Take Up the Cross – Chapter 50: Grand Distortion – {Neversetting Sun}

As silver swords all around them begin erupting into pillars of light, pandemonium picks up in earnest.

“Neesiette! Open!”

Adris and Still dive towards a crackling barrier, slipping into its protection when Neesiette creates a gap. As the sole targets of the attack are Adris and his cadre, Kol and the unconscious Echo are spared from this devastation.

But they remain unsafe, for a larger, deadlier blade looms overhead.

“HAH!? ‘Weak’!” In defiance, Kol screams while accepting rapid thrusts of a gigantic weapon. Cleaving into her as an interposing axe is rammed out of the way with each strike, she’s knocked all around while pieces of steel ring fly with shreds of jacket and gambeson.

Though savaged, the sharp, metallic clanking of her armor being devastated is much more plentiful than her spilled Vigor. Strong footing carries her through each thrust anew.

(The cross has made her even more survivable?)

“HYAAAAAH!”

With the monstrous bird-thing’s last incoming strike, a roaring kobold slaps the back of her fist into this chest-piercing attack.

Striking the tip’s side, an explosion of sound and energy declares their meeting. Jolted away in a physics-defying deflection, it shakes in the air as Kol rushes forward to return the favor.

(Surviving mortal wounds is one thing, but totally nullifying an attack’s weight is the territory of aura masters, not mere warriors! How!?)

Great stork cawing angrily at her, a shield wall rushes to meet her charge.

“NUH!? Wrong, forward! Evil bird-nnnnn!” Ramming into the shield, claws scrape the floor as it simply grinds her back into the table she leaped from. Regaining distance, the monster must choose between engaging Kol or the rest of the party, finally choosing to solely menace her when she proves the most active threat.

Barrier dropping, the rest are left to dread the end while Adris starts on a plan.

The room itself continues to change, with surfaces becoming mirrored to reflect the foul beauty of the rampaging creature and the murals now depicting the city being wiped clean by rays of light, warping its image beyond familiarity.

Like the Godless Chapel once did, this room is becoming alien.

With Kol distracting it, limited time exists before she falters.

“Neesiette, quickly! What is this thing?”

“… a [Grand Distortion] be it. As changes to surroundings indicate, our very existences be now in jeopardy should loss to it be affirmed and it seek our doom. After upturning Zennia’s grand design as presently achieved, none be safe.”

Solemn, Neesiette tilts her head while staring at the cross.

“Such a creature be only half truly existing, similarly to one boy in this lady’s eyes. Supreme attack and defense; body which radiates dangerous light; great Vigor and alienating presence. All of Zennia could be in danger, should it escape and continue to evol—”

“Boss!”

Turning to the cry, Adris receives a body flung at them.

Caught with Still’s aid, the unconscious Echo is saved from a storm of blows which pulverize the head of the table and menace the champion still caught in her toss.

“‘ANNOYING!’ Kol, not lose!”

Pushing into this flurry, the miasma leaking from her, one that thickens as fearful spectators watch, wraps around her body and aids in reducing the lethality. After light glints off its edge, the danger of the blade grows rapidly as it fills Adris’ aura senses.

“Dodge it!”

Three thrusts mysteriously occur at once, impacting on the kobold’s chest as they shoot like shining rays of light.

Rather than piercing her, the force of this technique rebounds, with a shaking, scraping noise that echoes in Adris’ skull being the only appreciable damage. Posture confident, the battered warrior cackles as the sword trembles from her armor’s bizarre absorption of the technique.

“KAKAKA! Kol, finally hit it!?” Though exhausted, she still closes the distance. “Never give up! ‘Invulnerable’! Kol, ‘TOP OF GAME’! KAKAKAKA!”

Pulling on his arm, the doll is urgent.

“… A chance be found.”

“Neesiette, explain!”

“All who bear heavy armor as their primary defense seek a state of pure miti—”

{Partner, she can nullify blows at times, usually when most dramatic if other meatheads are an indication. Stop being picky with words, Neesiette! Kol can take this thing head on!}

(How!? An aura strengthening technique!? No, fuck it, nevermind!)

If the Kol that stands in front of this monster and takes its hits in stride can survive, then all Adris needs is their counter attack.

“… His armor was… right…?” Mumbling to herself, the terrified Ave stares at their target.

“Avenalliah!”

“HIE!? Y… yes!?”

Getting between her and their foe, Adris bows up on her.

“What was the legion’s weaknesses, if any?!”

(Darkness has weaknesses and lingering memories! Always! Born of them, this thing will retain something of its past life. I’m… an example.)

“… The dwarves who lived in the earth and tapped the fire trapped within made their gleaming armor to absorb heat. Um…”

“Ave! Condense the important part!”

Cringing at the boy grabbing her shoulder, she thinks quickly.

“Eh!? Ah, the imperial legions used dwarven armor, but could neither conquer the frozen norths while wearing it nor properly defend in the colder seasons!”

{What’s the effect of being exposed to cold, Ave?}

“Ah? Ah, ah, ah… it was… when growing cold, the armor decreased in size, making it both more vulnerable to—!?”

{… Stop, perfect. A classic “enervation” effect.}

Struggling forward, Still points at the elf and “speaks” harshly.

