Chapter 226: Chapter 192

Sonya stood atop the mezzanine looking over a large chamber, her hand on the rails. She stared down into the crowd of people milling about. Little cots here and there as they kept to themselves. There was a row of tables on one side of the room laden with food where a few workers assembled meals for the residents, doors off to the side led to simple dormitories. She felt her stomach twist, “I didn’t know there were so many light-touched in your care,” she said quietly.

Setsuna stood next to her in silence, her eyes fixed on those below. Her son and Marta were standing off to the side, giving them a little space to speak. Shuta cleared his throat, “Castouts, from the flash. During the time when people did not understand. They feel betrayed by their families and loved ones, being turned away for something that is not within their control is… hard to forgive.”

Sonya nodded slowly, running her thumb over the rail. The rage from earlier had subsided, leaving a cavernous feeling in her chest. She felt it itching still at the back of her mind, almost like another presence akin to Ishtar. Then there was the growing ache in her wrist. It had spread to her elbow and she could feel another one of those little spots there. She closed her eyes and centered herself. I need to have Da-Som check me out when we get back.

You’re doing fine, Ishtar reassured her, Whatever this is. I am with you.

She exhaled, “Ultimately, you’re asking me to take these people in,” she said solemnly, “How many are actually part of your cult and not just seeking shelter?” she asked.

“Does it matter?” Shuta asked.

She glanced his way, “I am the enemy of every hero on the planet,” she said without sugarcoating it. "They join me at their own peril.  Betrayal will be met with retribution. She looked back at them. "If they aren't willing to side with me, then they need to find somewhere else to seek sanctuary. I am not looking to put everything I’ve accomplished at risk.”@@novelbin@@

Shuta frowned, “But you’re Ishtar. There is nothing you can’t do.”

She barked out a laugh, “I assure you, Even I have my limits,” she said and let out a sigh. “That’s becoming all too clear to me these days,” she glanced at Setsuna, “If I take your cultists in, what do I get out of it besides people? I’m sure some of them are strong, but you know the price doesn’t match up. I already have a lot of people working for me. We’re making a deal here, I expect to be compensated.”

Setsuna did not turn her eyes away from her people as she ran delicate fingers over the railing. Her eyes thoughtful, she pressed her lips together before nodding to herself. “Two ways, my power works,” she said and turned to Sonya, “Visions come. Control it, I do not,” she said softly before looking back at the people, “Or, a question, I can ask. Or be asked,” she tensed, “Taxing.”

Her son shifted, “Mother, that’s not-”

“How specific a question? How often?” Sonya asked, her mind drifting to several options.

“Yes or no,” Setsuna said, “That is best. Otherwise, riddles,” she added before holding up a finger. “Only one.”

Sonya let out a breath, “So asking how to kill my enemy wouldn’t provide much in the way of useful information,” she chuckled, “Figures it wouldn’t be so easy.”

Setsuna smiled, “Sorry.”

Sonya shrugged, “A perfect yes or no response is…” she trailed off and sent her thoughts back to Ishtar. Thoughts?

Her other half seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding. I would take it. It seems valuable. What kind of question would you ask, though?

I don’t know, Sonya replied, I have time to decide. Let’s see if Broker agrees.

That would be best.

Sonya considered any additional terms she had in mind as she leaned against the rail, lost in thought. Eventually she turned to the cult leader and extended her hand. Setsuna took it and she considered using Analyze. The oracle ability was powerful and one she could take advantage of or give to someone else to use, but the drawbacks were troubling. It was also quite limited. Merging it didn’t feel like an option either, and her gut told her to just let this one go and leave the divination to the professional.

“I’ll take in your people as my own, the ones that recognize you and me. I have a place they can stay temporarily until I have something a bit larger and more comfortable. I expect loyalty from them, I expect them to work. That extends to you as well. Make this worthwhile to me by using the cult in my favor,” she said, tilting her chin up a little. “You must keep my secrets. No matter what.”

Setsuna inclined her head, “Agreeable.”

Process deal.

