Once the first player used it, Ark Players who fell from the sky or were simply shot down activated their 'last stand' ability, carving paths through the NPCs and War Guild members in their final moments alive. Unable to die, before fading into a rainbow light. 

The battle was intense, as each side continued to pull out everything it could. The Ark was starting to win this large battle. 

Amber, Lapis, and Seeker still hid back, shooting and tagging everyone they could. Seeker watched as others used Last Stand, his eyes narrowing as they gave a great fight before running out of time. "You ever think of just how insane we must be to these NPCs? They've seen aliens now, but now we've got our own trick up our sleeve from out of nowhere" Seeker mentions.

"Just keep focusing on incapacitating the War Guild, the NPCs are losing ground, they've got more to lose" Amber huffed. 

Lapis nodded "Well, he has a point, I mean, we seem to be full of surprises" he says, firing another healing bolt at an ally while glancing to his two 'teammates' they really didn't have the best dynamic, but it seemed to work out. Those two just seemed content to rival each other, even though one was an inventor and the other some muscle.

"Why isn't he dead yet!" Steve yelled at his team of directors, having a livestream of the game going, the news was at his front doorstep clamoring for an interview. The war took up all the press, and even those on other planets were watching the first war of the server that the players actually technically caused.

"Sir, he is DYING, we are doing everything we can" one of them said through the screen "He is still a hidden NPC, we can't just kill him off, especially when he has a stake in the battle going on" they said.

"Well, what if the battle ended?" Steve suddenly asked, causing the board of game directors to pause.

"If it, ended, we would be able to kill him. His involvement would be over, during that low point of his importance he could be axed. That's not going to happen without one side winning though" One director said adjusting in his seat.

"I know, but listen, everything has gone wrong. Just because of this one NPC, so here's what you guys are going to do. I don't care how this affects the world. Shut down the Larian planet, log all players out, execute any players incapacitated, and then delete Ultima. We should've done this sooner really, but it's going to cause damage, irreversible damage, I know that. It may even spike the controversy up, especially with the NPC rights group, but, it needs to be done" Steve explained, leaning forward "Got it?"

They all nodded, agreeing before leaving the meeting. Steve leaned back in his chair, sighing "It's going to be such a massive show, people are going to hate us more, but it can't be helped" he muttered "this has gone on long enough"

In the game, as The Ark began to lose more members, reinforcements finally arrived, Lightforms jumping out of planes or arriving on ships to fire at the other nations. 

The Seekers activated their own abilities, each one prided themselves not on having just a basic class, but a specific one to their group that hopefully Death Seeker would be able to get as well. Each one surveyed the area and located key targets, people with high story importance, and began to call them out to fire on and take out. 

Be it a powerful soldier, a general, or just someone who was usually very lucky, their importance was what caused their sudden death. Shining like a bright light to the Seekers.

The Shining Guild was more balanced, fighting around the line and heading towards Amber Gem. They were mostly high dexterity inventors, mixed with rouge like classes or acrobatic ones, but regardless, close combat wasn't a problem, nor was long range for them.

The help from other nations and The War Guild fell prey to the sudden pincer maneuver, needing to split their focus to try and take out the influx of Ark reinforcements.

James watched the chaos unfold, adjusting in his seat as he looked to the other higher ups, smiling "It appears, we have more allies than we realized" he pointed out.

"That's an understatement" one said, observing with her own eyes as planes from other nations flew in, bombing the invading forces where there weren't any War Guild members. Meanwhile other Lightforms came from the sky or attacked from the sea, making their way to take out any War Lightforms and incapacitate them.

"According to what Gareth said, they taught that skill to every Lightforms on this planet, that wasn't hostile to us. We are seeing the fruits of that effort now" Another higher up said, sitting back in his seat "This battle is a done deal, with that kind of power behind us. It's going to be a wonder if the other nations can even call a reatreat at this point"

"They shouldn't have sided against us, so don't feel sympathy for them" James muttered, before a sight filled the screen. The Lightforms, all began to shine "What in the world?" he sat forward to get closer to the screen.

Every player, war or otherwise, froze in place as this message appeared. Light beginning to come off of their form. Even the ones captured and frozen by the ark, under the watchful eye of their guards, began to glow. Even players not in the fight, saw this message and began to glow against their will.

"No! Not right now!" one War Guild member shouted, quickly trying to empty his blaster clip. Only to vanish mid trigger pull, his weapon dropping to the floor. From his position, a ripple reverberated throughout the planet. Score after score of Lightform vanishing into a blinding light.

The Amissa Lumina quickly scrambled to pick up their comms. Amber and Seeker both vanishing without a single word, but Lapis was able to, just before he was logged out as well "Gareth! We can't stop thi-" before being cut off. Some gear fell to the ground, some didn't, but every Lightform vanished before the confused eyes of both The Ark and the other nations. Including ones spying on their own away from the fight.

The entire world fell into a round of silence. The invaders had no more enemies to fight, since all the ones they were fighting with and for were Lightforms. Leaders glanced to one another, infantry slowly backed off, and they ran quickly before retalition could strike. This was their chance to make a tactical retreat.

Ultima received the message, just as the rest of the players did, but he wasn't logged out. Instead, he completed a mission, the mission

He received a lot of EXP, leveling up once from it, but it wasn't the only one. The weight of what just happened was more evident with the second mission, his promise, completing at it's highest level.

He knocked out a lot, but the highest level of reward meant every single player, was considered incapacitated. His faction still stood, but he was still bed ridden. He couldn't move, could barely breathe, and as he didn't feel relieved but annoyed and a bit scared. The world became silent.

No hum of his light overhead. No heat from the room. His breathing was gone, he couldn't breathe. It was all quiet, it wasn't peaceful, but maddening. He couldn't move or do anything, he wished he could say his heart raced but it didn't, he couldn't feel a heart anymore.

Arron and Gareth were both shocked when Lightforms began to disappear, and were even more confused as a headache entered their heads. Fogging their minds both. 

Arron, once the headache cleared, was confused by why he had a specific camera tuned to his phone. Turning to it, there was an empty bed in a brightly lit room, with a desk on one end, and medical equipment nearby that was, presumably just attached to someone. It was still leaking saline solution. There was, no one there though. All traces of whoever was were gone, and for the life of him he, couldn't remember who it was that was in there. 

Gareth experienced a similar feeling, rubbing his head as he recalled, something. It felt like his body was forgetting a fight he had, one that pushed him. His body didn't forget, but his mind couldn't remember what it was. Something with, power, explosive power behind it. Enough power to, maybe even be a trump card. Specific details there were lost, gone from his mind.

What did they forget?