The Bloody Herring’s only saving quirk was his speed. He could have all the Etched Coins in the world, and it wouldn’t matter the slightest if he wasn’t as fast as he was.

Frost salivated at the thought of devouring that AGI for herself as she focused on the task at hand. Her job was to focus on spinning her web. The Pillars of Happiness were hers alone to handle as Cer and Ber laid down everything they had against the Complex Heart.

“Lucky you Frost! Three Moons decided to show up on your darkest hour!” Cer laughed as she zipped from segment to segment.

She wove past the spinning barrier with spectacular acrobatics, creating her own web of electricity before she launched herself straight for the Heart.

“You better start eating this one now or the pit will eat it for you!”  She concluded after planting a hefty bite against it.

“Yeah! What Cer said!” Ber heartily cheered, making it clear that her reunion with Cer had uplifted her spirits to immeasurable heights. “It’s going to be a feast!”

She dashed around and sent electric swipes at the Hearts and any Pillars that Frost had finished sewing her strands into. By now there were dozens of fleeting segments. The ribs above cracked as Jury gave Frost one last look before she entered the limelight.

“Leave the fish to me!” Jury clasped onto Frost’s hands one last time. They shared a firm nod as a passionate flame ignited in Jury’s vibrant eyes.

Frost could tell that she yearned to help no matter what. Whatever the Bloody Herring schemed mattered little to her. The selfless Jury she first met was still here, willing to put her life on the line for the sake of helping her friends overcome their struggles.

“I’m rooting for you then!” Frost exclaimed as Jury spring into action.

Her lover stood defiantly in the face of their chaotic battleground as she perched herself above a lone, untouched Pillar of Happiness. Her footwear sunk into the malleable golden flesh, securing her in place as her hair danced like silver ribbons.

At a certain angle, her hair appeared like the wings of an Angel.

“What’s your problem with Frost!?” Jury made herself known with a deafening yell.

The Bloody Herring could not resist answering such an outrageously obvious question.

“Must you continue to prove your blindness!? I believe Demons were supposed to be a race of rational clarity! You are just like that useless Carpalis!”

His voice appeared everywhere at the same time.

“Happiness for all is a poisonous ideology! There must be no such thing. It is no wonder she was chased out by her fellow Demons. And it is no wonder that you found solace in the putrid cesspool that is your Nex Megalopolis!” He added, never allowing himself to cease moving unless he wanted Res to obliterate him on the spot.

Jury could not believe what she was hearing. She knew the Impuritas were disgusting, but never to this extent. Aside from the Bloody Herring being an accomplice of Iscario, she also realized that their pure malice was another factor that drove Frost into wielding so much prejudice against them.

“That doesn’t make any sense. People are happy above. You’re the one who’s looking to make everyone else miserable!” Jury was strangely affixed on the matter much to Frost’s surprise.

It was as if she was gauging the Bloody Herring, trying to dissect his heart and mind to pass on her judgement.

“Miserable… foolish Demon. Races of ears. Races of tails. And oh the blighted races of distorted body parts! Remove them and they will be no different to a human! Where is their sense of true self! Like I, who have grown scales to accommodate my innermost soul! My flesh; manipulated to reflect my true self! How can such purity be an impurity in your eyes!?”

“That’ll magically make them human… is that what you think, huh!? Frost, I will fucking kill you if you don’t take your time killing that piece of shit!” Cer erupted in fury.

Her rage spread to everyone like a plague as Frost’s blood instantly boiled. It was a miracle that she had yet to manifest the Second State as Wrath. They unanimously wanted nothing more than to catch that fish and skin him alive.

Frost was not a person who condoned torture. If she had to kill someone or something, then she’d rather do it swiftly. But this… this thing fished out the worst in her.

“And you yourself are a confused existence. Flapped ears? Feathers like a bird? A tail like a monster? Demons like you are our antithesis!”

“I… I am NOT a Demon!” Jury yelled in frustration. “I’ve always… always hated it when people called me that! I am an Angel!”

Her bold claim was met with ridiculing laughter. It sounded like he had also slipped under Jury’s skin. Frost never knew Jury despised being called a Demon. Hearing her angered voice sobered her as she was reminded of how little she knew about her.

