The tiny, all-reaching black dot crawled towards Iris and the portal behind her. Despite its unimpressive size and aura, Iris knew it was dangerous. She spun around and lunged forwards. If she failed to cross into the portal, this might be the last time she could see her sisters.
The azure Corruption Power inside Iris surged around her. Her blue slime turned dark purple as countless azure tentacles emerged from her membrane. Inside her soul, the power of the Mind Breaker awakened. Her body exuded a hazy mist, whose mind-numbing scent tainted the surroundings with purplish-blue tints.
Though Iris and her clones couldn't sense each other, their soul remained connected. Because the bloodline of the Mind Breaker lurked inside the soul, every Iris could awaken it. In this intense moment of life and death, the first clone ignited her potential and successfully inherited the legacy of the Mind Breaker.
Still, the perfect dot moved unhindered. It crashed against the storm of corruption. The azure tentacles on Iris's membrane flung towards the dot, tainting it with the air of insanity. The dot turned golden and exuded the holy aura, dispelling the power of the Mind Breaker.
The intense light exploded and engulfed Iris. It blinded her senses, filling her mind with inaudible chants. She forced herself forwards. Under the holy power, her membrane split open and gushed out her slime. Her azure tentacles shrivelled as her Corruption Power dispersed. A grave danger gripped her heart.
She closed her eyes. The dot pierced her back.
Everything went silent. Iris froze. Her slime bloated, boiled and burnt. Pain erupted from the depth of her mind. Her legs gave in. She fell to the ground, her membrane convoluting. There was a swarm of butterflies in her. They flew around, trying to tear through her membrane. Their crunching noises filled her membrane, but she could not hear them. Her mind was focusing on the dot.
It pierced through her body and headed towards the teleportation formation. The distortive surface of the portal revealed nothing of the other side, but Iris knew her sisters were waiting for her.
I must cross the portal. I must save them.
Though the holy light occupied most of her mind, she still clung to her promises. Her leaking slime congregated into a new pair of slender legs. She exerted herself and leapt once more, heading towards the teleportation portal.
The dot didn't move too fast nor too slow. Its speed lessened as it got close to the portal, giving Iris the precious time to catch up. She leapt through the air and touched the haze the same moment the dot did.
The moment she entered the portal, the teleportation formation collapsed. She could hear Undrila's scream echoing from behind, but it was too late. The portal had collapsed; the connection between the Broken Empire and the Labyrinth of Love was broken.
Without the protection of the teleportation formation, the power of the void leaked into the collapsing passageway. Iris's head was spinning. The void had no spatial nor temporal dimension. Her feeble mind couldn't comprehend what was happening.
She tried to swim, but her arms and legs had already disappeared. She tried to push forwards, but her abdomen and chest had already disappeared. Soon, her neck disintegrated into the void, becoming the infinite coldness that permeated everywhere yet nowhere.
As the power of the void assimilated her body, it also devoured the holy light inside her mind. After regaining her clarity, she surveyed the darkness around her and found a few floating rifts in the void. They were the rare stable rifts that connected a plane to the void.
Damn it. Iris wanted to speak, but her mouth had already vanished. Those rifts are too far away. I can't do anything!
Is this the end? Main Body, I'm sorry. I can't be with them in your stead.
Iris closed her right eye. Her head gradually disintegrated into nothingness. In her last moment, she thought about how she came into existence, simply on a wimp of Main Body. Though she was a mere clone, she was content to have other living, more real Monster Girls shower her with affection.
So what if I'm a clone? These emotions are mine, and they are mine alone. Even Main Body would say this.
As she let herself sink into the empty embrace, a warmth gradually permeated her existence. The heaviness of responsibility vanished, replaced by a sense of serenity. Her arms and legs relaxed. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, like a fine instrument playing the most excellent song.
I'm still alive?
Iris opened her eyes and found herself inside a pair of ethereal hands. Their blue, flickering appearance reminded her of the vast sky. Their gentle touches reminded her of a sea of flowers. They casually moved through the void, untouched by the power of assimilation, unbound by space and time.
"Iris, we finally meet," a voice echoed.
Iris looked out into the void. The absolute blackness split opened, revealing an unstable rift into the Main Material Plane. Inside, Iris's sisters stood together, looking at Iris, their eyes teary. Aside from them, a feminine, humane maiden reached out for Iris. Her azure hair and eyes almost resembled Iris, but they had the majestic magnanimity that Iris lacked.
Confused, Iris reached out and grabbed the maiden's hand. The maiden casually pulled Iris out of the void and waved her other hand, sealing the rift. Her gesture left no trace of magic nor effort, yet her feat sent a chill deep inside Iris.
If the perfect dot was a brewing storm that could blow Iris away, the maiden in front of her was the boundless ocean, the body of water too vast to comprehend.
"Who are you?" Iris said. "Why did you know me—"
A thought struck Iris as Amplicia's words echoed inside her eyes. There weren't many people who knew about Iris, let alone her extraordinary circumstance. One that knew about her and was this strong, there was only one person.
