302. The Beholders Are Here!

The Beholders were here.

Like a fleeting comet, Beholder E. dragged Sinder at a speed that folded him in half. A trail of blue and red followed suit as they flew beyond the edge of the city, ploughing through unbelievable amounts of dirt.

Hills disappeared. Small mountains were uplifted as Beholder E.’s Infusion S allowed his speed to over 1,000 AGI. Chunks of his metal make peeled away in the violent throes of fire and friction as both were set alight, his brain in the vat shriveling until nothing was left.

Afterwards – a different, unrecognizable organ floated into the tank, replacing his brain. He was 99% steel, and 1% flesh. How he carried even a semblance of consciousness was a mystery for another day. What mattered more was his unstoppable prowess.

The light of the Arbiter put Carpalis’ heart at ease. A swift sigh tumbled through her lips as she looked up, seeing the many faces of the ones the world called deities. One by one, they emerged from the great wings of the Arbiter.

“Prematurely dragged out from my secluded lair. But I have no qualms when it brings that Archetype into question.” A hollow, feminine voice spoke as a woman dressed like a marionette appeared, tugging at ethereal strings with her 10 artificial, mechanical arms.

|| Stringed Prophecy ||

Beholder Marionette. Her eyes were golden, like that of an Angel. The hems of her dress concealed her legs as she seemingly floated in place, bolstering her image as a deity in the eyes of the watching world.

In an instant, her hands began to thread an ethereal string that stretched across the city. Every street and every avenue had at least one strand running through. Their light dimmed as they became entirely translucent, and even though Beholder E. and Sinder thrashed through the strings never seemed to interact with them.

“Nex is precious. Calculations in order. They’re fighting on my webbed stage now. O Arbiter~” She hollowly uttered, as if trying to sing. She placed her lip beside the Arbiter’s ears, which appeared like giant cowlicks on the side of her head and began whispering her predictions.

Meanwhile, the Arbiter’s wings expanded to encapsulate the city. What would been flung out into the distance was intercepted by her wings. They burned temporarily, whereas beings like Beholder E. had their metal bodies struggle to retain their shape against Sinder.

“It has been a while. A shame that neither of us have changed for the better.” The Arbiter spoke, her voice wracked with pity. “Galia. Point me in their direction. Marionette. Be the guiding voice in my head.”

“Ho? I’m honored you still trust me.” Galia smirked.

“Those eyes of yours are not those of a liar.” The Arbiter uttered in a powerful, deafening voice.

Because the Arbiter was blind, she relied heavily on Galia’s judgmental eyes, and the calculative whispers of Beholder Marionette. Where one uttered what could be seen, the other whispered what none could.

And so, as her feathers descended from the skies, cascading like the city like a gentle snowstorm; she drew her hands together as if clasping an invisible blade, carrying Galia by the waist like a prisoner.

“Show no restraint. Our enemy, though an Archetype like my own, is not an ordinary foe. Begin the Hyperwarp integration!” The Arbiter commanded and at once, as the other Beholders showed their faces to join the onslaught, dozens of Moons flooded the city on foot, each dragging a ruined train crammed with crystal devices.

These Moons belonged to no Atelier. They were those who fought against the Corrupted and wielded their power only for the Nexus. Their numbers were miniscule, and it was all the Nexus had. But their quality was second to none.

Unlike the Moons trained under the Ateliers, they carried immense combat prowess, much like the triplets. Their situational awareness allowed them to thrive in such a chaotic environment. Panic was an emotion torn from their hearts. The heat, however immense, did little to stop them as they invaded the rims of the burning city, hammering the crystals at every 10-meter interval.

“Hyperwarp anchors…” Carpalis whispered. “They’re going to be…”

“Sent to the Nexus.” A deep voice answered her as a hand gently brought her up to her feet. “It must be painful for a Demon to sustain wounds of that kind. I don’t suppose you’ll reconsider my offer to numb that pain?”

Carpalis was back on her feet, albeit in a miserable state. The man, who was dressed in a black suit with a blue armband, spoke through a mask that mirrored a starless cosmos.

“… Beholder Descartes…” She recognized him. “Hehehe… offer declined. Looks like you noticed that I need a hand again~”

“This is a larger part of my smaller whole, I’m afraid.” He spoke cryptically. “At some point your selflessness is going to kill you. Moons. Ignore all combat with the Corrupted. You will not survive otherwise.”

|| Cognition Resonance – Pride ||

|| Cognition Nullifier – Wrath ||

Beholder Descartes’ being released a vibration that resonated with all within the city. All those he considered friendly were empowered by the Cognition Resonance, whereas Cinder, whose mind was engulfed by wrath, saw a significant decrease in his speed, ATT, and MAG ATT.

