671. The Knightmare

671. The Knightmare

The Amalgam to the Impuritas was what the Devil was to humans. A force written in text and believed to exist, only that the Amalgam’s existence had continued to consolidate and grow since the day they put their faith into Cinder’s Prophecy.

A legend, to a warning, to a belief and now to a tangible threat. Their lives hinged on the very existence of the Amalgam who they believed harbored the end, with unbearable flames akin to the depths of hell.

Darkness pervaded their world. The corners of the eyes of the Memento Knight and the Knightmare were filled with shadows as their bodies seized. A tormenting, hypnotic light cut through the darkness like a pair of stars.

They did not recognize Frost as the Amalgam yet. They recognized this person as the Black Dove.

However, the luminosity of her eyes said otherwise, as did her hair. Neither did they believe her to be the Amalgam, for such light could not belong to the one who was promised to devour it all.

Furthermore, this person’s appearance was no different from a regular mage. She should have been just a normal Adventurer.

So why did it feel like they were in the presence of deity? Where did that power eminate from?

Fodder and the swaths of lesser Impuritas knew of the power of the Amalgam since their recent failure in the Nex Megalopolis, but they could never fully grasp the terror that was associated with that name.

It was not until the near utter annihilation of the Fractured Nilhim following the deployment of a Disciple of Nilhim that they were made aware of that indomitable power.

“… A Star…? With a Moon? That decrepit Moon. I recognize those eyes… You must be the Fang. The Deaf Paw failed what our kind could achieve easily… But that other one is problematic…”

The Knightmare could not accept that this person was the Amalgam.

It was the lack of instincts in the Memento Mori that made them act only out of a twisted sense of rationality than a gut feeling. It stemmed from the fact that they were no longer living. As such, they did not need fight or flight responses, for they were nigh immortal.

And yet he shuddered.

“When I heard that the Memento Mori were in control of Grandis, I wondered how I hadn’t detected them yet. With all the death in Eastern Grandis you would think that the Corpse Snatchers would make their appearance. I wonder if that was a predication made by the Sect of Gears.”

“No… A Beholder at the minimum.”

That was what the Knightmare’s nonexistent heart told him as his teeth grinded.

Disgraceful. What Atelier did you crawl from? From which Region? Did you come to us to extract revenge…? You must be… I see. With that weapon on your back, you must be Justica Arms. Galia. Be at ease. Your Emvita Branch has been resourceful to us –!”

“Is it true that the Sect of Gears played a role in this?”

“It is true. The Sect of Gears are our great advisors. It would be odd if they were not involved in some capacity.”

The haunting voice within the Lantern spoke, and the feathers within Frost’s apparel rustled.

“Silence! You… That thing – How can it carry the soul of a Disciple of Nilhim!? You must be Terrent!”

“I am not the same Terrent you know of. Nilhim has made a terrible mistake. As have you.”

The Disciples of Nilhim were amongst the most powerful of the Impuritas. This included all Groups, barring the Broken Thorn who were confirmed to house non-Impuritas members. The Disciples of Nilhim were evasive even to Moons and Stars, requiring the specialized Blue Moons to deal with their kind.

And there he was, a pillar of the Fractured Nilhim retrofitted into no more than a tool of terror for the Amalgam.

“You dare side with one of them!? They will hear of this. Do not think you can enter this place and expect no repercussions! When they hear of a Beholder’s interference… kekeke.”

He attempted to tear out his own ribs. All twelve hands clasped at an exposed ribcage hidden within his armor, but he could not pry them away.

“Why does this body refuse to answer my commands!?”

[Scrutiny].

If a being was caught in her line of sight, then they were susceptible to her indomitable gaze that stripped them of their autonomy. Its power had grown substantially as she did, allowing her to now freeze level 110+ Impuritas in their place.

Knightmare

Soul Rank: Black | Impuritas: Memento Mori

LEVEL : 110

ORIGIN : Impuritas

HP : 12,000

ATT : 1,200

MAG ATT : 1,000

ATT DEF : 1,000

MAG DEF : 600

MP : 4,100

RESIST : 100

AGI : 45

A Moon would have no trouble facing this thing.

