" Prove to me you are strong enough to survive. "
– Toriel
#
Chara stared wide-eyed at the image on her phone. It was a picture of Papyrus, lying on an orange floor gagged and tied up in rope. What the hell? Who had done this?! Why?! Was there no end to their torment? Chara was going to kill whoever had done this!
Chara's phone rang again, receiving a call from Papyrus's number. She put it on speaker and answered with an exasperated tone. "Who are you and what have you done?!"
"Take a guess."
Chara felt a chill creep up her spine. "Monty."
N-no, Felicia muttered. Not again, not again!
There he goes again, Frisk calmly said.
Everyone else watched quietly as Monty spoke. "Papyrus and I are having a nice hang out," Monty said. "We'd love it if you came to join us. Meet us in the Last Corridor; we can't wait to see you. Oh, and don't even think about calling the police. If they crash the party, I'll be mad, and that wouldn't be good for poor Papyrus over here."
The Last Corridor? Where...? Chara thought of the picture. The floor consisted of orange and yellow square tiles, and there were stained-glass windows on the right, adorned with a symbol Chara could never forget. She knew where it was, the hallway where Sans had passed his final judgement on Frisk.
Chara growled into the receiver. "You're a sick bastard, you know that?"
"Irrelevant," Monty said. "I suggest you move quickly; Papyrus's life depends on it. Don't keep us waiting."
Monty hung up.
Chara turned to face General Ackerman. "I know where they are, Asgore's Castle within New Home, under Mount Ebott."
"You intend to go there yourself?" Ackerman asked.
Chara nodded. "Yes, I can't let him hurt Papyrus." She meant that. Papyrus was one of the most innocent people Chara knew. Only a truly miserable creature would have taken him hostage. She had to save him.
Ackerman's face turned pale. "Are you certain? Monty is –"
"I know full well how powerful he is," Chara replied. "It matters not. Papyrus's safety comes first."
Ackerman gave her a respectful smile. "It's wrong what people say about you. You're a kind person, Chara. Still, we'll follow you up to a safe distance away. If you see an opening, don't hesitate to call us."
"Of course," Chara said. "I'm also the World Master, so if anything goes wrong, I can go back."
"Even so, Monty is unfathomably powerful. I served with him once, and I've seen his strength firsthand. He's one of the only warriors I know that may be more powerful than you are."
"I'll just have to win anyway," Chara said.
Ackerman frowned. "I couldn't believe it when I found out what he did to Felicia. I've never felt so betrayed in my life. I had always looked up to Monty. In fact, he's the reason why I became a general. He's the one who convinced me that the right person should be in charge for once, not someone like that scum, Jaeger."
"Cool story," Flowey said, "but we don't have time to sit around and chat. Chara needs to get in that castle, now!"
Chara couldn't have agreed more. "Yes, there is no time to waste."
Ackerman turned and pointed to her car. "I'll take you there. Come with me!"
Chara ran with Ackerman to her vehicle. "Yes, thank you!"
"Don't mention it!"
As Chara and her friends ran off, Toriel stared at them with a terrified expression. "Chara, Asriel... do not die. Please."
They got in the car, and they raced towards Mount Ebott.
#
Chara, Flowey, Elodie walked through the abandoned hallways of Asgore's Castle, while Ackerman and an elite squad of Military Police agents stood by in the Throne Room. Ackerman had anticipated that Monty may have had surveillance equipment set up, so Chara had brought Elodie and Flowey with her to test its range. Chara didn't know what Monty was after, but it was unlikely that he would dispose of his hostage without warning.
As they approached their destination, Chara stopped dead in her tracks.
"What's wrong?" Elodie asked.
"Monty's there," Chara said.
"We know."
"No, I mean, I know he's there."
"Huh?"
Chara sensed it. Inside the next corridor, there was exactly one enemy lying in wait for them. It was as if the world itself was alerting her to a hostile presence. Was this Nora's ability? How had Chara acquired it? That power was supposed to be exclusive to perseverance souls, not even a determination soul should have been able to attain it. Was it another benefit of being a demon? Well, in any case, it was a very useful power to have.
Chara's phone vibrated. She answered it.
"Chara," Monty said, "didn't I make it clear? I only want you. Just you."
"My apologies," Chara replied. "I just thought you might want to see your daughter one last time before you die."
"Hmm... oh, all right, if you insist."
Really? Chara hadn't expected that. Was he trying to say that even the three of them working together wouldn't be enough to defeat him? He would regret that. Chara couldn't wait to see that smug bastard die.
The three of them stepped inside the hallway. The Underground's artificial sunlight shone through the windows, and at the other end of the hall, they saw Papyrus and Monty. Papyrus was just as he appeared in the photo, helplessly lying on the floor tied up, and Monty stood beside him. He was dressed in his Military Police uniform, and he carried a sword on his hip. He waved at them. "Finally, there you are."
"Tell me something," Chara said. "Of all people, why did you have to kidnap Papyrus?"
"Because he's smart," Monty said. "He knows things. For instance, he knows that Frisk is still hanging around in your head."
