Pandemia Chapter 3; Jinseigami Amaterasu, The Light Of Life

The consciousness of Tear and Tifaret retreated into the 'Life's Chambers', which was under Tifa's jurisdiction in the school. As the Jinseigami Amaterasu, she sat directly in the spot that the Primordial Parallelatrix did when it was the one spawning Instruments. She'd taken over as will and consciousness of this entire domain, with her station being in that exact same spot.


However Tear, who existed into the opposite chamber, 'Death's Chambers', was also present with Tifaret, though in his Light God form, Teus. With Tifa as a Goddess now, he felt it wise to try to bring her up to the standards of a Goddess, first by getting her accustomed to having shared control over Pandemia and all the goings-on within or involved with it.

So, that is where the two of them would begin the next part of their development together.

"Now Then, Tifa," so would begin Light God Teus, "Since You Are Only Just Now Setting Into Your True Power, I Am Proposing That You Try To Bond With Pandemia In The Same Fashion As I Have. Our Interaction May Have Helped You Get Over Your Negativity For Me, But It Has Done Little For Your Actual Bond With The Soul Of Pandemia. Until You And Pandemia Are As In Sync As I Am With It, Then We Will Never Reach Our Most Maximum Potential When Unified With It." Teus would phase out of Pandemia and outside into the 'Purlieu,' the Outskirts of the Delta. "I Am Suggesting That You Engage A Test Run At Controlling The Various Features That Come From Your Union With Pandemia, With One Of My 'MaTeus' Units As Your Trainers. I Know You Have Next To No Experience When It Comes To Piloting A Mech, Since, If I Do Recall Correctly, You Have Never Experienced One Before In All Your Life."

Teus, the Crystal Angel, rose up into the air and generated under him one of his 'White King' Pieces, his 'MaTeus' unit, which resembled his upper torso atop a mountainous object with a great number of wings and openings on it. It looked like a temple of sorts, except instead of being at the base or top of the mountain, it WAS the mountain, and upon the head of MaTeus was a crucifix, like one would find upon the crown of a King Piece in chess. "Now Then, Tifaret," continued Teus, who cast forth his 'White King', MaTeus, "I, As Tear, Will Continue To Remain In Sync With You, Because The Point Is For All Three Of Us To Be In Resonance... But I Will Not Be Assisting You At All, And I Will Only Be There As A Piece Of The Union. This Will Be All Between Yourself And Pandemia, So You Are The One Who Has Command Here. This Is Your Mission, And I Expect Good Things From You."

At that moment, the many wings of MaTeus would set the mountainous Piece down a ways away from Pandemia, which stood on the opposing side of the Purlieu, yet closer to the Central City of the Delta.

Soon after MaTeus was 'Set', Tear communicated with Tifaret via their resonating wavelengths, so that she would be able to tell the difference between himself speaking and Teus. "Just Remember, I'm Here As Your Cushion This Time, In Case You Need To Fall Back. So If You Are Feeling Strained, Don't Forget That I Am Still Bound With You And Pandemia, Too." Once his words of comfort were laid bare, he returned to silence on the sidelines, letting Tifa take helm.

An unusual calm was over Tifa as she rested in the heart of Pandemia, feeling all of the things that it did for the very first time. She could still hear Tear and was paying attention, but her true fascination was with the very soul of Pandemia, itself, which she didn't even know it had. The enjoyed learning new things and attaining new heights, because honestly, she was starting to believe that she'd hit her own peak, and that she'd not get another chance to see or do greater things. Yet, she was proven wrong even about that, which gave her a great deal of sentiment.

"Yeah, Yeah, I Hear Ya," Tifa said to Tear in a sassy fashion, playfully brushing him off like she wasn't paying attention because she already knew, even though she was one hundred percent brand-spanking-new to this situation. "Just Shut Up And Look Pretty, Would Ya~? Hahaha!" As abrasive as her joking may have been, it was done in good spirit, as was familiar to her.