{Call your wind for this one. Only it can spread the trick I got in mind.}

“… That would… be a bad… idea…”

Rejecting her immediately, a crash comes from afar.

“GYAH—!”

Crushed into the floor by a lion’s paw, Kol disappears from sight as a huge plume of dust is thrown up by the stomp.

“KOL!”

“… Stay oneself, Adris! Observe.” Grabbed onto before he can act…

“… off!”

The air cracks with rushing dust in response, as the mammoth-sized foot is forced back by an axe held against it, then turned aside. Bleeding fresh Vigor from being crushed, Kol still endures.

(NO, I refuse to accept that! No, I will accept it!? Make it make sense!)

In addition to simply nullifying attacks outright, this kobold’s miniscule body can overturn the result of enormous mass. The monster’s disbelieving gaze shares Adris’ incredulity.

{Ave! Do it!}

“… Ave will screw up!”

Held onto by mesh hands, Ave avoids eye contact until her face is lightly grabbed. With Still’s mask cracked, the gentle smile produced is ever more tragic.

{Ave, I will… I’ll be gone, permanently, if we don’t beat it. Even if we could escape, I can’t.}

“… HUH!? WHAT!?”

As Ave’s tears start, Still lowers her hat and removes her trembling hand.

“… not allowed… Ave needs you… so, tell me what you need!”

{Okay, on the way! When I hit it with the Chernine (FIRE-LEECHING CRYSTAL), what’s the plan to destroy it, Adris?}

“… I’m working on it.”

{Not good enough!}

(We don’t have anything to—!)

“Still, requires aid, Kol does. Entrust oneself to this lady’s ambition, a boy’s joint design, and one’s fullest potential unleashed.”

Caught off guard, Still then nods.

{… “Everything”, huh? Okay. Remember, Adris!}

Pulling on Ave after with all the fortitude she can muster, the two move to the front lines to join the battered Kol.

As a whip strikes at the monster’s face, a shield is forced to protect against multiple foes as the monstrous Gallus grows ever more frustrated.

(What “joint design”!? I don’t have anything! [Brainfry] can’t knock it down in one hit. It knows I can reflect its rays.)

Though he’d like to pull something out of his bag of tricks, they were destroyed on Xin. With only the girls’ powers remaining after expending his call to darkness, he wonders at what could possibly work.

Kol’s strength cannot close on it. Ave is too untested and untrained to function reliably. And Still is half stuck in an inner struggle for her soul.

“… What… can we actually do?”

An ill-considered thought is shared as he stands in awe of their dilemma.

“A question spoken as such, containing insecurity and wonder, be found… surprisingly reassuring, that an invader from another world may express such qualities.”

“You!?”

Turning to the dreamy child of Luna, Adris is incensed.

(Do you have time to be smug when—!?)

Yet the girl is not smug, only lightly smiling as she pulls the tome hanging around her shoulder forward.

“Possessing ‘doubt’ now elevates the nature of one, when victory before has ever been simple.”

“‘Elevates’!? Neesiette, if we don’t win, we will…!”

“Death be only one occurrence on a longer scale of existence. Defining one’s end, one’s growth and achievements do.”

A placid statement shuts him up, stuck wondering at this contradiction of life’s transience and longevity.

Feeling that she’s out of touch with the reality collapsing around her, she merely observes him in return.

“A boy’s evolution be different…

Nevermind, ignore this lady’s pointless musings and attend to her, for a solution be offered.”

Held before herself and offered to him, a tome called…

“That thing nearly destroyed my mind.”

… “Brings An End” is her answer to their problem.

Memories of what’s contained within this book somehow frighten him more than this monster.

“One’s fear be well-founded; however, one named Adris granted understanding with investiture…”

“Now! Now!”

Turning his head, a whip cracks. Slicing through tanglers on the monster’s neck after somehow weaving around the impenetrable shield, the source of its “voice” is savaged.

“KEEAWWW!?”

Screaming as nicked petals fall, it stumbles.

Sliding under the table, Still vanishes instead of attacking, leaving Ave staring in shock.

“… Eh?”

Abandoned by her fellow, the monster angrily moves toward her after slashing its blade into Kol to contain her.

When given pain or annoyance, this single-minded creature returns it.

“Elf!?”

“… Eh… but…?”

As the blue-gold eye begins to glow…

From a lingering dust cloud behind the creature, a blue blur shoots out.

Sensing it far too late, the creature turns to shoot a beam at the incoming skulker, only to have two bottles explode on its shining body as Still easily dodges the scorching ray with her delusional-seeming agility. Weaving underneath its legs, Still then leaps up, turning in mid-jump to fling a bottle at its other side.

A grayish dust that’s too thick to remain airborne begins to fall as Still’s hand flashes a sign.

{DO IT!}

“… [Blessing of gale, called rightly by me; gather by friend, to render them free!]”

Calling out for a helpful boon from the air, the ground underneath the gigantic bird that rears back swells with power.

Instead of a blessing, a curse surrounds it.

Air summoned to become a boon begins to “boom” instead, for invisible hammers drive into the monster as the remnant winds wrap around it. The fiend’s body is coated with the gray dust picked up by the wind, such that it quickly resembles half a statue.

