Greg, Arc 8, Chapter 18 OUTLINE (Patreon)

Greg is floating inside his mecha in a sphere of boiling mana as he pulls on as much mana as he can for this.

Skin nearly seared off—just sinew, muscle, and pure Will.

He knows he barely has more than a minute left of this before he drops to nothing. Limitless mana doesn’t mean free. The infinite mana and willpower was literally cooking him alive, his skin and blood boiling away the longer he held it. Catastrophic physiology whatever… huh.

"Okay, so I'm basically a human-shaped pressure cooker right now. That's fine. This is fine."

His reflection in the mana sphere shows someone he doesn't recognize - flesh hanging in strips, eyes gone white

"Note to self: next time read the fine print on 'catastrophic physiological failure.' Apparently it means 'you become soup.'"

Greg roars silently, teeth shattering and breaking free to disintegrate in his mouth.

Blood tastes like copper pennies and regret

"...yeah, that’s not good."

Leviathan still tumbling through the air from the hammer throw, a silver streak against storm clouds

"Let’s finish this."

Water trails behind the Endbringer like a comet tail

Greg can see him trying to stabilize, orient himself for water landing

Other capes watching in stunned silence as the massive figure arcs over the bay

"All right, Ms. Game. Time to spend everything in the bank account." Greg wishes he had more teeth to grit, at least teeth that wouldn’t shatter if he tried to do that. "Going from Gundam to Death Star real quick here."

More energy begins to surge. 

"This is either going to be legendary or I'm about to become a very pretty explosion."

Legend hovering nearby.

"White Knight, what are you doing?" Legend calls out

"Something really stupid!" Greg booms back, his voice amplified in the mech. His chest opens up, showing him on the inside and Legend’s eyes widen at the sight of him, limbless, and almost skinless. The beam begins forming in front of the sphere of mana he’s engulfed in.

Energy spirals inward and before he can say anything else, he lets the mana go free

A blinding pillar of blue light launches out at the still airborne Leviathan, the Endbringer not having fallen from his powerful throw

The beam cuts through storm clouds like they're tissue paper

"Eat this, you overgrown sea cucumber!"

Hits Leviathan dead-on—flash-boils part of the sea, disintegrates part of the dock even from such a massive distance away.

The impact creates a second sun in the sky for exactly three seconds

Steam clouds billow up in mushroom formations

I just nuked an Endbringer. Greg allows a smile to form on his face. I hope someone got that on camera.

Leviathan flies further from the impact, now a burning streak against the sky

Parts of his hide are actually steaming, visible damage even from this distance

Leviathan hits the sea with a massive splash.

The impact creates concentric rings of displaced water

Capes start cheering.

Greg, inside the sphere, collapses inward, free-fall beginning.

The mana sphere starts flickering, losing cohesion

"Okay, payment due time. This is gonna suck."

His consciousness begins fragmenting as the power burns out

Before anyone can catch breath:

Leviathan surges from the bay one last time.

Water displacement suggests something massive moving beneath the surface

"Oh, come ON!" Greg groans through failing vocal cords. "Can't a guy have five seconds to die in peace?"

Leviathan raises both hands up

And to the shock of everyone, a Mega-tsunami rises.

Walls of water nearly the height of skyscrapers.

Heading straight for Brockton Bay's remains.