To begin, Tifaret called upon the power of the Crystal Heart, using it to magnify her life-giving energy as the Jinseigami Amaterasu into every bit of Pandemia. With her power pouring through it, she would then seek a connection with it, searching the depths of its rather curious soul... She became so fixated on the intimacy between them that she didn't even really recognize MaTeus at all. She really just wanted to explore the Soul of Pandemia, and hoped it would open up to her. This was the first time that she would feel this connected to it, as before, she more or less didn't even regard it. The only thing that she could think at that moment was, 'Maybe This Is What Tear Has Felt Like All Of This Time Doing Everything In Pandemia... I Wonder How Long He's Known That This Place Has A Soul...?' Still, Tear's mysteries mystefied Tifa, for she wasn't aware of just how deep the secrets he had were.

"Well Then, I Will Begin By Installing A 'Card' Into MaTeus, And You Can Use That As A Test Dummy." There was a stray 'Card' which was in flux, which the acutely speedy Light God plucked from out of warpspeed transmission, placing it into MaTeus like a Golem.


MaTeus, the White King Piece, situated itself as to allow for Pandemia to freely engage it in any way they saw fit, and would further the practice of said skill with focus of specificity. This would give Tifa the power to get more in depth with her skills instead of only brushing the surface and then not actually learning anything at all.

MaTeus stood with arms open and eyes closed, patiently awaiting Tifaret and Pandemia.

Pandemia was able to feel Tifa's curiosity flowing through its soul, which would carry her consciousness wherever it may within the construct. To that effect, it would proceed by initiating the automated Argus Card System defense mechanism which would function whilst Pandemia interacted with Tifa spiritually.


Linking with Tifaret's energy powered the 'House System' of 'House Veritas', which was Pandemia. Thus, it began to execute its 'House Commands' within the 'Argus Card System' and left its body to function autonomously of the consciousness, which was bonding with Tifa and was paying more attention to her. On the exterior, Pandemia was bombarding the 'Field' with its 'Spiritual Energy'.

"Interesting..." uttered Teus, who would draw forth another stray Card from the vagrant energy in flux all throughout the Veritas at this time. The bombardment of Spiritual Energy from Pandemia done to the Field was a rather good starting move, but the Cards were in Teus' favor at the present, and Pandemia's automatic style left it relatively unconscious in terms of its focus, since that was drawn towards Tifaret. "... Though I Must Implore The Both Of You To Pay Attention To Your Surroundings, As This Is Not As Simple As Rushing Into Combat." Teus' Card was launched into the atmosphere and, without warning, MaTeus was drawn up to it instantaneously, almost as if it warped to the location of the Card.


The speaking of the Card after the action was performed brought light to what Teus had drawn, and the White King, MaTeus, would hover in the air with all of its majestic wings keeping it afloat overhead. To that extent, Teus could only say, "You Must Think Beyond Just The Moment. That Has Always Been Your Weakness -- Not Thinking Far Enough Ahead To Cover All Outcomes. You Are Known To Blindly Rush Forward And Assail Your Targets With Force, And This Is Being Reflected By Pandemia Under Your Control." Clearly, Teus knew that there was something deeper going on, but that didn't detract from what he was stating, nor from the usefulness of being able to do it.

Whereas Tifa was pretty synchronized with Pandemia and having some sort of interaction with it, Tear had to spoil it by chastising her about what she was doing again, throwing off her concentration a bit when she tried to focus on Pandemia's soul. "Hey. Didn't You Say We Were Gonna Do This My Way?" Tifa ended up asking rather quickly. "I Could Have Sworn You Said I Could Do This However I Wanted." There was only slight irritation in her voice, but she was mostly being playfully snide with Tear, since she knew that doing that to him was what he liked as long as she actually had something that would validly trump whatever he was saying. That was harder to do than most people actually gave Tear credit for, but Tifa had grown better at dealing with it because of how much time she spent with him. "You Have Your Way And I Have Mine, Guy. When You're In Charge, We'll Do It Your Way, Like You're Used To."

