New Squidbeak Splatoon: Ascension

Our Property

She sighed. "Look. Whatever you do next, I just think you've been taking this too far. The shields over the city are still raised, but you can still lower them. We can lower them."

"We? Hehehehe." He suddenly bellowed. His throne was still inching closer and closer. "There's no we... do you know why those shields are raised, Ida? Do you know why we take such extreme measures here?"

Marina didn't respond.

"...It was that day when I found Cap'n Cuttlefish's body, that... I had a realization." Octavio continued. "It never would've happened if I had taken better control of the situation from the beginning. The way that he was just... left there... so senselessly... how lifeless he was when I last held him... the senseless war could have, and should have, been avoided from the beginning."

Marina sighed and looked down once again.

But Octavio wasn't done. "Then it wasn't until you two showed up, 100 years later, that I had another realization."

"And what realization is that?" Lydia asked.

"That perhaps his death was necessary. He never saw my plans for this city... not the way that I do. He never saw just how beautiful the world could become. He never believed in it... he believed in his own selfish world views, that he was the one in the right and that the way he saw the world was the correct one. He cared only about himself. His death... was what gave me control. His death was what ended the war. So do you know what I've learned that you do with people with those views, Ms. Ida?"

Marina stared up at him, growing increasingly horrified, as at that moment, the Eightfolds that were at Eva's side suddenly started shoving her down onto her knees. Eva closed her eyes and started crying. Marina backed up once again.

"No..." Oliver tried to step forward to no avail. "Don't do this!"

"These are the people who start wars!" Octavio announced. "We are the ones who end them. With no tolerance, and no apologies!"

"I started this, please, take me instead!" Oliver begged as he was pulled back. His mouth was covered, and his voice was muffled.

Lydia just stared ahead at Eva, frozen.

Eva didn't move as an Eightfold pulled out her gun and held it at the back of her head. She clenched her eyes as tightly as she could.

"...My King..." Marina could barely even whisper. "...Don't do this..."

As Eva worked to catch her breath, sighing to herself as her tears fell onto her lap, she was left with one last moment. Not only did she think about her children... but her mind went back to the people she had fought for. She thought back to what she knew the Octarians should be... what she knew they could be... and with that, she suddenly opened her mouth.

"Glory to the Oct-!" She shouted, cut off by a high-pressure gunshot.

Marina and Lydia both jumped. Oliver started crying and screaming, but his voice remained muffled as the Tartar-Bots pulled him back further. Samantha started hyperventilating as she looked to the side, not even looking at the carnage.

The rest watched on as Eva's body was sent toppling off the platform and into the dark pit below, never to be seen again. Lydia's eyes welled up with tears as she watched, before she closed her eyes and turned away.

"Get the rest of these fugitives out of here!" Octavio commanded. "There's more in store for the rest of you, I promise."

Marina stared up at the King, glaring at him, as the Splatoon agents were all hauled back down the platform and out of the room. She and Lydia slowly followed, leaving Octavio behind as the doors closed behind them.