Pissed off at the caller, the wind then jumps from its body, spreading out as falling projectiles of compressed air as the bird weaves drunkenly in the storm.

“HYAAAH!?”

These invisible hammers crash against the earth.

Kol merely grunts at the impacts, while Ave dodges around by following their trajectories with her magical insight.

Still jumps into another dust cloud, as a hammer that enters it explodes after, revealing nothing within.

(How is she jumping around!?)

From the darkness under the table, Still slides out to join Adris.

{Yah fuckin’ got somethin’ or don’t yah!?}

While Kol and Ave occupy the monster, Still checks on progress. Gesturing rudely, she has a dirk ready as she prepares to return to battle.

{I ain’t got much left! Most of these are stuck in rabbits! Well!?}

“Neesiette will destroy it.”

{… Fuckin’ crazy!? Yah don’t mean that!?}

Wildly pointing at the tome, Still’s exasperation brings a look of reproach from her ally.

“As indicated previously, this lady’s inheritance—”

{Theoretically is what yah said!? This ain’t no fuckin’ theory time!}

“STILL!? IT’S ANGRY!? AT AVEEEEE!”

A screaming voice announces the collapsing front line.

Moving between the two blue-wearing girls, Adris asserts his own opinion.

“She can do it. It’s powerful enough.”

{Yah got some proof of that!?}

Coughing into his hand, he smiles.

“I’ve peeked into the book’s secrets.”

{… I thought you were the sane one, boy.}

(Who!?)

Calming with a physical change in posture, Still’s “words” alter in tone briefly before they revert back with a nervous shrug.

{Can’t afford sanity, that it!? How long, Neesiette?}

“With only one chance afforded, upon assuring it be sufficiently weaken—.”

{Neesiette!}

“… a ten-turn and slightly longer be needed.”

Shaking her head rapidly, Still’s gestures are just cursing before she calms once more.

{If we don’t know that thing’s true nature, we can’t end it! Adris, like… us, what does that thing need!?}

(Yes, like us.)

As he felt recognition and an existential dread of the birthed monster’s growing darkness, this girl went wild at the same time.

(You’re also… a “creature of darkness”, aren’t you? At least partially, like me? But of this thing’s nature… I do recognize it after meeting his sister.

Its nature is easy: “a vain, terrible beauty that desires to be recognized as supreme by all, but also cannot allow another to witness this supremacy and chance them speaking ill of it.”)

Combing through his hair, the self-assured smile he offers is proof of his superior reading of others.

“He’s a depraved narcissist. So: brutally crush his self-love.”

{… Bein’ that succinct about somethin’s most hidden need… yer scary, partner…}

(Vanity is the easiest to destroy! The Alchemaster’s greed is eternal, but his self-love is fragile.)

Before Adris can add his thoughts, Still reaches down to Echo’s body and opens a pouch at her side to retrieve something. Leaping onto the table and running full clip to rejoin the struggle, a flung dirk interrupts further attempts to impale a crazed snake elf that slithers in circles underneath it.

As three fighters converge to menace this great beast and the fourth stays around Echo while shooting pinpoint blasts to aid, a change comes to the battle’s dynamic.

Creaking sounds give away its difficulties, with the monsterized Gallus’ mirror-like skin dulling. No matter the light that comes from within, its flesh now fails to allow it out.

Slowing, it shows fear for the first time since it awoke.

“KRAAAAA—WWW!?”

“Hm? Boss, giant bird get cold! Secret attack!?”

With only the floating sword and shield responding correctly, the behemoth becomes open to attack.

{Stop talking, idiot! Wreck it!}

Baiting the floating sword with a fake rush, it stabs the floor before Still runs up its surface. Getting to the top, she jumps off while flinging a mass of dirks straight towards its glowing eye that readies to fire at her.

When black and blue flashes of gloom erupt from its mouth…

“EEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKKKKK~~~!”

… the screaming of the flowers deafens all. Closing its beak, the ray-shooting beast twitches violently as the dark magic Still calls forth punishes ill-intent turned toward her, leaving it exposed.

“AH! Kol, not miss out!”

Running up, a talentless, wound up swing is uncoiled by Kol on its leg. Aimed at a seam which has appeared between the mirrored flesh and sculpted steel, the axe comes out the other side spraying Vigor across the floor.

“AH! Kol, get COM-BOOOOOOOO!!! KAKAKAKAKA!”

Muscling into a return swing, she starts hacking the monster’s limbs. The axe that should lodge into it instead ignores all further resistance after striking. To cap off her bullying, she starts twirling in circles as she orbits a leg, cleaving through it like a top until it lifts to stomp on her.

(She’s attacking like that cat butler did when fighting Lycia! Rapid strikes, all momentum maintained!)

“Offensive continuance gained as well? A cross provides curious boons.” Neesiette approves of Kol’s growth and Adris’ support without explaining them.

“GO AWAY, GO AWAY! OWOWOWOW! Help!?”

Allowing for Kol to act unmolested, Ave’s distraction of the shield results in a one-sided abuse of her. Trying to flatten her as it drives down, the surprisingly quick, yet not quick enough, elf yelps each time the end of her tail gets smashed when she fails to withdraw it in time.