She felt good about that, since it wasn't everyday where she could actually get Tear so quickly, let alone at all. Perhaps it was because she was a Goddess now? Maybe that had to do with it? She did feel oddly more intelligent... Though she might have had to accredit that to Rita. Then again, the two of them weren't split up anymore, so it was just... Herself.

"Anyway, Yeah, Where Were We...?" Tifa adjusted the majority of her attention back to Pandemia, of whom she would attempt to communicate with spiritually once again, trying not to concern herself with Tear and his method of training. Any other day, Tifa would be interested in a good all-out brawl, but somehow this newfound power of Life itself made her feel like she wanted to be more in tune with life around her, especially where she once never realized... Or, at least in things she took an interest in, if and probably nothing else. She wanted Pandemia to open up to her on its own accord at its own level of comfort, but also to discover these things she never knew all for herself.

So, Tear, even in his transcendental form, was at the back of her mind compared to what interest she held in Pandemia once realizing just how alive it was.

Pandemia was automatically built into the Argus Card System by default because it was the 'House'. This meant that its automatic functions could be solely commanded by the Argus Card System whether or not Pandemia was actually consciously putting in any effort. The layered capacity for operation made it a very sophisticated system, since it didn't have to always put all of its focus in one part, and could instead do many things at once independent of each other, which allowed for more things to get done even when the sectors were not all utilized for one goal and with oneness and unity in all facets.

This meant that it could utilize the flowing 'Cards' of the 'Argus Card System' when they were in play, and when in 'Automatic' mode, it used the 'Residual' energy, because it was usually the easiest and had been reverted to its most basic form before the amplification and additions that came from the system. But, that didn't mean that the 'Residual' energy could not be added to by the user who drew its power before it was discarded.

Thus, when a 'Card' that was once 'Active' was replaced, before it was discarded or used in another area of the Veritas, Pandemia called upon it and used it as the next manner of 'Automatic' Combat.


It was lucky enough to have 'Drawn' the power of a 'Spell Card', which was pretty useful, if used correctly. Pandemia's 'Presence' was expanded across the entire 'Field', including the 'Atmosphere', where MaTeus was 'Hovering'. Based on the 'Nature' of the 'Spell Card', Pandemia could increase its power gradually by charging, and the more it charged, the greater its energy would be concentrated and expand, as opposed to getting weaker as it expanded. This meant that when the field was larger, the energy would become more powerful, so being farther away, as MaTeus was, ended up not being a good idea.

As much of a 'Luck Of The Draw' moment that it was, -- considered Pandemia didn't even typically use 'Spell Cards' at all, those being out of its 'Natural' jurisdiction -- the 'Card' still ended up being more useful than Tear's at the present moment. This gave Pandemia time to bond with Tifaret, and instead of most of their power being contained due to the focus they had on each other, it would instead become more amplified for that very same reason coupled with the Spell Card.

Teus grew silent once the rather oddly strategic -- or rather, synchronic -- 'Power Play' was used, being able to analyze its origins, which did not stem from either Tifaret nor Pandemia. Having greater wisdom and knowledge of the scenario than Tifaret, and Pandemia being more directly linked with her and picking up on her own Soul plus her traits, Teus was able to understand why Tifaret might have felt like what she'd done justified what she said a little more than what Teus was trying to explain to her.

"Still As Cheeky As Ever, I See..." said he. "This Is Your First Time, So I Understand The Importance Of Being Comfortable And Familiar As A Priority, But It Does Not Invalidate What I Am Saying In The Least, Even If It May Potentially Have Some Credit In Being Able To Outrank It." Even that 'Potentiality' was slim compared to how effective he was going to show her his strategy was, even working as blindly as they were.

The powerful 'Presence' came over MaTeus, and would likely have greater ability to influence it whilst it was within the intensifying Presence, but something like that wouldn't even make the Crystal Angel sweat.


