Part 1 –

 

It would be no exaggeration to say that the darkness in this world extended further than a thousand minds could begin to imagine. Wooden spires armoured with petrified bark protruded from the ground like blades within the veil of darkness.

They were clustered so tightly that they gave off the illusion of an impenetrable wall.

Although, those that roamed this place silent place would not be able to see very far in the first place.

A twig snapped…

Then two, three – a dozen.

An orchestra of snapping swept through the dead forest, stirring the silence as trees began to twist and bend unnaturally as if they were alive.

The visage of two children emerged from within the darkness. The trees would bend into impossible shapes wherever these two moved, distorting to make way for the beings that were undisputedly among the most supreme in all of Six Point.

These two were of course – the Children of Balance.

“A shame. This garden would have been lovely if it were tended properly.” Hope harped with an angelic voice.

A hand brushed against the bark of a small, withered tree. The gentle touch of Hope’s flesh caused it to blossom with colour and life.

“You jest. There wouldn’t have been a single Exrenity to visit us if your plants were living.” Despair smirked. “Beauty is distracting. You remember what happened to the first few batches of Exrenity, don’t you~?”

“Don’t make it sound so dreadful. The plants need to feed where there is no sunlight. If the Exrenity could not reach us, then was it our fault to begin with? I thoroughly enjoyed their hope, right before they succumbed to their gruesome deaths.” Hope spoke with an eerily innocent smile.

“The mechanism of your magic is disgusting. Disgustingly lovely. But a detriment to my feed. You killed them too quickly for me to even begin to syphon their despair.”

Behind them, the tree began to act strangely. The branch steadily began to droop to one side, appearing like a giant whip as the drab colours of its bark transformed to white. Before long, the unkempt soil beneath sprouted lovely glowing flowers, and the tip of the tree bared a bright fruit that glowed like a beacon in this dark world.

The touch of Hope granted this deceased plant the miracle of life.

However – if one were to look closely into the petals of the flowers, they’d find rows of teeth hidden beneath. And the roots further underneath resided a sinister secret.

Moments later, the tree and its subsidiary plants began to move. Soil and the roots of neighbouring trees split in its wake before suddenly, the terrifying face of an angler fish emerged from the ground.

Pale roots constructed every fibre of this creature’s being. Soulless sockets remained where the eyes were. The teeth bearing flower surrounding the tree – which became the angler fish’s illicium – served another purpose other than devouring potential prey.

Within the rows of teeth hid a bulb that acted as an eye. Given that there was at least a dozen surrounding the base of tree, this provided the creature a full 360 degrees of vision.

The angler fish moved with impossible speed for its grand size as it scooped the Gods onto its back and began to swim in the direction Hope willed.

“Because despair is a lengthy process. The mind of mortals find it easier to accept a false reality – or a sense of security – than to face it. With hope – anything can become whatever they wish, whether it be true or not.”

“The soul would disagree. But then again, you only recycle them. I keep them true to their nature.” Despair spoke darkly in light of her magic. “Just in a more cryptic manner. Hmm. Like what happened to our Exrenity~”

“Oh? I heard our little Exrenity managed to entertain you.”

“Not so little now, seeing that we have to go through with this plan. Regardless, this was our focus for the last few centuries. He only exacerbated the need for it.” Despair pointed out. “Still, I did not expect him to walk out of the Void unscathed. He’s an outlier to both hope and despair alike. Perhaps this is why the Maiden of Time chose him. They’re both enigmas.”

“Why do you say her name with such spite?”

“I have no other way to say the name of the one who abandoned us.”

“Regardless, you shouldn’t bare your ill will towards her. Where is your love for her, Despair?”

“Tch. Even as Hope yourself, you’re still deluded by blissful ignorance. Such a shame that my own sister can’t fall on the same page as my own.”

“It is love.” She assured. “But we are on the same page, aren’t we? The plan is moving along well. Your share of it, at the very least. Searching for a vessel became harder now that Phase is no longer working for us. A shame. I had hoped to use her as a vessel afterwards as a means of forgiveness.”

Despair’s crimson eyes suddenly flared with fury.

“She has no use other than to suffer for our pleasure. She deserves to remain in this forsaken place for the rest of her existence for what she did a thousand years ago.” Despair spoke in utter disgust at the mention of the Spirt. “That despair-eaten spirit imprisoned a faithful Demon who crossed into our territory. She could have been my vessel, but now she’s just another one of Desire’s apostles.”

Her rashness was unbefitting of a God. But this spoke boundless volumes of her spite against the Spirit. Hope on the other hand, was more forgiving as Phase had not bared any fangs towards her in particular. While the Spirit was indifferent and at times uncooperative, Phase was still a valuable asset to these Gods.

“If it truly bothers you that much, then I assure you – I’ve granted her a final order that will clean her slate.” Hope stated. “Whether she continues to spiral into despair for your feed or begins anew with hope is entirely dependent on her. Either way, it won’t change the outcome in the next 5 days.”

“Indeed. My vessel has already begun to set the stage in Palvel for my inevitable departure into the world. That is considering our Exrenity does liberate the Maiden of Realms.” Despair’s eyes moved somewhere into the distance, and as if connected to her sight, Hope shut her eyes and directed the angler fish towards it.

“Desire has an uncanny ability to find the right people. Oh well, like mother like daughter. It all runs deep in our blood.” She added.

“My blood fairs differently. My daughters and sons are not so cunning like yours. But regardless, we both come from the same mother, after all. Unfortunately, all of my kin are elsewhere in Six Point. I believe one of them has been trying to return to Eastern Six Point, but I don’t think they’ve faired so well.”

Eventually, the angler fish swam into an area of darkness where no trees dared to impede them. Only a vast emptiness existed here.

“Furthermore – my vessel will have to come after yours as their counterpart. The new priestess does shine splendidly in the hopeful gardens I’ve always envisioned.”

“She does seem reliable. From a hopeful perspective. In mine, she’s a detriment. But a needed one. Mine cannot exist without its equal. How can despair be known if there is no hope?”

“And vice versa. The world exists in perpetual duality. Let’s put faith in the Exrenity that achieved the Attributed Whole.”

“Precisely. If you looked at the way he stared back into the void you wouldn’t think twice that he wasn’t a human. Those eyes do not adhere to the will of beings like us. They are designed to only obey their own rite. As I said – this plan is necessary more than ever, seeing that he has moved faster than we had anticipated. Marvellous~ We are at the brink of watching everything She brought up come crumbling down.”

Despair’s eyes sharply narrowed before they entered a world of spiralling black and white patterns. Within this room were hundreds, perhaps thousands of obelisks.

“We cannot afford to end up like the rest of Six Point.” She further stated.

These obelisks were unlike the ones from the Trial.

They were massive. Monumental. Not even the towering castle in Truebirth’s Capital dared to compare. These stood in pairs of black and white, each one containing an orb pertaining to their colour, as various symbols like that of the smaller obelisks were carved into them, appearing almost like a language.

“Our faith is in good hands. Imagine his eyes, sister! He is someone who strives to seek for a place called ‘respite’. But he will never achieve it so long as the Maidens remain in their Domains.” Despair spoke as if dictating fate itself. “Our future will be wonderful~ For the ones who disobey us, I cannot say the same. I will gladly lap their despair from the palms of my hand like the nectar of a withering bouquet. The Gods and Goddesses will all be released simultaneously, and we shall be the first to emerge with all our magnificent glory.”

Despair created a pale-blue orb in her the palm of an outstretched hand and grinned sinisterly.

“Even if it means sending our most loyal believers to be churned into the feed for my vessel.”

* * *

A band of Black Knights rode on heavily armoured horses across the Major Plains. Nothing but the expanse of an ever-reaching green landscape surrounded them until the outlines of roofs peered over the horizon.

The knight donning a Pathfist insignia the centre of his chest plate – which signified that he was the captain of this band – tugged the reins of his horse. Soon, the others followed, and they steadily galloped towards the walled town ahead.

“Remain diligent. We’re in Di-Lock’s territory now.” He spoke with a low voice which cut through the rushing wind.

He could feel the stares of unease behind him. Under normal circumstances fear was an emotion absent to the Black Knights of Pathfist. They were trained to wield a mind of iron in the battlefield and possessed spirits that were tempered like a fine blade.

However – this was no normal circumstance. They were not ordered to fight – as the Black Knights, and many soldiers of Pathfist for that matter, were trained to do.

No. To fight was to meet certain death. An unknown entity, phenomena – or whatever it was that caused these towns, and cities to have their inhabitants wiped out in the span of a single night could not possibly be won by such a small band of Black Knights.

Eventually, they reached the stone-bricked walls of the town. It stood at the height of around five metres and did not appear damaged or compromised in any manner, as deducted once they began to follow the wall around to the northern gate, with a split group moving around the other section of the town.

This place was Di-Post, an outpost-like town that sat the very borders of Di-Lock’s territory. It was a place frequented by soldiers of Di-Lock and was heavily occupied by combat-trained citizens. Only a small percentage of them did not know how to fight, and these consisted of cooks, cleaners, and most child-caring servants and mothers.

It was a formidable base of the massive vassal state, Di-Lock. Such a place would be difficult to penetrate, let alone approach, with a small band of Black Knights which would stand out like a sore thumb amongst the green fields.

Yet here they were, at the entrance of the enemy’s gates without a hint of resistance. Not a single sound came from within. Once the two groups met at the front of the northern gate, the captain clearly spoke.

“Report the damage.”

“Zero. The gates are intact, and the walls did not show any signs of wear. I would go as far as to say that the gates had not been drawn in a fairly long while.” One answered, causing the captain to audibly frown.

“Zero… do the rest of you attest to this?”

“Yes. They’re unscathed. The southern and the western gates appeared to have also not moved in a long while.”

“Then this is strange. It’s no different from the walls we’ve passed. There is no indication of an invasion or attack. Forget an effort to evacuate… no trails of horses or caravan wheels either…” The Captain threw an arm towards the gates. “Prepare the papers.”

By his command 3 knights dropped from their horses and approached the grated gate. Behind them, the other 5 and the captain himself drew crossbows in the case that their comrades ahead were ambushed or attacked by an unexpected foe.

One by one, the knights placed pre-chanted papers along the grates until they formed a giant semi-circle. What followed was a small explosion of red sparks as each one disintegrated to ash.

The magic pre-chanted into those papers was called [Melt], a specialised magic that was designed to sever metals. It was also used by master blacksmiths to weld metals together.

Basically, this was Corozin’s magical equivalent to Earth’s thermite.

A semi-circular hole large enough for them and their horses was created. Surrounding it were serrated teeth that glowed a violent orange. If one were to touch it then they’d undoubtedly catch alight.

“The Undead surely did not wander in without resistance. And it’s unnatural to imagine that this town’s inhabitants disappeared all without leaving through the gates. Men, I need not to remind you to prepare for the worst. Our priorities lay in uncovering the incidents here. Our messenger is to leave at the discovery of anything within. Understood?”

A row of nods followed, as one knight who rode an armour-less horse gripped his reins tightly.

“Aye.”

The captain began to slowly move through the gates, his fellow knights following with a formation that covered each of their blind spots. The street they followed was untouched, untampered, and mysteriously clean.

“I find it difficult to believe that so many people can vanish without a trace. They have to still be here somewhere.”

However – as he and his men moved through the empty streets – the reality of a true ‘disappearance’ began to gnaw at him.

By now the Undead would have caught whiff of their mana. Even the lowliest of Undead were honed to sense mana within a one hundred metre radius. Naturally, they would follow the scent and devour it at all costs.

Yet nothing appeared.

The silence was deafening. Uncanny. The air carried the stench of dread across the empty town before they neared a split in the path. Around them were structures such as inns, shops, and homes. None were as tall as the walls outside, and they were relatively small compared to the structures of the Capital.

Still – they were all oddly pristine and untouched by the filthy hands of the Undead.

“Captain? Why have you stopped?”

“I’m finding the best course of action for us. Whatever happened here wasn’t natural. For all we know a high-ranking Undead could still be lurking around.”

“… can this really be the doing of a high-ranking Undead?” One questioned.

“What else could have done this? Our knowledge is too limited on these cursed creatures. We can only assume this is true, and whatever it is has the capacity to kill over a thousand in a single night.”

“Captain, I will add that this must’ve occurred while the citizens were asleep… so we can affirm that the enemy relies on stealth?”

The captain nodded.

“Exactly. Stealth may be their course of attack. We’ll begin with searching the homes one by one. But we shall not split up. If this creature, or creatures, rely on stealth then numbers are our safeguard.”

“Understood!”

The knights affirmed and began to climb off their horses one by one. Their arms were drawn in preparation as they gathered before the captain. While he gave them minor orders and distributed roles, a knight spotted something move in the corner of his eye.

Distracted, he turned and saw a fluffy dog run through the open doors of an oddly familiar home. He couldn’t recall why it felt so familiar, only that it was. The strange feeling chewed through his mind, and soon, the voices of his comrades disappeared.

“Ruff!” The dog barked, as if enticing him to approach.

He didn’t think twice, for he knew the sound of that bark like the back of his palm.

“Ah…! That’s sister’s dog! Massy~!” His rugged tone of voice turned pleasant as he called for the dog. Before he knew it, his legs began to take him straight towards the home which he now knew belonged to his sister.

How long has it been since he had visited her? Ever since he joined the ranks of the Black Knights, there was little time he could spare for his younger sister and ill-ridden mother.