“Ugh, can’t reach, head!”

Stuck on the ground, its bleeding legs don’t reveal sufficient damage being done.

“Kol!”

Turning to the bell-like voice, Kol perks up.

The crackling rod pointed at her causes her to grunt in dejection.

“‘Assisted jump’.”

A calm voice delivers an order.

At this simple command, Kol visibly sags.

“… Uh… really!? Fine… Hyaaah!”

Backing up, Kol then runs towards it. Jumping, a turquoise blast sends the brawler sky-high as she tumbles.

Opening its beak as the pain subsides, it tilts its head at a white comet streaking for it.

“KKEEEAAW!? KEKEEE!!!!”

“AH! Hold, no move!”

Clawing to hold on after impacting, Kol hangs from its beak as the head whips around violently. Throwing herself over, Kol holds the end of her axe with one hand as she begins growling.

“Kol, say… no move!”

Slamming her axe into its neck repeatedly with comical flourish, a flailing catastrophe’s screams cannot shake the monkey wolf that has landed its prey. While enduring this assault, it refocuses on the open target below it.

The air grows more tense as a short-sword wielding girl shifts her weight.

Power courses through her limbs as she flexes them slowly, before looking up.

For a moment, her growing weakness and pain seem to vanish.

Revealed on a mask is a sinister, psychopathic smile.

Drawing her sword across her neck in an arrogant mockery, she then points it at the fiend towering above her as she shrugs alluringly, her whole languid body sensually charged by her sadistic energy.

“… KEEEAAAAAW!”

A twirling sword tries to bisect her, slashing through an obscuring cloud of black smoke that explodes from her.

(Kobold smoke bomb!?)

Sliced cleanly in half, the cloud dissipates while the sword buries itself into the breaking floor.

Yet, no body remains.

Trailing the feeling of this girl, Adris looks to the black sky above them. Falling from this darkness that she mysteriously reforms within while unseen, a cruel figure releases vials and bottles in free fall.

Landing on its back with a smack, Still hangs on as her bombing payload erupts.

Explosions, acid, and noxious poisons pepper her victim, distracting it while Still recovers from an impact that does nothing to harm her.

A strange air surrounds her, as Adris feels evil passion brew with her aggressive mannerisms and posture. Flowing up seductively to position herself at the base of its neck, she fluidly produces a container.

This silver specimen tube with an elaborate cap mechanism clinks open when squeezed, releasing a reflective, hazardous, quick-silver-like material to coat her blade as she artistically pulls it along.

Arching her back while staring longingly at this substance, she then whips the weapon into a reverse-grip as she brushes her hand over her ample breasts.

(… Who… are you?)

This evil witch in every respect raises her deadly blade, before the…

“… [nEcTaR]~!”

… treacherous voice produced, a slurring and choking sound, leaves Adris’ neck chilled. Though he understands nothing about Still’s technique, the first word ever spoken by her, one to name it, is the most oppressively vile thing he’s heard on Zennia.

Yet, he also feels himself hardening at the show she gives, for the fiendish eroticism she exudes is stronger even than her terrifying hatred.

Jabbing it viciously in, the blade is twisted and sawed into the wound with zeal. A silent laugh goes with a joyous smile of long-forestalled victory drawn on her pale mask.

When exposed to the substance, the creature spasms as its body momentarily glows gold, before silver cracks spread from the stab point to course through it.

Wobbling forward, it is pulled into a suffering dream.

“… GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~!”

Finally released from its spell, it twirls and spins as its body begins to tarnish. Gaining a sickly hue, silver becomes dark gray as steel pits and corrodes.

Blue eye becomes darker, looking like a tainted sea.

Whipping out another sword, the silently laughing witch wearing a cut-up steepled hat starts stabbing into every chink in its armor she can find. Dancing to and fro while navigating its body, Still maims it with pinpoint strikes while Kol keeps trying to disconnect its skull from its neck.

“Puddle! Who, prove stronger!?”

Kol throws herself up onto the still head of the creature, using her clawed feet to keep upright while lifting her axe high.

Throwing a sword up, Still makes quick gestures.

{Me, when I get the last hit, mongrel!}

Stabbing into it once more, Still’s falling sword is gripped to be drilled into the same wound, before she rips them out gleefully to earn a spraying fountain.

Kol cackles while burying her axe into its skull, enjoying the same effect.

The once totally imposing creature appears completely bullied, paralyzed as it is by their strategies.

(They’re… not bad. Why couldn’t they do this earlier!?)

Two hateful enemies methodically reduce a catastrophe to pieces, while Ave serves as an unwilling distraction for its weapons.

The bird giant is too weak to shake them off, left only to fear its impending ruin.

Geared towards keeping its foes away, the catastrophe named Gallus’ staying power is underwhelming once it is properly harmed.

(Is it that poison Still used? Or is that a part of its true nature?)

“… Nearing time we arrive. A creature’s stability visibly wavers, despite this lady’s continued inability to penetrate its nature.”

“Do I call out to them?”

“Rejected. Once interpretation begins, its focus shall shift, for effect of Art shall be easily understood. Until the last moment all present must remain engaged with it, lest it turn its ire toward— again!?”