Using the very 'Vacuum' of their own 'Expansion' of their 'Presence', Teus was capable of filling that temporarily emptied space with the Presence of MaTeus, virtually turning all of the interior area of the expanding Presence into space for MaTeus, whose power would grow stronger as more of its energy was poured out and naturally amplified by the nature of the Spell Card's Command.

"There Will Come Many Times That You Will Have To Utilize Something Entirely New For The First Time, Or Perhaps Something Old For The First Time. In That Instance, You Cannot Devote So Much Of Your Attention To Becoming Familiar Where You Ignore What Is Going On Around You, No Matter How Much You Need To Practice Before You Can Be Ready." This situation was a prime example of what he was saying, and even if Tifaret had a very valid and important point, it, as stated, did not invalidate nor outrank what Teus was teaching. "... But You Did Bear A Valid Point," Teus would mention to her, knowing that this is what she was actually looking for by saying what she did at all. She didn't really want to invalidate Teus as much as she wanted to validate what she was thinking and feeling and doing.

However, even as valid as she was, it did not invalidate nor detract from Teus' very-much-also valid sentiment, which ended up being of greater importance whether what she was trying to get across was valid or not. Hopefully she would understand that now, as a Goddess... For, this may have been her first time being here, but Teus -- even as Tear -- was already on that level long before Tifaret.

Now, normally, Tifa would get really upset with Tear and blow her own fuse, or do something malevolent to get back at him, but this time... Something about her new sense of being made her decide to simply heed what he was saying, since it actually was vital to both life and also potentially to beating him, since she would better understand how he thought as opposed to simply trying to beat it by being as comfortable with herself as possible. It opened up a whole new world of thought for her, which led to a great deal of possibilities.

But, she wasn't going to just let him think that was it. Oh, no. She had much more.

"I'm Doing What I'm Supposed To Be Doing," said Tifa, who was certain of this. "But Maybe, Did You Ever Think, That It Isn't Me That You Should Be Saying This To, But To Pandemia? I Mean, Even If I Do What I'm Supposed To, If Pandemia Doesn't, That Ain't On Me, Right?" There was smugness in her voice. "So, Why Would You Direct A Statement Like That At Me When I'm Doing What I'm Supposed To?" She had him there, even if she only realized it after he mentioned something.

Pandemia continued to do as it would, but was slightly put off by Tifa's mention that it was not doing as it should, when it was the one inviting her in as per her own will's request. One like Tifa would find this insulting rather immediately, but one like Tear would contemplate it and then measure its weight in the scenario. Fortunately, Pandemia was linked to them both, and though it could feel and channel both of them simultaneously, that also meant that it could balance out their properties between itself and also them, making all of them mutually harmonious with each other.

Beyond that, there was no stray 'Card' for Pandemia to use out in the 'Atmosphere', and the situation was looking dire with MaTeus' presence filling up the area that was supposed to be for its own Presence, and also growing more powerful based on the effects that were supposed to apply to them, doubly robbing them of their energy both internally and externally. The feeling of being hurt that was experienced by Pandemia would travel to both Tifa and Tear, who would feel the sting of Tifa's words and Teus' actions as if they were directed at themselves and not each other.

"Once Again," spake Teus, who felt what Pandemia was feeling and also understood why, "You Do Not Fully Grasp What You've Only Just Now Been Introduced To." Teus had very cold and distant eyes, which didn't look very different from his warm and intimate eyes, yet bore an extremely polar difference for some reason even without changing. "If You Honestly Believe That This Sort Of Effort Can Be Measured Mutually Exclusively, Then You Are Not Understanding Your Involvement In The Process Just Yet..."