Chara gasped. "I... I don't what you're talking about!"
How the hell?! Frisk exclaimed.
Monty laughed. "You're a terrible liar, Chara. I can see it in your eyes. It's true, isn't it? Frisk lives on as your fellow demon. How does it feel to have three minds in one body? Must be crowded, I imagine."
Chara grimaced. "What do you want?"
"You know what I want. This world is dying, tearing apart at the seams. A firm hand is needed to keep it together, and I'm hoping that you will provide it."
Chara reached for her knife. "So, you want me to dominate the world like some evil overlord?"
Monty kept smiling. "This may sound hard to believe, but I've always done what I thought is best for this world. Humans will always use power to impose their will on others, but power is also needed to defend freedom. Power is not inherently good or evil; it all depends on how it's wielded."
Brandishing her knife, Chara stepped forward. "I'm really not in the mood to discuss philosophy right now."
"Wait!" Elodie cried. "Do you really have to fight?"
Monty smiled. "I'm glad to see you're eager, but first, we should establish some ground rules." He pointed at Papyrus, specifically, a brick-shaped object strapped to his body. "This is a C4 explosive. If you try to remove the device, it will detonate. If my heart stops beating, it will detonate. If you piss me off, it will detonate. The only way to disarm it is with a voice-activated passphrase, from my voice alone, naturally."
Chara felt sweat collect on her brow. "What do you want?"
Monty drew his sword. "I will only say the passphrase if you defeat me in a fair, one-on-one duel. You are the World Master, are you not? If you kill me fair and square, you can return to this point, and I swear that I will speak the code. Don't forget, I always remember resets."
What? He wanted to duel Chara?
Monty laughed. "Actually, perhaps it's really a three-on-one fight? You, Frisk, and Felicia against me, but absolutely no one else." He glanced at Flowey. "Looking at you, angel. Don't interfere."
Flowey shrugged. "What are you looking at me for? Papyrus is one of the more interesting ones to mess around with. It would be a shame if you blew him up forever."
So that's why Monty let them in; he had planned everything out perfectly. Damn it! Chara had no choice but to play his game.
"But what are you getting out of this?" Chara asked. "Am I to swear on my honor that if you win, I won't reset?"
Monty stared at her as if to say what are you talking about? "Haha! God, no! Take as many tries as you need!"
Chara's heart skipped a beat. "What?! Do you want to die?! You're insane!"
"I'm a wanted man," Monty said, "and I'm getting on in the years. Does a fugitive's life sound appealing when your body won't move the way you want it to anymore? No, but being killed by you would be the perfect ending for me." He brandished his blade. "However, don't think that means I'll go easy on you. You remember what happened to Felicia, don't you?"
Chara gulped. How could she forget? While she had dreamed of Felicia's memories, it was as if she had experienced it herself. The shock of all those deaths had put her in a coma for weeks. She knew perfectly well what she was in for. Still, she was far more powerful than Felicia had been. She had to be brave; she had to win.
"Father!" Elodie shouted. "Please, don't do this! You've already made Felicia suffer enough! Why do you have to torment Chara as well?"
Monty impatiently sighed. "We could talk in circles all day. Let's skip that, shall we? Have you saved, Chara? You might need it."
Chara did so. She concentrated hard and created a save point at that moment. Even if it took thousands, millions of tries, she would win. She had to, for everyone's sake.
Attempt 1
Monty lowered his stance and firmly gripped his sword. "At your ready."
Chara felt a pleasant sensation course though her body. Frisk had enhanced her strength, increasing her total ATK to 140 points. Knowing that Frisk was fighting by her side greatly comforted her.
Kick his ass, Frisk said.
Chara spread her arms. Felicia, this is for you. She clapped her hands, and red energy knives came at Monty from his left and right sides. He deftly backflipped away and avoided the projectiles. Chara immediately followed up by summoning a pit of spikes beneath Monty's feet, which he jumped over easily. Chara summoned more knives from above, left, right, behind, in front...
MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS
Chara concentrated with all her might, and she surrounded Monty with a sphere of knives, tightly packed so there wasn't an opening. Let's see him dodge this! She contracted the sphere, ready to skewer Monty inside.
As the knives closed in all around him, Monty finally cast a spell of his own. He crossed his arms over his chest, and an overwhelming burst of wind exploded from his body, sending every single knife Chara had thrown at him crashing against the walls. She cast a barrier just before her own knives shattered against it. Damn, Monty was strong! And he was complaining about getting old? Chara had a youthful, athletic human body, and she couldn't keep up with him!
No matter! Monty was an old man; Chara just had to keep attacking! She threw more knives at Monty from all directions.
MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS MISS
Not a single knife had so much as grazed Monty's skin. He hadn't lost a single point of his eighty HP, while Chara's EN was falling fast, and Monty hadn't even made an effort to counterattack. That wasn't because Chara had forced Monty on the defensive; Monty was toying with her.
"Damn it!"