Whipping her head to focus on the creature, Adris feels the same change. Standing together, they meet the rush of swirling air from the distance as the monster begins to grow once more.

“Ah!? Bird, get stronger! Jump!”

Hurling herself from its head, Kol plants on the tiles from the great fall. Still joins her by diving to roll.

“What is it doing!?” Freed of pursuit, Ave trembles with the evolution witnessed.

Shield and sword return to orbit the wounded creature. Its main body shifts and expands, before pieces of it start ripping away.

The twisted neck of the stork separates, as the head begins to fly of its own accord. Becoming four attached wings underneath it after unspiraling, the neck flaps are covered in tanglers that spread a mind-numbing scent.

Swords from its tail fly up, to turn and plunge into its main body. Like syringes, the flesh is sucked into them, leaving them longer and meaner.

The great shield made of innumerable smaller ones begins to shake, followed by cracking apart into its pieces.

All of these shields fly to merge with a sucking sword, light whipping out to join them. Its body absorbed, the now mirrored shields hover as floating warriors with scorpion-like sword tails of light behind them.

They come to attention before their master.

The gigantic stabbing sword returns to the floating beaked head, becoming wrapped around by the burning pink feathers that extend to form a hand. Changing in color from silver to gleaming gold, rays of light leak from the gigantic focusing blade.

Learning to fly, all below are doomed as this army prepares to roll over them.

A sickened blue-gold eye’s iris grows full as the monster prepares.

When it screams, the entire room cracks. The murals reflect not devastation, but the march of shining swords that consume the world, while a bright yellow sun surrounded by feathers the color of strawberries forms an emblem under the ascended creature. Mirrored surfaces show images of the creature from every angle, dark reflections of its narcissism given form.

“Neesiette, now. We’ll never get another time to try.”

“… Yes. Be safe, Adris.”

A book unclasps, throwing itself open as the steel-blue mystic prepares. Held in front of her, she releases it so that it can float by its own power as its pages begin to slowly turn.

“[Obscuring Sonjil]!”

With her as the center, Adris points his hand to the ground and calls forth a great mist with all of his willpower put into the image of it.

Not a moment too soon, Echo and Neesiette are hidden by mists as Adris exits it to join his comrades at the front.

(Although I don’t know what I can do!)

“How do we reach them, Still!?”

{They’re comin’ to us!}

“Oh, Kol say, ‘useful’.”

Back to back, Kol and Still are orbited by a fretting Ave, who has no idea where to fight from. Their targets overhead begin to descend, entering within range to start stabbing as shields protect the luminous, beating heart-bodies that connect their armaments.

When the blades drive forth, there is nowhere to run.

“Huht! Elf, get behind Kol!”

Moving into a stabbing blade, the damage done to Kol is less than the axe’s, which caves in the protecting shield. Mirrored surface cracking, the first aerial contraption is knocked back. Hiding behind as Still leaps away, Ave twists her body to avoid three blades trying to gore her at once.

“Nononono! Kol, meeenaceeee theeeeem!”

“HYAH!”

Throwing herself at these three, Kol’s invisible presence forces them to target her, while Ave’s whip snakes out to slice through the luminous body of the enemy Kol crushed.

“Gild! Fall! Leave me alone!”

With a quick “schnickt” sound, the metallic head of the green whip bursts it despite the shaking snake elf not even having her eyes open at the time.

While they play with these four, Still jumps off a shield before landing a dirk in the body of its wielder, then spinning to stab at another while in mid-air.

(They can’t keep up!)

Though Kol’s presence keeps all from engaging at once and Still manages to distract half of them into following her, the rest are quickly wearing down Kol. Stabbing into her as she huffs and grunts, Ave’s dancing dodges are slowing with more trying to get her. Nicked and sliced, her frail clothing is shredding as sparks fly from her bodysuit and tail.

“Adris!? Help!”

(I don’t have anything!)

All he has is himself, watching the floating head of this Gallus approve of the turn in events; yet, the pain in that eye never lessens, with Still’s poison still evident in the tarnished nature of him and his “followers”.

Before he can even attempt this…

The head grows tired of the dancing below it.

Those soldiers not engaged with Kol or Ave quickly take up new positions in the air. Pointing their mirrored shields in different directions, Adris ponders the presentation.

(… No, wait!)

The glowing sword held by the head of Gallus comes into play, being aimed out towards the group. Tension fills the room, followed by a release of air from the sword as it makes a humming sound and grows blindingly bright.

“[ENLIGHTENED VICTORY].”

“Everyone, watch out! Avoid the shields—!”

Rays shoot out.

Rather than coming head on to be easily dodged by the quicker Ave and Still, they bounce between mirrored shields instead. Forming a dangerous lattice of beams, the shields coordinate with each other to change the focuses.

Unable to predict them all, Still weaves and jukes, but is finally caught full-blaze by a reflection. Sizzling as she tries to flee from multiple shields’ beams converging on her, the air around her turns into a scouring inferno. Adris can’t follow her as she escapes.

“GYAAH!?”

Screaming in the beam she’s caught in, Ave shields her face as her armor and scales reflect the light. The air wavers while she’s stuck in it, her pale skin beginning to scorch.

