303. Archetypes At War

303. Archetypes At War

What was the strength of an entity ranked at Paradise Lost?

Unlike Frost, the Arbiter was able to manifest the powers of the Icon of Judgement without requiring her emotions to heighten. It was unknown if the other Archetypes possessed the same ability. Nevertheless, it did not change that she had the power to wipe out the Nex Megalopolis if she saw fit.

Such was the power of a Paradise Lost Corrupted. Although like Frost, there was a possibility that her powers were considerably lessened compared to its original form. The Arbiter’s wings latched onto Sinder, cupping him like a droplet of water in her palms as she pointed the tip of her pale great sword at him.

The blade was larger than herself, cracked to convey its imperfect state. This blade was the false Price of Paradise, and with it in her hand, she promised to bestow Sinder’s rightful judgement.

The horns of the Augurists played in the vast distances.

All 7 trumpets warned the world of an impending evil.

However, unbeknownst to them, these trumpets did not cry out their woes.

It was a victorious howl.

The major difference between the Arbiter and Frost however, was that she did not use a Corrupted Skill to fight. It was unknown what she used to create the blade, or if she possessed any of the Icon of Judgement’s Skills, aside from perhaps Abilities.

That being said –

– A clash of red and white filled their skies. The burning city above quaked, as did the world below. Particles of red and white fused into one as her blade smashed into a forming red heart in the center of Sinder’s chest, throwing him to the other end of the city as she gave chase.

She did not fly. Her wings merely dragged her along. With each strike she made with her blade their direction was altered drastically. Her blindless required her to keep Sinder attached, all the while Galia and Marionette were left behind.

“We meet in medias res once again. This time, I vow on behalf of all that has fallen to eliminate you for good.” The Arbiter’s memories were stimulated by Sinder’s presence.

Sonic booms crushed all in their path. The sound lagged behind their movement by the seconds. A dance between two celestial bodies broke loose. They were like two stars locked in a binary configuration, exchanging blows as Sinder’s red heart grew to the size of a giant needle.

Weilding it in one hand, he exchanged blows with the Arbiter. After each clash the needle was abandoned, and another was replaced, his wings actively expanding to engulf the Angel in a fiery embrace.

[Heart of Mine] – the red needles – were indeed unavoidable, and the Arbiter absorbed the damage with her tails, which were arranged like a shield. Unsurprisingly, the Arbiter was hardly affected by the Apocalypse-classed Sinder. However, to the surprise of the Beholders, the entity still stood.

No.

Crowned

HP : 550,000,000

ATT DEF : 100,000,000

MAG DEF : 100,000,000

He was growing more powerful. With each bout of violence that met with more violence, Sinder became stronger to the point where Beholders could barely damage him any further. They knew this from the start, but to witnesses an Apocalypse Corrupted possess an immunity to their powers put into perspective how egregiously powerful the Archetypes were.

And to think one of their own had gone against them.

It caused Galia to grin as she extended her arms out, reveling at the sight of two superpowers.

“Red hearts. They’re mine to take. Beautiful. Stars shine brighter in this world than our skies.” She elegantly inhaled the toxic air, cupping it into her hands as she trembled with utter reverence.

“When stars fall a future of inevitable loss awaits. Isn’t that what makes such spectacles so beautiful? Because it’s all fleeting…” The Beholder of the Chained Theocracy – Umbra – also took delight in the spectacle, clasping at the chains that bounded her as they eerily rattled. “Ahh… aaaah~ Blue crystals. Give them to me. Let our Arbiter take down that ‘red giant’.” The woman spoke with pure ecstasy, whilst somehow sounding as unmotivated as Carpalis.

In that instant, chains and a hailstorm of bullets rained upon the city skies. Galia’s bullets were far less destructive as the others. They did not outright destroy buildings. However, if one looked closely at her bullets, one would find that they were in a near endless loop. Once they reached the end of their target, they were teleported back to the skies to repeat the process ad Infinitum.

Green. Blue. Red – all crystals were under the assault of the Beholders. Moons dashed to place each Hyperwarp anchor. By some miracle, no Moon was harmed, let alone killed. By now only one last quarter was left as the implanted crystals began to blink simultaneously after every few seconds.