Finally something’s going right, Sonya thought and graced Setsuna with a smile, “It’s a deal.”

–

The gloom seemed all the darker with the bright lights shining down on the portal at the center of the room as Takehara took a step back. He met the woman’s gaze and her lip curled slightly. His contacts with the branch had given him very little information regarding the scientist overseeing the study of the dungeons. What was more unsettling was the fact that the dungeon was in a room that didn’t appear to have been built around it. It felt more like the room had been built for it. A terrifying distinction.

He flicked his gaze towards the trio of silhouettes behind the woman and paused, there were only two pairs of eyes staring at him.

The third? He started to turn when a cold hand wrapped around the back of his neck. He stiffened and reached for his gun on his hip.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the man behind him said coolly. Takehara felt something sharp press against his throat and he pulled his hand away from the gun. “Smart. This is what I like about old guys like you, you’re a bit more sensible.”

“That isn’t a natural dungeon,” Takehara growled at the woman.

She smiled at him, “You’re quick,” she said and gestured to the portal, “It took some time and a lot of resources. Fortunately, Japan has had no less than sixty dungeons form in its territory since the flash. Plenty to mine. Most were destroyed entirely, a tragedy, but that won’t be a problem anymore. We’ll just make more.”

Takehara glanced towards the portal, “You used mana crystals to release a large amount of stored mana in one place and generate a portal. Why? What if it breaks?”

The man behind him squeezed a little tighter as he leaned forward to speak into Takehara’s ear, “That’s why we’re here, To clear out the chaff. Unfortunately the walls around us are made to prevent mana from getting in, so we’ve gotta recharge it now and then.”

“Why?”

“A proof of concept,” the woman said. “Though, now we’ve gotten what we need out of it, we can report back. We’ll be abandoning this project soon.”

“What about the anchor monster?” Takehara insisted.

The woman sneered, “What about it?”

Takehara’s heart sank, his eyes going wide. He looked over at the men who were now piling crystals in front of the portal, then back at the woman. He looked up at the walls that were holding the mana outside at bay, but keeping any ambient mana in. A Carter Radar wouldn’t be able to pick up on this place. Horror began to sink in at the implications.

“Do you know how many hero managed dungeons there are in Tokyo, Mister Takehara?” the woman asked.

He frowned, “There are six.” he said. All of them were on a cycle. One was cleared out of monsters and then left to rest for a week or two to recharge. This allowed the dungeon to  regenerate monsters and resources while the next was cleared. It was an efficient system that the three guilds and Pandora Committee agreed upon.

She smiled primly at him, “I wonder what would happen if a seventh dungeon, let’s say an until recently unknown uncommon-tier dungeon, burst within range of a few of those dungeons?”

With a snarl, he tried to yank himself from the man’s grip, but was instead lifted bodily off the ground by some unseen force. He flew across the room and crashed into a wall, coughing up a gobbet of blood as he slumped. Something wrapped around his arms before cinching tightly and pinning him to the wall where he could still see the portal clearly. He opened his mouth to ask more and another rope of what he now realized was steel wrapped around his head and gagged him. He struggled for a moment, trying to pull his arms free, but it was no use.

“Sorry, Mister Takehara. You decided to check up on our little project at the wrong time. Nothing to be done about it now, I suppose. You’ll have to forgive me for not sticking around to watch the show with you,” she said, offering him a light bow, “Strength from Liberty, Mister Takehara,” she said and turned away. “Run the clear programs just in case and don’t forget to change into the provided uniforms,” she ordered, “Liberty wants this tied to Ishtar’s cult and the Pandora Committee’s negligence.”

With those passing words she and her shadowy retinue marched out through the doors, the traitorous scientists following shortly behind.

–

The museum was just as beautiful on the inside than it was on the outside. Lillian wasn’t much of a museum person or really into history, but having someone as passionate as Sapporo give the guided tour really made the whole experience just pop. She was swept away as he talked about each display, statues and paintings, diorama, and delicate works of art that were more breathtaking than the last. There was a serenity to the place that put her at ease as they wandered from one exhibit after another.