“Elf, get out!”

A burning kobold grabs her, then twirls and flings the elf at Adris. When hit from the front by a ray, Kol ignores it, but when struck from the sides and behind, she cannot endure the enormous energy focused on her.

As more and more rays do focus, her armor glows red hot as she finally…

“… AAH! HOT!”

… yelps in pain, unable to bear the brunt of it any longer without crying out.

Tumbling with Ave in his grasp, or rather him wrapped around this green boulder, the room’s blinding brightness ends with the zapping sounds of rays subsiding.

The elf cradling him shivers in pain while crying, for half her face has been baked and her veils, while miraculously still intact, have blackened. Emitting a brief smell that sickens Adris, her only lightly reverting wounds remind Adris that Vigor only preserves integrity.

Of Still, there are no signs. Seemingly having disappeared, he wonders if she perhaps disintegrated.

Only Kol is left standing, her finally destroyed armor sloughing off as scrap. With even gambeson burning off, she’s also lost her sallet after the helm cracked open. Groaning and breathing heavily, she faces the floating ghosts of the past gathering around her.

Even stripped as she is, with breasts hanging out and only remnants of pants left, her ears do not flatten. Shuffling forward, her charred axe is ready to be swung.

“Kol… still win. Try Kol!”

Matching her brutal voice, her black tail swishes with expectation.

(One girl can’t win! Everything I care about is about to fry!)

“… Adris…” A sobbing sound brings his attention to what Ave is staring at.

Shield forward, a sword is chambered.

A single Warrior of Gallus prepares to stab them.

“[Brainfry]!”

Hurling his cross, the shield stiffens.

But, the cross flies to the right of it, earning the surprised ghost’s ire.

(… I am… a false god… and you are my tool!)

Hand shaking as it’s left open, Adris calls back to the only thing that has ever truly belonged to him since his arrival on Zennia.

A swishing sound comes from behind the creature, as its sword gripped by light starts to swing.

The sound of crystal breaking accompanies thunder and whispers, as the cross cleaves straight through its luminous body on the return trip. Launching the shield and sword in different directions as it pops, Adris claims one kill.

Upon witnessing this, all of the ghosts cease to attack Kol, turning instead to regard him. The eye of the floating beaked monstrosity hold a false god with concerning attention.

(And now I am the target.)

The feeling of progress behind him is becoming palpable. Something is welling up within the fog, a feeling of fake aura like he’s never felt before.

(Rays of light that can attack from any direction are impossible to dodge. I need to… stop them from traveling, right?)

How to do that escapes him. Having already used his fog, and knowing it would easily burn off anyway, the solution is…

“… Ave… should never have left.” The sobbing girl mutters to herself. Stabbed through past her bodysuit where the whitish-blue scales have lifted, multiple wounds leave black Vigor slicked on her. Not possessing the same vitality as Kol, she also has lived a life without facing the same tortuous physical pains to toughen her.

“… Being a hero, Ave had no idea what it really meant. Adventuring, delving, fighting… Ave was… stupid… but it just… sounded so…”

The girl is collapsing into her own sense of worthlessness.

“… sorry, Ave is sorry. The worst at all of this, she’s just… a fake… Even as what she says she is… Ave is… not… really…!”

(Stop! Don’t say it!)

Adris’ own life is leaving him as she keeps talking. Blood can no longer flow through a stopped heart.

As the elf girl tries to abandon her dream, he’s going along for the ride.

Gripping her by the neck harshly, she regains terror in her crystal green eyes. Directed at Adris at first, it turns to concern when she sees his pained face. Releasing her…

“… The moment you entered the Castillo, you were a delver. The moment you fought, you were a fighter. The moment you sought adventure, that was when you were bound to it.”

“… no… Ave… is…”

“Shut up! Ave is… weak! So, abandon that Ave!”

Forcing her up, he grips her without care for delicacy.

“You agreed to the terms. You sought my power, more than even the others.”

“… Ave knows… I’m… sor—!”

“THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS.

You can never escape me. Or them.”

Nose almost touching hers, the maimed girl cries harder, until he smiles at her.

“Stupid girl, you still don’t understand? I know all there is to know, so listen now: the moment you call the wind to save your friends, you will be an elf.”

“… Ahh…?”

Watching their conversation, the ghosts above cease to fear a false god.

Coming to surround them, they ready to strike.

“Dust. All I require is dust. Avenalliah Aurmaris, cowardly girl, call up all you can! Free your heart with a roaring storm!”

Dropping her, he brandishes his cross at the surrounding idiots who think they can defeat him.

(No, you can’t attack her. You have to attack solely me!)

Adopting an evil child’s mannerisms and tone, regardless of how revolting it is, a boy tries to prevent himself from throwing up as his persona forms.

Walking forward with her feminine confidence, he laughs as he watches the monster’s contracting eye react.

Willing the key locked within his heart to somehow resonate, he draws upon this false “gift” to sell his performance.

“Pitiful Gallus. Still a believer in your own lie? Relying upon others to prove a beauty that should be self-evident, if it even existed at all?”

“… KEEAW!?”

“Of course you still do! After all, he was never impressed. Giving you to the legions, did you never find it odd why?”