Black holes joined thereafter. A black shadow continued to keep watch over the Moons. Currently, there were only 8 out of the total 10 Beholders present. Marduk was missing for obvious reasons, and the Beholder of Oboros Infinitas was not within the Nexus at the time of the Hyperlink’s sabotage.

Slashes leveled buildings endlessly. It reached a point where Sinder had become invulnerable to such attacks made by the Arbiter. What was once a one-sided brawl quickly evenly matched, for Sinder’s DEF stats protected him from virtually everything.

But he was not the only one with such an outrageous DEF stat.

Indeed. The Arbiter could still withstand his flames. The cage that was her wings kept them locked in eternal combat.

“You truly don’t know when to give up. A condition prevents you from perishing normally. Like before. But a Spear of Annihilation could take you down in minutes. I see… I remember it now. Sinder… these woes of yours are not yours alone.” The Arbiter softly spoke, like she was speaking to a troublesome child.

Her motherly tone did little, however.

She wrapped him close, her tails and wings drawing him into her chest as she suppressed the fireball. He had reached a level where his heat would spread far beyond the city, likely to be felt by survivors in neighboring settlements.

Furthermore, the Moons were unlikely to survive the expansion of what was essentially a growing red giant.

They locked gazes, engulfed by the heat of a star.

“Your face has become unfamiliar to me. Even my blindness cannot hide the monster you have become. Amalgam… when you shed that skin, will you remain the same? I hope that is so. I deeply regret my failure to find you… but I hope you can hear me. I hope you can understand –!”

Suddenly, as her voice rose to combat the roaring flames –

“– That I could not help you because if I so happened to step outside of my Floor of Judgement, then Elysia would have taken you again while you were at your most vulnerable!”

Somehow, Sinder’s eyes flickered from red to gold upon hearing this.

The Arbiter did not see it however.

But merely speaking to Sinder seemed to…

… reach him in a way. More than her blade.

Outside of the hellfire, the final quarter of the city turned a shade of black. A perpetual night was cast over it as black crystals formed. They were eliminated as quickly as they arrived, however, in spite of the Beholders intervention, a black rot began to infest Sinder’s chest before a jet of barbed wire narrowly escaped the Arbiter’s confines, and soon targeted Galia of all people.

She did not panic or try to evade it. The black tentacle was aimed for her chest. She simply held out a hand towards Beholder Marionette and asked one thing.

“Cloth. Quality 10.”

“Give me Nex later and overlook 12 suburbs I choose from my City.”

“11. 12 is an accursed number.”

“11 and one avenue. Our calculations require it.”

“Deal.”

A small, woven fabric was made with all 10 arms. From where the string originated was unknown. It was given to Galia upon completion. Much like Carpalis, Galia was not one that prided herself with maneuverability.

And so, she layed the cloth atop her chest and gladly took the strike. It punted her across the city. Debris collected in her hair and behind her ears. They were what worried her the most. At a single glance she could tell that attempting to resist was futile, and so, she simply watched the spectacle with a cold grin.

And before the attack could end –

“Hyperwarp ready. Show me what a Floor’s Awakening looks like.”

“HYPERWARP ACTIVE!” Knalzark shouted.

– The Hyper warp anchors fired a beacon of green light above to mark its area of effect. Moons fled the scene, as did several Beholders. A plan was drafted before they even arrived. One half would aid the Arbiter with the Archetype of Amalgamation, and the other would attend the to Nex Megalopolis’ woes.

Beholders like Knalzark remained. His mere presence would only make things worse.

Others like Marionette and Carpalis were allowed to remain.

It all happened in an instant.

One second a star fell into their world, and the next it disappeared without a trace.

What remained was the colorful city, as well as the dreaded mirage of a burning city above what many believed to be an eternal night.

Elsewhere, moments later in a certain floor housing an endless cityscape, the same sun had appeared in its skies.

And one girl looked upon it with timid eyes, clutching onto her burning book she called her courage.

With Nav’s prompts –

– Determination suddenly welled in those silver eyes.