However…

Will it work? He doesn’t believe Jury’s an Angel. But then again –

“Is she really one to begin with?” Nav read her mind like an open book.

There’s only one way to find out!

She knew Jury was unsure of this herself. Her identity was always a guessing game. But an Angel was never an option until Frost analyzed her tail. Frost had to wonder if Angels and a bunch of eyes had any relevance with one another in the first place. At least in this world.

She held her breath for seconds that felt like hours. Between the chaotic one-sided battle against the Heart and the destruction of the inner walls of the grand hall – Jury stood still as the Pillar of Happiness beneath her uttered:

“Demons… We despise them because they tell no comforting lies. Our happiness must not be destroyed.”

Suddenly, when Frost and Jury simultaneously thought that it had failed; the Diamond Counter then resonated with Jury.

“She’s –!” Frost was taken aback by the unearthing of Jury’s true race.

“Huh!? You’re telling me she’s one of those extinct feathered birds!?” Even Cer was unable to fathom this. But rather than standing around looking surprised, this reveal only raised their morale further.

 

 

Her stats were doubled as anticipated. She had also gained an additional 5 levels since she last checked her stats. She knelt slightly as her tail finally returned to its original size, and at once, she launched herself from the Pillar.

The Pillar melted, appearing as if a blowtorch was pointed at a block of ice. She instantly gave pursuit to the Bloody Herring, who could not believe the sudden power she had gained.

“That brooch contains a mysterious power! I recognize that shape now! Could it be from our useful Corrupted you have slain!?” His movements sharply shifted. Even though he was faster than Jury, he was nowhere near as acrobatic as she was.

Jury thrived in the obstacle-rich environment. Razor sharp threads threatened to bisect them in one fell swoop whilst one wrong move would send one plunging into an endless abyss.

None of these could slow her down. She was like a pale comet; her hair trailing behind her like an icy trail. Her relentless prowess forced the Bloody Herring to take minor damage from the strands just to keep himself ahead. The 20 AGI difference was substantial, but hardly so in an environment that favored flexibility and animal-like intuition over raw speed.

And unfortunately for him, the only healer present was his enemy.

“Useful!? You were using the Corrupted!?” Jury wondered how such a thing was possible as Frost finally finished up with the remaining Pillars.

All that was left now was to destroy the heart as she kept feeding her strands to further grow her nest.

Her blood supply was at an all-time low. But it wasn’t something that couldn’t be fixed without a little healing… and a good, hearty meal.

“Hilarious! To speak so foully of me when your Ateliers do the same! Do you believe every Corrupted is slain!?”

“Are you an idiot!? You’re talking in the presence of a Moon!” Res shouted.

So that Corrupted was being used by him? How does that work?

“Likely because it did not consider him to be a target. He has no value. Coin wise and bribe wise. In a sense, the Greed Counter could be seen as a weapon that can be transported at will using the spatial distortions.”

Teleporting a Corrupted… thank fuck it didn’t appear in a populated area… and Nav. Any idea if the Ateliers are using Corrupted? The Triplets don’t appear to believe so.

“Unknown. But between you and I – Let’s not put it past them.”

Well said.

“Oh but our brightest descended Star has told us all of your wrongs! The Nexus will forever be the source of our end, and the Amalgam will ensure that the prophecy of our world’s demise will be fulfilled!” He shouted.

“Hear that Frost!? You’re going to end the world!” Cer laughed mockingly.

“Good thing we’re on your good side!” Ber joined in.

“FOCUS!” Res shouted.

In minutes the Heart had already lost a few hundred thousand HP. It did not possess any other counter measures save for its pre-existing Pillars. Its only function was to pump Brandar with the Impuritas, and to trickle down whatever they had stolen into a separate system.

She could see the silhouettes of people and large quantities of small, round objects flood through another pipe somewhere beyond the cracked ceiling. She willed for her Hired Arm to investigate. In the meantime, the Bloody Herring’s HP dropped to 4,000.

The blood that poured from his wounds was indistinguishable from the blood that already soaked his jester-like apparel. His movements were slower, and he was on roughly the last hundred of his Broker’s Arms.