“… home… how long have I wanted to return to you all?” He whispered, moving through the doors with soft, carefully steps.

When he turned the corner, he was immediately was greeted by the faces of the ones he so dearly desired to see from the bottom of his heart.

“Mother… Sister… I’m back. I’ve finally come back.” He removed his helmet, revealing a smile that words alone could not capture before he embraced his loved ones.

They did not share any words. His sister was mute, and his mother could barely speak at this point. Instead, they drew him further into the house with tender warmth…

And then, at the next corner, he was plunged into eternal darkness.

* * *

“GET BACK HERE!” The captain roared.

The band of Black Knights immediately gave chase to the straying knight. An eruption of metallic clambers shattered the silence of the empty town. They chased him across the town square and watched him disappear through the doors of a large inn.

They barged through moments after, smashing the doors from its hinges as they flooded into a vast room. They took an immediate formation, each one with their backs turned against one another as they scoured the room in search for the fleeing knight.

“Throw every table upside down if we have to! You two – search behind the bar counter! You three – head upstairs and check the second floor! We’ll still have vision on you from the ground floor! Now move!” The captain commanded, and the band instantly moved like a well-oiled machine.

“Stay within this area! Do not enter any other rooms!” Another reminded as a flurry of organised chaos ensued, causing floorboards to creak and metal to grind.

In less than thirty seconds, the search was already over. And to their dismay, the knight was nowhere to be found.

“Nothing!”

“There’s nothing upstairs either!”

“Check closely! He could not have disappeared into thin air!”

“Captain! – none of the doors were open when we entered! Everything’s sealed shut!”

“Impossible! Then where could he have gone!?”

“CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN! We’re missing another! One of our men didn’t make it inside!”

“WHAT!?”

Confusion instantly choked them all. The captain began to count the remaining men, and at the count of 6, he realised that 2 were now missing.

Something was unmistakeably wrong, but there was absolutely no way to figure out what.

Magic? A disease? An ambush? A lure?

Neither he nor anyone else could draw a certain conclusion, for their minds began to move from rational thinking to pure self-preservation. As Black Knights they were relatively hardened both physically and mentally. However, this situation far surpassed the realm of uncertainty, rendering their minds into a perpetual fight-or-flight state.

Despite their countless years of battle-hardened experience combined, this unknown threat had punctured through their thick mental veil, and like a needle – it began to inject them with fear.

“Return! Regroup at the centre! There must be something out there manipulating us!” He roared, and at once, all soldiers began to quickly sprint in his direction.

“I promise I won’t let go of your hand, my dear!” One cried from above, right before the man flipped over the railings on the second floor, falling head-first.

With a bone-chilling crunch, his head disappeared into his chest as the rims of his visor became embedded into his collarbone and clavicle. It seemed as though at any moment they could die for an unexplainable reason.

“Stay grouped! Remained grouped! If anyone leaves your sight, then you must stop them at all costs!” The captain commanded. “If your mind strays or if you begin to think differently, then speak up! This may be a mind-altering magic or disease! Ron! We’ll prepare to make our departure!”

Ron – the messenger of the group – erected his posture and nodded.

“Aye –!”

“You must be the one to reach Pathfist at all costs! Now we have a glimpse of how so many died here.”

“We still don’t know how they disappeared –”

“Forget the disappearance! At this rate we will all perish! For all we know the deceased are hidden in rooms! The mechanism of this phenomenon may be to compel one to seek shelter!” He theorised an extremely plausible explanation, right before he hooked his arms with two neighbouring knights. “Link yourselves! No one will be able to run this way!”

In an instant, the band united into a ball. With a single step, the captain marched them straight out the inn with a roar. They did not stop until they were back at the horses, where the captain commanded to release Ron who would serve to relay this information back to Pathfist – albeit using a gemstone to record his voice in the case that this was indeed a deadly disease.

“Ron! Begin recording the events once you’re outside. The Kingdoms need to get hold of this vital knowledge; else we’ll all succumb to the same fate of this town! There’s a small recovery camp with a healer. They should be able to rid you of the disease should this be one! Ride, Ron! Do not turn back! We will follow you shortly after! You – leave with him just in case his mind starts to alter! NOW!”

“U-Understood Sir!” Another knight swiftly clambered onto their horse, drawing the reins of their horse as he nodded to the man named Ron beside him.

The reins cracked the air with a sudden whip as the gathered knights split from their linked arms and drew their weapons once more. No matter the circumstance, priming oneself for battle was ingrained into their very bodies, even if the foe was non-existent.

“Go! What are you waiting for!?” The captain screamed when the men failed to move.

Another crack broke the air. And another, and another –

But no matter how many times the men reared the reins or whipped; the horses did not move an inch.

“Why!? Get a move on it! What’s happening to the horses!?” Ron yelled, spreading his hands all over its neck to find any source of injuries. Suddenly, when a hand slid into the groove of its segmented armour, the horse buckled backwards.

“ARGH –!?” The slits closed, and the armour instantly seized his hand like a bear trap. The metal crushed his wrist, trapping him in place before the horse suddenly began to rush in the direction of the exit.

“Follow him! What are you waiting for!?”

“SIR! THE HORSE WON’T MOVE!”

“Just use another horse! Chase after him on foot if you have too! He’ll certainly wait for you out there –”

Before he could finish his sentence, a surge of air threw him and his men to the ground. The impossible force was so powerful that not even men of their size and weight were able to resist.

He landed harshly on his back, his helmet saving him from certain unconsciousness as a body fell atop his stomach.

“GET BACK ON YOUR FEET! QUICKLY!” He commanded, shaking the body of the knight.

It did not respond.

“What’s the matter!? Are you injured!? SPEAK TO ME AT ONCE –!”

The moment he turned the body over he realised that half of the soldier’s head was missing. He instantly threw it aside, rushing to his feet with unnatural speed, for his body now began to pump him full of adrenaline.

“W-what just happened!? They’re… three just died… in an instant…” One of the two remaining knights did not fare so well, their fearless demeanour now utterly crushed by the unknown foe.

Ron and his horse laid unmoving in the distance, their heads cracked and severed from the nose up. The man who was supposed to depart with him too suffered the same fate, as did another who laid lifelessly beneath their feet.

It all happened so fast. Far too fast for the human mind to comprehend.

It was a speed in which that if one were to imagine it, they’d undoubtably be plunged into insanity.

“R… Raise your arms! We were caught unprepared! I SAID RAISE YOUR ARMS!”

“C-Captain! You saw how fast it was! How can you possibly tell us straight that we stand a fighting chance!?”

“Then are you suggesting that we outrun whatever the enemy is!?”

“That’s –!”

“THEN STAND YOUR GROUND! THE BOTH OF YOU!”

“… aye… dear Children of Balance. Oh Hope, oh Despair, please give us strength in this time of need.” One began to utter a prayer to their benevolent Gods as they shoved their backs against one another, ensuring that there was no possible way for the enemy to surprise them once again.

Minutes passed. Nothing. Not another sound reached their ears.

Then – something emerged, and their hearts shrivelled as if it had been plunged into an arctic sea.

“… Dispel the evil… praise be upon… what… what… i-is… is… that?”

“The papers… the papers, your weapons – s-someone prepare them…!”

“C-Captain – I-I can’t move… I CAN’T MOVE!”

Fear immobilised their bodies, poisoned their minds and rattled their souls.

A creature crawled out from an alleyway and moved disgustingly towards the messenger’s corpse. This creature possessed a dozen thin legs, each one created by the spines of humans and animals, and were wrapped with sinew and thick, necrotic muscle.

It appeared like a spider, save its legs were evenly distributed around its bony body. However – that was only the beginning. The hideous creature – which was undoubtably an Undead – carried a pale orb that glistened in the sun, deeply contrasting its disgusting appearance.

And likewise; laying hidden in the underbelly of the Undead was the face of one of the most beautiful women they had ever seen. But that did not salvage their souls. Rather, it amplified the fear and caused their hearts to wrench and contort in the confines of their chest.

This Undead was most likely of a higher rank considering it retained any semblance of the living. Once they realised this, their hearts sunk further into their gut, and when they heard the pained shriek leave its lips – one of the knights instantly riddled his own face with pre-chanted papers.

These were of course, [Melt]. Before the captain could say a word and reach out to stop him, the knight’s helmet melded with their face and before long, they died a gruesome death.

His mind had been shattered beyond reasoning, for he knew that if he were to leave his fate in the hands of the Undead, it would undoubtedly be among the worst that a human could ever face.

The captain shuddered, and the last remaining man trembled uncontrollably. His feet could no longer hold him up, and just as he was about to fall to his knees – his head was snatched away by another burst of air.

Nothing could describe what was going through the captain’s mind. His senses numbed and his will to live slithered out of his gaped mouth with a stammered exhale.

“The black-carapace insects of that filthy kingdom.” A groggy voice spat from behind, causing the captain’s blood to run like ice. “The carapace that you insignificant pests wear is always the hardest for my worms to slither into. But no matter. If the poison does not kill the insect, then crushing them will always suffice.”

“… bastard… who goes there!?” The captain instantly roared, twisting around to see a heavily hunched man standing metres before him.

This person was hideously deformed, to the point where he could barely pass as a human. His tattered robes were so worn that they appeared like the leaves of a damp willow, failing to hide his hideously bulging spine.

He flashed the captain a grin so noxious that words failed to portray the disgust in his heart.

“You –”

“Silence! Filth like you do not deserve to speak to an apostle of one of Her most magnificent! Oh, my lord, oh Overlord of Desire – you are kind for forgiving this one for daring to speak. His soul will soon join our festering collection.”

“Tch! DON’T MAKE LIGHT OF A BLACK KNIGHT –!”

“It’s screeching – shut it up.”

A hidden well of pride sprouted up and caused the captain to suddenly charge straight for this person, who he believed was the root of all of this. With his pike drawn wide and prepared to sever the head of the disfigured man, he pushed in for the deciding kill.

… however –

“W-what…!?”

A solid thud echoed infinitely. His arms never reached the man, let alone the blade of his pike. In fact, he couldn’t even feel his arms anymore. Before he could even process what had happened – a severe pain shot through him at his elbows.

A silent scream left his gaped mouth when he finally realised that his arms were severed. He fell to his knees, thrown by the sudden loss of balance, and appearing as if he were prostrating before the hunched necromancer.

When his eyes moved from the stumps of his arms up to the necromancer – the invisible blade in his heart finally twisted.

The face of a beautiful maiden unlike that of the one beforehand hovered beside the necromancer. It twitched unnaturally, observing the captain for seconds before lines formed across its entire face.

The captain’s eyes widened with terror.

The face began to peel away like the skin of a banana. It ran down far past the Undead’s exaggerated neck, stopping at its ghastly-thin body.

What it revealed caused him to wish that he were among the first to die.

A giant, thin needle revealed itself. And along its shaft were severed heads of his comrades, each skewered perfectly together like a grotesque beaded necklace. Their faces were petrified with the exact emotion of their final moments.

This was the Undead that had wiped out half his men in the blink of an eye.

The captain was a man of confidence, strength and of utmost leadership. Fear was an emotion he had once believed was beaten away by his ruthless training to reach the status of the Black Knights.

But this could not be further from the truth.

Only now did he realise the futility of his existence.

A bony spear was shoved straight into the man’s chest. It twisted, grinded and poked everywhere to inflict as much injury as possible, instantly causing the man to die…

He almost thanked the necromancer for such a merciful death.

“Be grateful that filth such as yourselves are still valuable under the merciful eyes of Lady Desire. Your souls will become part of a greater purpose, and your body will forever serve to my will – you dog of Pathfist!”

But this fell onto deaf ears…

The last thing he saw – no, the last thing he heard after all faded to black was a beautiful voice that called out to him from somewhere within the darkness.

“You must despise all that exists beyond the reaches of hope and despair. Join the Well of Wishes and begin to fester. The time is nigh.”

* * *

The necromancer glanced down at the pale-blue orb in his palms and snickered. His job was done, and another group of Black Knights had their souls captured by the orb and their bodies drained of their mana.

This town was the fifth he had cleansed in the last two weeks, marking the near complete annihilation of the humans that dwelled in the bordering areas of Di-Lock. The sheer number of souls required by the necromancer was unimaginably vast, and after months of claiming souls across Di-Lock he now neared this number.

One by one, the soulless corpses began to reanimate by his command. They stumbled in their heavy armour, shuffling before him, and prostrating themselves like he was their king.

He motioned to his beautiful-faced Undead with a raised hand.

The thin spear-faced Undead disappeared with a silent blast of air, moving to inform an Undead stationed far outside of the town as the others Undead crowded around the necromancer with disgruntled sounds.

“They shall make a pitiful addition to our army. Bring them with us, my dear. Regrettably, they’ll further bolster our Undead legion.” At the utter of his gurgled words, the ground began to rattle faintly. He twisted his face and kicked the newly Undead with frustration. “Stupid carapace armour. All that leather lining and metallic engineering made it nearly impossible for my worms to bore through!”

The Undead remained there, completely unfazed by his attacks which only added to his frustration.

The armour of the Black Knights was considered near airtight, given the many layers of fabric and leather that lined underneath the armour. It also did not help that the black-steel plates were already so tightly packed and moved in a manner where it was rare to find a chink in their armour.

As a result, only a handful of the Black Knights were infected by the [Curse of Desire]. This also explained the bizarre behaviours they exhibited.

“How dare such rats defile Lady Desire’s most beautiful magic!? How dare you insects resist the [Curse of Desire]!”