Teus wished to say more to Tifaret, but he relented. He understand that even though she was one with her Sixth Restriction form, she was still presently in her Second Restriction form, which made a significant difference in how he could interact with her. Not everything he said or understood could be explained to her because she didn't have the same knowledge as he did. This was something she needed to learn, for it was unable to be understood at her level of knowledge, let alone taught at all. He could not speak to her as he would his wife, who was unified with her, yes, but also still submerged beneath them. If she could keep silent to Tifaret, whom she was actually sharing an existence with, then he could stay his knowledgeable tongue for a time.

Though, that wouldn't stop him from communicating, just because he couldn't explain his transcendental lessons. It would be rude to simply stop speaking to someone because they do not understand what you are capable of understanding. "Also, Don't Forget That I Am Connected As Well, So I Can Feel You, Too..." Even if she missed the last tidbit, he wanted to mention it, at least, in case she recalled it later on, once she got a better understanding of why that was so important here.

"Beyond That, You Are Not The Only One Who Does Not Need The Cards To Continue, Pandemia!" This time, he expressly called out Pandemia because, yes, it was doing something wrong, as Tifa said. However, this was mostly because of its bondage with her at all, and not because of it actually doing anything wrong. Sometimes, wavelengths that don't match their owners do not do as well in another being... Since those waves are more personal, and therefore match the comfort of only the person to whom they belong. This was what Tifa was like, and it made sense... Considering the nature of the 'Forbidden Soul' within her. So she wasn't wrong about being right about the situation and herself... It just wasn't as significant as she regarded it to be in accord with the present situation... Which was all he was trying to explain at all.

Yet, Teus relented, and he would have MaTeus continue to engage.


Instead of using a 'Card', Teus issued a 'Command' that was built into the Veritas System to further what the previous 'Card' he used had done. The 'Atmosphere' which was filled with MaTeus' Presence would surround Pandemia completely, an MaTeus would assimilate with the outermost layer of the newly ascertained barrier and snuff out the lingering energy that may have belonged to Tifa and Pandemia. By doing this, its forms changed to match the size of barrier's radius, and the newly enlarged MaTeus would have its entire lower torso domed around Pandemia, like a building inside of a mountain. With its energy all around, using its techniques and natural abilities would be way easier than ever.

Like a chandelier, the upper torso lowered itself from the top of itself, only inverted so that it would travel properly. MaTeus watched on from the ceiling of the structure, arms wide open and hands cupped around the general area.

It was remarkable how Tear was capable of finding a way to outdo Tifa even when she was completely justified. She was frustrated that the weight of what he was saying bore greater significance that the points that she brought up, and she was going to make a remark about such things, but... She felt a terrible twinge of pain within her that almost seemed like it came from herself. "Gh...!! The Hell...?!" It was clear that Tifa responded less to words than she did feelings, as was obviously in her nature, but it was devastating that the feelings she felt came from her own words regarding Pandemia. Tifa knew right away that this was the shared pain of herself and Pandemia, and that she'd offended it. It was then that she decided that Tear's words weren't as important as the bond she was making with Pandemia; the bond which she basically damaged slightly at Pandemia's expense. That was simply just not cool.

She grew silent with her words, though she really wanted to respond to Tear, but she accepted what he was saying along with what Pandemia was feeling, taking the pain of both and bearing the weight. She wasn't a coward, and she knew she was wrong, so she accepted the responsibility. Yet, this seemed to make her stronger.

As a means of showing her reliability toward Pandemia, she simply allowed the deepest and truest parts of her feelings to be expressed completely emotionally and didn't let a single one come out verbally. The things that she felt deep within would be shared with Pandemia, including her remorse for what she'd just done. Hopefully it would be enough.

The alteration in wavelengths coming from Tifaret were quickly responded to by Pandemia, who could feel the sincerity of her regret for acting somewhat impulsively in terms of her rivalry. This rivalry was not new to Pandemia, who had harbored and witnessed Tifaret and Tear for a very long time, and knew things about the two of them that she was not aware of. Though, it knew that it would be best to allow her to share in what it understood about them so that she could clearly see something necessary.

