255. Into The Nest

Carpalis’ presence was a godsend. It lifted their spirits after the revelation of the Piece of the Fallen Star. She scanned the world with narrow eyes, her black irises unreflective of the burning sorrow both near and afar. Without uttering a word she was able to convey how she felt about the loss of S4. Even if it was the breeding grounds of monsters, it did not change that people were involved in Frost’s wrath.

Standing by the edge she gazed upon Frost as the others could not discern how far the pit went. As they spoke amongst themselves Carpalis reached for Frost’s brimming flames, her smile dampening.

“Can those flames not be quelled?” She simply asked Frost, never judging, but it was clear that Carpalis despised how she handled things.

“No. It’s stuck with me for the foreseeable future. Sorry. Violence ended up being the only answer in the end.” Frost spoke from the heart. “And it’s still not over yet… Did you see the light from your side?”

“It was bright enough to drown the sun.” Carpalis began, grasping onto a handful of flames before she stepped towards the chasm. “Bright enough for all in the Nex Megalopolis to see. I believe it will attract the Impuritas towards the City of Clubs. A hub of commonality. Hehe… of course it would be there. Beholder Jury~ Moons. Little Ignis. Nav. And my friend, Frost – Shall we make haste?”

Carpalis mentioned that she could sense countless souls underneath, tethered to the likely technology of Scarlet Logic. It was their priority to uproot it before they could make their move towards the City of Clubs, which still brought much frustration to Frost.

Still, if Scarlet Logic were to march there then removing the one thing that made them near invincible would fighting them far more manageable. She only hoped Inflow Direct was equipped to deal with them.

Hope was the only thing she could cling onto now. A part of her had grown to despise her flames, but it did not change that it was still the only thing that managed to cleanse the Impuritas and Scarlet Logic away.

Because they were the only ones who tried to in the first place.

But she didn’t blame Carpalis. There was no changing what had already happened. Carpalis being here was more than enough right now. The triplets harped on how they practically paved the way forward when no one else would, subtly jabbing Carpalis who also deeply understood this.

Jury, with her tail, wrapped the three into a bundle and tapped Ignis on the shoulder as she prepared to take the first plunge.

“We’re heading in first! Frost! Let’s go! Beholder Capralis!” Jury cried.

“Carpalis is fine.” Carpalis hummed. “It’s quite deep~”

“Yeah. We’re coming. I need to get my hands on whatever’s replicating them.” Frost affirmed.

“What the big deal Juryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?” Cer voice echoed like a harrowing wail within a long tunnel.

“I’m not a kid so you don’t gotta pick me up like thaaaaaaaaaaat!” Ber shouted.

“Just shut up and hold on!” Res scolded.

“Mm… please don’t make any jokes. Not now.” Ignis begged as Carpalis and Frost were left alone, ready to follow.

However, Frost wondered if it was possible for Carpalis to make her way to the City of Clubs ahead of them. Unfortunately that did not seem to be possible.

“I’m not as fast as you think. My AGI barely breaks 90~ I think. Hehe. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a look at the ‘status’.” Carpalis giggled, peering over the edge without a care in the world.

“You don’t even know your own stats?” Frost uttered in confusion.

The Demon lightly nodded, and her feathers immediately rustled.

“Once you reach the heights of a Beholder, or depths depending on how you see it, stats become arbitrary. They’re relevant, but equally redundant. That is not to say we’re made equally. Hehe… I’m particularly weak compared to my peers. As usual.”

Nav did not have an explanation for this. If what she said was true, the Beholders could not see their own stats, aside from perhaps their levels. Frost imagined that they were so excessive that numbers could not adequately place a value on them. She recalled Carpalis’ planetary size in her treasury, then the pathway to Divas Pass that was caused by Infusion S.

A moment of clarity struck Frost as they leapt into the hole, freefalling into its oddly warm darkness. She could not begin to imagine the destruction that would rock the world if two Beholders fought head on.

However, was that enough of an excuse to stop them from trying to make things right?

* * *

“I have regrets for not acting immediately. I had faith that a war could be stopped, but that was just the phantom echoes of the hope I still wholly clasp.”