It was terribly weak. Laughable, even. When Frost uttered these stats aloud, Cer could not help but snicker.

“Is that it? You can’t move because you’re weak. At that point you need to ask yourself why are you still with your Heart, let alone Iscario when you can’t even change? It must drive you insane knowing your only shot at your delusion of completion is obey them like a good dog.”

She casually removed the helmets from each of the fallen Knights, revealing their perfectly human faces. They were not converted into Impurtias but were still affiliated with them according to the System.

“Wretched wolf. The Deaf Paw should have torn that jaw away when he had the chance.”

“You’re pretty informed. Looks like we caught a big one.” Cer grinned at Frost.

LEVEL : 75

Memento Knight

Soul Rank: Red | Impuritas: Memento Mori

ORIGIN :

Human

HP : 700

ATT : 400

“Pretending you’re not dead. Wearing a metal skull mask to hide that ugliness. Elves have lived for hundreds of years, and they haven’t aged a day. You could’ve just learned from them. What a waste of life.” Cer spat on their efforts as Frost checked on the fallen woman.

She was still alive despite her wounds. Those pleading, yellow eyes asked for help as she bit her lips, not knowing who they were, let alone what they wanted. But Frost was her last thread of hope, and to her surprise, she was not abandoned.

“You dare spit on our inherent right to live!? Wolves have no right to speak. Bark as you will. But it is already too late. They are aware now. They will act now that I have seen you.” A contorted growl left the Knightmare’s skull.

Cer’s words dug under his skin, burrowing beneath his prideful shell as he adamantly stood before them. His belief in his cause was undying. The combined terror of the Lantern and the Scrutiny did not break his mind.

Though that was simply because Frost did not want to.

Not yet.

His hands reached deeper into his ribcage, releasing a cloud of black smoke that immediately climbed the skies.

“Beholders shine like false stars. Did you believe you could enter the Bellum Empire without us knowing –!?”

“Let’s make this quick. What is the Memento Mori doing in Grandis?” The small figure of the Amalgam reached the breadth of the Knightmare. “Don’t even entertain the thought of fleeing. You never had a chance to begin with.”

Though her pace was slow, it felt like she had closed the gap in an instant. Her head barely reached the top of his lower half where the cranium of a skeletal horse stared back, its face cracking under the pressure of her gaze.

She did not care for what was released. Cer gazed at it in the sky, watching as it crashed into an invisible barrier.

“– A barrier of that scale!? What technology –!? AAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

His lower half was reduced to a pile of bones with a single swipe of Frost’s hand.

Fresh pain coursed through his necrotic veins. The nerves that should have been long gone flared. Red orbs formed behind his empty sockets as his HP fizzled away, only for it to replenish as she grasped onto a rib.

“I asked you a question.”

Disturbed murmurs came from the Memento Knights, uttering how it was impossible that a Knightmare could experience pain, nevermind be broken down in a single swipe. But those murmurs disappeared as Cer watched on with a cruel smirk.

She silently encouraged the violence as Frost’s initial sluggishness disappeared. In the split second that the Knightmare did not answer, Frost had liquefied his lower half with a slurry of [Liquid Fire].

“I would send you as another message to the Impuritas. It’s a shame. Breaking another legion of Impuritas –”

[Inferno].

Flames cooked him from the inside out. They funneled through every gap in his body, his screams like a tormented soul in the pits of hell.

“– Would have made for a good distraction. Hm? Now this… is interesting.”

Frost paused suddenly. She noticed something off when she healed him.

Knightmare | HP: 10,000 | 10,000

His maximum HP had lowered instead of increased. To confirm her sudden suspicions, she called out to Cer for a closer look, healing him and watching as his maximum HP dropped to 9,000.

“Healer… You are… the Amalg –!”

“I’m even more curious. The Memento Mori takes damage from Healing magic. It’s counterintuitive for them to call a Healer into their controlled territories. You. Explain. You haven’t experienced the worst of it yet. Need I remind you that the Disciples of Nilhim are masters of fear.”

Frost dangled the Lantern before the Knightmare’s face after having molded it into a shape that she could cusp into her hand.

“Healers and the Memento Mori seem incompatible, don’t they?"