Chara kept attacking, sending a whirlwind of magical blades flying at Monty. A single knife struck its mark, shattering on Monty's arm...
2
... and dealing two damage, bringing him down from eighty HP to seventy-eight HP.
"Not bad," Monty said, as he cast a healing spell on himself, undoing the little damage he had taken.
Chara clutched her panting chest as she watched Monty heal the mere scratch she had inflicted on him. It had taken her so much effort just to drain 2.5% of Monty's HP, and he had healed it instantly. How could she possibly win?
"Gosh," Flowey breathed. "The nimble agility of Sans, and the raw power of Undyne."
Don't give up! Frisk exclaimed. You can't lose to this old man! Keep fighting!
Despite Frisk's encouragement, Chara began to feel lightheaded, and her vision blurred. Chara's EN had dropped below five percent. Fortunately, Ackerman had given her three DT syringes. She took one and jammed its needle into her arm, injecting herself with DT. Her EN instantly restored to maximum capacity, and she breathed a sigh of relief as her stamina returned.
Knives weren't working, so how about fire? Chara summoned and lobbed a volley of explosive fireballs all around Monty. He swiped his arm and cast the same spell that he had used to deflect the knife sphere, Windblast. A powerful gust of wind reflected the fireballs, and they flew back towards Chara. She scrambled to put up a barrier, but she could only block one direction at a time. A fiery explosion seared Chara's right side, knocking her off her feet. Her HP dropped from forty points to twenty-five points.
Sorry! Frisk apologized. I was focusing everything on attack!
Chara got back on her feet. Her right side had suffered a third-degree burn. Her skin was grossly charred and blistered, but there wasn't much pain because the burn had damaged her nervous system. Chara injected herself with her second DT syringe, healing the burn and fully restoring her HP and EN.
Chara's hand tightened around her real knife. Screw magic! All the LOVE in the world couldn't save Monty if she stabbed him in the neck. She charged at him with all her might, quickly closing the distance. She raised her knife and aimed for Monty's chest. Next thing Chara knew, Monty's hand was clasped around her wrist. He flipped her over, and Chara felt her back slam down on the floor. The impact of the concrete floor knocked the wind out of her, and she lost ten HP.
Monty stepped back. He could have ended it right there; why didn't he? Chara clenched her teeth as she got back up. "Quit fucking around!" she shouted. "If you're going to fight me, then fight me!"
Chara summoned more knives and flung them at Monty. It went about as well as it had before. A couple of knives hit him, but the little damage they dealt was quickly healed. Chara felt another attack of intense nausea as her EN fell below five percent, and she injected herself with her final DT syringe. Again, the DT fully restored her HP and EN, but unlike before, it didn't cure her sickness. Her vision was still blurry, and she felt the urge to vomit.
Come on! Frisk shouted. Keep fighting!
Chara whimpered. It hurts...
I don't care if you're tired! Move your ass!
If Frisk weren't soulless, Chara would have berated him harshly for that. Still, she didn't want to give up, either. She threw more knives at Monty, but they were slower and weaker than before. Monty didn't even bother dodging them. He simply let them shatter against his body, all dealing less than one damage. Chara didn't understand. The DT had fully healed her; why was she so weak?
Chara felt something drip down her arm. She looked at it, and she realized that the flesh on her body was melting. Her body couldn't handle all the excess DT she had injected herself with. That was why Ackerman had only given her three doses, any more would kill her.
"Chara, reset!" Elodie exclaimed. "You can't fight like that!"
No, Chara couldn't give up until it was over. The power to reset was an absolute last resort; she couldn't give up until her soul shattered. She thrust out her hand, and a steady stream of knives shot straight towards Monty as fast as bullets. Monty raised a barrier and absorbed the blades, but Chara kept firing, desperately hoping to wear him down.
Stop, you idiot! Felicia yelled. He's stronger than you! If this turns into a contest of endurance, you'll lose!
Chara didn't listen to her. She kept pouring energy knives into Monty's shield. The knives scattered into tiny pieces as they rammed against the wall of light. Monty showed no signs of wearing down, but Chara still didn't stop.
Chara, stop! Frisk shouted.
She didn't stop.
Chara! Your energy!
Against her will, Chara's assault gradually died down. The stream of knives thinned and eventually disappeared... Chara's EN had reached zero.
Frisk's disembodied voice spoke with a quiet, apprehensive fear. That... that's bad, isn't it?
Chara felt as ill as the time she had shoved those buttercups down her throat. A horrible nausea overloaded her senses. It was worse than the urge to vomit. She felt like she was going to...
Every cell in Chara's body burst apart, and she convulsed uncontrollably before melting into a red puddle on the floor. Her soul shattered.
Attempt 2
With panting breaths, Chara woke up back in the corridor. Time had reset to the moment before she had engaged Monty. Flowey and Elodie stood behind her, and Monty stood on the opposite end of the hallway.
"Well, now," Monty said. "What do you think went wrong there, Chara?"
Elodie gasped. "What happened?"