After many kicks, he began to heavily pant, exhausted by the ordeal as the spider-like Undead scooped them all onto its back. It disgustingly crawled out of the town as the necromancer cooed sweet words into its non-existent ears.

This being was his daughter, after all. What kind of a father would he be if he couldn’t show her his love? He had already made her perfect and beautiful beyond comprehension.

Furthermore, he turned her into a race that far superseded humanity by tenfold. This alone was a display of his infinite love and compassion for not only her, but for her many sisters as well… and their mother.

The only thing he agreed that humanity held over the Undead were their face, hence why his daughters were allowed to keep theirs.

The Undead spider-creature used the hills to hide them from the prying eyes of scouts which were placed everywhere across the easternmost region of the Major Plains. They headed west, reaching a particularly flat place amongst an army of hills.

This place was not far from the town, being only a few hundred metres away. Once they positioned themselves in the centre of this flat plain – the ground quickly began to shake underneath them.

The soil loosened like gravel before it suddenly collapsed into a gaping maw that appeared like the blossoming petals of a disgusting flower. It swallowed them with a singly gulp before dragging itself down beneath the soil.

Then, a dozen arms lining each of the backside of its petal-like mouth began to dig and replenish the disturbed soil, eventually sealing the opening off. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared, the ground tremoring once again in its wake.

But this tremor wasn’t local to the outskirts of Di-Post.

No. It was on a much larger scale. The ground briefly shook from Di-Post to Palvel, which spanned many kilometres apart. Strangely though, the ground specifically shook along a straight line between these two locations.

This was because they were connected.

An Undead worm of unimaginable proportions anchored both its ends at these places, creating a hidden tunnel where the Undead were free to move in vast numbers.

Gate Larva. This was the name of the Undead beast. Its sole purpose was to create underground tunnels either for the purpose of creating a hidden highway for the Undead, or, to act as a route of entry.

For instance, one entrance could lay burrowed into the underbelly of a city, creating a passage that linked with the location harbouring an Undead army. There would be little to no way of realising this until it was too late.

This was exactly what he had done to the city of Palvel.

Furthermore, the Gate Larva’s positioning was not permanent. By the will of a higher-ranking and intelligent Undead like the necromancer, it could move its head and read end wherever it saw fit, so long as the ground was not too solid.

This was how so many cities had their inhabitants cleansed in merely a single night all without trace. They were poisoned by the [Curse of Desire], slaughtered and then turned into Undead either by his own hands or by his Undead daughters. Afterwards, when the city completely succumbed to the Undead infection, they were herded through the gate worm back into the Catacombs to join his ever-growing legion of Undead.

The necromancer stared into the darkness of the Gate Larva’s innards longingly as he dragged his bony fingers across the fleshy walls.

“I’ve returned, my love. You look lovely as always.”

His gentle touch caused the gate larva to convulse in ecstasy. The disfigured expression that was permanently sewn onto his face disappeared after the warmth ran through his cold fingers.

He smiled and wore a face more appropriate, for this monumental Undead was his wife.

Somewhere along the way he saw her beautiful face hanging down from a cocoon-like bulge. With an unfitting smile, he kissed its lips and inspected the cocoon with heartfelt tenderness.

“It’s coming together nicely, isn’t it? Our beloved dear will soon come back and join us again when we stand above humanity and the rest of this putrid world.” He snickered, nodding to himself rapidly. “My wish will come true, and you will be the first to bear witness to the fruits of your love’s efforts. Sleep well – my dear. You’ll awaken soon enough.”

“… Mo…ther…” A hoarse groan echoed from the mouth of the spider-Undead, a leg reaching to touch the cocoon.

Even though it was an Undead, it still retained some semblance of its past self. Not just the face, but also parts of its memories – albeit in small fragments given that they were not highly intelligent Undead.

Furthermore, amongst all of the Undead under the banner of the necromancer’s legion, they were the few who retained their souls, hence why these emotions still existed.

Only high-ranking Undead such as themselves were given such a luxury. With the boundless mana they had consumed, and with the aid of a vastly intelligent necromancer, this was easily achieved in mere months where in nature it would take decades – possibly centuries.

Beyond the high-ranking Undead were the advanced Undead, which was precisely where the necromancer sat.

In the Undead hierarchy the intelligent Undead were positioned the highest, which was followed by the Corruptors, Bearers, Brutes, Spreaders, Worshippers, Fodder and the Feral.

Beyond the advanced Undead were the Harbingers, who were akin to messengers and Undead that worked directly beneath their Undead Gods and Demi-Gods, who resided in the bleakest recesses of the Boric Region.

The Uboros – this was the name given to the highest rank of Undead who were considered as Gods and Demi-gods amongst all.

Malpas the Corruptor was one such Undead God who was fabled to bring opposing humans to join the Undead, whether it be through deception, persuasion or with false promises.

The necromancer did not wish to become among the sacred and most feared Uboros. He only desired to become the single most powerful being in all of Six Point.

Understandably, the mere thought of such a thing was whimsical, and nothing but a pipe dream.

But he found an avenue to turn this desire into a reality.

He muttered and snickered to himself, rubbing his hands as the spider-Undead began to move again.

* * *

They entered a dark chamber residing in the depths of the Catacombs many hours later. Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of Undead stood dormant on the furthest end, all awaiting for the day that the necromancer issues their final order to mobilise into Palvel.

The absence of any external mana was like a breath of fresh air. With so many Undead amassed, mana could no longer exist within the walls of the Catacombs. To mages this was perhaps the worst side-effect of the Undead, for should they run out of mana then there would not be any feasible way of casting magic without draining their reserves.

Above them hovered the Well of Wishes; a giant ball so dark that even falling into the maw of an abyss thousands of metres deep was like a bright light in comparison.

As such it felt as if a thousand eyes were gazing back at the necromancer, causing him to sneer as he and his Undead daughters presented the orbs. They shattered like glass; each shard being pulled away by an invisible wind into the dark tear in space.

Above the Well of Wishes emerged the silhouette of a woman, its crimson eyes splitting through the darkness like a beacon.

“You’ve returned so soon with so little. Explain.”

“My lord. Oh, my lord – the wretched soldiers of Pathfist keep meddling with our business. I am merely doing housekeeping to keep them off our backs. Forgive this one – for I am nothing but a lesser Undead before your infinite wisdom.”

The necromancer prostrated instantly, grovelling like the worm he was before her benevolence.

“Raise your head. Grovelling does not prove your sincerity. Throw that arrogance away. Allow it to resurface after your wish is granted.”

Desire’s figure fizzled into the darkness once he blinked, her voice thoroughly strangling him. A finger touched his crooked nape from behind as frozen air blew into his ear.

“The pieces are already in place. Do you wish to abandon your festering wish in pursuit of petty arrogance?” Her voice cut deeply into his soul, leaving a stinging wound that further caused his entire being to tremor.

“O… Of course not –!”

“Then rise. Grovelling will get you nowhere, and neither will repentance.”

“So merciful… so generous…”

He chattered through his clamped teeth as Desire’s footsteps echoed around him in the darkness. Once he rose, he darted his entire being in the direction of these patters, rubbing his hands eagerly with disgusting excitement.

“The souls – we are already so close to fuelling the Well of Wishes. Just a thousand more souls will be enough to release it from its dormant state! Two – in two days I shall have the souls ready to begin!”

“You gravely underestimate its cost. Multiple centuries worth of souls still lands us short of our goal. But we are close. Terrifyingly close. I need not remind you that Palvel will become the final resting place for the Well of Wishes.”

“We could have gathered all the necessary mana had those scoundrels I sent captured the soul of whomever it was that appeared before the beam! Useless! They are all useless! Humanity might as well not exist before the supremacy of the Undead and all those that sit atop this world’s grand hierarchy!”

A wet sound came from Desire’s location, the being lapping her lips hungrily at the man’s delectable desires.

“Humanity already doesn’t exist. Not those along the settlements of Di-Lock, thanks to a certain King.”

“Your words are wasted on an insufferable caterpillar like myself. Your most beautiful magic – the [Curse of Desire] – churned them into most useful feed for the Well of Wishes. The famine, the diseases – they truly believed that salvation awaited them after death. Such a foolish race. I’m even surprised that a few still stand at Di-Lock’s capital! You are truly the most compassionate for not already turning them into paste!”

“Leave them be. I’m sure their despair will be of use later on.”

“That it shall! Oh Overlord of Desire – the Well of Wishes will finally grant me a power most supreme of all! I pray that you bear witness to this grateful apostle of yours when he ascends beyond the Uboros, and the Gods and Goddesses themselves! I will devote worshipers to your cause!”

He did not see it, but Desire’s face twisted into an insidious, ecstatic smile.

“Words do not mean anything until it is done. But it is willed by fate itself. Countless centuries have finally led to this moment, old King of Di-First. Our success is all but guaranteed.”

Hearing his official title centuries ago caused waves of ecstasy to flow through him.

Indeed. This necromancer was the king of Di-First many countless years ago, right before the fall of the ancient kingdom that once resided where Di-Lock now sits. It was he and Desire who planned the destruction of that kingdom to allow Di-Lock to rise in its ruins.

And it was also they who planned the destruction of Di-Lock, all for the sake of harvesting as many souls as possible without raising the eyebrows of the neighbouring kingdoms – Di-First included.

After all, Di-First only saw this as an extension of their kingdom; a vassal state, and Truebirth and Pathfist only understood that it was Di-First to blame. As true as it was, this was merely a front to disguise the true threat – the Undead.

If this had gone noticed then they’d be struck down by all three kingdoms in a simultaneous effort to exterminate the Undead.

Interestingly, one of the ‘recent’ recorded cases of the Undead in the past was at the same time that this man became one of Desire’s apostles. No one knew this of course, but it was a small blunder that nearly thwarted their plans as quickly as it began.

Things were different now. No matter how large of a force pushed into the Catacombs they’d all be slaughtered like cattle. A battle would not be able to even begin to describe the one-sided massacre.

“A force of many thousands will come greet us in Palvel, as prophesised by your most intelligence! I can barely wait to see the despair on all their faces.” He groaned in laughter. “Enough will be slaughtered to fulfill my wish, and the rest will become the audience to bear witness to the birth of a new age!”

“These lesser Undead will suffice against their forces. If things go awry, your beautiful daughters can intervene. Otherwise – the mana from the Well of Wishes must not be wasted. You’ll only prolong your ultimate wish. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the last stand of humanity, shall we~? Let them despair.”

“A… ahahahaha! Yes… YES!”

* * *

Part 2 –

 

“YES! IT’S FINALLY DONE!”

Exrite erupted with a shriek unlike herself, her eyes wide with tears of joy as she stared down at the finished product. Her entire body began to visible shake, quivering in equal waves of excitement and disbelief, which quickly caused tears to collapse down her face when she realised that this was indeed reality.

“It’s done… it’s really done. Black – we did it! All those days weren’t for nothing after all, ahaha!”

Black didn’t say a word, however. It seemed as though she was just as surprise – or shocked – as Exrite was. With a long, annoyed sigh, Black looked down at the object before them, which laid splendidly in a gear-shaped web of blood.

She softly smiled.

The past two days that Exrite spent as the Maiden of Time made the previous week of tireless work look like a childish job in comparison. Through blood, sweat and tears – Exrite and Black pushed on to finally create the first successful Biomechanical weapon.

What laid before them was a humble dagger.

Surrounding it within the confines of Black’s workshop-like reside were hundreds of Biomechanical waste and past failures, a testament of how many they had truly gone over.

The blade was slightly longer than the length of her hand. Near the tip the blade curved very slightly and was marginally larger than the rest of the body.

This thing was quite literally a living weapon; crafted with her blood to become a construct of both flesh and metal. In spite of how grotesque it sounded the dagger was a staggeringly beautiful piece of work.

It appeared as though it was made entirely out of an ethereal ice, emanating a mystical sky-blue glow. Depending on where one looked, it would appear transparent as if bearing ghostly properties.

In a way, it appeared like a long lost relative of Frosty’s scythe. Though, it would be a lie to say that they were not in some way influenced by her scythe to begin with.

Additionally, it fit well with Exrite’s strange theme of sky-blue that plagued most of her magic and all of her [Gears].

Black was the first to hold it in her palms, for she was the one who designed the weapon from the ground up and followed through at each step of the way with Exrite, who was responsible for crafting it.

This would have been impossible without her help.

She slashed at the table, testing its sharpness and strength. As expected, it cut through the metal frame with zero resistance. As a weapon crafted with the blood of the Maiden of Time, they expected nothing less.

But this wasn’t what made it so special. Rather, if Exrite and Black chose to simply make a blade for the sake of existing with indomitable sharpness, they would have created one within the first few days.

What they wanted was something that was not only created with [Biomechanical] magic, but also with the properties of the [Gears] in mind.

Therefore, this dagger was created.

There were [Gears] lined within the handle and length of the bladed. These were designed to grant Exrite the authority to control them remotely at will, just as if the blade was an ordinary [Gear].

Indeed. This dagger was like an extension of herself. Like an arm, she could move it around the air to her very will. And, given the sheer distance that she could control the [Gears] in her Maidenly body, the range of a normally close quarters weapon was increased by immeasurable amounts. Even in her human form, the amplification effect of her arm made it possible to control it within a 20-metre radius.

Additionally, a singular [Gear] was used to feed the dagger with mana. Why would a dagger require mana, one may ask? It was simple – restoration. Biomechanical creations were capable of this in one way or another, although, much like the Biomech, the speed and amount it could repair itself depended entirely on the quality of the [Gear] it possessed.