Carpalis spoke in a whimsical manner, her voice carrying truth from countless years of experiences. And yet she truly believed that there was an alternative solution. Frost quietly listened as they rode the black walls. Through its cracks revealed the same red stone of the Derma Layer, and worse, the Heart beat louder.

It battled Frost’s False Heart, which led them deeper like an anchor into the bottom of the abyss.

“Zelmori was no different. Neither Grandis. Gnawer. The Frozen Springs. Emvita. The deserts east of Dwarhelven. Language had all become a stigma. When the crowned of differing nations arrive in Atlas it will always resort to bloodshed. I find it sad that even I could not lend my hand in full.” Carpalis solemnly monologued, as if imparting words of knowledge to Frost.

She must have understood what was going through Frost’s mind. What was stirring within her heart. Her jokes were minimal, and the others listened on in silence.

“I’m certain you feel the same way. Because there is hypocrisy in your methods.”

“I know. I don’t expect anyone to forgive me either. But I’m not looking for repentance right now. Later… later I’ll do whatever it takes to set things right. But if we don’t do anything then we’re going to lose so much more.” Frost had no choice but to wield the ‘means to an end’ mindset, much to her dismay.

It was a matter of choosing the lesser evil. A moral conundrum that ate at her. Soon, they arrived at a vast, hollow space. Within was a massive brain-like structure made from the same fibrous material of the spires. A maze of countless, wide corridors branched off in each direction.

They felt as though they had fallen into an entirely different world. There was no light aside from the red, false alarms that rung along the distant walls. They were like false stars for this world that did not know the light of day.

They stopped at this level. The hole continued deeper, but it was here where they noticed that they weren’t alone in this bizarre world of red and black. The corridors were built wide to accommodate upwards of a thousand mobilizing at once, and the walls had finger-sized holes suitable for climbing.

It was clear that Scarlet Logic’s base was designed around a nest, or more specifically, a termite mound. This was the ‘nest’ section of the mound, the very core of this Scarlet Logic base.

“Hey! There are people moving in here! Fodders in the north corridor!” Ber pointed out as very few Fodder emerged from passages blended into the walls. They were slaughtered with ease, and Frost stuck her arm into the slit in the walls, finding hidden passages.

They were like blood vessels. Slimy, and the Fodder they killed were already soaked in blood. Remembering the name that was thrown around whenever Scarlet Logic’s technology was mentioned – the ‘Pool’ – Frost wondered if they were freshly replicated personnel.

“Their technology still has to be here, right?” Frost spoke as if trying to convince herself of this.

* * *

Scarlet Logic’s innards were confusing, but Frost’s flames rendered many walls, ceilings and floors like a house of wax as they followed the trail of blood, murdering whatever Scarlet Logic force stood in their way. Even if they tried to convince them to stand down, they’d perish soon after due to the growing heat.

If not, then they’d succumb to Frost’s overwhelming False Heart. They voiced their woes, calling Frost a monster. Some even believed that she was the origin of the Big Red Heart. Naturally, they could barely comprehend her existence; a being who wielded the powers of the Corrupted, and walked like an unwavering, lit wick.

The False Heart rocked like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, crashing through the brittle makeup of this place. The longer they explored, the more Carpalis realized that it appeared to have been abandoned for some time. An Atelier would fight to their last breath, and would be dug in deeply.

But here, there was virtually nothing.

Nothing but the sound of their squelching footsteps, the crackles of Frost’s heat, and the shattering of the nest. Then, there were the whimpers of Ignis who dragged a bony blade along the walls, wishing she could have at least taken down a Moon or a Star to sate her thirst for vengeance.

It was an endless monotonous labyrinth, with the gradient of black becoming more red the closer the seemed to approach the fabled replication technology. Blood ran thicker here as more Scarlet Logic Fodder picked up their arms and fought, even though their fear had reached debilitating levels. They would rather throw themselves to an unstoppable force than to go against the will of Scarlet Logic.

Few hesitated, but it did not last long. They were possessed in Frost’s eyes. They revered this place like it was a holy ground. To the uneducated it perhaps appeared as such. The False Heart clearly had issued with converting them into the Suppressed. Carpalis didn’t bat an eye towards these people as Frost declared them as evil due to the color of their hearts, and the sins read aloud by Jury.