What happened? Monty had beaten the shit out of her, without even attacking her. She felt so humiliated! Even with Frisk by her side, she was nothing more an insect clawing at Monty's feet, just waiting to be squashed. She felt so powerless, and she hated it.
"You need to get more creative," Monty instructed. "There's no intelligence behind your attacks. You can't rely on brute force for everything. Show me your ingenuity."
Chara swore under her breath. He was one to talk about brute force. When Felicia and her friends had fought him, they had tried all kinds of strategies to defeat him, but they failed every time simply because he was too powerful, and it wasn't like Monty easy to outsmart. He wasn't just powerful; he also had a strong intellect and masterful skill to back it up. Even if Chara could outmaneuver him, what tactic could possibly compensate for the massive power gap between them?
But despite the odds, Chara racked her brain in search of an answer, searching for ways to make her attacks more difficult to avoid. Faster projectiles were always better, more projectiles were always better, but both of those cost a great deal of EN. She had to be tricky without expending all of her energy.
She thought of a move Undyne had taught her, and she used it. She threw a different type of knife at Monty, yellow knives. She fired a stream of them at high speed. Like last time, Monty cast a barrier to block them, but just before they impacted, they spun around in a one-hundred-eighty-degree orbit and struck Monty in the back.
Monty took a total of ten damage as several knives burned his skin. He smiled. "There you go, but I'm not going to hold back anymore. Get ready."
Using one of his signature spells, Blink, Monty shot himself towards Chara at supernatural speed. With perfect timing, he swung his sword across Chara's torso, slicing her in half. Chara saw her lower body collapse to the floor before her vision went blank.
Attempt 3
"Fuck!"
Chara grimaced and wrapped her arms around her body, paranoid that it would tear apart at any moment. This was not fun, to say the least. Chara looked up and scowled at Monty. How could anyone be so cruel?
Elodie ran to Chara's side and held her arm. "Chara, what's wrong?"
Flowey sighed. "She died, obviously."
Elodie gasped. "What? They fought already? What did he do?"
Flowey groaned. "Shut up."
From across the hallway, Monty continued to taunt her. "So, as I was saying, strategy is important, but power is important, too. Even the most brilliant plans can fall apart if the enemy turns out to be stronger than anticipated. Don't you wish you had more power to defeat me?"
Chara felt her face redden with rage. Monty needed to die, but that was proving to be extremely difficult. She dug her nails into her skull. How could an old man be so strong and agile? Those with determination defied common sense.
Keep trying, Frisk said. No matter how many times we lose, we only have to win once.
Hearing Frisk's voice snapped Chara out of her looming despair. She saw Monty dig in his heels, ready to charge again. Chara extended her knife with a long magical aura, converting it into a sword. Monty blinked towards her and attacked exactly the same way as last time, swing his sword as soon as he stopped in front of her, but Chara was ready. She raised her own sword and parried Monty's strike, and she countered with a downward slash, slicking across Monty's body. The magic cut deep through Monty's chest, and he lost six HP.
Yeah, that's it! Frisk cheered.
It wasn't that much...
Monty chuckled. "Very good, but how about this?" He thrust his palm upward, summoning a powerful updraft beneath Chara's feet. She lost her balance and launched high into the air, flipping around uncontrollably. Monty blinked up in the air after her and wound up his sword arm, but Chara raised her sword just in time to parry his strike...
... except, Monty's blade never impacted her own. A feint?! Instead of swinging his sword, Monty swiped his left hand, hurling Chara with another gust of wind. She went flying through the window, shattering the glass and landing in the concrete outside. Several shards of glass tore deep cuts all over her body. She groaned in pain as she felt warm blood drip down her face. She reached for a DT syringe, but before she could inject herself, she felt Monty's blade pierce her chest.
Attempt 4
"Uh, on second thought," Flowey said, "we could let Papyrus die."
That was the easy way out, wasn't it? Ackerman and an elite squad of Military Police agents were on standby. All Chara had to do was give the order, and they'd come running. It was unlikely that Monty could defeat them all, but then Papyrus would be condemned to certain death.
This was almost the same situation Felicia had found herself in. If Felicia had been willing to let a few of her friends die, she probably could have won eventually. The difference this time was that Chara didn't have the option to sacrifice herself alone. If she died, then Frisk and Felicia would die with her, and Papyrus would die as well. If Chara couldn't win, then her only option was to sacrifice Papyrus.
Which was why Chara couldn't lose.
Chara once again locked eyes with Monty, her eyes filled with determination, and they clashed again.
Attempt 13
A tremendous shock assailed Chara's body as she blocked Monty's overhead swing. She felt like her energy sword would fall apart, but she held her ground. She had thought she was getting the hang of fighting him, but he was so fast. It was all Chara could do to just block...
Chara felt something hard slam into her stomach, and she went flying. From the hard floor, she looked up and saw Monty retract his leg. "Don't focus solely on your enemy's weapon," he said. "You must pay attention to your opponent's entire form." He held out his hand. "Especially when they can use magic."