With such small [Gears] – if the blade fractured or split, it would be rendered out of commission. Basically, it’d be the death of the dagger.

Exrite deeply exhaled, her eyes closing with relief as she collapsed onto a familiar trio of [Gears]. These were a combination of [Gears] pertaining to a certain magic she developed within the Trial – [Blue Bullet]; created by [Explosive Orb], [Blue Beam] and [Control].

All were the size of about her hand, each capable of possessing [Sixth Tiered] magic. From the very moment Exrite transformed, she began to draw blood for this exact purpose.

In fact, these three [Gears] weren’t the only squad of [Blue Bullet] she possessed. Somewhere around the ship lurked another two [Blue Bullet] combination [Gears], as well as two [Liquid Fire] ones, although these were modified very slightly.

The [Liquid Fire] was combined with [Control] and [Blue Beam], causing the flames to appear an azure colour.

This was all with the help of Uru, of course.

“A great foundation, or basis – or whatever the fuck you want to call it is one hell of an effort. I hope you learnt something out of this, Exrite. Good fucking job. Good to know your stamina is just as monstrous in that body of yours.”

“I could say the same thing. Thanks… it should be easier to begin working on larger things now. I say should, but you’ll never know.” Exrite patted the flaps of her garbs, which appeared reminiscent of Black’s.

In fact, it was extremely similar. The hallmarks of an Otherworldly militaristic style were present to the point where an Otherworlder would mistake her as one of their own.

But at the same time, it carried a magical theme only found in Corozin – because unlike Black’s, hers did not exude any golden insignias that spoke of highly of the person wearing them, nor any trimmings or the like.

What Exrite wore exactly were two sets of clothing – the first being an outer, open garb that could be mistaken as a trench coat; and an inner one that bared no buttons like the outer.

The garbs themselves were plain. Incredibly plain and black, yet in certain places, namely where buttons would be on the external garb, rows of tiny button-sized [Gears] sat there.

These served the purpose of manipulating its flaps to her will. If needed, it could be detached and move on its own as if possessed by a ghost.

Furthermore, in the place where her heart sat in the inner garb was a single [Gear] that fed the Biomechanical clothing with a constant supply of gears. This way, she wouldn’t have to worry about creating clothing after each explosive encounter, for these garbs would steadily repair themselves.

Her pants were much the same, albeit somewhat loose and baggy on her frame, as these were mostly designed with her original body in mind. Her body was near impermeable as a Maiden, after all.

They were comfortable… almost like wearing her own skin if that made sense. Black, White, and Uru seemed to be the only ones who understood this sensation.

After all, their clothing was too – in a way – a part of themselves.

Thankfully, the garbs were by far the easiest object to create, hence why there were so little failures that vaguely resembled pieces of clothing around Black’s reside. Weapons were intricate by nature, no matter how simple one seemed.

Clothing were more two-dimensional in her mind, which most likely aided in the creation process.

But she digressed and sunk further into a bed of floating [Gears], groaning with relief. Black yawned in response, looming over her.

“You know, this is probably the first time I’ve been so devoted to making something. I forget what it was like being a blacksmith sometimes. I understand that feeling, Exrite. Finally reaching that goal after so many failures is so fucking great. Relax yourself, though. Temper your ambitions and let yourself trail off. Emotion should always be the driver behind the hammer of a weapon.”

“… yeah, you’re probably right. I’ll remember that, thanks.”

“Hmhm~ I want to enjoy this dagger a little longer~ It’s beautiful. Not bad. You get my highly acclaimed praise! Although, try not to let it get. To. Your. Head~ On a serious note, you’re a faster learner than I thought. I’m surprised you weren’t put to better use by your old Kingdom.”

“… what use would anyone have for someone with a mana capacity like mine? Having my family’s royal blood meant nothing. Not that I cared anyway.” Exrite softly sighed. “Status means nothing if you have no power. But power means everything, to the point where it can attain status. It sounds unfair, but I can see why that makes sense.”

Exrite grasped at the air, capturing nothing.

“In the end, both will corrupt a person. And if it doesn’t, then it’ll amplify what already exists in them.”

“What makes you say that?” Black hummed, intrigued by this.

“Enthile. I’ve always wanted to destroy that place. To tear it apart and burn it down to cinders. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more compelled to just head there and start dousing everything in [Liquid Fire].” She spoke with a severe tone, causing Black to chuckle.

“Heh. So you are like me, huh. Good to know. Good to know. Maybe you should turn that anger into a weapon one day. Joking aside – how about you change now.”

“Sorry?”

“We’re done. Finished. We already created the fucking dagger. Change back to your human form so we can finish off the augmentation. Try not to keep White waiting~ She’s dying to get a good look at your arm.”

Exrite placed a hand on her left arm as Black dragged the butt of the dagger along her stomach, as if dissecting her.

She didn’t flinch. Neither did she care. With a small sigh, Exrite gently took the dagger from Black’s hands and looked into its reflective blade. In it, she saw a pair of miscoloured eyes staring back at her.

“… She’ll have to wait a little longer. I need to test out my [Time] magic with Nav’s help while I still have the chance. Also – Black, am I allowed to use some explosive powder by chance?”

“You’re asking a dangerous question. Explosive powder? From me? Hmhm~ Of course you can. Take a barrel if you need to. But – in exchange you need to tell me what you have in mind.”

With a small smile, Exrite tapped her thighs with the tip of the dagger.

“Let’s just say I harvested a few bones before I died.”

* * *

Exrite swiftly moved through the Airship’s pristine corridors, her strides caring not for the silence. Every motion exuded purpose as she left Black’s resides and retreated into a grand hall.

Her boots squeaked against the marble flooring, which easily reflected her being with perfect accuracy like the surface of a still lake. Within this hall were grand architecture of black and white, and residing in the centre were three crystals pertaining to the Colours who had reunited in this very Airship.

She breathed in its beautiful air and exhaled heavily, a sudden wave of inspiration washing over her. The hall wielded a splendour that not even a thousand of the world’s most beautiful halls combined could even begin to hold a candle to.

This was of course created by the mastermind who designed this Airship, as well as the dagger that resided in a small sheath that was attached to the sides of her grabs.

Instantly upon entering, the ears of a golden-haired Demi-human twitched in her direction. Treading the marble railings of a balcony was Yellow, who used it like a tightrope as if she was some sort of feline beast. When she turned and spotted the garbs of the girl who walked through those doors, she instantly sprung towards her.

With speed that no human could ever dare to sense, Yellow appeared before her with a splendid landing, her body positioned in a light squat as she held her arms behind her in an innocent manner.

“Already dooooone~?”

She purred, although, she was technically a cross between a dog and human given her dog-like ears and tail. These twitched cutely atop her head as she tilted herself from side to side after erecting herself.

“Two days was it? So – what did ya do with Black in there? Did you create something cool? Something awesome!? Something worthy of taking me down in a fight!?”

She shoved her face closer into Exrite’s face with every spoken phrase, each one becoming more and more energetic until it reached a climax, where Exrite could sense bloodlust among the sparkles in her golden eyes.

“Well, does a dagger count as something ‘cool’?” She pulled out the dagger with an expert grip, causing Yellow’s eyes to glisten.

Unlike the other two Colours, Yellow was more open to her desires for combat. Whether it be friend or foe, if that person was strong, then Yellow would always keep an eye for a hopeful challenge when the time called.

Especially if the person specialised in close quarters combat, just the Colour herself.

The way Exrite handled the dagger, even though she was simply trying to showcase it, riled her blood.

But she refrained from initiating a brawl. This place was Black and White’s lovely adobe, after all.

She just wanted to fight, not to die. At least not outside of the Colour Plane.

Exrite understood this, of course. Yellow – true to her animal-like character – was guided by instinct first and foremost. With a sigh, she scratched the back of her head and allowed the dagger to freely float before her.

“Ohhhh~ That’s so cool! Awesome~! The colour’s so beautiful as well! It looks like Black’s taught you a thing or two, huh? That’s so nice of her! But you know, a dagger is only so strong. Like, look at these. See my fist? Now see my fangs? A dagger stands no chance~ A bite here, a punch there, and a lunge everywhere –”

At that point, her voice fell onto deaf ears. Exrite wanted to say something – anything but chose to wait until the woman stopped speaking. She slowly moved the dagger to the side, and in an instant, Yellow’s eyes darted to it.

Curious, Exrite moved it again, causing Yellow to follow it once more.

… then she moved it again, this time in a circular motion. Yellow began to mimic its movements as if in a trance, or in this case, like a dog waiting for its master to throw it a bone.

… Yep. Just like a dog… or a puppy maybe?

She scraped the thought from her mind.

Yellow’s voice faded gradually, yet her tail and ears flapped with the excitement of a playful dog.

Hah… What am I even doing?

Without a word, Exrite sheathed the dagger, and at once – Yellow spoke.

“… so yeah, that’s why daggers aren’t practical. But so aren’t fists if you want me to be fair! Hmm… But then again, you have people like me and Khaos in this world. Decisions… decisions…” She suddenly fell into deep though, positioning a hand beneath her chin as she squinted at nothing to the side.

Exrite was close to saying something. Or leaving for that matter. She simply just wanted to greet her, not be at the receiving end of a verbal barrage. But it was humorous, at least.

And as such, she laughed –

“OH!”

– Then, Exrite flinched at Yellow’s sudden moment of realisation.

“Speaking of Khaos – I was supposed to call them as soon as you were free! C’mon, Exrite. You’re not supposed to distract me! Geez~! Well, see ya around!”

“Yeah… likewise…”

Somehow, Exrite understood White’s pain whenever she interacted with that person. With a small gesture of goodbye, the Colour left for the exit with a hand raised high over her head.

Once she finally disappeared, another voice spoke.

“Should I apologise in her stead?”

“Please don’t. She’s not that bad of a person. Just… a little noisy.”

“You’re making a strange face again.”

“Don’t worry about my face Nav. I’m trying to cover a laugh.” Exrite wiped her face clean of the humour and cleared her throat, turning to the pale Nav beside her. “So – how are you finding things?”

“How unexpected of you to ask. I believe we have an important agenda to address.”

“I should still be able to greet my friends regardless, right?”

“… I forget you’re kinder than the appearance you take after. If you must know, then I’ve been finding this abode most favourable. The Demi-humans are quite helpful, and that Frostbitten – Milkazako – is most knowledgeable. It appears as though the Depths he understands always existed with the crystals, whereas I remember it as a sprawling forest of emerald trees.”

“Was that knowledge passed down?”

“It appears to be. He himself has not ventured into the Depths. The accuracy of such information is grey at best, but we saw the crystals with our own eyes. As far as we are aware of, those crystals are ancient…”

“Hmm? Nav? Is something wrong?” Exrite asked, wondering why Nav paused all of a sudden. Pulling the pale being into her arms, she began to steadily walk across the grand hall.

“I feel as though I should apologise. I cannot gauge the kind of danger that may lurk within, therefore, my knowledge of Her birthlands is severely outdated.”

“We won’t know for sure until we first set foot into the Depths. Besides, we’ll be prepared for anything when the time comes.” She lightly tapped the dagger and hummed. “The first step is to arm ourselves. Magic alone won’t be enough to go head-to-head with another Maiden. Not as I am right now.”

“You’re speaking of the green-haired one from the Biomechanical Gardens, correct? Maidens are the ones that bear one of Her most fundamental magics. From what I understand, they stand above the Gods so long as they reside within their Domains… Exrite – to say that the odds are stacked against you cannot begin to describe it.”

Exrite nodded.

“I know. That’s why I need everyone’s help, including yours Nav. So don’t call your knowledge outdated. The topology of any region can change, but some routes and landmarks may remain the same. Have some hope.”

“Are you not fazed by this?”

“No. Why would I be? Did I hesitate when I ran straight into the [Time Barrier]?” She laughed. “I have something I need to reach no matter what. Whether it be the Gods or a Maiden that stand in my way – I don’t care. This is my resolve.”

Nav fell silent as those last few words echoed in its non-existing ears.

Eventually, they left the hall and entered the metal labyrinth of the airship, which sprawled near endlessly like the veins of a living being. Through twists and turns, and many staircases and platforms, they soon neared the upper layers of the airship.

There were no signs or any obvious means for one to properly orientate themselves. Every corridor looked identical to the next, creating an illusion that was rumoured to cause very few Demi-humans – and some humans – to go mad.

Exrite wondered if this was done on purpose as a means of training the minds of the Demi-human crewmates… or was simply an act of sadism for the Colours to enjoy.

Whatever the case was – it seemed to be of little concern to the passing Demi-humans. They had already mastered the intricate workings of the airship, and some were even seen guiding new recruits.

The Demi-humans took immediate notice of Exrite whenever she passed. Without fail, they each gave her an Otherworldly salute before they carried on with their duties. Some even lingered by, utterly entranced by her divine being.

It was as if a Goddess had descended onto their mortal plane.

The narrative that spread through the airship was that this was Exrite’s sister; another Exrenity who specialised in [Healing] magic. Many still remembered her from the first time they met and were ecstatic to see her once again, most thanking her along the way with heartfelt expressions.

Afterwards, and once Exrite brough Nav through a secluded part of the Airship, they continued their conversation.

“The [Gears] have made for impressive weapons already. But I suggest you try to focus those efforts equally on your magic. That was part of the agenda, no?”