Frost mentally warned Jury to proceed with caution. His trump card or an alternation in his methods was on the horizon. The Heart was exposed for Frost to devour. Her teeth sunk into its tissue as she crawled along it from above, swallowing each sweet, fruity bite whole.

In only a minute she had erased over two hundred thousand HP and created a sizable, circular wound. A transparent layer of tissue laid underneath its external, golden shell, and within she was greeted with a disgusting sight.

Flakes of skin peeled themselves from the inner walls, creating the Reorganizers which were pumped into the tubes using nothing but pneumatical processes. The pressure within was so immense that as soon as she tore the layer open the Heart ruptured like a hatching egg.

The smallest of pores spewed out liquified skin as the unfounded pressure forced them out of the Heart. Her ears instantly rang as the Triplets and Jury winced at the explosion. The Reorganizers spilled into the abyss like sewerage as Frost continued to devour the Heart, which had instantly lost 5 million points of HP.

It was on the cusp of perishing now… and it was hardly anything of the Eternal Night difficulty. Since it was the first time such a Heart had ever been encountered, she had to wonder if Nav had made a mistake when it classified it.

Whatever the case was – It did not change that they were going to win.

Frost prepared to take control of the next coin he produced. She vowed to thwart whatever plan he had up his sleeves. Jury was close on his heels now, ready to end his life then and there with only a single strike.

They wove through Frost’s ever-growing web. Falling was no longer a possibility anymore, for her strings had created a safety net beneath. It glistened beneath the light of the cavern like a reflective dish, temporarily blinding the Bloody Herring as his golden stakes finally hit 0.

Get ready Jury. He’s about to show us his hand.

“Jury’s anticipating the moment.”

Frost managed to keep her eye on Jury, despite her insane speed. Her eyes never left her as she devoured the Heart contently. It was delicious despite its appearance, and it reminded her of a giant nectarine more than anything else.

Why did Frost keep her eye Jury to begin with?

It was simple.

The moment Frost saw a page suddenly appear on Jury’s body using her foresight, she instantly relayed the information to Jury mentally as she cried out at the top of her lungs to Res.

GET HER TO BREAK AWAY RIGHT NOW!

“SHOOT JURY RES! NOW!”

They both immediately obliged. Res shoot directly at Jury as she instantly cut her speed and backed off. At that exact moment the Bloody Herring had bounced from one of the strands straight for where Jury last was, and much to his surprise –

“WHAT –!?”

He was caught in the umbra of Res’ destructive beam. It instantly annihilated his apparel, leaving him near stark naked as he crashed straight into the walls behind. His HP depleted to near 0 thanks to the additional environmental damage he accumulated.

Jury instantly gave chase as Frost followed in suit, navigating through the wired mesh with haste. She yearned to finish him off. There was no way she was going to let this chance slip by.

“L-LEITMOTIF! USE IT! USE IIIIIIIT!” Pure terror filled his heart.

It was only a matter of time before he’d perish to Frost’s own two hands. She kept her senses on high alert, knowing that there was potentially an additional threat lurking.

He was pinned beneath a pile of rubble, surrounded by a garden of his sacred golden trees. Even the grass he rested upon was fake, and it dug into his back like blades.

“Goodbye, you evil fish!” Jury exclaimed.

She immediately found the crash site. Jury didn’t need to ask for Frost’s permission to execute him on the spot before he could pull a fast one on them. Jury’s claws sunk deeply into his scaly chest, depleting his HP straight to zero.

But he still screamed.

“LEITMOTIF! PLEAAAASE! DON’T BE A FOOL! USE IT! USE THE HEART BOUNCING CORRUPTED YOU USELESS RETAINEEEER!” He continued to writhe in place.

He did not beg, and neither did he repent. He could only think for himself even in his last moments.

Yet he didn’t die. The phenomenon was exactly the same thing that occurred with Broker and L.S when they first met in that circus room. Jury was baffled by the sight as she instinctively backed off, wondering what was going on until Frost arrived at the scene.

She was not civilized enough to crouch down or kneel beside him to finish him off. She dove straight for him headfirst and gnawed at his chest, hoping to find some semblance of a heart within.