Chara rolled over and narrowly avoided the cyclone that Monty had summoned underneath her. She got back up and felt the swirling vortex threaten to suck her in, but she had an idea. She lightly threw a handful of energy knives and let them spin around the cyclone. As they whirled around, she charged at Monty, and at the same time, she flung the knives forward. One of the knives landed on Monty's face, staggering him, and Chara thrust her real knife into Monty's chest. Chara felt an elated satisfaction as her blade closed in. This was it! She had finally...
12
The blade connected, and it clanged off Monty's chest as if it were a concrete wall. The impact had dealt twelve damage, but that was nothing compared to what should have happened. Monty grunted and laughed as he stepped back and healed himself. "Heh, that one stung a bit."
Despair washed over Chara's soul, and she dropped down to her knees. It wasn't fair. That should have been a fatal blow. Why was Monty so powerful? He was LV 16, ten levels higher than Chara, but Chara was no ordinary human. She was a demon, and she had Frisk helping her. Why was the difference between them so great? Was power all that mattered in this world? Was it all just a numbers game?
Hey, don't give up, Frisk said again. You still hurt him, didn't you? You just proved that it's possible.
Possible? In theory, perhaps, but in practice?
Chara felt Monty's blade run through her heart. He looked down on her with cold, ruby eyes. "Don't expect sympathy on the battlefield."
Attempt 17
There was an important law that World Masters had to remember; determination only worked as long as one maintained the will to live. Every time Chara died, the death's embrace grew more and more tempting. Why fight when she could end her suffering at any time?
Attempt 18
... stay determined, Frisk quietly said.
Attempt 19
"Is this all the Demon of the Prophecy has to offer?"
Attempt 20
Aside from dying nineteen times in a row, the worst part was that Chara knew that Monty didn't want to win. He wanted Chara to beat him, but she kept dying anyway. How pathetic was it to be defeated by someone who wanted to lose?
"Might I make a suggestion?" Monty asked. "Why don't you try letting Frisk fight? You might discover something interesting."
Use Frisk? Why would that make a difference? What was Monty trying to say? That Chara was an incompetent weakling who should let her boyfriend do the fighting for her? Fuck that!
Let's give it a try, Frisk said.
Chara's blood flashed with anger. Why?! Have you no faith in me?! What can you do that I can't?!
Don't know, Frisk admitted, but –
Wait, I know! Monty isn't really a sadistic megalomaniac! He's just lonely! Let's hug it out!
Chara...
This isn't like the time you fought Asriel! Monty won't stop if you just stare at him like a sad puppy! He'll keep killing you, over and over. A spineless pacifist like you would be dead already!
Silence filled Chara's mind, and her heart clenched as she realized what she had said. Oh, God... Frisk, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry... Frisk?
... is that what you really think of me? Frisk asked.
Chara felt a deep pit in her stomach. N-no! I swear I didn't mean it! I was just frustrated!
If I'm a spineless pacifist, then I guess I shouldn't be doing this.
Chara's attack and defense regressed to their natural values, falling over a hundred points each. Her gut twisted like the time she had fallen into the Underground. She needed that power to survive, but losing Frisk tore her apart.
Nice job, Felicia sardonically said. I guess we're all angsty teenagers here.
Chara's heart felt like lead as she pleaded with her dearest friend. Frisk, don't do this! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to imply that you're some – I'm so sorry! Frisk... Frisk!
No response.
Monty watched her with an amused smile. "Hey, what's wrong? Is that infighting I sense? All three of you must work together if you want to win."
Chara hurled her real knife at him with all her might. "Shut up!"
Monty nonchalantly stepped aside, and Chara's knife clanged on the floor. Monty sighed. "Come, now. That wasn't a smart move."
A few moments later, Chara's head parted with her body.
Attempt 21
Chara buried her face into her hands. What had she done? How could she have said that to Frisk? She had insulted everything Frisk stood for. Was Frisk right? Maybe that was how Chara truly felt about his goody-two-shoes act, and she just hadn't realized it. A fit of anger was no excuse for what she had said.
Chara laughed. "Heh... like Father, like Daughter."
Felicia spoke with a shaky voice. H-hey, this isn't funny! Cut it out, both of you!
Chara didn't deserve Frisk's forgiveness – she never had – but she wanted it anyway, like the selfish demon she was. She begged for it. Frisk, I love those things about you. I love your kindness, your empathy, your forgiveness. I love all of it. I never meant to insult it.
Then why did you? Frisk challenged. Do you prefer me like this, Chara? Do you like me better as a soulless, unforgiving creature?
Chara grimaced. That accusation cut deep. She did kind of like this side of Frisk; what did that say about her? Frisk had lost everything that made him who he was, and a part of her liked it. She was sick.
But... no, she did not prefer him like this. The real Frisk was the one she had fallen in love with, the kindhearted boy who never gave up. Chara shook her head. No, Frisk. I love the real you.
Well, this is the real me now.
Chara's mind grew as silent as a grave. She shivered. Frisk, you can't be serious...
No response.
Frisk, please...
No response.
