“The burdens weighed in this room are alone enough to power an Atelier for a single night. I’ve never been so embarrassed at the sight of our elevated souls bickering like children. But here we are, standing in the same assembly I was defiled in.”

Satania stirred the unsettled air with her words. As this was the first time Oboros Infinitas had announced themselves publicly amongst the Moons and Stars, she set the stage with a dramatic, low-pitched tone.

It was a spiteful murmur.

“I despise returning to these heights. You’ve cast me away and now you’ve intentionally called the most wrathful here expecting obedience...” Blood was spilled between them in the past, and Satania made her resentment known.

The finger that once glided against her horn was now like a blade scraping against a whetstone.

“No. You know that nothing you do can tame this wrath of ours. Your eyes can’t stand to judge we who have already been condemned. Instead, you’ve called me here to bargain… you have no shame. No sense of forethought. Nothing. You’ve lost everything again.”

It was much more than spilled blood and countless years of grievances. It became comparable to the White Wing’s contempt of Elysia and stemmed from their distant history of the old world. The Arbiter didn’t express any visual changes. She didn’t react at all. Her unchanging demeanor was either her feigning ignorance, or because she truly did not remember why Satania despised her.

However, when she mentioned that she had lost everything again –

– One of the Arbiter’s tails, which rested behind Frost’s back, slithered halfway along her waist. Her moment of hesitance caused Frost to recall the Arbiter’s desperate scream when they were judged by the Icon of Judgement.

“Such is the burden that weighs you down. Your wings can only take you so far before they bar you in the cage you’ve created. But that’s why we exist. That’s why we were called here. To make wrongs into right. And that right is the energy you oversized bottom feeders desire.”

Her tone became increasingly hateful, but there was never a speck of emotional turbulence. Wrath coursed through her body as the arteries running along her neck began to emit a crimson glow. Frost, who had been passively absorbing the environmental Nex was suddenly usurped by Satania.

“A Nex Accumulator.” Nav immediately recognized. “Her stats cannot be seen either. She and the Beholders are all question marks.”

… we really need to understand how the hell RESIST works.

“Oh. I’m working on it as we speak. For now, it would be wise to maintain your focus.”

Yeah...

“The burdens we bear are what determines the quality of the Nex we create. From the infinitesimal to the infinite, they are what makes particularly awful beings so utterly scrumptious when you hear them scream as they descend into the inferno in their iron coffins.”

Satania announced.

“To be kept alive for as long as possible. To relive those moments. To repent over and over and over as we siphon the Nex from their withering remains until the soul is no more than a blob of incomprehensible murmurs.”

Then, with arms held behind her back, she concluded with:

“We are the executioners. We are the other largest suppliers of Nex. We are where troublesome Moons and Stars are sent. We are the ones who punish even the Beholders. We are the oldest Atelier. How many Beholders have we erased throughout history to have only just enough to fit on both hands? Our affairs are our own as a result. Our allegiance is with no one. That’s why, I find it deplorable that you of all people would summon us.”

“But we are a forgiving Atelier. Enough to give the Condemend a chance of salvation. To become a Repenter under the supervision of our CogitO friends. They could use their brains after one of Galia’s runaway Stars.”

“Iscario’s crimes keep on adding up.” Frost interjected, nearly vomiting at the mention of the man.

Satania fondly looked over at Frost before she shook her head.

“I meant the Wise Black Wolf. Raoul. He led a questionable but justifiable slaughter in the City of Spades. The issue is that he took down various infrastructure. Propety belonging to many of us.”

“The hell trains you pack hundreds of criminals within?” Frost’s voice deepened.

“Precisely.”

Cer, Ber and Res suddenly froze. Their round eyes widened as they begged Frost to pry. To find something – anything relating to what happened to Orth and Thras; their only friends before Frost entered their life.

They didn’t need to ask, as she too was curious as to what had happened.

“You’re aware of why Raoul did what he did. But do you know how those two Healers ended up inside of one of your trains? You see, I have the power to investigate the past. To see fragments of the truth. They became Shells. Tell me what happened.”

“We partially deal with those trains. Justica Arms does most of the work. However, that same train was an anomaly. It was capable of disappearing and reappearing. Normal for trains of its size, but this possessed a fine level of control over it. Which again, isn’t abnormal. But…”

A golden glimmer of light appeared between Satania’s fingers when she fished for something within her breast pocket. It was a coin. But not any ordinary coin.

It was an Etched Coin.

< Etched Coin >

Justica Arms

ACTIVE : Minor Hyperlink

EFFECT : Teleport the user to another Minor Hyperlink Site

She always wondered why Justice strayed behind Judgement.

“These were found on the bodies of the healers. The Hell Trains do possess Minor Hyperlinks, but they’re severely limited. This bypasses some of its limitations. Our Impuritias enemies absolutely have something that can control Spatial Distortions too. Are you aware, Amalgam? That there are healers that have been found to be possessing such dangerous coins.”

Cer’s ears piqued, her jaws grinding painfully as sparks flew from her maw like phlegm.

“Sana… Someone tried setting Sana up as well. Fucking pieces of shit. Fuck all of them… Fuck that Herring!” Her smoldering hatred was known to the Council. “Hey. You! Tell me you found who the fuck did it to Orth and Thas! You have to know!”

“Cer…” Res whispered sadly.

“It’s under investigation. However, we’ve pardoned your brother for his crimes regarding this incident. We believe in a punishment to fit the crimes. It is through us that we can put the less desirables to good use. Amalgam. Through your eyes I can tell you’re just like Galia. Like us. You believe that certain people don’t deserve the liberty to die and be forgiven by death.”

Satania spoke the same language Frost wished she could forsake.

But unfortunately, after hearing of Orth and Thras again, as well as vividly remembering the traumatized Sana – Her blood began to boil.

Because Satania was right.

There were people that didn’t deserve the simplicity of death.

“Oboros Infinitas. Infinite Burdens. May the light of burdens feel like the weight of the world rests atop their shoulders. I am pleased that we are on the same page. Also. Between you and I – Healers are closer to us than those Angels. If they were to bare their claws hidden beneath those feathered wings, then there wouldn’t be a need to protect them anymore. They’d be the very embodiment of fear itself. Have you heard?

Healers are now doing just that. You were the first of many.”

Syringe

Image of the new Healers!