She thrashed at him at the same time. Knowing that he couldn’t somehow perish infuriated her to no end, and so she tried to crush him until there was nothing left.

The music died down all of a sudden as voices mimicking the harp of a tragic violin played. She grasped at his grafted heart and crushed it right before he let loose his final woe.

“LEITMOTIF –!”

 

< [Aspirating Aspirations] >

 

W-where did that come from!?

“Frost! I cannot detect the Corrupted! This confirms that the suspected Corrupted Zone belonged to a Corrupted all along!”

Frost and Jury were instantly punted to the ground by an unknown force. A Corrupted Skill had arrived from seemingly nowhere, robbing them of their strength as Frost’s heart bashed against her ribcage, as if aspiring to flee from the constraints of her mortal cavity.

The force was visible as well. Her body was lifted by the movement within her chest as she battled the sensation of allowing her heart to do whatever it wished. It required a tremendous amount of willpower to resist the sensation as Jury choked in pain.

What’s happening to us!?

“Stolen Heart… it’s a Condition that causes one’s heart to beat for someone else!”

“You… fool… FOOL! Finish them off! So what if it’s against the plans!? The Amalgam is here! We must destroy her!” He screamed, somehow still alive.

Frost’s body steadily came to as she gripped at the floor. The sound of crackling came from her fingertips as well as far ahead of her. The exterior walls of the Complex crumbled like a busted dam.

She instantly took Jury in her arms as the Bloody Herring finally pulled out his most prized Etched Coin from nowhere.

 

< Etched Coin >

Chained Theocracy

 

ACTIVE: Dimensional Storage

EFFECT: Access a storage connecting to a different reality.

Do they know where it leads to?

 

Frost instantly used the Etched Coin on his behalf. She wondered how this coin was kept hidden away from her for so long, since she was able to detect the others. In fact, it was far too difficult to even focus on anything but the pounding in her chest.

But that mattered little right now. The Etched Coin shattered right before his trembling eyes. However, she was too late to notice that he had taken one other coin from the storage.

 

< Etched Coin >

Justica Arms

 

ACTIVE: Minor Hyperlink

EFFECT: Teleport the user to another Minor Hyperlink site

She always wandered why Justice strayed behind Judgement

 

And just like that, he vanished without a trace.

But not without sharing his last few words.

“I WILL KILL YOU AMALGAM! IF LEITMOTIF WILL NOT, THEN I WILL REND THAT HEART OF YOURS AND THAT FALSE ANGEL!” His mangled body could no longer be called one. It was a mass of flesh and bones, courtesy of Frost.

She could tell by his voice that he was shaken.

Silence returned. Shadows of the falling rocks above enshrouded them as Frost dashed away with Jury cradled in her arms. She could not believe that she had failed to kill him. She had even gone as far as to destroy his heart.

So why? What stopped him from dying?

The world shook as the crumbling walls subsided. She stopped just meters away from the mounds of stone, careful not to crush Jury as she lamented her failure. But this was not all that wracked her.

Because beyond the walls she was met with a dazzling sight. A walled city built upon six massive layers rose to what Frost could only describe as the skies. A single spire rose to a great height within the newfound cavern, and at its tip she saw the illuminous orb.

It was quite literally the only star in their subterranean night sky. A false one at that.

A greenish hue smeared its skies, and a reddish tint could be seen encasing the entire length of the spire. She heard the others rapidly approach from behind, suddenly stopping by her side without sharing a single word.

They could feel the music emanating from over there… The city, which superseded even the size of Divas Pass.

The Moon Triplets were just as shocked as she was.

 

< Frost... I have terrible news. The source of the Corruption Zone has been confirmed. I have made a calculation mistake. It is a previously known Corrupted >

 

< Do you wish to know? >

< Yes | No >

 

< I shall take that silence as a ‘yes’ >

 

//////// < WARNING > ////////

 

< WOE OF THE FALLEN STAR >

< THE ARBITER’S TRUMPET WAILS >

 

 

< Woe of the Fallen Stars requires the cooperation of multiple Ateliers, Moons, Stars and the Exalted. A single Beholder is enough to vanquish a Woe of the Fallen Star-classed Corrupted >

 

< Please do not bite off more than what you can chew >