Chara sniffled. I'm sorry; I know I was out of line. How can I make it up to you?
Silence.
Slowly, Chara's sorrow turned to rage. Why was Frisk being so melodramatic? After all the other sins Chara had committed, was that one little outburst truly so unforgivable? Chara clenched her fists. Well, way to prove my point! I guess you're a quitter after all! Chara wiped her eyes and faced Monty. Fine, be that way! I don't need your stupid numbers! I'll do this myself!
Chara ran at Monty and swung her knife. It bounded off his body as if it were made of solid steel, dealing one damage. Monty furrowed his brow, and he threw a punch at Chara's face. Crimson blood splattered all over the castle's orange floor.
Attempt 22
Uh, hey, Felicia said. You're not really gonna leave us hanging, are you, Frisk?
Who was she kidding? Chara couldn't win without Frisk, no matter how many times she tried. On her own, Chara's strength was measured in inches, while Monty's strength was measured in yards. As much as she hated to admit it, she was dead without Frisk.
Frisk, please, Chara whispered. If you don't help me, we'll both die.
I thought you didn't want my help! Frisk snapped.
I do! I just...
Oh, why did she even reject his help in the first place? Frisk was only trying to help, and Chara had brutally shot him down. She really had screwed up. This was all her fault. She always hurt the ones she loved.
Felicia groaned. Oh, for fuck's sake! I am not going to die over a freaking lovers' quarrel!
Chara shamefully bowed her head. I...
Frisk, get over yourself! Felicia yelled. Chara was just angry, okay? She didn't mean it! She loves you! With or without your soul! And Chara, quit being so damn insecure! Swallow that foolish pride of yours and let Frisk help you! We're in this together, after all. Now, make up!
... sorry, Frisk whispered. Well, not really, but we do need to kill Monty.
It was my fault, Chara replied. I can't believe I acted so harshly to you. If you truly believe fighting Monty yourself will help... go ahead.
Thank you, Frisk said. I didn't mean to offend you. I'm not trying to say that I'm any stronger or more determined than you are. I just want to do everything I can to help.
I know, Frisk. She sighed deeply, filled with relief that she and Frisk had made up. She hoped they never fought like that again. She smiled. Thanks, Felicia.
Thank me by winning this fight!
Okay. Ready, Frisk?
Ready.
Chara passed him the controls.
Make me strong, Chara.
Chara searched herself, and she found the power to strengthen Frisk's abilities. She found that she could raise his stats a little higher than Frisk could raise her own. Frisk's attack and defense both increased to 150 points. He smiled. Heh, that does feel good. He raised his arm. Okay, uh, how does this work?
Chara resisted the urge to groan as Frisk aimlessly flailed his arms around. This was why she didn't like this plan. Why swap out an experienced mage with someone who had practically no experience? It would take him forever to learn; it was a waste of time.
Wait, Frisk said, I think I feel something. Ah!
A red energy knife appeared behind Frisk. He flicked his wrist, and the knife plunged straight into his own back. He cried out in pain as he took ten damage, reducing his HP to thirty points.
Chara gasped. Frisk! Are you okay?
Y-yeah, Frisk muttered. The wound on his back was bleeding. He had to heal it.
Can you cast a healing spell? Chara asked.
Umm... I'll try. Frisk closed his eyes and concentrated. Let's see... healing, healing... ah, there it is!
A green light glowed out of Frisk's hand. He placed it over his chest, and his wound healed. Chara was impressed that he had figured it out so quickly. Wow, Frisk...
Frisk chuckled. There's no way I could have done that with my own body. I'm just borrowing your muscle memory or something. It's kind of like controlling a video game character. Even though I never learned to use any of these spells, I can still use them. I just have to find the right buttons, so to speak.
Like a character? Chara groaned. Oh, no... you just reminded me of my namesake.
Huh? Your namesake?
Character...
What? Your name is short for 'character?'
Yes...
Heh, seriously? You'll have to tell me that story sometime.
I will, after we kill this guy.
Frisk looked up at Monty, who had made no move to attack. How nice of him to let me prepare, Frisk said.
Another icy fear gripped Chara's heart. There was another reason she didn't want Frisk to do this. She didn't want him to get hurt; she didn't want him to suffer as much as she had. Are you sure about this? Chara asked. He's going to hurt you, badly.
Frisk converted the knife into an energy sword and planted his feet into a firm fighting stance. Trust me, Chara! We'll win! I swear it!
He summoned more energy knives and fired them at Monty. He still didn't have half the skill Chara had, but just the fact that Frisk was able to direct any projectiles at the enemy was more than Chara had expected. Monty easily sidestepped the knives, blinked forward, and swung his sword. To Chara's continued amazement, Frisk managed to block several of Monty's strikes, until Monty sliced Frisk's legs with a low swing. Frisk whimpered and lost his balance, falling on his face, and Monty thrust his sword into his back.
Attempt 23
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
Chara let out a bloodcurdling scream. Dying was bad enough, but watching Frisk die was as heart-wrenching as she had feared. Monty had to die!