“It is. I was just about to bring it up.”

The agenda Nav spoke of consisted of two things. The first was Exrite’s development of all [Fifteenth Tiered] magic she possessed. Currently, Exrite’s main focus was the [Biomechanical] magic – although – this was more closely tied to [Fourteenth Tiered] magic now that she thought about it.

Why was this so? Because it was not a fundamental magic – meaning its existence, or lack thereof, did not affect the essence of the world itself.

That aside – the other [Fifteenth Tiered] magic was obviously [Time]. However, this was entirely neglected ever since she set foot into Saicry, for her focus was primarily laid on developing the [Biomechanical] magic.

This was a mistake on her part, and she acknowledged her negligence. Thankfully, Nav was also aware of this and made efforts to supplement this deficit.

But these were mostly fruitless.

To begin with – Nav had previously explained a few basic concepts of [Time] that it retained from Gaia’s memories. Its knowledge was vast, but its depth was that of a frozen puddle.

Exrite simply could not break through and understand it.

This knowledge came from Gaia herself, and as such, it was explained in a manner that only Gaia could understand. Translating these ideas left Nav speechless at times, as if the mana of its [Gear] was sapped instantly upon merely processing the thought.

The words ‘experience’ resounded in her mind once again. She tapped her sides rhythmically, distracting her mind from Gaia’s voice.

Then – she spoke.

“Is my understanding of time really that basic? I feel like I have a good grasp on its basis… but at the same time, using [Time] magic still tears through my mana supply.”

“It is easier if you simply chant them than to perform a chantless cast. Don’t jump before you can even crawl.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing. But the results are inconsistent. Let me show you –”

Exrite began to chant a [Delay] spell. After nearly a minute straight of her silent utters, a tiny [Gear] fled from one of her pockets and ‘fell’. In that very moment, its fall slowed down dramatically before it returned.

“Now – watch closely.”

She chanted again and released the [Gear]. This time, it fell much more slowly than usual. The phenomena was nothing odd or out of the unordinary. In fact, this was a common occurrence in magic as a whole.

The concept itself was not the only part of the magic.

One had to consider their emotions, concentration, thoughts, and a vast majority of other influences. Pre-chanted spells were about the most consistent magic in existence, but those that were verbally spoken also had varying results depending on the caster.

If one were to imagine a mage filled with vengeance at the verge of dying, it’d be like how a flame burnt the brightest before it was snuffed.

This was what Exrite meant by how she felt as though she understood the concept, but at the same time it acted in a way that was too inconsistent to be true. Her concentration was unparalleled whenever she casted [Time] magic.

The smallest of distractions were enough to interrupt her casts. It was as if she was believing that she understood the concept, which may be why this was the case.

Ultimately, the blame fell onto her lack of knowledge.

This was a fundamental magic. Her basic understanding of [Time] was like that of the splinters that resided at the bottom of a barrel… which was sinking into the depths of an arctic ocean.

“The longest I can go for with [Delay] is about a few minutes if it’s the size of a snow globe. As for freezing time – three seconds at most in a five-metre radius. But it requires a sizable magical circle, just in case my capacity can’t handle it.”

“Massive? How come?”

“To catalyse the mana.”

“… is that how the human’s do it?”

“Hm?”

“Size does not equate to complexity sometimes. Larger magical circles may work better for humans, but only because their magic is created and rehearsed around those particular ones. Ecloma carries large characters. It’s designed to be recognisable, easily read and understood – but it is not broad enough to touch onto other magic – or specific enough for yours. You are trying to combine a magic that dictates time itself with one that favours the elemental magics. That is not understanding a concept. That is limiting oneself from expanding their horizons.”

Nav spoke in a matter that sounded as if deep in thought, like it was remembering something far back in the past. Exrite didn’t say a word and kept listening with boundless intrigue.

“As I remember, all of Her fundamental magic – as you all it – were recited distinctively differently. Time will always be eluded to with the symbolism of the gears, the hands of a clock, the birth of a child – or the fallen tears of my Creator. However, they do follow a pattern and characteristics unique to Her. You have seen the Maiden of Realm’s magic. The symbols are unrecognisable to the ones I remember.”

“… I see. Ultimately, it is up to the person’s interpretation, is what you’re saying?”

“Yes. Interpretation is key, but so is keeping out the mismatching ones from the lock. Human-based magical circles and their magical footprint is apparently a detriment, considering your struggles.”

Indeed. When one needed to verbally chant their magic, it was language that was ultimately the limiting factor. Words alone were not enough to properly interpret or convey a concept, even though it may be understood deeply in one’s mind.

Time was, after all, impossible to convey with mere words alone. But it also depended on how one understood them. Ecloma was too broad to be particularly useful, and the shapes and symbols that humanity used for their magical circles were also too specific to elemental and other general magic.

The shapes and symbols etched into a magical circle were considered a supplement for this language deficit, and sometimes, individuals relied on these in order to perform single worded chants. Depending on how the magical circle was arranged, these would be considered as part of the interpretation itself.

Basically – the magical circle itself acted as an extension of one’s mind. Without the correct tools, it would be difficult or near impossible to convey the magic one wishes to cast.

In Exrite’s case – she suffered from an extremely rare debilitation.

This was called a circle leak.

She had been brute forcing [Time] in a manner where it was like shoving a brick down a meat grinder. Not only would it barely produce an output and neither the desired results, but the machine itself would also begin to destroy itself.

This was essentially the basis of the circle leak. The magical circle is either unfit or at the brink of shattering, which causes a part of the catalyst to fail and therefore, the burden is split between itself and the caster.

Additionally, this resulted in exceptional mana usage, as the caster’s mana was devoured by the circle in order to fully maintain its quivering integrity.

This explained why when Exrite used magical circles with her [Time] magic, even when used adequately, she still had her mana drained at a terrifying rate.

In this specific scenario, it would be wiser to simply perform chantless casts and rely exclusively on her mana capacity, as it was more than adequate enough for smaller casts.

The main issue here was with anything larger than the palm of her hand.

Exrite fell into deep through as she revaluated the magical circles she had been erecting up to this point. She recalled a few times when she did end up creating gear-shaped magical circles but failed to remember if they had any additional properties compared to her regular ones.

But that was not necessary. It wouldn’t even matter unless it was in the context of [Time] magic if what Nav said was indeed true…

It also did not help that this was the first time Exrite had heard any of this.

This was not properly explained in the texts of Enthile. The role of the magical circles were merely catalysts to project magic and prevent mana overloads.

It was never supposed to embody the conceptual understanding of one’s magic, for that was the task for the caster. Yes, it could be used a supplement, but never to such a great extent.

Because at that point the magical circle itself would become the casted magic... a feat that would turn it into a physical magical circle, and if used incorrectly, may end up becoming the sole subject of the cast itself.

In the first place, physical magical circles were always drawn or created using objects imbued with magic. This was to anchor it to reality and prevent it from disappearing or shattering. As such, physical magical circles were mostly permanent fixtures, such as the vertic-port in Truebirth.

But creating a physical magical circle without such an anchor was unheard of, and the concept itself was something Exrite hadn’t even thought about either.

This piece of knowledge changed everything.

If that was what it took to bend the essence of [Time] to her will, then she needed to learn it.

Exrite’s brows furrowed.

She wanted to know was why this was not taught in Enthile… nor anywhere else for that matter. Was this concept so ancient that it was forgotten by time itself? Or was it a consistency issue, and was the modern technique superior?

The mind was a fickle, everchanging thing. But no matter the chant or state of mind she was in, Exrite could always rely on her magical circles holding up… save for the [Time] ones. She ended up falling in line with the latter, although – she was suspicious of the true reason that may be lurking in the background of the world.

First of all – why was Ecloma not good enough even though it was the language created by Gaia herself?

When she asked Nav, it only responded by saying that she never understood it until she met with the Otherworlder eons ago.

To command [Time] magic required something that went further than understanding. It was a sensation. A connection, and…

The creation of time itself.

How could Exrite possibly wrap her mind around such a thing?

She held her breath, looking up into the ceiling and imagining a night sky. With soft eyes, she turned down to Nav and hummed.

“A-ha. I understand… Then the best course of action would be to develop a separate system for [Time], is what I’m getting at. A sensation into time itself… I’ve never really thought about that way. Thank you.”

“You are aware that what I said would make any other mortal mind wither into dust? Your hopefulness is most warming.”

“I can’t let myself feel down all because of the hurdle ahead. Besides – I can already use [Time] magic. I’d be more concerned if I couldn’t.”

“… please use a proper technique before you master it. Your mana capacity is vast, but it fizzles down so quickly because of minor mistakes. I still cannot understand why my Creator believed that a human would be able to control [Time] as effortlessly as Herself… oh! Sorry – I did not say that in a spiteful manner.”

“I know. I’m just as confused as you are. We don’t really have a great sense of time to begin with… and we only have around a hundred years to live. Two hundred if you’re a good mage. But our short lifespan is precisely what makes time so important to us… and what makes a lot of us so petty sometimes.”

Exrite trailed off before continuing.

“Believe in me, Nav – I’ll master this magic and reach the very end. I cannot see it going any other way.”

“Do you desire to usurp my Creator?”

She shook her head.

“No. I just want to live.”

* * *

As they neared the deck and followed the final flight of metal stairs, a pair of hands suddenly cupped Exrite’s cheeks from behind. Without turning to see who her assailant was – she muttered.

“Uru. Yes?”

“Ho~ I’m pleased that you can tell it is I from touch alone.” Uru announced her presence with a loud hum, her hands making it difficult for Exrite to move forward.

Realising this, the Demon reluctantly freed her and took to her side, a hand reaching down to touch Nav’s hardened shell. Then, a look of intrigue befell her when her hand brushed passed the fabric of Exrite’s clothing.

It produced a steady ticking that she was unfamiliar with, yet at the same time, felt very much like Exrite’s.

“It’d be strange if I couldn’t. You’re by far the most intimate of the group, so of course I’m going to know.” Exrite smiled, noticing Uru’s eyes that appeared to be inspecting her garbs. “Ah. Did you realise?”

Exrite did not need to say any more. Uru felt another source of ticking beneath the garbs. The longer she inspected this bizarre piece of wear, the more her eyes illuminated with absolute delight.

This was no mere piece of clothing. This was Exrite’s skin, created with her blood. The garbs were like an additional layer of flesh.

“… unbelievable. I’m in awe, Exrite. This far surpasses anything I could have imagined. What a delightful treat for the eyes and heart. Ho… this was constructed from the [Biomechanical] magic, no? Beautiful. I expected nothing less from the mind of the Maiden of Time.”

“You should be thanking Black, not me.”

“As expected by that cunning Otherworlder. She has a splendid eye for detail and beauty. It suits you well and is befitting of a being of your calibre.”

“Right… being of my calibre…” She sighed at those words. “This isn’t even the peak of my creation. Take a look, Uru. This is what we’ve been working on for the last few days.”

She revealed her most prized creation, its bluish splendour instantly causing the Demon’s golden pupils to shrink.

“That is –!”

“A dagger. A near living dagger. I can control as if it were a third arm.” Exrite demonstrated this as the object began to soar in an orbit-like manner around them.

Eventually, it fell into the cusps of Uru’s palms, to which she intimately held as if it were a piece of Exrite herself.

“Surprise after surprise… I’m truly honoured to be witnessing the growth of the Maiden of Time’s next of kin. But –”

As they reached the entrance to the deck above, Uru slipped the dagger back into its sheath before she snatched Exrite’s hand. She held it close by her face, interlocking her fingers between hers as she continued.

“– A dagger won’t reach the Maiden of Realms. I don’t think you can feasibly picture the storm that we are inevitably going to brave through.”

“I’m aware. If I could make a gun using [Biomechanical] magic, then I would have done so already. But I’m not that experienced yet. This is exactly why we haven’t departed yet, because there is no way we can take her down as we are now.”

“Indeed. And the Depths itself isn’t forgiving either. There’s a reason it’s a Forsaken Region. The tabletop it resides on is merely secondary to this. And – dare I say – because it is the birthplace of the old Maiden of Time. That place is where the world tethers to the other worlds.”

“Tethered in a manner that I cannot even begin to explain. This reason alone makes it difficult to grasp what exactly exists beyond the canopies, the crystals, the floating landmasses and the grand tree – because anything can slip into this world from the billions of others that exists in the surrounding realms.”

“We’re essentially going in blind. That’s why we cannot afford to skip preparations.”

They left through its metal doors and were met with the sun’s glare. Uru’s eyes instantly disguised themselves to normal, her image now closely mimicking that of the Dark Elves.

The Demi-humans moved in an organised fashion. There was no movement that was wasted. Ammunition of the cannons were arranged and inspected, so were the giant harpoons that lined the sides of the Airship.

Barrels of explosive powder and other nefarious materials – namely the extremely toxic by-products of her [Biomechanical] failures – were carefully moved to separate section of the airship, where they were bottled into ceramic grenade-like balls.

Why ceramic? Because it was highly resistant to this corrosive material. In addition to its abundance and ease to create, this was an obvious choice.

However, to stop them from being mixed up from actual fragmentation grenades – these were coated with a green glaze, whereas the explosives were coated in red and carried an obvious fuse at the tip.

Thankfully, as far as Exrite was concerned, the by-product of [Biomechanical] did not carry any gears, [Gears], or her blood. They were either metals or this corrosive substance.