Opening its soul further to Tifaret, she would be accepted into it, and then she would see her relationship with Tear from the third-party view of Pandemia. She would see how much her feelings got the best of her when it came to him and how their rivalry tended to go overboard, as well as the true feelings that both of them shared for each other, which they both knew, but expressed less than efficiently. Since Pandemia was both the neutral party and technically a bystander, it had the best image of what went on about its confines. Tifa should have been able to see very clearly whenever she overreacted, especially when she let her personal competition with Tear consume her. This is what she let happen when she tarnished the bond between herself and Pandemia for the sake of said competition, and Pandemia was trying to make it clear that such behaviors and feelings would end with her losing the people that she cared about or wanted to bond with more closely, such as Pandemia itself, as well as Tear, whom they all knew she loved. It was a type of selfishness that came from a place of ego.

Of course, despite Tear's perfection and general correctness, he was not completely in the right either. He would be showed his faults, which came from his decisions to chastise Tifaret so often and not accept her feelings hidden behind her rough exterior. He always thought that outdoing her in places where she challenged him would put her in her place and make her stop, but it had the opposite effect, and he should have been well aware of that by this point. So, in his wisdom, he should have tried other approaches with her in order to show his regard for her feelings. He wasn't the type to do such things when it came to teaching a lesson... Well, not to her, at least. But that was where he was coming off wrong, and was a passive instigator, even if this was never his intention.

With each of them being shown their faults against each other, regardless of how individually correct they may have been, Pandemia would let them ruminate on such things as it continued to face off against MaTeus, who had trapped it within the enclosed space inside of itself.


Pandemia's retaliation to this, though potentially risky, was to release the power that it got from the resonance between itself and Tifa and Tear to force away the overarching presence of MaTeus, and at least maintain an energetic distance between them, despite being within the area that was controlled by MaTeus. This would at least ensure that Pandemia had an area for itself within the field so that it would not be overwhelmed simply by the fact that MaTeus had field control. Maintaining that small section dedicated to Pandemia was imperative to the possibility of escape, and so Pandemia made the greatest effort in keeping that space dedicated to itself.

Perhaps from this point, it would have to rely on Tifa, and she would be alerted to that in her spirit, as she would feel Pandemia struggling without her joint effort. Right now, she was just feeding it power, but she was not working together with it, which was completely different. It wanted her to understand this difference, because that was going to make or break this situation, here and now.

The sudden shift in atmosphere and disposition from Tifa and Pandemia let Teus know that Tifa was indeed learning all on her own through Pandemia and not due to Teus' words, which, as Tear, usually fell on deaf ears with Tifa. She was, unsurprisingly, more susceptible to learning through feeling than lecture, which was part of the reason why Tear assigned her to field work in the first place. Despite what he knew about her, he still seemed surprise at the difference in response when she was left to her own as opposed to being chastised. It was then that he understood that his methods may have been perfect in execution and logic, but were not correct in terms of teaching Tifa. She learned best through her own experiences, and not through someone else telling her what was right or not. This great oversight on Teus' part humbled him to her manner of learning, which he should have been more sensitive to a very long time ago, especially since he already had the knowing of this trait with Tifaret.

He would let the silence between them all ride out, since Pandemia seemed to be getting more involved now, and Tifa was grasping the concepts that Tear so desperately tried to show her. He knew then that it was time to retire the old form of communication with her, for, in her new development, she could be trusted to not have to be lectured in such a manner. She worked best her own way, and his way did not fit her style. He had to accept that in order to get the best out of her, as well as what was best for the team.

With this in mind, Teus decided that it was best to test this theory and push them to their limits... So, he started to use his real techniques against them now.


MaTeus waved its hands over the immediate area within itself, spreading star particles all over the field, which would twinkle like the distant stars in the night sky. They surrounded the area all around in any place where MaTeus' hands passed, and once the area was filled with them, it would cause them to explode, creating a powerful but contained chain reaction among them all, resulting in a series of consecutive explosions that would bombard Pandemia nonstop.