It's fine, Frisk said. I have an idea.
Tell me! Anything that will help us kill this creature!
Let's try switching back and forth.
Huh? I don't understand.
Give it a chance, Frisk said. I'll go first. When I say 'switch,' you take over.
But, why?
Just a hunch.
Uh, okay. I trust you.
Chara had absolutely no idea where Frisk was going with this, but she believed in him. She increased Frisk's attack and defense as much as she could, to 150 points, and Frisk engaged Monty again. He ran at him and swung his energy sword, and they traded blows. Switch!
Chara assumed control. After parrying a slash from Monty, she threw a yellow knife at him. He waited for the knife to circle behind him and dodged at the last moment, forcing Chara to sidestep the attack herself.
Meanwhile, Chara felt herself grow more powerful than ever before. Frisk had raised her attack and defense statistics to 180 points. Chara gasped in amazement. Frisk, how did you...?
Just as I thought, Frisk said. The stronger you make me, the stronger I can make you.
Frisk's plan finally clicked into Chara's head. So if we keep looping...
A perpetual cycle of escalating power.
... laughter escaped Chara's lips. It was beautiful. They could just keep making each other stronger as long as they wanted. All they had to do was survive long enough until they could crush Monty with overwhelming force. Chara's laughter grew more intense. Monty was screwed now! He wanted power? Then let him have it!
Hey, Chara! Stay focused!
While she was distracted, Monty impaled his sword through Chara's stomach. She coughed up blood as Monty pulled his blade out, and then he swung for her neck. That was fine. Victory was within reach.
Attempt 24
Chara approached Monty with a vicious smile. All right, Frisk. Let's do this.
I'm with you! Let's go!
Frisk increased Chara's attack and defense to 130, and Chara once again fired her magic at Monty. She fired her blades in spinning circles around the enemy. Monty dodged the knives without breaking a sweat, but that wasn't the point. She just needed to keep him busy.
Frisk, switch!
Frisk took over and continued attacking while Chara strengthened him. Switch!
They switched again. Frisk increased Chara's power levels to 180.
Switch!
220.
Switch!
260.
Monty smiled. "Good, but it's not over yet." He scattered their magical blades with Windblast and again closed the distance with Blink. With enhanced reflexes, Frisk swiftly jumped back and avoided Monty's initial swing, and he jabbed his energy sword forward, landing a clean riposte in Monty's chest.
23
Monty's HP lowered to fifty-seven points. He laughed as he healed himself. "Now we're talking!"
Switch!
Frisk closed his eyes and passed control to Chara, and he increased Chara's stats even further, to 360 points. It felt amazing.
As soon as Chara opened her eyes, she saw Monty's blade swing towards her side. Despite her demonic reflexes, she couldn't block it in time. The blade hit her with full force, but it didn't slice through her body. Instead, Chara was knocked to the side as if she had been struck with a heavy, blunt object. She felt her ribcage fracture as she lost thirty-two out of forty HP, but the fact that she had survived was incredible. Her defensive aura had saved her from what should have been certain death. She could feel the tables turning. They were going to win.
Chara threw down her arm, summoning an array of giant knives twice the size of her body. They crashed down towards Monty, breaking apart the tiled floor as they fell. Monty jumped back, giving Chara time to heal herself with DT. She stood back up. Frisk!
Frisk took over, and Chara raised his attack and defense to 400 points each. He threw a giant knife at Monty, spinning it horizontally. Monty jumped over it, and it sliced into a pillar behind him, tearing it down. Chara!
Chara took over, and Frisk decided to focus on attack, raising it to 500 points. It was time for some fun. She converted her knife into an imposing greatsword about as wide as her body. She held it with both hands, and she swung the magical blade at Monty. He blinked backwards, and Chara destroyed another pillar. It tumbled down and cracked the floor beneath it.
Frisk switched in and went after Monty, swinging the greatsword. Monty kept dodging, and more pillars fell. Chara felt an intense rumble vibrate within the castle. Frisk darted his head around as the ceiling began to crumble. Oh, crap...
Chara took control and swiveled her head to the captive skeleton in the room. Papyrus! She bolted to him and jumped over his body. She cast a barrier over themselves, and the ceiling came falling down. Frisk poured all of their power into defense as rocks and debris pounded on Chara's shield. It flickered, and her EN plummeted rapidly, but she held on. If Papyrus died, then everything she had done was pointless. He had to live!
Chara groaned as her muscles and magical energy strained to deflect the falling stone. Just before her body gave out, the debris finally stopped. Chara swung her greatsword and blew apart the fractured stone. With the last of her strength, she got up and safely pulled Papyrus out. She lied down, panting heavily. Her EN had fallen below two percent. She took out her second DT syringe and recovered, and she laughed. How lucky was that?
Once she healed, Chara picked up Papyrus and carried him away from the fallen hallway. She laid him down on the ground outside. Papyrus's bones were rattling, but he was alive.
"It's okay," Chara said. "This will be over shortly."
Papyrys breathed deeply, and his shaking slowed.
