The ground of the Triple Paw Complex moved like a living mass.

Desperate souls fled from the safety of their collapsing homes in the wake of destruction. The ground swallowed them whole, shattering bone and snapping limbs like twigs as it compressed them like the belly of a serpent.

Yet they miraculously remained alive. The blind did not know any better. The deaf could not hear the wails of their companions. And the speechless could not warn the others. Devastation ravaged Frost’s immediate section of the Triple Paw Complex.

It was as if the world was hit by an earthquake.

She scrambled out of the confines of the swallowing ground. There was no maw that could ever dream of devouring her; and no wall that could feasibly hold her down. The Bloody Herring swiftly launched himself away from her oncoming assault as they cleaved through segments of the earth.

The underground segments were died in red. They were disturbingly malleable, and they pulsated as if they were supplied with a constant flow of blood. Frost understood that the earth grew hotter the lower one went.

But the reason here was because the ground itself was alive.

Slime, blood, and debris stubbornly clung onto them like disgusting mucus before they broke free and returned to the light. Frost’s stats had doubled thanks to her Diamond Counter and the Bloody Herring’s devaluing of her true self.

And yet her speed was still unable to match his.

“That is a peculiar skill you wield! Unceremoniously making those afflicted talk is an extraordinary power!” The Bloody Herring proclaimed amusedly.

Tens of golden stakes appeared from a spray of thrown coins. They fired at her like streaks of light, attempting to intercept her as she closely gave chase.

“A power that cannot be in the hands of an enigma like YOU!”

The Attuned Messengers that emerged to communicate with Frost were instantly slain by the Bloody Herring. Upon learning of Frost’s power, it took every opportunity to eliminate them. What she did not understand was why the Messengers were still emerging. They attempted to speak quickly, trying to get some sort of message across.

But the Bloody Herring was not an idiot to allow them a chance to live.

“What the hell are you even trying to hide!? Is that how you get allies onto your side!? You bury them with lies and tell them whatever you want!?” Frost roared, easily maneuvering through the onslaught of dazzling stakes as they zipped through corners, destroying everything in their path.

Where the Bloody Herring maneuvered like a graceful, hypnotizing fox; Frost moved like a freight train. At each corner she was forced to thrust her hand into the ground and use that to twist her entire body in the next immediate direction. Her newfound speed was difficult to control.

Multiple Unlying Tablets infused with healing magic littered the streets, raining from rooftops as Frost tried to reach the Second State. Her enemy utilized coins which she could possibly use against him with her newfound Corrupted form. But at the same time; if she could just hit Judgement for the Second State, then she could easily take him out in one fell swoop.

However –

 

< The First State Has Manifested as Wrath >

 

– This was highly unlikely.

“HIDE!? You dare accuse me of being a liar!? How unsavory! Color! Healer that fights; I now understand your rage! I was once like you; a truth seeker!” They smashed into a building filled with mirrors, and in that instant, there were hundreds of the Bloody Herring dashing in each direction.

Frost had to trust her gut as she followed the closest immediate figure, only to crash into numerous mirrors at a breakneck speed. She did not stop and wreaked havoc as his hideous laughter coiled around her like a snake.

“But I then realized that I could be so much happier by drowning myself in pure, blissful ignorance! Oh how many organs I have taken to create this me!” His voice echoed as Frost froze in the center of this dimly lit, cavernous room.

Every reflection of her enemy halted, only applauding as Frost tried to pin him down. The last time she was present within such a room it was easy for her to navigate. But now she was confused. The Bloody Herring likely had some sort of ability that tampered with her mind.

… Just what kind of ability is it? A skill? It’s like it’s trying to hide the truth from plain sight!

“It may be a Cognition Scrambler! It is unclear if it is a skill or a CogitO product!”

Didn’t Iscario use one of those to hide my Abilities from me!? Could it be using that to mask its movements!? Tch… My RESIST stat is over 200! You’re telling me I can’t see through that!?

“Unknown! Your best course of action is manifesting the Greed Counter!”

If it was using this in the form of coins, then the better Corrupted to manifest would indeed have to be the Greed Counter. There was a skill that allowed her to utilize the power stored within a coin. If it was the same as the Bloody Herring’s, then there was a chance she could use them against him.

But she needed to hit the Second State first!