Furthermore – the reason this was performed outside was because of its fumes. Those that worked on it were required to wear facial protection made from metal and fabric at all times while a small group of mages casted a constant stream of [Wind] magic.

This was to ensure they were breathing fresh air instead of these fumes, which could easily melt holes into their lungs if exposed for too long. Also – these fumes were able to cause damage to the airship’s metallic integrity.

If went unattended, the airship would be eaten from the inside out.

That aside –

“Exriiiiite~” The voice of a child called, right before someone ran straight into her stomach.

Children were never permitted to board the airship unless they were part of a rescue. However, this child was the only exception to the Commander’s iron rule. In fact, this child was among the most prestigious of those aboard.

This was of course – the Biomech child, Pale.

Why were they considered so prestigious? It was simply because Black said so.

“So warm! So fluffy!” Pale exclaimed, rubbing her face deep into Exrite’s stomach. Before she could part her lips, the child released her, took two steps back and gave her an Otherworldly salute. “Welcome back – Exrite~!”

Black… what are you doing to a child?

Exrite was truly lost for words. Again, before she could react, the child instantly hugged her again, muttering silent thanks a few times.

This was normal every time they crossed paths. Pale had no other means of thanking Exrite’s for saving the Biomech, so this was the least she could do. But no matter how many times Exrite motioned her to stop – as she already received her thanks in the form of the [Biomehcanical] magic – Pale would whole heartedly refused every single time.

Although… it’s not like this was unpleasant anyway. Exrite warmly smiled, cherishing this child’s innocence as she began to pat her head motherly.

“Yeah. Thanks for having me back aboard. Are you doing well, Pale?”

“Mhm! Couldn’t be better! The outside world’s so full of mysteries and things I’ve never seen before! Plus – everyone’s so nice around here! It’s so warm… kind of like the gardens after you fixed it.”

“Do you miss it?”

“No! I’m glad I left. I want to see more of the world I was born in. You might not know it, but many of us didn’t know what warmth meant for the longest time. Thanks to Melody and you all – we can finally cherish it~!”

“That makes me glad.” Exrite softly spoke.

Afterwards – Uru peered over Exrite’s shoulder and noticed something off with Pale. She didn’t realise it at first, but after a closer look, a surprised hum left her lips.

“Ho. Did you get shorter?”

The Demon notice the discrepancy that went over Exrite’s head.

Exrite blinked as she recalled Pale’s height, which was supposed to stand at around chest-height. Currently, she only reached mid abdomen.

The Biomech grinned eagerly at the sight of their confused faces.

“Wanna know why? Hm. Hm. It’s all cause Black taught how to make a special kind of weapon from her world.” Pale said, skipping backwards.

Curious, Exrite was about to ask further but Pale suddenly answered if reading her mind.

“Ever heard of a ‘minigun?’” The child asked.

“A pitiful name. It hardly sounds threatening.” Uru jabbed.

“Vaguely. Black did talk about it once if I remember correctly. Wait … don’t tell me you –”

When Pale stopped a distance that seemed appropriate, she placed her hand by a white object that sat by her hip. At first glance, Exrite thought it was a container of some sort to carry rows of ammunition.

However, her suspicions were wrong.

No... They were triumphed.

“Behold!” Pale announced all of a sudden, as if rehearsing grand scripture. To hear a child speak in such a manner was bizarre to say the least. In an instant, waves of light began to move through the box like lightning, and in mere seconds – the box began to change shape.

Pieces moved and fell like that of a puzzle, eventually forming four short, thin barrels near the corners of the compact cube. A torrent of steam violently vented through pores and the barrels themselves when the process was complete.

The way it changed forms was exactly like how Black and White’s weapons did. Whether this transformation process was taught or mimicked by the child was unknown. Nevertheless, the display was a sight to behold.

The barrel protruding object – which Exrite immediately recognised a gun of some sort – hovered beside her. Only a strand of metallic flesh connected it to her main body, like an umbilical cord.

In a way, it appeared like a white balloon, save that this carried barrels capable of spitting bullets.

“Black calls this the Mini Cube! It shoots lead projectiles at around 240 times a minute. Is Otherworldly knowledge impressive or what!?”

“T-two hundred times…?” Exrite nearly choked on the air. “Wait… wait- wait… That is powered by your heart?”

“Yep! I had to reduce my size in order to create this growth. You can feel the changes as a Biomech when altering yourself, so this wasn’t that hard.” She boasted, unaware of the struggle Exrite endured to create just a single dagger.

But Pale was indeed correct. She had essentially altered a part of herself, which was infinitely easier than creating something externally. Furthermore, because she was a Biomech, all her bodily systems were limited and dictated by the [Gear] that powered her.

As a result, she needed to sacrifice unneeded biomass to accommodate the weapon. As complex as it seemed – it wasn’t anything too special, strangely enough.

Within the inner parts of the barrels were ducts that secreted liquid metal which would then solidify instantly. This occurred in one second intervals inside of each barrel.

The sheer speed and force of the reaction created a destructive amount of vapour. A majority of this was pressurised and used a means to discharge these lead bullets through the barrel just like a gun.

The other unused vapour was vented through pores that lined the faces of the Mini Cube.

As powerful as this weapon appeared, it did carry a downside. Heat was difficult for the Mini Cube to properly discharge. As a result, these reactions in combination to firing the weapon rendered it dangerously unstable after firing it for only a minute…

Although, it was hard to picture anything surviving 240 bullets in that single minute.

“… I can’t even begin to imagine what’d happen if I were to give you a stronger [Gear].” Exrite considered this, but the child instantly declined.

“That’s for Black and White to decide. They want me to perfect this first! Plus, I’m afraid of going too big too soon. I really… don’t want to lose everything I have now. Not when I just found all of this warmth.” Pale spoke from the bottom of their heart, causing Exrite to reach out and pat their head again.

“You’re such a sweet Biomech. I’m sure Black’s proud of you~” Exrite hummed. “Go say hi to her. She’ll still be at her workshop if you’re quick. I bet she’ll need help moving some barrels of [Biomechanical] waste.”

“I will!” She broke off, giving Exrite and the others one last salute before she scurried past and disappeared through the metal doors behind.

“… I imagine it stings.” Uru tapped Exrite’s cheek.

“Kind of. But I’m happy for her. This shows just how much more I need to learn. Besides, she’s a Biomech. This is all natural to her. I’m just a human, so take that for what you will.” Exrite moved her head.

“Agreed. And I believe this proves the sense of ‘connection’ one can have with their magic.” Nav seemingly jabbed, causing Exrite to softly sigh.

“Yeah… Uru, Nav – Let’s wait for Frosty and Khaos before we move on.”

“Ho? What do you have in mind for us?”

“I just want to test something out. I’m still in this body, so I might as well give [Time] magic another shot. White won’t mind so long as I’m in my original body by dawn. Though… I kind of butchered my old body, so she might have to wait an extra day.”

“Please do not say that so lightly.”

“Ah – sorry.”

Normally, she did not need an audience, or need to formally tell anyone when she was going to use [Time] magic for that matter. However, there was one specific type of [Time] magic where it was absolutely necessary to have at least one person in her presence.

This was – of course – the magic to freeze time; her most powerful form of [Time] magic thus far.

Also – given the splendour of [Time] magic itself, Khaos and Frosty would at least want to see it for themselves. After all, none could forget what occurred in the Capital of Truebirth that fateful day.

If they excluded the part where she underwent a mana depletion, of course.

* * *

Part 3 –

 

Khaos carefully unravelled a large roll of silk. It was taken from a basket carrying similar rolls, which littered the edges of a cluttered room that seemed overly obsessed with these objected.

This room was Milk’s personal study.

An endless collection of massive papers and towering scrolls filled every corner of the golden-red room, displaying the language of the Frostbitten, drawings of creatures and objects, and many maps of Six Point in all of their ancient glory.

The Goruden family appropriately called this place the Golden Atlas – for an intricately mapped out Six Point laid on the largest wall. Only Eastern Six Point contained any useful information, as the landmasses to the north and west past the chasm that split Six Point were empty.

Very vaguely were the shapes of the other landmasses known. Within Milk’s study were ancient pieces of history that portrayed the true extent of Six Point. They were gathered here in Saicry long ago by Frostbitten sometime after the Era of the Gods ended, just as the Maidens had bestowed their order across all of Corozin.

The group that gathered these powerful historical pieces in the heart of Saicry were none other than the Enkil, a bloodline that ran deep through Milkazako’s veins. This was his sacred treasure and was only to be shown to those that he could trust with every essence of his ancient blood.

Khaos and Frosty were the only two he could for now, as they were the same as him – a fleeting Frostbitten in a world that sought to either enslave, capture, or annihilate from the face of the world.

Although – their race was already considered extinct. How this occurred was not well known, but it was believed that most perished in a catastrophic war between the Frostbitten and the Gods and Goddesses.

They were – after all – one of the largest threats, next to the Maidens and the Children of Balance, and to an extent, the Overlords as well.

How they perished afterwards remained a mystery however, and the whereabouts of other surviving Frostbitten was a question for all other Frostbitten as well.

Of course, the Enkil bloodline were not the only ones who retained these vital pieces of history. However – due to how large Six Point was – and how the world drove them to annihilation – most were likely to had been destroyed in the process. And if not, then their information was either kept a state secret or had not reached other civilisations.

Simply put; the world was too big for a single truth but befitting of a million lies.

Khaos moved past the shoulders of Frosty, who patiently waited for him to spread the rolled silk across a grand table that sat in the centre of the room. With his towering body, he easily stretched it from one end to the other, revealing a map of the Cryo Region and most of its neighbours.

“These are ancient… is it wise to handle it so roughly? Khaos, you can let go of it now. It’s crumpling up.” Frosty spoke, inspecting the silk which felt rough as the fibres had hardened and were glued together.

“Hm. It’s a copy. The original is carved into the side of a mountain. But you need to look at it precisely at the right angle for the outcrops to line correctly. I’ll be glad to take you if you want to see the original one for yourselves.” Milk offered, instantly causing Khaos to recoil at the thought.

“N-no thanks. This copy will be enough.” He assured, laughing awkwardly. “… Right. This is a copy, as you say. Do you know how old this is?”

“Thirteen thousand years old.” Milk stated confidently.

“… O-oh… I’m sorry.” Khaos immediately removed his hands.

But Milk assured him it was fine with his permanent smile. Afterwards, a pair of invisible orbs hovered before the map. They analysed its age using a magic called [Eyes of the Enkil – Analyse].

This was his bloodline’s unique magic, for it utilised the [Eyes of the Enkil] which had been passed down for countless generations to their next of kin. In the case of multiple next of kin, it was only granted to the one who was most likely to continue the bloodline.

If one were to convert this to Ecolma; it would read as the [Eyes of the Ancient].

This aside – Frosty blankly blinked, unable to conceive of the idea that the object before her was so old yet was not at the brink of crumbling to dust. Noticing this, Milk chuckled.

“[Preservation] magic. Also passed down through my bloodline. We are like a family of historians if you will.”

“Hah. Strange magic again. That’s the first I’ve heard of [Preservation] magic.” Khaos admitted, amused by this. “But it makes sense seeing that your bloodline were… wait, were they tasked on keeping this?”

“I’m not aware of their intentions, but it’d be a shame to lose all of this great history.” Milk stated. “In any case – most only depict the pre-Maiden Era. Anything afterwards is subject to mystery.”

“The Era of the Gods, huh. Figures…” Frosty defeatedly sighed. Somehow it always came back to the Gods she wholeheartedly despised.

The reason they came here today was because they sought to understand when the Frostbitten came into existence, and where they began to fade off. If they knew this, then they’d be a step closer into unveiling what exactly happened to their race…

And if they were lucky, where their parents disappeared to.

But with everything they knew thus far – it was all too vague. The objects were a window to the past, but the clouded glass could only reveal so much.

Nav was their greatest source of information, but even it was unable to answer given how ancient it was compared to the Frostbitten themselves.

Frosty sighed again, leaning over the table with her arms supporting her by its smoothened edges. Despite the fruitless news, Frosty’s eyes still flickered with an ember of hope.

They had another purpose for this visit.

What they sought was for an alternate passage into the Depths. Knowing that Milk’s ancestors had originated from the west, they must’ve have also traversed through the Depths and spilled into the Shallows.

Considering that the [Dimensional Mist] was created before their existence, a route bypassing this must have existed. As far as they were aware of – this was their best route of entering the Depths.

Why? Because the alternative would have them repeating the Trial in order to reach Gaia’s home.

The teleportation device connected to her home was strictly one-directional, meaning the device hidden nearby the Biomechanical Gardens was effectively useless.

Furthermore – the [Gears] that generated the [Dimensional Mist] were too far for Exrite to assume control. Even if she were to soar to the mist’s absolute limit, she still wouldn’t be able to sense them.

As a result, they needed information from Milk in order to bypass the Trial and enter the Depth.

It was unfortunate that neither they nor Exrite possessed the foresight to see this coming.

Milk gently tapped the rims of his glasses. He knew well of what exactly they were seeking. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a reason for the map to be spread for all eyes to see.

As a Frostbitten, it was in his blood to help another in need.

His orb-like eyes rung, almost urging him to help them in this time of need. It was as if all of his ancestors were screaming at him, for not only would his actions aid the Exrenity, but also the Maiden of Time herself.

How could he possibly refuse such an honour?

“Milkazako, please – tell us everything you know.”

“Hm. I had a feeling this was the case.”

Milk announced as he moved between them, granting them each a small nod of assurance.