(The Alchemaster would never call another “father” or care about their opinion! She can see nothing but herself!

But you did! Why were you, a “perfect beauty”, forced to fight for family when a lesser choice would’ve sufficed as an offering to the empire? There’s no way you joined of your own accord, so you were the expendable one!

This is bullshit, absolute bullshit! But please land! The only way to strike at vanity is to abolish its foundations!)

When Gallus twitches, Adris knows he’s scored a hook.

“Hahaha! Yes, that look is wonderful. Even an intellect as low as yours must have noticed. Sent to battle for family and empire, yet constantly endangering your ‘beauty’ with every conflict, is this not hilarious how you were so easily used?”

Running his finger over his lips, his childish smile is every match to hers.

“It’s not that you weren’t pretty, Gallus, it’s that he was more interested in how your face would benefit us. What better place for an arrogant, vain boy than as a figurehead for a legion?

With our family elevated while your intolerable preening is isolated to the front, ‘Gallus the Peacock’ brings rewards all while we risk essentially nothing! Ahhh, and you… so happy pretending that you were important…”

Eye blazing with hatred, the sword this soaring bird devil holds begins to furiously glow as its four wings beat wildly. Though more beast than man before now, Adris’ words scrape past the animal and hit what’s left of the man.

“My, how cute you are. Of all of them, Gallus, perhaps you’re the one… family member I can spare the closest thing to sympathy for? Hmmmm?”

Quizzically considering this while scrunching his face, he then grins like the sociopathic girl he remembers…

“… Nope~! In the end, you’re just a brain-dead bird of paradise in a gilded cage, carried around by low people to put on a show for them! … Oh, you look sad!?

Does Gallus want a cracker~!? AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“… aurUMIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!”

At the basis of its narcissism being attacked, the creature’s contradictory nature wavers as it physically distorts. Spreading throughout the entire room, the murals begin to drip as the mirrored surfaces crack.

A hatred surfacing, one steeped in deeply submerged inferiority held toward his sister, permanently focuses on Adris as he pretends to be the target of it.

Converging on him and ignoring the rest, the incensed shield-bearers set up to bring a crossfire on Adris as his hand pulls out a vial. Popping the top, this glass shaped and glazed like swirling fog appears empty.

(Half to do the trick, if I believe Neesiette!)

“…[Gusting winds from north and east, converge quickly upon this meet; chill and heat spinning faster, birthing dancers called dust or sleet!], Adris, watch out! Run!”

As an ignored girl, now proved to be an elf, screams out her wishes, the earth answers her desperate cry for help.

From the center of the room, roaring winds are drawn to swirl.

Swirling without control, the wind summons dust from non-existence to become an expanding, blinding tornado.

Beams of light meet every shield, bouncing along them. All aim for a boy that chugs a vial’s empty contents.

Vanishing into a blinding ball of light, the scorching sun of Gallus disintegrates him as the obscuring winds totally fill the room.

“… Ah, how tragic, Gallus. Your aim is as good as your brain? Which would be to say… non-existent~!?”

Scurrying through the winds, a voice carries over it barely.

“KEEAAAAW!”

Red-hot mirrored shields chase this running boy, slashing and thrusting at the half-hidden, insulting tramp. Bouncing around while completely unhurried, Adris laughs as he merrily uses his rabbit boots.

“Try, try, try again, little Gallus~!”

“KAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

The sword of light held overhead begins trying to rake him with burning light, striking the monster’s own ghostly soldiers as he fails to hit Adris through the dust storm.

While Adris’ escape continues, Kol manages to limp over to Ave. Picking the elf up, the two start toward Neesiette.

“… Boss… weird…!”

“Ave doesn’t know!? But… we’re safe…?”

(Fucking hurry, Neesiette!)

Blocked off by five foes, Adris is forced to…

Jumping through the ghostly shield-bearer, Adris feels dizzy as he prevents himself from vomiting at the uniquely unsettling sensation.

The ghost he escapes from is stuck in disbelief as the rest follow.

(“Ethereal (OBSCURED REALM) potion” is this? It’s like… diving through muddy water that also burns…! Ah, my senses are all wrong…! But in the dust cloud, he can’t make out that I’m not “real”!)

Imbibing this potion obtained from the behemothian rabbit’s demise, Neesiette had much earlier warned him of the effects. To take it all would make him unseen entirely, throwing him to a ghostly plane; but, to take half grants only a ghostly existence with certain dangers.

(“Don’t remain inside of anything”!? The air itself is burning me inside-out!? I’m glad I never tried this earlier!)

Stuck in this dust storm, he can feel every individual grain as it moves through him. Discomfort is becoming a feeling of growing harm.

But, as long as Gallus stays focused on him, remnants of the past that continue to stab at or reflect burning light to disintegrate him no longer threaten his teammates.

Returning to the center of the room, Neesiette had wanted the enemy to remain at where Kol had been originally fighting them.

(Hurry, hurry, something is wrong!)

Unsure of why, his body is already becoming more real starting from where he holds the cross. Rejecting the potion’s effects, this darkly glowing tool once more brings him to ruin.

(Do you just hate anything and everything that can save me!? Are you jealous!?)

Saving his arm from being slashed by spinning, he’s finally stuck.