"Finally Gettin Serious, Eh, Tear...?" grumbled Tifa happily, seeming to both notice and enjoy the fact that he was showing his power before her, which she took as a sign of recognition toward her own. A sign of her growth. She accepted the compliment happily, and would return the favor. What Tifa knew best was the fight, and through it, she learned everything she needed to know; it taught her all of the things she needed for herself. "Well, Two Can Play At That Game...!"

After feeling Pandemia's sentiments flowing through her, Tifaret let the power of the Crystal Heart flow into Pandemia, which would further amplify their power through Rita. The power of the White Void would open up through Pandemia's Soul, absorbing all of the things that MaTeus had weaponized against them and creating an impossibly blank light that robbed the surrounding area of all color. "Say Hello To The White Void!!"

The sudden release from Tifa surprised the soul of Pandemia, which felt her power being amplified as well as its own. She was showing the rawness of her heart to it, as a form of apology for what she'd done to Pandemia, and as a show of good will in terms of her sincerity, she let Pandemia into her heart. This allowed them to fluidly share their power, and so Pandemia gained control over the White Void, which belonged to Tifaret. With this power, Pandemia's own strength became infinitely many times more versatile, and the White Void's power would be further amplified by Pandemia consciously after Tifa made her conscious amplification, furthering the intensity of the cumulative amplification.


In a myriad of ways did the White Void begin to nullify the power of MaTeus: Firstly, by burning up all of the calories of all of the energy in the enclosed space; secondly, by generating another White Void barrier around the outer layer of MaTeus, which was also fair game considering MaTeus never actually sealed off the space, though he was actively trapping Pandemia inside; and lastly, by both creating and absorbing more energy than what could be produced, effectively snuffing all of it out.

That should have ended the White King, and successfully beaten Teus in the process.

Teus' eyes raised slightly after witnessing Tifaret and Pandemia suddenly use the power of the White Void against him, which was unexpected, to say the least... Yet, not outside of realm of calculation.

Where he'd usually make a witty quip back at Tifa, this was actually quite a threat to his Piece at this point, and losing it would mean that he'd lost the battle. Certainly, he had to step in now, on behalf of his Piece.

Though the White Void would be capable of nullifying MaTeus' attack and also both sapping its energy as well as damaging the structure, the power of the White Void would be counteracted by Teus' intervention, wherein which he would take direct command of the White Void in order to dull its properties. The power may have exclusively belonged to Tifaret and the Crystal Heart, but both of them were still equally as connected to Teus, who governed them all. Yet, even without sharing their power, he could still control the White Void, given the extent of his powers' parameters.

Either way, the reason why he did this was not only to save himself, but also the rest of the Delta, which would be in potential danger should the White Void be allowed to reach the full extent of its power as it was being projected by Pandemia and Tifaret. So, to prevent a full wipeout, he had to stop the White Void from growing. It was also just as conveniently useful for salvaging his piece, as if an actual King escaping the pin of Check.

Still, as Pandemia and Tifa could feel each other clearly, they would also be able to feel Teus and Tear, who were well pleased with Tifaret and Pandemia in their first unison together. No words needed to be exchanged, as a feeling of mutual respect from the development of the situation would bind them all together in their hearts.

Even so, the battle was not yet decided, since MaTeus escaped its demise from Tifa and Pandemia. It did, however, fly into the air, overseeing the damages both to itself and the surrounding area, if there was any at all.