“You’d rather drown in your own world of lies than see all this fucking suffering you’re causing!?” Frost yelled, watching the reflections for any sudden movement.

“Should I care? Truthfully!? Their suffering is proof of our rightful happiness! You wish to take that away from us!?” He exclaimed, extending his arms as he nearly sung in tune with the putrid choir of screams outside.

This being was revolting on all levels of existence. She could never wrap her mind around the mentality of such a saddening thing. It felt like the world stopped as tiny holes of light began to invade the cavity. These were caused by the spears thrown towards the Attuned Messengers outside.

“You Impuritas are all beyond redemption. I should have killed every single one of you… of you… WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!” Frost erupted in a fit of rage.

But she did not dash straight towards the Bloody Herring.

Instead, she chose to dash in the opposite direction.

NAV! I don’t know what the fuck he’s trying to hide, but the Attuned Messengers have something to tell me!

“You can cause one to confess as well. You may be able to turn the tides.”

I want to lure him in close!

Frost used Scrutiny on every living thing the moment she shot through the thin walls of the mirror attraction. Following close by was the Bloody Herring. He knew her plan the moment she turned on her heels.

And it was also exactly why he also maintained a steady distance.

It was hell on earth outside. The Innocent and the Blood Festival Organized scrambled for cover as streaks of electricity ravaged their world, all the while the floor ate them indiscriminately. These same Organized made an active effort to preserve as many lives as possible.

However, as soon as one spilled even a drop of blood, countless hands and tongues would plunge into their wounds and rummage their innards in search for an organ to snatch.

They were not saving lives. They were saving their ‘cattle’. Their livestock.

She could not see it any other way. These people were being kept alive for their organs and to be converted into additional Blood Festivals as far as she could tell. Frost had all the HP in the world to bleed herself out. Her blood was near infinite at this point, although, her HP did fall considerably faster the lower her blood fell.

If she were to bleed out entirely then it would not be a surprise to see herself lose upwards of 10s of thousands of HP per second.

A thin layer of the Unlying Tablets created bridges for people to cross and denied entire sections of the Floor is Hungry. Every move she made had a tangible effect on their battlefield.

Frost snatched a single Attuned Messenger along the way, bear hugging it for dear life.

“An entity of vague origins. A healer of violence. A dove of white, smothered in charcoal feathers. You are indeed an enigma.” It spoke in a harmonious tone that matched the song playing in the background of their world.

The same phrases were echoed in the death woes of other fellow, impaled Messengers whose cadavers hung from the walls of structures. They dangled like dirty rags.

“NO, NO NO NOOO! NO YOU DON’T!” The Bloody Herring exclaimed as Frost tore the lower half of the Messenger off, making it much smaller target as a flurry of golden stakes followed her every move. “STOP! COLOR! YOU DO NOT NEED TO HEAR THE TRUTH!”

So long as it was being healed then there was no chance of it perishing. By chance she managed to analyze the golden stakes thrown at her as she purposefully allowed one to graze her shoulder.

 

 

They’re Broker’s weapons!?

“A skill may have been stolen somehow.”

Does Jury know if Broker’s missing a skill!?

“Please give me a moment!”

Frost was on edge on. If the Bloody Herring was capable of stealing skills, then there was a chance one of hers could be taken. Not that she understood the intricacies, but she was not going to take a chance against this putrid fish.

“It cannot! Broker still has their skill! Those are a weaker imitation!” Nav revealed.

“An enigma that resonates deeply with the Fate Mechanism. Your existence freezes it. Of all our actions, our breaths, and miniscule thoughts in this grand theatrical – You cannot be accounted for. Therefore –” The Attuned Messenger froze suddenly as Frost took one final turn around a corner.

“STOOOOOP!” The Bloody Herring exclaimed.

It almost sounded… fake.

Frost’s blood instantly chilled. Sensing that something was terribly awry, she crushed the Attuned Messenger. However, a strange paper had found itself plastered onto her chest.

It… it was a trap all along…!?

“– We must know what you are.” It concluded in its last breath.

“Hmhmhm! Fate, my Colored Friend, may not be able to perceive you perfectly. But your piece of history will tell us about everything that you are!” The Bloody Herring cackled.

“You –!” She was instantly cut off by an agonizing, stabbing pain.

One that riddled her soul.