 

Panila, Eden, Penumbra and Parfait all continued their vain effort to close the portal. But as they felt their strength wain, Mollia activated the six remaining hearts at once. The paladin's own heart surged to life, quickly joined by Ven, using Tika's heart to help seal the portal for good.

With both the Paladin and Rabbit's help, the portal slowly began to close before finally.

It fizzled out. 

The end of the world was prevented.

Everyone let out a cheer of celebration. The end had ceased and Pandora's Tears would live another day. As Ami Penumbra, Panila and Parfait fell to the ground, Eden remained floating in the air, staring at her daughter with a warm smile.

"You know, Lucy. I suppose I should be saying something along the lines of I'm almost proud of you... But that would be a lie, would it not?" 

"I just saved our world. Can you not go five minutes without insinuating I am nothing but an inferior version of you?" Panila yelled up to the robotic goddess, her chains at the ready. Yet, Eden could only let out a light robotic chuckle. 

"I suppose I should say... Thank you. For not being a failure."

The warden looked as though she was about to faint at the words, it was the first time she had ever received something close to a compliment from her Mother. Even still, as everyone continued celebrating, Panila knew that the spire only had a matter of time before it fell. 

Mollia stood at the edge of the spire, staring out into the empty wasteland with nothing but content in her mind.

Ven stood behind her, Chainbreaker at the ready. It wasn't like he could just let her live. But even still, he felt a hint of compassion. It was his journey's end as well. 

"Ven... Are you going to finish our duel now?" The paladin mused, putting her hands in her pocket, not even wanting to face her end head on. "I kinda have to. Ya know? You did start this whole thing in the first place." He sighed, looking back at his friends with a smile before staring at the warm yellow sun.

"Do you want to know something? I'm scared. I... Don't want to die. Neither of us do."

"Us?"

"The paladin side of me wants to continue to fight until my last breath... Yet the rat half of me just wants to flee. Funny how that works, right?" 

"I guess it is..." He sighed, raising chainbreaker up to Mollia's chest. She let out a small snicker before tossing each of the sub-minds over the edge of the spire, letting them fall to the city below. Yet, she still held Desire's Heart. 

"I'm sorry I never got to see you Lily..." 

With her final goodbye, Ven fired his last round through the paladin's chest.

No one made a sound as the gunshot rang out across the world. It was as if time froze for a moment. A brief, fleeting moment.

Mollia's body fell forward, diving towards the city below. 

With that, The Hero Of The Iris had finally been slain.

Once everyone had finished collecting their bearings, Panila stared at the Eden frame with a sigh, Penumbra and Parfait behind her. This would be the final time they would get to speak with the goddess once known as Pandæmonium and they were sure to make it count.

"I would say I did a pretty good job of raising your little hellspawn, right?" Parfait said with a playful spin of her halo, trying to keep up her positive attitude, despite the visible tears beginning to form in her multiple eyes. 

"You could say that, O sister mine. Yet... You still let her use my name in vain." The robot laughed, giving a playful flick of her wrist. 

"It is so sad to see you go... But I shan't miss your awful fondness for games." Penumbra remarked, giving a bow through Ami's body. Eden could only let out an electronic sigh. "You are much too bold. Then again, last I heard, you were locked in a vhs. So who is the real loser here?"

"Oh be kind. This is the last time you will ever have to listen to my prattling... Even so, my dear sister... I shall feel what humans would call sadness over this. It has been a wonderful life, hasn't it?"

"And yet you take up all the time I have with my mother!" Panila grumbled, shoving Peni to the side with a chain. She stared at her mother for a solid moment before letting out a deep sigh. "I do apologise for taking your name..."

Eden couldn't help but laugh, pulling the demon warden in for a tight hug. Perhaps her Tid-Bit side was showing through a bit. "Come now. This is the last time I will get to see the little statue I made reach her full maturity. But please dear, don't use my name. It's tacky... But don't remember me like this... Remember me as the Demon you both feared and respected. Not a friendly robot." 

With a small smile, Panila gave her mother a final hug before going to leave with Peni and Parfait.

Yet on the other side of the chamber, it was more tears than simple goodbyes. Avis and Vinea were both wrapped around Ven's chest, begging him not to go. "PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE DON'T LEAVE!" The two cried in unison. 

"Relax... I lived a decent life... That was surprisingly short. But hey... This ain't a time to cry." The rabbit smiled, trying to ease the two off him. But even as he managed to get them off, he could feel Senshi crawling around in his insides. "You too, Senshipede." He laughed, pulling her out through his chest cavity.

"S-Sorry..." She muttered. Despite their pleas for him to go with them, Ven knew what he wanted. It was a simple ending. One where he died and the world continued on without him. Still, he wanted to hear their final goodbyes. "So if you have something to say, now's the time."

Avis wiped her eyes, looking over at Ami as she left, before letting out a chirp of delight. "I lost myself before I met you... Then I lost an arm and wings because of you. In the end... It was fuckin' worth it. And you sing like a girl!" 

Vinea gave a thumbs up with his vines, trying his best not to cry. "I always thought you were the biggest coward thanks to Vitis's stories... Now I know your just an ass. A pretty great ass. Like Avis's." He snickered, before getting punched by Avis. 

Senshi awkwardly twiddled her legs as she let out a saddened insect like chattering. "I... I-I'm sorry I tried to e-eat you when we first met... Granted you broke into m-my store and stole a f-few things... B-But I-I wanted to say... Y-You're awesome!" 

Ven gave a thumbs up with a smile on his face before snapping his cold, dead fingers. "I know this is a bit rough... But can you record a message for Vex for me?" He asked. The three gave a nod, and once Ven had wrapped up his final message to his daughter, he handed the three his coat and Chainbreaker before they left with Grey and Iyu.

Yet Ven held Nvr back for a second just to tell his sister;

"Sorry for missing your wedding. But uh... You reckon you could... Look into a bit of necromancy Her?"

Nvr stared at her brother for a few seconds before giggling. "You really are a dick, you know that?" 

"What can I say? I just want a happy ending." He smirked, waving Nvr off as she took Zamtika's body with her. 

Soon enough, both Eden and Ven where left alone in the Spire of Stars. Having stopped the end of the world, defeated the hero of the world and now... They just had to wait for the tower to collapse thanks to that dragon. With only a bit of time remaining, the two decided to have one final talk.

As friends.

"Are you happy with how it ended?"

"In a weird way, yeah."

"I... I think we both knew this was coming."

"Well, it was the game plan since we met."

"Sorry I killed you. I was lobotomised and left inside this horrid machine body for awhile."

"It's cool. I... Think I'm happy. I feel... Content."

"Thank you for being my host. Artemis "Ven" Misa."

"Thanks for keeping me alive. Pandæmonium "Tid-Bit" Vincula."