Crowned
HP : 470,000,000     ATT : 45,000     MAG ATT : 45,000     AGI : 65

It was cut in half to be precise. Only temporarily however, as its RESIST was insanely high. Instead, as he carried the injured Beholder Carpalis like a princess away from the warzone, he utilized his Skills to periodically weaken Sinder, allowing the others to greet him with the full power of a Beholder.

|| Chains of Inevitability – Seal ||

An ambiguous figure who was a toss up between an Angel and a Demon took to the skies, pulling her black and white wings into herself as chains began to spill into the world from random tears in space.

“Umbra… She’s here too. Chained Theocracy… it’s as beautiful as I remember.”

Each chain wrapped along Sinder, wrapping him like the threads of a spider. They rattled and dragged along like a belt grinder, causing black, glowing fireworks to explode as the Arbiter recited words to herself, absorbing the light of her feathers to finally form her blade.

The (False) Price of Paradise

ATT : 3,000,000     MAG ATT : 5,000,000

Sinder attempted to break free, unleashing copious amounts of flames. A solar storm took Beholder E. by surprise as he backed off, having half of his metal body reduced to a liquid slag.

< [A Million Wicks and One Light] >

“… A terrible matchup indeed.” He spoke with a mechanical, tinny voice.

“Rest old man. There is no place for a broken Beholder on the battlefield.” A muscular, tall man with pointy ears and a scruff beard powered through the city. His appearance was unsightly. Unlike the other Beholders who aimed to look presentable, he was but a man with a loincloth, and hands that bent the light to his whims.

As a beam of fire swept across the city, he intercepted it by.

No. He deflected it. The black holes that he possessed redirected the attack into the skies, which was sealed away by a prompt tear in space and fired back upon Sinder by Beholder Umbra.

With a fanatic roar, the Dwarven Beholder smashed his fists together, creating a black hole as he thrust both fists into Sinder’s blazing chest.

|| Gravitational Collapse ||

The fire. The debris. The building. Everything within an immediate 10km radius was caught into its event horizon. At 15km an accretion disk of slag spiraled, shattering crystals as even Moons struggled to keep themselves steady.

Just by merely existing, Beholder Knalzark was a threat to all life. His hysterical laughter and battle jeers were the result of him finally facing a foe capable of withstanding his might, and before he knew it –

“Resisting? Impressive… IMPRESSIVE!”

< [What Doesn’t Kill You…] >

Sinder overpowered his restraints and the pull of the singularity.

“A star that refuses to die. A sight we will inevitably witness in the long flow of the cosmos. Perish, star. Your life is as fleeting as ours.” Beholder Umbra uttered, speaking philosophically as threw her wings outwards, causing her chains to shatter.

Pieces of reality broke. It did not matter what it was. The only thing that survived were Marionette’s strings. The world was displaced for a moment. The growing flames and the singularity had no effect outside of the cracks as Knalzark and Sinder fought hand to hand.

< [Violence on Violence Action] >

“Would it not be wise to strike now?” A shadowy form asked the Arbiter, to which Galia smugly responded with:

“Patience.” Galia said, waving a finger like a conductor as Justica Arms appeared above her, firing at blue and green crystals indiscriminately. “Judgement of the Arbiter is not as swift as mine. I am deeply intrigued by those crystals above the Amalgam’s head. Those Demi-humans… hmhm~ Aren’t they so adorable? Abyssal Mother. You shouldn’t even be here.”

“I am here to oversee the Moons.” The black shadow spoke.

“Night follows them, doesn’t it? It sets the scenery well.” Marionette pretended to be humored. “50% completion of Hyperwarp foundation. Voices, voices, voices… the Floor of Civilization is the target destination. Prediction – Unavoidable attack incoming. Its target? The Arbiter.”

< [World Ablaze] >

Suddenly, Beholder Knalzark distanced himself as Sinder’s ever-growing flames escaped the gravitational pull of his singularity. It was clear that it did not function as a true singularity, else, Sinder would have lost in that very instant.

Regardless, the Arbiter’s wings surrounded the Corrupted, creating a giant shield that blocked the majority of its light. Her wings glowed a violent red, for even she was not immune to its power.

However, unlike the Beholders, she had the greatest chance of keeping it at bay.

“Witness judgement. There is no penitence for you. Nor a slot for your repentance in my rule. Therefore, Sinder, allow our prices of paradise to meet one another.”

< [Immortalized Woe – Hearts] >

< These hearts are no longer ours >

Another quarter of the city turned red. Crystals of the same color emerged, firing beams of light at Sinder.

< [Heart of Mine] >

< Crystallized Determination >

However, Galia had other plans. She clicked her fingers, and suddenly, the streaks of light filled the skies again before suddenly, they descended like a meteor shower, hailing light upon the red crystals in a 10km radius.

|| Heavens Fall ||

And with that opening, the Arbiter threw herself forward, blade in hand, and struck down Sinder.