(I’m gonna be butch—!)

All at once…

The air becomes heavy.

“… KREAAAW—!”

“Strong!”

Stumbling with this disorientation, he looks to the source of it.

Bursting air scatters the sandstorm in the distance.

A girl with flowing amber hair stands with a tome floating before her.

Shining violet eyes are filled with knowledge far beyond Adris’ ability to interpret.

Lifting her head, golden horns are proud as she offers no mercy.

A billowing dress that has only ever seemed dainty and eye-catching now shines, with the violet half-moons the greatest source of luminance.

When she blinks, the book closes with a slam, before quickly opening back to a particular section and turning wildly.

Her inhuman eyes capture every glyph revealed.

“… [Ponderous was the end, for the unfair passage of time finally brought even earth to its conclusion]…”

Though terribly quiet, her intonation overwhelms Adris’ ears and heart.

With the first line of this grand spell spoken, his body ceases to feel ephemeral. Instead, all of the fading vanishes as his blood grows heavy.

Falling to his knees with a cracking sound, he struggles to keep from plowing his face into the tiles which begin to shake under him.

Like him, falling sounds come from all around. Shields and swords slam down, while a being called Gallus shrieks as he joins them.

Sight blurring, Adris’ body begins to buckle as if weight is being placed on every part within it. The dust storm vanishes completely as the dust coats the floor.

More horrible than the pain is the screaming.

Though no mystic, Adris’ aura-sensitive hearing listens to the earth itself crying out.

Its death throes power this spell.

(… NEESIETTE!)

But there’s no concern in her eyes for the harm being brought to Adris.

Given completely to casting the spell, she can spare no further thought. Her mind is taken by it.

“Brings An End” spares nothing.

Only his cross hand can move.

Pulling himself forward as the ground starts to sink, agony goes with shaking and popping bones.

(… At least… they will… live…)

Collapsing to the ground finally, there’s no comfort in giving in. Being molded against it, his neck is in pain as it’s yanked down.

Not even allowed to scream, he…

From beneath his body, something appears, rising up from darkness.

Slipping up beside him, a cloaked girl covered in melted mesh and burnt clothes grabs onto him and drags. Pulling strength from some reservoir, she hoists him up and resists the downward weight.

“Grab on!”

Nearing the edge of the effect, a whip comes with a voice that can be heard now.

Wrapped up by a green whip, the blue angel Still is yanked out by Kol’s strength, carrying a boy along for the ride.

With Neesiette’s spell expanding in scope to fill the whole room with crushing force, only the space around her that they huddle in maintains its integrity.

Collapsing, Adris holds onto the trembling Still while Ave mutters prayers to Pellaeon.

Kol just grunts and sighs, her mood totally ruined.

“… Again, Moon, strongest.”

“[… all that once cared departed; endured without compassion, hopelessness was succumbed to…]”

Still reading her lines, this one produces a change. Instead of just pulling down…

The entire floor, sans Neesiette’s area, begins to collapse into a bowl-like depression expanding under Gallus.

“… KRRR-RRRR-EEEE…”

Being flattened by the intense pressure, the warriors of Gallus are the first casualties. But he lingers on.

Until the ground finally breaks.

When the earth “dies”.

Exploding against the tension placed on it, great pillars of sheared stone erupt from the ground all around, as forces cause up and down to war against each other. Speared by these pillars, Gallus is pulled along with the teeth of the earth as they arrive at the epicenter of the spell.

Trapped within these crunching teeth, its pathetic screams cannot be heard. Only its sickly luminance endures the assault.

At least, until the teeth start spinning.

Sending bits everywhere, the room breaks apart and begins to swirl towards Gallus. The great pillars unleashed grind down against themselves and him.

The cacophony deafens the screaming delvers. Except for the mildest amusement of one of them.

“… Yes, be this not as once was dreamed?”

Adris opens his eyes, daring to look out into the devastation consuming all around them, before he turns to look at Neesiette’s glowing face.

A Lunamata’s rapturous smile is…

“… Understand now, denizens of a worthless world, even the briefest glimmer of a Creator’s glory?”

Finishing with the final page, the book closes with a crisp snap as the clasp locks.

“… Oh, Creator, these eyes capture the way in which a world may die, a way meant to be shared…”

(…)

Speechless even in his own mind, an Alchemaster’s epithet is recalled as the spell reaches its zenith.

(… [Mad Descendant of Luna].)

Happiness shines on a face that has found worthwhile beauty, this girl whose emotions are ever stunted allowed to explore them.

The last words are spoken with a sense of pure wonder, both kindness and malice present in equal measure.

“For Luna’s sake, be undone with majestic splendor!

The pieces of the room are thrust towards the heavens, before earthen jaws come from the sides to invite in this place which is now revealed to be floating within only darkness.

Like a great wyrm devouring it, everything is pulled down to the core of the nothingness, as the “earth” itself ceases to exist.

Without knowing where they are, the sounds of mad bells ringing cast them into the waiting darkness, for there is neither Gallus nor light left to bind them to a fragment of the Tiberian Empire.

For everything has ended.

* Updated with changes because I’m not smart.

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Chapter 49         Table of Contents          Chapter 51