However, as they approached a pair of gigantic, metal doors coated by a membranous substance, they were greeted by a trembling young man and several others who defiantly stood in their path.

But much to Frost’s surprise, the color in their hearts was white.

“Small theft. Jail breaker. Resister… Frost – wait – DON’T TOUCH THEM!” Jury commanded the triplets, who were still coming down from their battle high. They abruptly stopped as Carpalis walked ahead, her presence domineering the small group who struggled to point their arms at her.

“Don’t… Don’t come any closer! You can’t come here! This place is our home!” One shouted.

“We can’t keep failing or it’ll get worse! No one’s here anymore so… just stand back! STAND BACK!”

They were afraid. They seemed young as well compared to other Fodder.

“The Nursery’s prohibited! I don’t know what Atelier sent you, but you’re in direct violation of… of – of…! Gah – Pull yourself together!”

One of them spontaneously began crying, unable to shoulder the weight of their despair as another grumbled, hesitating to comfort her.

“It’s over. We’re going to die. It’s over!”

“Don’t touch her! Are you out of your mind!? Hold them straight! Don’t lend a hand! That’s an order from the Queen!”

“… b-be strong!” One said as the woman groveled, despairing at the sight of the False Heart.

“It’s the Big Red Heart! How are we supposed to beat it!? I don’t wanna have my heart ripped out again! I don’t wanna keep doing this!”

“If you keep complaining then someone’s going to kill you to get a more complacent version of yourself – so shut up and stand up –!”

It happened in an instant. The Faustian Bargain ungripped from her waist, arching over her like the tail of a scorpion. And then, before another word could be uttered, the hand swiped them with unparalleled speed. They merely disappeared without a trace as the Faustian Bargain curled into a closed fist.

|| The Outstretched Hand ||

The scene ended so abruptly that it felt like a dream. The silence left a foul taste in Frost’s mouth. Their confessions confirmed that Cara wasn’t the only one who carried the will to resist.

Carpalis tenderly embraced her enlarged Faustian Bargain, stroking it like a child.

“I shall apologize in person later. Your souls… are safe with me. So hush. Save those tears. Lull away in that comforting silence. When you awaken, much of the misery will be but a piece of history.”

It was unclear what happened to their bodies. But what was certain was that their souls were untethered from the replication technology. Carpalis silently assured them that they were not dead.

“Hehe… it’s a comforting place, this grip of mine. I’m selective when it comes to people I save, but not exactly picky either. Those that truly require help will receive it, even if I run the risk of having this hand bitten again and again.” The Faustian Bargain reattached itself along her waist, and with that said, she led them towards the ominous pair of steel doors.

They were easily more than 10 meters thick but may as well be made of paper mâché to their unstoppable might.

“You’re really noble, you know that?” Jury complimented, causing the Demon to peer over her shoulder with a gentle smile.

“Demons are known for worse. I look forward to what you can do however, Angel.” She hummed, showing them her index finger. “One tail is quite the sight for an Angel. Has anyone told you that the Arbiter carries 6 more tails than you?”

“Mm-mm. No. This is my first time hearing it.” Jury made small talk with her. “Was she the Angel you saw reach the sun? Who had their wings burnt?”

“Oh? Did I mention that? Hmhm~ Not quite. She’s a triple tailed Angel with only one wing. She’s closer to you regarding the number of your tails. Hmm… She lost the other wing flying too close to the sun. A tragic tale. But one that became a tale synonymous with caution and recklessness. An idiom was created that day.” She slipped her hand through the metal, and with one swipe, the left door went flying elsewhere like a giant bullet. “Does the White Wing sound familiar?”

“No. Wait… Frost. Didn’t Batholo mention them?”

Frost nodded. “He did. Along with every other Color.”

“I think you’d get along just fine as Angels. At the very least, your smile isn’t as scary as theirs. Sharp teeth. Hehe… it’s quite scary. Even though I have them myself.”

With that being said, they set forth into the forbidden Nursery of the nest.

And within, they were greeted to a vast sea of blood, which rapidly drained to a place underneath, likely spilling into the hole that further burrowed down to where the Heart continued to beat.