The aftermath of the battle against Delirium had left scars deeper than any visible wound.
Within the vaulted halls of the Endless Council fortress, the weight of impending doom settled heavily on every soul present. The victory was pyrrhic at best. The traitor's reveal as Delirium — once a beloved and enigmatic Endless — sent shockwaves through the alliance. Trust was fracturing faster than the reality around them.
Ethan stood near the panoramic window, his silhouette outlined by the alien constellations swirling in the endless sky. The UltiCarnitrix gleamed softly on his wrist, its power humming in sync with Merlin's bloodline flowing through his veins. Yet no power felt sufficient to stem the rising tide of chaos.
Jason approached quietly, his regal posture unbroken despite the tension.
"We cannot let Delirium's betrayal be the first crack that shatters us," Jason said quietly. "But I fear it will not be the last."
Ethan nodded, eyes narrowing.
"We need to tighten the alliance — not just among the Endless, but the SCP Overseers, and even some of the Outer God cults. The war will not be won through brute force alone."
Jason's lips pressed into a thin line.
"And yet, power remains the language all factions understand."
---
The Council in Crisis
The Council chamber was a tempest of heated debate. Endless representatives argued over strategy, trust, and blame. Some urged immediate retaliation against suspected cult strongholds. Others pushed for diplomatic overtures to fracturing factions within the SCP Overseers.
Despair, her form flickering like a broken signal, voiced her concerns.
"Too many of us are distracted by infighting. The Outer Gods wait only for our hesitation."
Desire, ever enigmatic, countered with a sly grin.
"Perhaps our distractions serve a purpose — to cull the weak and test the strong."
Dream hovered silently, his gaze distant, while Death sat impassively at the edge, knowing all outcomes were inevitable.
Jason's voice cut through the clamor.
"We must unify or we perish. This war will consume everything if we do not act as one."
---
New Threats in the Shadows
Far beyond the Council's chamber, a more insidious threat was emerging.
In the void between dimensions, the fragment of Nyarlathotep — the Crawling Chaos — stirred once more. Its whispers slithered through minds and realities, sowing seeds of madness and despair.
Within the tangled streets of SCP-███ containment zones, cultists wearing the masks of spiraling voids gathered in dark rituals. They called upon forbidden names, drawing power from the Outer Gods to shatter the fragile barriers between worlds.
---
Ethan's New Directive
Jason summoned Ethan, Sherlock, and a cadre of elite agents to a war room etched with runes and holograms.
"We have intelligence that the traitor's network extends deeper than we feared," Jason stated. "Delirium was only the tip of the iceberg."
Sherlock's eyes gleamed behind his Compassion Lantern's glow.
"We must strike at the root — dismantle their operatives, intercept their rituals, and sever their alliances."
Ethan adjusted the UltiCarnitrix, feeling the synergy of his transformations coursing through him.
"Then let's get to work."
---
Operation: Shattered Veil
The plan was audacious.
Ethan and Sherlock would lead a dual-pronged infiltration into two separate SCP containment zones suspected of cult activity.
Jason, wielding the fragment of Arceus and the Hope Lantern ring, would coordinate with SCP Overseer command, deploying a task force of containment experts and Endless warriors.
The goal: disrupt the cult's ritual sites before they could open new rifts, and capture high-ranking traitors for interrogation.
---
Infiltration One — Ethan's Assault
Ethan entered the breach zone known as "The Shattered Veil," a sprawling industrial complex crisscrossed with containment chambers for some of the most dangerous SCP anomalies.
The air was thick with static and eldritch whispers.
Using the UltiCarnitrix, Ethan shifted through forms seamlessly — one moment adopting BrainStorm's psychic storm to detect hidden threats, the next blending Galvan intellect with Mechamorph durability as he advanced through shifting shadows.
Guilmon and Mewtwo flanked him, their presence an aura of hope in the dark.
---
Guilmon's Evolution
As they reached the heart of the cult's ritual chamber, Ethan tapped into the Digivice.
"Guilmon, it's time."
A surge of light enveloped the red dinosaur-like Digimon as he evolved into WarGreymon, his armor gleaming with cosmic runes.
WarGreymon unleashed a blazing Dragon's Fist, shattering arcane seals and scattering cultists into disarray.
Mewtwo soared overhead, unleashing Psystrike waves that disrupted the Outer God energies corrupting the zone.
---
Sherlock's Parallel Mission
Meanwhile, Sherlock's infiltration was a masterclass in stealth and precision.
Using Seraphimon's fragment and the Compassion Lantern's subtle light, he bypassed cult sentries and SCP monstrosities alike.
His approach was surgical — incapacitating enemies with non-lethal force, unravelling dark sigils, and planting devices to monitor and relay vital intel.
At the ritual's climax, Sherlock confronted a cult leader channeling a fragment of Shub-Niggurath's spawn.
With a flash of radiant light and a wave of empathic energy, he broke the leader's concentration, collapsing the ritual mid-spell.
---
Jason's Command
From the Council's war room, Jason's strategic mind orchestrated the battlefield.
He wove through the chaos, a beacon of hope with the Hope Lantern ring glowing fiercely.
"Containment teams, reinforce perimeter Bravo! Ethan, Sherlock, status?"
"Progressing," Ethan responded through the comms. "But the cult is more numerous than intel suggested."
Jason's eyes flickered with divine energy.
"Hold the line. Reinforcements en route."
---
Betrayal Renewed
Amid the escalating battle, a familiar cold presence emerged — Delirium's influence was not yet broken.
In a concealed control chamber, she manipulated the SCP Overseers' containment systems, opening several high-risk cells.
SCP monstrosities, previously dormant or contained, surged into the fray — twisted by Outer God corruption.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
---
The Tide Turns
Ethan tapped deeper into Merlin's bloodline and Grindelwald's enhanced magic, conjuring protective wards and offensive blasts that bent space and time.
His UltiCarnitrix allowed rapid shifts, countering the monstrous onslaught with precision and power.
Mewtwo's Mega Evolution granted psychic domination, pushing back corrupted anomalies.
WarGreymon and Guilmon fought with ferocious unity, their synergy dismantling cult forces.
Sherlock coordinated evacuations and provided vital intel to Jason's teams, his Compassion Lantern aiding the wounded.
---
The Final Stand
In the heart of the shattered facility, Ethan faced the mastermind behind the ritual — a shadow-warped SCP-████ fused with Nyarlathotep's essence.
The creature was a writhing mass of tentacles, fire, and anti-reality energy.
Ethan raised his lightsaber, the blade glowing with Force energy and crackling with magical runes.
"This ends now."
The battle was a storm of light and shadow — Ethan's spells weaving with Force pushes and psychic strikes, the UltiCarnitrix adapting to every new threat.
With a final surge, Ethan unleashed the combined might of Merlin's ancient power and the Carnitrix's ultimate form, shattering the abomination into fragments of oblivion.
---
Aftermath
As calm returned, Jason addressed the survivors.
"The war is far from over. But today, we have shown that unity can overcome even the darkest forces."
Ethan, exhausted but resolute, looked to his companions.
"We've only delayed the inevitable. But with these new powers... I believe we can fight to the end."
Sherlock nodded.
"And perhaps rewrite the fate that the Outer Gods seek to impose."
Jason's Hope Lantern blazed.
"To victory — or oblivion."
---
End of Chapter 20