Why did you bother? Frisk asked.
What? Why wouldn't I? Chara responded, incredulous that Frisk would even ask such a question.
Monty said he will disarm the bomb if you kill him, Frisk said. Once we do that, you can just reset.
Reset...? Oh... I, uh, I forgot. Still, I couldn't just let Papyrus die, and Monty isn't the most trustworthy person, anyway. I would rather have him disarm the bomb before he dies.
Well, whatever.
God, Chara needed to help him.
Flowey coughed beside her, covered in dirt. "We're fine too, by the way."
"My God," Elodie muttered. "Did you just do that?"
Chara chuckled. "I guess we did."
From the other side of the collapsed hallway, Chara heard laughter. She jumped on top of the crumbled hallway, and she faced Monty. "Is this what you wanted?" Chara asked. "Does this please you?"
"It's a good start," Monty said. He pointed his sword at her. "But we're still not finished."
Chara smiled. She undid the spell on her knife, turning it back to normal. "Then, let's finish this."
Monty held his ground. "Give me everything you've got!"
As Chara charged once more, Monty cast Windblast and sent a volley of debris flying towards her. Chara summoned an energy sword in her right hand and sliced the debris apart, clearing her path. She ran forward and slashed her knife at Monty. He raised his sword, and Chara's knife sliced through it. The upper half of Monty's sword fell into the rubble. He laughed, and Chara swung her knife downward.
80
Chara's slash ruptured Monty's body, creating a deep cut from his shoulder to his stomach. Blood sprayed out of the wound, and Monty's HP fell to zero.
... his HP fell to zero...
... she had done it. She had won. She had won!
Oh my God, Felicia breathed. You actually did it.
Still laughing, Monty sat down in the rubble. "Well done, Chara."
Chara put her knife away and slung Monty's arm around her shoulder. She carried him away from the rubble, where Papyrus and the others were. She sat him down against the wall.
Papyrus, Flowey, and Elodie both stared at them with wide eyes. Flowey was the first to speak up. "Chara, did you...?"
Chara nodded. "It's over."
Tears welled up in Elodie's green eyes. "Father..."
Monty coughed up blood. "Yeah, they got me. It won't be much longer now."
"... I understand why you did it," Elodie said, "but that doesn't make it right."
Monty's voice grew raspy. "Tell me that... next time humans and monsters destroy each other."
Chara stared blankly into Monty's eyes. She had thought this moment would have filled her with joy, but her feelings turned out to be more complicated. In the end, Chara defeated Monty by doing exactly what he wanted. Could that even be called a victory? Everything had gone according to Monty's plan. He may have been at death's door, but he had arrived there on his own terms. Chara could take no pride in it.
Monty stared back at her, smiling. "Before today, I wasn't sure if this world would survive, but you have proven yourself. The remaining terrorists will fall easily to you. Whenever someone threatens monsterkind, humanity, the world, you'll have the power to stop them. It's the only way, only a god can fight other gods." He coughed up more blood, his body shaking. "O-once again, the fate of the world rests on your shoulders. What happens next... I leave... up... to you..."
As Monty's body went limp, Chara heard a beeping sound coming from Papyrus's body. The explosive attached to him glowed with a green light. It was disarmed.
Chara gained 10 EXP. Her LOVE remained at 6.
"What a weirdo," Flowey said.
Monty's red soul floated over his corpse as it sat slumped over a pool of blood. Flowey absorbed it into his flower body. "Don't worry, just holding on to it."
Chara took a deep breath. Monty was finally dead.
Thank you, Felicia whispered. I still haven't forgiven you, but thank you.
"... he wanted me to become powerful," Chara mused. "And that's exactly what I did. Isn't that want I always wanted? Power?"
Maybe, Frisk said, but Monty was right about one thing. Power doesn't always have to be used for evil. The desire to protect your friends doesn't make you a megalomaniac.
Chara sighed. Yeah. She turned towards Papyrus, and she untied him, removing the explosive and tearing the gag off his mouth. "Are you okay?"
Papyrus gave her a weary smile. "Yeah... is Frisk really still alive?"
Chara smiled back at him. "Yes, Frisk is going to be okay."
Papyrus laid down. "Good... sorry I'm so useless, by the way."
"It's okay. Everyone gets kidnapped on occasion."
"Heh, thank you."
Elodie sniffled. Chara held her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," Elodie whimpered. "You did the right thing; I just wish he had done the same."
Chara embraced her. "I'm sorry."
"... what will you do now?" Elodie asked.
"... I still have a war to finish," Chara answered. "After that, I'm just going to live my life."
"You can't kill war, Chara."
Chara smiled. "Well, I'll give it my best shot."
Live her life? She had said it, but what exactly did that mean? She wanted to be happy with her family, with Asriel, with Frisk, but other than that, she wasn't sure what she wanted. Still, that was a question for another day. Right now, all that was left was to go home.
Chara, Flowey, Papyrus, and Elodie walked over the collapsed hallway, and they left the Underground.
#
In loving memory of the Judgement Hall.