"Your Highness the Second Princess?" Iris said, trembling. "My apology, Your Highness, this little one—"
The Second Princess tapped Iris's chin and raised it gently. Iris dared not resist and tilted her head upwards, looking at the pair of heavenly eyes in front of her. They were like a pair of sapphires, precious, shiny, and profound. Iris almost exclaimed in surprise, but she dared. She was in the presence of the Second Princess, one of the few who commanded the entirety of the Broken Empire.
"How can this one be of your service," Iris said. "Your desire is my light, Your Highness."
"Your flattery is quite cute, Iris, but I didn't come here to force you to join me." The Second Princess leant forwards, observing Iris's face. "I'm here to apologise. My oversight has resulted in a great casualty for you Monster Girls. I should've known that the Divine has a vested interest in this Crusade."
"How is it your fault, Your Highness? We choose to accept your plan. We choose to take the risk." Iris gently lowered her head, carefully pushing the Second Princess's fingers downward. "I'm sure everyone else also thinks the same. When hope of freedom is in front of us, who can resist the urge to risk it all?"
The Second Princess shifted her hands and wrapped her fingers around Iris's neck, delicately pulling her into the embrace. Iris blushed. She closed her eyes, feeling the Second Princess's enchanting breathes as her soft skin touched Iris. The heat permeated Iris with a feeling so wondrous that she couldn't help but let herself drown in the bliss.
"I understand your conviction, but it won’t negate the fact that I miscalculated," the Second Princess said. "If I were a few moments late, I might have lost you too. And that would have been a major setback for Lady Lilith."
"Your Highness, you know that I'm Lilith's pawn?" Though it wasn't completely unexpected, Iris was still surprised. "Is that why you come to meet me?"
"Partly. The shift in the world informs me of a disaster, so I rush here to confirm my speculation." The Second Princess separated herself from Iris. "You're merely unlucky, Iris, but do not underestimate luck, for it is the other side of Fate."
"I'm grateful for your advice, Your Highness." Iris glanced at her sisters, who remained silent, not knowing what to do in front of the Second Princess. "If I am to be so bold, Your Highness, may I ask for your next move?"
"Our operation is indeed a failure, but not all is lost," the Second Princess said. "The Pure Races have paid a huge price to mislead me. Tentoid Empire, Ladimon Kingdom, and a few other nations had suffered a great loss, which is why I couldn't foresee this ambush."
Iris nodded. The price the Pure Races paid is too great for a mere annihilation of the Labyrinth of Love. What, then, is the true objective of the Crusade?
"What should we do now?" Iris said.
The Second Princess smiled. "Pray that Lady Lilith has foreseen this."
...
Though abrupt and muffled, the collapse of the teleportation was heard by all. Even above the sky, engaged in a desperate retreating battle, Amplicia still understood the situation. A ring on her ring finger shattered as the connection between her and the formation faded away.
"The situation is nearing the worst," she mumbled, fighting off the Archbishops. "Corane, Sandoris, I've let you all down."
The situation was worsening. The wall of purification amplified the Archbishops and suppressed the Monster Girls. If they couldn’t break the current stalemate, the Monster Girls would die a slow death.
Because of the betrayal, the Monster Girls found themselves outnumbered and overwhelmed. Though they wouldn't fall in a long while, their future was bleak. Corane and Sandoris were missing while Undrila was struggling against the Golden Cardinal.
Unless more Condensation Phase Monster Girls revealed themselves, some of the Monster Girls here would fall today.
"Your Highness, I've failed you." Amplicia took a deep breath.
Her silver dress danced along the invisible currents, fluttering with the clouds, gleaming with dim sunlight. She clenched her fists and activated all the rings on her fingers, each shining in different colours.
Her weakening aura condensed into itself before rupturing outwards, breaking through the limit. She had risen to the peak of the Condensation Phase, yet her solidifying aura felt fragile, like an unstable tower.
"I’ve landed everyone in this perilous situation," Amplicia said. "This is the last chance I can give to you. Please, leave this battle to me. Undrila needs your help. The Labyrinth of Love needs your help."
The Condensation Phase Monster Girls paused, then nodded gravely. They each turned into various lights and shot towards the Labyrinth of Love. The Archbishops wanted to pursue them, but Amplicia gave them no chance.
"Although my life will come to an end in a few minutes, those few minutes are enough." Amplicia raised her hand. A slivery storm manifested above her. "Let's see how many of you I can take with me."
Due to the amplification of the rings, the storm was tens of times larger than the ordinary storm, its diameter almost reaching the horizon. Lightning and thunders inside it were made of silver, elegant, shiny, and powerful.
Every time she gestured, silver filled the sky and covered the earth. Despite how her life was ending, she remained unwavering. Her belief rested wholly with the Second Princess. Everything for Her Highness. Everything.
There's still a chance...!