When they left the building, Sapporo turned to the four of them and put his hands on his hips, “Our next stop will be-” he paused as his phone rang. “Just a moment,” he said and quickly answered, “This is Sapporo.”

Lillian turned to Snow, “You hungry?” she asked before glancing up at Cass and Alex, “Did you two eat on your date?”

“What date?” Alex and Cass protested simultaneously.

Her lips curled and she was about to tease them more when Sapporo went very still. “Where?” Sapporo asked, “Nothing on the radar?”

An uneasy feeling settled in Lillian’s stomach as the big man furrowed his brows and seemed to concentrate for a moment. “No, I don’t sense anything. Are you sure the tremors were localized? Also, why am I hearing this from you and not Takehara?” his frown deepened, “How close is Koto to the seismic activity?”

The four heroes exchanged a look, “An earthquake?” Cass asked, “I don’t feel anything.”

Lillian set her jaw and tapped her earpiece a few times, switching to the open channel they’d chosen on arrival, “Sonya? You there?”

“Miss Chernovna is in a meeting,” Marta replied over the open channel, “What can I do for you, Lillian?”

“I think we’re going to need our gear, I’ve got a bad feeling,” Lillian said.

RRRRMMMBBBLLLLLL

The ground shook beneath their feet and a few of the civilians nearby let out shouts of surprise before settling. Most of them were used to minor earthquakes, but this was the first time Lillian had felt one. It was a jarring experience, but nothing terrifying compared to the kinds of things she’d seen before. Even so, she shifted uneasily on her feet as the shaking ebbed. She turned to Sapporo who was looking more and more irate with each passing moment as his call continued. “Call the guilds and have them on standby. We may need-”

RRRRMMBBLLL

The ground shook again and Lillian pivoted in time to catch Snow who stumbled with the tremor as Sapporo stormed past her, his eyes scanning the south-east. Rage gave way to concern, then to fear as a third tremor nearly knocked Lillian off her feet. Each seemed to be shorter than the last, but the strength escalated in exchange.  Lillian swallowed hard and turned to face the direction Sapporo was looking. Another chill running up her spine.

“Lillian? I just felt that, what’s happening?” Marta asked over the phone.

“I don’t know, but it’s bad,” Lillian said, “We need our gear.”

There was a long pause, “Where am I meeting you?” Marta asked.

Lillian turned to Sapporo, her heart thundering in her chest. She clenched her fists, “Where are we going?”

He held her gaze for a few heartbeats before giving a grateful bow of his head, “Koto Ward,” he said, ending the call. “I fear we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

Lillian turned to the others who nodded. Scales began to spread across Alex’s skin and Cass’ body began to glow faintly as she grew in size. Lillian turned to Snow, “You know what to do.”

“Find someplace safe to hide and spot from, I got it,” Snow said quickly as they began following Sapporo down the path, people scattering out of the way.

RRMMBLL

A thrill ran through Lillian’s entire body as the shortest but most intense tremor yet hit, a warning loud and clear. Every instinct screamed at her in alarm. Her eyes went wide as time seemed to slow in those last few moments, “BRACE!” she shouted and dropped to a knee, pulling Snow down with her. Alex and Cass dove to the ground, covering their heads. Sapporo dove forward, throwing himself between what was coming and the four trainees behind him. Lillian looked up at his back just in time to see his form in silhouette.

Light.

A dome of light.

The world was light.

BOOOOOM!

The world shook as the air rushed past them. People screamed as a veritable ocean of mana washed over and through Lillian like a tidal wave. There was nothing to make sense of. Everything was sounds and movements and confusion. The trembling earth, the howl of wind, the burning of raw power against her skin. She pulled Snow closer as her mind drowned in it all. Her senses were on fire as she realized for the first time the downside to being the type of light-touched who had a built-in mana sense. There was so much. Too much. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. She could only hold on for dear life as a dungeon one tier above the Dharan portal burst in the heart of Tokyo.

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