“Also, I don’t need to remind you to just call me Milk. Formalities don’t matter when we’re all seated on the same boat. Take a look beneath you. On the table. Do you believe I told Khaos to pick that map up per chance?”

He spoke rhetorically.

The Regions that were specifically included in the map was Cryo, Endo, the Shallows, a small segment of Colight and finally – a large portion of the Depths.

What was shown of the Depths was the area that resisted south east of the Shallows, right at the boundary where the ocean met the land.

He pointed a finger at the Depths.

“The Depths resides on a tabletop far larger than any mountain range I know of, with the exception of Mount Winterfall of course. The insides are like that of a giant caldera, and a mist prevents any from climbing over its walls. At least into the Shallows as far as I’m aware of.”

As he spoke, his fingers circled around where the major body of the Depths sat numerous times on the table before they slid down to the drawn segment, just south of the Shallows.

“Try to make sense of this. There are ‘shallow’ parts of the Depths itself. Such as this place beneath the Shallows. The passage should be as straight forward as simply venturing in. Think of it as the Shallows down there… actually, don’t. We don’t know what lays in there, so it’s best to be prepared. Hm. In any case – my ancestors took the path along the coast.”

Milk purposefully paused, inviting them to raise any questions before he could continue.

“That’s nice to know. Near the ocean, huh. Sounds good. It beats having to navigate through a fortress of trees. Just follow the coast and we’ll reach the Depths in no time.”

“It won’t do us any good if we follow it too far.” Frosty stated, causing Milk to chuckle.

“Hm. She’s right. You’ll end up arriving at the Aquatia Region, a far cry from your destination, I’m afraid. Try not to follow it for too long!”

“Was that the only reason they chose the coastal path? What about the creatures within?”

“As I said – that I cannot say for sure. The Depths is a place that isn’t one thing all the time. But don’t take my words to heart. Hm… I am only speaking from what I know from my ancestor’s footprints. Take this with a grain of salt and do what Exrite chose to do. She’s preparing for the worst; despite the confidence she exudes.”

“Is… that so…”

“Is there a problem, Sis?”

“We don’t want to run into anything unexpected, so there’s obviously a problem. But now we know for sure that it’s inevitable–” Frosty suddenly froze, her tone instantly returning to normal. “S-sorry if I sound a little angry, Milk. I’m thankful for what you’ve told us so far. Really. Thank you.” She quickly apologised, bowing her head slightly.

“I can sympathise, Frosty. Raise that head. You can thank me when you return from your adventure. I’m not quite done yet, so – please try to follow closely.”

He moved towards the grand map displayed against the largest wall and began to trace the borders of the Aquatia Region.

“What divides this place and the Depths is a mountain range. Follow the valleys north. You should begin to see them rise far higher than the clouds.”

Then, while pointing at the bottleneck that connected the southern part of the Depths to the major body – he continued.

“A chasm so deep that the stars will shimmer during the days as if a curse of an eternal night had befallen the world. Sorry. That is an exert of one of my ancestors. Hm. The valley should turn into a chasm. All you need to do is push forward and you’ll eventually reach the mouth of the caldera-like Depths. But I should warn you–”

Milk’s tone sharply shifted, his finger moving to a small section between the bottleneck and the centremost part of the Depths.

“A world of stone, ruins, castles – other worlds seemed to collide in a crash course that appeared as if universes both close and afar were blended into a massive mortar. This was one of most dangerous parts of their journey. But – that does not mean much when the Depths itself is a perilous place. I am assuming your destination lies beyond that point, in the centremost part of the Depths.”

Khaos and Frosty nodded. The placement of the floating landmasses and the grand tree were indeed in centre of the Depths, as well as the largest cluster of crystals. Whatever significance they bared was entirely unknown.

But considering that they were the only major landmarks that they were aware of and were conspicuously in plain view of Gaia’s home – it made sense to head there first once they ventured into the Depths.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us, huh Sis?” Khaos cracked his knuckles with a small, hearty laugh. “Many thanks, Milk. I’ll see if I can make it up to you! If we find something good, you’ll be the first to know!”

“I feel flattered. Hm. But put your survival first. The Frostbitten of the past were powerful, and if the Depths proved to be hazard, then I can only hope that you traverse safely. But… I also feel like it would be a waste to worry.”

“It does feel like that with us, huh… I couldn’t tell you why.” Frosty heavily sighed, knowing exactly why. Then, as if a curse had been lifted from her heart, she broke into a splendid smile. “Thank you, Milk. Thank you for sharing something so precious to you.”

“We live in a strange time. There is no point in holding onto precious things forever, especially when they are meant to be used. Better to use them than to lose them. I hope you can find something about us… about the Frostbitten.”

“Leave it to us! I guarantee you that there’s mounds of the past just waiting to be dug up!” Khaos roared like thunder, his deep voice reverberating in their bones.

It was hard not to feel riled up after hearing this. But Frosty kept silent for a moment as another question came to mind.

“Hm. I suppose you may be wondering why I haven’t gone into the Depths myself.”

“Ah – I… was I that obvious?” Frosty, after a moment of surprise, surrounded with a sigh of defeat. “I mean… obviously the danger alone is going to ward you, so there isn’t any point in exploring a place so dangerous without a goal.”

Milk didn’t answer immediately. He firstly moved along the walls of the room, a hand gliding across each historical, silken piece of the past.

“You’re correct. But also, not quite. The danger is merely an afterthought. I also have goals and things I want to discover in the Depths. Hm… It has a certain… ‘calling’ if you will. Of all the Forsaken Regions in Eastern Six Point, the Depths is the least understood, yet holds so many possibilities of understanding.”

At a map detailing the topology of Saicry and its surrounding lands, he froze and intimately touched where the Goruden Palace resided.

“But I’m not one to abandon the people I’ve promised to protect for such a selfish wish. Before Yellow and the Commanders, and now yourselves – it was just I – Milkazako Enkil – who protected Saicry from the humans of Endo, and the creatures that leaked out from the Shallows.”

His glasses suddenly turned opaque. Even though his eyes were permanently sealed shut, it felt as if they were open behind the glint of his glasses. He stared at the map longingly, his permanent smile mellowing to one of love and adoration.

“These people are important to me. Need I say more? I’m sure you can sympathise. You all have people you wish to protect, both near and far.”

“… That’s right. You’ve got a good heart, Milk.” Khaos said. “… you’re really cherished here, huh. I guess it’d be a bad idea to ask you to come escort us, just in case– Ouch!?”

“Idiot. Don’t ask for the impossible. We’ll take your advice to heart, but in case we forget – is it okay if we ask for a map of the journey?” Frosty asked after striking Khaos in the side.

“I’d be glad to provide a few hand drawn copies.”

“Thank you. Really, thank you Milk.”

“As I said – thank me when you return alive.”

* * *

Afterwards –

One additional topic crept into the conversation. This regarded the reason as to why the world was not aware of this passage. Milk did not know the answer, but instead revealed that this was not the only means of entering the Depths.

Along the Vevillen Region towards the north there two known points of entry into the Depths. One was similar to the southern entrance, which contained a chasm of inconceivable depth, whilst the other was more like dense forest of great trees.

The latter was inhabited by a race named the Dark Elves; a close relative of the Elves that populated Vevillen. These beings were known to indiscriminately kill those who dared to encroach on their territory, regardless of the reason.

The former – like the chasm of the south – was extremely dangerous even to the most powerful individuals. In a world where the Gods and Goddesses were sealed away, there weren’t many beings capable of braving through these passages.

This was why it remained a secluded mystery for countless of years.

As Khaos and Frosty pondered on the thought of being among the first to voyage into the Depths – the doors suddenly rocked with a flurry of knocks, each one threatening to throw them off their metal hinges.

A voice rung from the other side.

“Milk~! Is Khaos and Frosty in there with you~!? Hey! Open the door!”

“That’s our que to leave, huh. Exrite must’ve finished already.” Frosty said, already moving towards the doors. “Milk – we’ll meet again some other time. I’ll be sure to drag Exrite along. She’ll love to hear this.”

“Won’t she be busy in the following days anyway?”

“Like I said – I’ll drag her along. C’mon. Let’s go.”

“Right. We’ll see you later, Milk!”

“Hm. By later I imagine it’ll be relatively soon. Very well. Farwell, Khaos – Frosty.”

* * *

Four figures travelled along the city’s outskirts, their presence unknown to the Demi-humans that foraged and farmed in these areas. Large fields of crops and fruit trees surrounded them from all sides as they passed through an animal path, using the shadows of the mountains to enshroud their movement.

A bright orange hue enveloped the misty skies as the sun began to set. Hours had passed since Frosty and Khaos rendezvoused with Exrite, Uru and Nav at the airship. After much talk of their findings with Milk, the two agreed to follow them through the mountains where Exrite planned to test her [Time] magic.

They moved through the shadows like spectres. The destination Exrite lead them towards was the base of a mountain far from the curious ears of the Demi-humans.

Now following a secluded stone path, they finally began to traverse underneath the sheer mountain faces. They rose so high that one needed to rear their body back just to catch a glimpse of their green peaks.

A sudden chill ran down Khaos’ spine when he looked up, a bead of sweat running down his forehead.

“… Hey, are you doing this on purpose? Why the fuck couldn’t we test [Time] magic back at the Airship? Man… can’t we at least do it down here?” Khaos complained, already trembling at the thought of scaling the mountain.

“You’re such a damn baby, you know that Khaos? The Trial should’ve drilled the fear right out of you.” Frosty sighed. “Look – has Uru’s tentacles ever failed us?”

“No… not exactly. U-Uru, can’t we do it down here? The [Time] magic? It won’t make a difference, will it!?”

“Shhhh!” Uru hissed, placing a finger on his lips. “Look. Exrite’s wincing.”

At the mention of this, all eyes fell onto the girl who led them. Exrite’s brows were furrowed, and her eyes were so sharply narrowed that it sliced through the winds that howled below the mountains.

Ever since they agreed to tag along and witness another exhibit of [Time] magic; Exrite’s been stuck in a deep trance of thought. If one listened closely, they could hear her soft voice utter a chant.

Her eyes didn’t blink once. Exrite wished to utilise Nav’s knowledge to its fullest extent, imagining imagery that correlated with [Time]. One such imagery that Exrite visualised the most – and chanted – were monumental gears that never stopped spinning.

She imagined a massive stake slowly being driven into the mechanism. These would then jam the gears that controlled time itself, and therefore, freeze it for as long as the stake held up.

This level of understanding was primitive at best, but even so – it felt as if she had more leverage of the magic as a result.

After all, what she sought to create was a physical magical circle – one that would be a construct created solely through her will.

However – this came at the cost of immense focus and unbreakable concertation.

As a result of her deep trance, she could not hear the voice of those around her. Additionally, one of Uru’s tentacle-like fingers were wrapped around her waist as means of keeping her from moving astray.

There was no way to describe the mental strain [Fifteenth Tiered] magic caused to the user, as those who already possessed it were masters of its art and concept. Exrite was first and foremost a human with no exceptional qualities.

The imagery was so vivid that it appeared as though she were trapped inside of a lucid dream. There was some wariness regarding her Eye of Despair but considering she had yet to utter something dangerous – she was declared safe for now.

“R-right… my bad.” Khaos apologised, rubbing the back of his head. “… I don’t think I’ve ever seen Exrite so focused before. Apart from the Biomechanical Gardens… and when her Eye of Despair manifests. This is normal, I’m assuming?”

“[Fifteenth Tiered] magic will shatter your mind if you’re not careful. Merely imagining its concept has driven many deranged usurpers to their deaths. I recall one such group in the Region of Scourth. Does the name Librarians of the Atlas ring a bell?” Uru asked with a hum.

“No… if it’s from the Scourth Region then there’s no way I’m going to know, right?” Khaos replied.

“Is their presence so underwhelming further down to the south and east?” Uru asked with genuine curiosity as she raised a brow.

“How far do you think Scourth is to us, Uru? We’re obvious not going to know if it’s all the way past Vevillen.” Frosty sighed, returning to inspect a certain azure dagger. “But – I have heard about the Exalia. It translates to the Beacon of the Maidens. I at least know that much.”

“The Librarians of the Atlas help man the Exalia at the Scourth Region. They don’t get enough credit for their wonderful work. However – they are among the few that have access to the library containing entries of the Maidens.”

“… so? What does that have to do with anything?” Frosty asked, peering into Uru’s eyes through the blade of the dagger.

“The beautiful majesty of [Fifteenth Tiered] magic, and the way it punishes those who wish to seek the power that only rightfully belongs to the Maidens. The Librarians of the Atlas were a diverse mix of Demons, Elves, Dark Elves, Daemon, Fairies, and many more benevolent magical races of the north – But even the strongest among them could not survive the process of conceptualising the very essence of [Time]. I assure you can guess what followed after?”

“A mana overload.” Frosty muttered.

“Precisely.” Uru laughed. “To recreate or cast a magic belonging to the Maidens is an act of treachery. Only the Maidens wield the authority of such benevolent magic. To think otherwise results in exactly what you’d expect – death. Judgement sees all.”

“Judgement, huh. Too bad it works against the world rather than seeking to fix it.” Khaos sighed. “Did you hear that story as you were fleeing your racelands?”

“Why the sudden interest?”

“I kind of want to distract my mind before we head up. Is that too much to ask for?”

Uru laughed again. “I assume you already know of the grand status I once held a thousand years go?”

“Vaguely, yes.” Khaos nodded.