Before anything could escalate any further, between the clashing titanic architectures would appear a holographic screen large enough to be perceivable between the two of them, and also among the entire Central City Of The Delta, which the two structures were very near. The face of the one who was on it was the Me-ou, who was both the Ruler of the Delta and also the Headmistress of Pandemia. Her hair was a lovely sparkling blond, but her eyes were a cold crystal blue, and she wore a black dress. Her expression was very stern, and her words were very to-the-point. "Are You Two Quite Finished?" she asked them, very much wishing to refer to the impending damages to the city that the two of them were about to incur. "I'm Quite Sure That You Two Wouldn't Allow It To Occur, And If It Did By Accident, You Would Be Able To Easily Fix It, But..." Her eyebrow twitched a bit, showing the very slight signal of her hidden frustration. "... It Still Would Not Look Good To Have Destroyed Our People A Single Time For The Sake Of Training, Especially When It Was Not Accidental, Could Have Been Prevented, And Is Easily Able To Be Remedied By Us. Those Who Would Survive Would See This As Reckless Disregard For The Community And Their Well-Being, And If We Were To Erase Them All Simply To Prevent Them From Having A Memory Of It Happening At All, Then The Onlookers Who Are Not Involved Will Still See Us, And It Will Reflect Poorly On The Institution."

The Me-ou was not like her most trusted compatriots. As their Ruler, and the fact that the College basically supported the entire continent of the Delta, plus a large portion of the other parts of the Veritas by design, she had to think about what was going on with the Delta and Pandemia exclusively. "Now, I Expect You To Know Better, Tear. Especially As A Divine Being. Tifaret, I Can Understand, Though I Still Would Also Expect Better Judgment From Her About The Use Of The White Void In Such Proximity Without Necessity. But You Should Have Known About This Outcome, Given The Scope Of Your Power." From what it sounded like, Tifaret was getting the lesser severity of the punishment though she was the one that initiated the attack, and Tear was getting the more intense severity of the punishment because he had knowledgeable foresight to prevent the entire situation altogether. Though it may not have seemed fair given who was the responsible party, Teus technically took precedence over them all, as he was the Light God.

"Still, Since There Was No Actual Damage Done, And All Of This Was Simple Potentiality, I Cannot Say That It Is Not A Forgivable Offense," decided the Me-ou, who closed her eyes as she relented. "Though It Does Make Me Worry About Our Image. And So..." Her eyes shot open with ferocity, and her crystal blue eyes flashed a sanguine gleam. "... I Will Need To See You Two In My Office. That Is All." The connection ended immediately, and the holographic screen faded along with the Me-ou.

Tifa was silent as the Me-ou chewed them out in a rather formal way. She knew that she had more words for them, but they would likely be exchanged in private when they went to her office. Still, the feeling of accomplishment today that Tifa had was something that she felt she earned. She was even impressed with her own self, despite the damage that almost occurred. "... Pretty Good Match, Yeah, Tear?" She decided to be as chill as possible, even about what she'd consider a victory. "... Let's Do It Again Sometime." Where Tifa would normally gloat and boast about something such as this, she decided that she didn't need to. All that mattered now was that she was a worthy opponent to her rival, and that was one step closer to surpassing him. He taught her a lot today, whether or not he knew he did, and she appreciated the experience, regardless of the somewhat harsh and unfinished outcome.

But they both should have known that this was far from over.

To Teus, something such as this was but a small sacrifice for the greater good, though the preference obviously is to make no sacrifices at all. He did actually feel very poorly about his lackluster performance on his part, which made him appear to be less competent than he actually is, but it was more important for the substance to grow in Tifaret. His image could suffer for a short time. This was nothing anywhere near irreparable, and in fact held more benefits than if he did not make the sacrifice for Tifa's sake. She certainly had an advantage, and could have potentially won the battle, but seeing as it was incomplete, there was no way to know who would have been truly victorious, given she had the advantage and MaTeus had yet to take an action.

"... Yes," Teus finally said after looking off into the distance, remaining in his place above the clouds, "... Indeed." Little else needed to be spoken outside of that, for everything which was experienced by them all sat deeply within them. As Tear and Tifaret were beckoned to The Me-ou's chambers, Teus would draw his wife, Rita, out of Pandemia. "Come, Dear. We Must Go To Our Daughter At The Clock Tower." Tear and Tifaret could handle everything from there.