“Then it should not be strange for me to be connected with the Exalia. Its members were – after all – those who sought to understand the truths of the Maidens. I was one of them, but unlike them, I did not question the existence or evidence of the Maiden of Time until that fateful day. Had it not been for the Exalia, I would have been killed before ever reaching Vevillen.”

“O-Oh… Sorry for asking.”

“Your apology is wasted on a memory that only serves to strengthen my resolve. Those that man the Exalia were afraid of seeking the truth of the Maiden of Time for this very reason. The conquest of my race is a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, they are misguided and are spreading nothing but lies. I believe I am the only Demon now, aside from my Gods – the Zelmori Fall.”

“You know; that kind of makes you like us in a way.” Khaos suddenly spoke.

“Ho? How so?”

“We also ran away from our birthlands. For different reasons of course, but it is what brought us all together in Colight. Exrite might not believe in fate… and I’m inclined to believe the same thing but – I don’t think there’s a more fitting way than calling the crossing of our paths the work of fate.”

Khaos laughed, keeping it mostly silent for Exrite’s sake before he spoke again.

“In the beginning, and perhaps the end – we’re all searching for something in this crazy world, aren’t we?”

“That would be the basis of any grand adventure.” Uru quietly said, moving her face to the side. A strange smile unbefitting of a cruel Demon like herself blossomed on her face. She didn’t know how or why, only that it was because of Khaos’ kind words.

Allies. Friends. Companions. These words echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t be gladder to have these people by her side. Before she even realised it; a hand moved to caress their cheeks.

“Uru?”

“Who said you can touch me?”

Khaos and Frosty immediately asked, with Frosty sounding more concerned than confused. The last time Uru touched her body was… indecent to say the least.

“Think nothing of it.” She assured.

Frosty, reared her head away and sighed. She continued to toy with the ethereal-like dagger in her hands, admiring its craftsmanship. However, the blade did not solely snatch the intrigue of the woman.

She would glance over at Exrite and mellow at the sight of her garbs every now and again. Not because of its craft, strength, or suitableness for that matter. Rather… it was because it somehow looked similar to the coat she had gifted Exrite in the Capital.

Her body felt cosy knowing that Exrite created her garbs with that in mind. As insignificant as the gift was – she was glad that Exrite saw it as something more than just a coat.

Needless to say – if Exrite wasn’t concentrating on [Time] magic, she would have soundlessly embraced her. Or at least rested her head upon her shoulders.

With a small hum of delight, Frosty looked up at the sheer cliffs and asked:

“Nav – Is this the place?”

“A little further. We are still too close to the lights of the city.”

* * *

Night soon befell the world.

Stars began to fill the night sky, growing plentiful as they sparkled with anticipation for what was to come. It was an audience truly befitting for the Maiden of Time.

Uru closely soared up the mountainous face. Each person was dragged along by one of her thick tentacles, which protruded from a wound from her back that was self-inflicted for this very purpose.

In her arms was a cradled Exrite whose eyes sparkled with the stars above, her lips moving restlessly as she neared the final stages of her chant. The vegetation growing along the mountain’s face flew at the wake of Uru’s presence.

The grass split aside once she reached its summit, and she quickly released the others onto its soft bed.

The summit was a mostly flat plane of grass with a few cheery pink-leaved trees gathered around. The largest of the trees sat in the very centre, its branches rattling in the breeze.

Uru slowly and meticulously moved towards it as the others stood back from a distance, preparing themselves for the spectacle. She slid Exrite onto the ground feet first, supporting her with her hands and many tentacles until she was able to support herself.

Exrite seemingly nodded in thanks, although, it could have been an illusion – as her body was still relatively sluggish and ‘floppy’. Once she stood her ground and erected herself comfortably, Uru brushed a hand by her cheek before promptly joining the others aside.

Now – all they had to do was wait.

Exrite took a deep breath and held it for the duration of the next ten seconds. Standing beneath the branches of a pink cheery tree, she shut her eyes and began to finalise the chant underneath her soundless breath. Surrounded by nothing but air and the stagnant silence of nature, she only had herself to think of, and the magic she prepared.

A magical circle in the shape of a gear formed behind her, twisting at the seams as more began to materialise and join it, branching out like the wings of a divine being.

A few more formed at the soles of boots, and an even larger one surrounded the entirety of the mountain’s summit, glowing brightly like the moon far above.

Clockwork. A machine. The innards of time itself. These but a few ways to describe the many gears that collectively turned. More and more began to fill the empty spaces, creating a complex mechanism that controlled time itself.

They began to steadily illuminate. A bright bream of blue engulfed Exrite momentarily. A gust of wind pummelled the leaves off the cherry tree in that exact moment. Then – immediately after when a second beam of light struck the mechanism itself –

–  The world froze.

A frozen snowstorm of pink petals and whatever the wind carried surrounded her. The beauty of the sight was one that caused the onlookers to silently stare in utter mesmerisation, as if they too were frozen in time.

Thankfully, they were not within the range of Exrite’s [Time] magic.

She moved a hand, reaching for one of the petals. In cusp of her fingers, she gently brushed a thumb across its smooth surface, and a small smile formed across her lips.

“… ten seconds… ten metres…” An exhausted exhale left her lips.

The hail resumed; the leaves suddenly being flung off the summit by an invisible force once the light that jammed the magical gears shattered.

Exrite managed to freeze time for exactly 10 seconds within a 10-metre radius, breaking the previous record by a considerable amount.

She almost collapsed, her legs quivering like that of a newborn fawn as Uru instantly flew to her aid. The sudden exhaustion that struck her was not due to a mana depletion, but instead, was purely mental.

The sheer concentration required to maintain the magic for 10 seconds was unprecedented, but not unexpected. As she panted in Uru’s arms, she silently thanked that her magical circle did not shatter.

In the grand scheme of things this was an insignificant show of her magic. However, it was everything to Exrite. This proved that not only was her understanding sound, but also that her previous attempts were exactly as Nav described it – inefficient.

What Exrite did was create a physical manifestation of the flow of time itself using her magical circles. In addition, it represented a visual understanding of the concept of [Time] itself. This was not only as effective as her old method, but also completely negated the mana leak she previously suffered from.

Although, despite it not utilising any mana from her capacity, it felt as if she had undergone a mana depletion. The sheer willpower she mustered to complete this process was unfathomable to say the least.

For a second… just for a second, however – it felt as if she was ‘connected’ to time, bending it to her will with the absolute authority she wielded.

The magic to freeze time bared no name. It was simply designed to stop time within a certain, predetermined radius. A name was not required for this sort of magic, at least not in her mind.

And most certainly not while she was still trembling from her mental exhaustion.

They laid her on the soft bed of grass, all huddling over her in worry.

“Exrite!”

Her name was called out dozens of times before the blurriness in her eyes disappeared. Soon, the faces of her closest friends came to light, and she broke into a pained smile.

“… I… think I did it correctly…” She struggled to speak, choking on the air before her mind slipped back into a trance of black and white.

“Shhh! Shut up and just lay there! Geez… what the hell happened to her, Uru!? Nav!? Can someone say something!?”

“Hush yourself, Frosty! Let Exrite recover from the shock! Frosty – Khaos – this is proof of Exrite growing closer to mastering [Time] magic. This is a good sign.” Uru sharply assured.

“Shock, as you say… humans were not designed to fathom such power to begin with. Had this been anyone else, they would have perished long ago.”

“But Exrite was fine the last time she used [Time] magic, wasn’t she!?” Khaos reminded with a roar, unable to understand.

“You’re mistaken. Heed Uru’s words. This is a good sign. What she was doing beforehand was more detrimental than this. At that rate I find it difficult to believe she would have learnt anything more than [Delay] without destroying herself in the process.”

“… But still – does she really have to keep on suffering? Even after the Trial?” Frosty growled, her throat clogged with rage.

“… I can speak the same for my Creator. She inherently possessed [Time], but that did not mean she didn’t fail to go through her own trials and tribulations. Time began when she fell into this world. But time did not mean anything until she understood. You are forgetting that what Exrite previously did was perform localised casts. They were not large, and her mana capacity and current understanding, and process of conjuring were adequate enough. But when she begins to tamper with flow of time on a larger scale – it will require more than that by thousandfold.”

Nav spoke, nestling beside Exrite. Its words were not cruel. Neither were they criticising. They were simply the sincere truth that it did not want to hide from the one who had rescued it from damnation.

“Understanding. Is. Key. Knowledge. Is. Key. The vessel itself is the lock… as the human who taught my Creator would say. Frosty. Khaos. I am worried as well. Seeing the pained face of this person saddens me more than you can ever imagine. But this is necessary… unnecessarily necessary, all because my Creator chose a human of all beings to learn the magic she so dearly adores. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain she must have already suffered… but that is a similar story for all of us that you call the ‘Geared’.”

Their voices rung in Exrite’s mind as she rocked in and out of consciousness.

* * *

Her magical circles began to churn messily, grinding into one another as if the wench of light had destroyed their mechanism for good. As her mind steadily stabilised, and their voices began to make sense again – the physical magical circles continued to fizzle into nothingness.

And then, they shattered, all collapsing into thousands of fleeting particles when her mind finally came to. She winced, making a soundless groan before her senses returned all at once.

Not a word left her half-gaped lips. Past their worried faces and hands that sought to comfort her, she watched the particles join the stars and the cosmic dust high above.

… what is this feeling? This sensation? Why do I feel so…

Exrite couldn’t find the words to describe the sensation that roused in her heart. It was one of completion. Of contentment. Of joy…

Was… was I connected with time?

Just for a second, she felt as though she held the reins of time in her palms. It was a sensation so foreign that her mind could not begin to comprehend it, which partly resulted in the shock that ensued after she casted the magic.

The other part was due to the sheer mental strain of casting this unbelievable magic.

She was ecstatic of these results regardless, despite the stillness of her body. As she stared into the night sky and the eyes of her closest friends – she was reminded of the fact that the skies were truly never the limit.

In this body, at the very least.

It was a miniscule step. But a step forward, nevertheless.

The newfound manner of conjuring magic worked splendidly, although – the sheer willpower and mental strain was unlike that of ordinary magic. But this was entirely the point, because her old ways could not possibly accommodate magic that manipulated a force that dictated the flow of existence.

[Fifteen Tiered] magic. Much was needed to be learnt and experienced if she wished to utilise it beyond the scope of her palms.

That was the simplest way to put it.

Ultimately – this was a success. There was no other way around it.

She could only reach for higher heights now.

A look of content slowly formed on her face, and with a smile, Frosty and Khaos exhaled with relief.

“Geez… Exrite. I wanted to watch something mesmerising. Something beautiful, not to watch you suffer. We’ve worried enough, you know that?” Frosty scolded, still careful with Exrite’s body. “At least warn us beforehand, you idiot.”

“I… yeah. I’m Sorry. I didn’t expect it to go like this.” Exrite said sheepishly. “But I guess I probably should’ve, knowing that this was going to test whether I actually understood the basics of [Time]…”

She trailed off suddenly, smiling in self-ridicule.

“… as bare bones as it is.” She ended with a short sigh. “I’ve probably said this a million times, but I’ll be careful next time.”

“A million? Hardly! Haha. A few more zeroes might be closer to the actual number.” Khaos heartily laughed, glad that she was fine. “Sis, I think you should get off her. Here, can you stand?”

He offered her a hand as Frosty slid away.

Exrite declined, shaking her head gently as she moved her eyes back to the stars.

“Mhm. But I kind of want to bask in the afterglow. And besides, I also came here to change back to my original body. I might as well stay here and watch the stars. Here. Come.” Exrite patted a patch of soft grass beside her, inviting Khaos and Uru as she sat up with Nav nestled closely on her lap like a pet. “See? I’m fine. No scratches. No depleted mana capacity.”

“No regard for safety. Possibly no brain either.” Frosty jabbed, her arms woven into a cross as she heavily exhaled. “haaaaah… I hate that part about you, you know? That reckless, inconsiderate part of you. But it’s not like I can blame you either. All that belongs to the Gods… and that damned Maiden of Time.” She trailed off shortly, sighing again. “Geez… what the hell are you making me say?”

“… Frosty?” Exrite whispered, feeling a warmth lean against her shoulder. It was Frosty’s head. Her scent held a strange fruitiness to it… a nostalgic scent. A scent that she had always acquainted closely with Frosty, and even Khaos to a certain extent.

“Am I not allowed to sit next to you?”

“Eh? No – that’s–”

“Then it’s fine, isn’t it?”

Exrite eventually surrendered and softly laughed, feeling Frosty’s shiver as she managed to hold a laugh of her own. Khaos fell in front of them, his head resting by their knees as he laid down to gaze upon the stars.

Another warmth then occupied her other shoulder.

“It’s not wise to keep yourself open to a Succubus~” Uru playfully hummed, almost in a warning-like tone. Had Exrite not lost her sense of lust, she would have undoubtably been seduced and love-stricken at this very moment.

Exrite shut her eyes and smiled, enjoying the company of her closest companions as they began to converse about her magic. It went on for minutes that felt like hours. Truth be told, nothing of true significance arose during this time as she simply listened to their voices and only spoke when she was asked something.

She simply enjoyed being here with them. There was nothing more to it.

For a moment, her Eye of Hope seemingly glimmered with a faint azure light. Exrite didn’t know this herself, and neither did the others.

Except for one person.

Nav saw this as it stared up at her with curious eyes –

Wondering if it came from the stars, or from the eye itself.