*************

Wyatt Graves

 

I bite my lip as I recoil from the lingering effects of Lennon's... slash. The way his Dominion twisted and broke itself before his soul forced it back together leaves me beyond impressed. The sheer pressure from Dia nearly floored me. I would not want to be on the other side of such a thing. Still, it was obviously not without a price.

 

The way his eyes tremble, the slight shake to his pupils, and the slimness to his chains, his soul, tells me something grim. He's hurt his soul. Maybe not massively, maybe not even enough to put him down for long, but it's enough to cost us.

 

After all, to kill a monster like this, we will need our own.

 

My boots grind against the ephemeral floor beneath us, invisible and see-through to reveal even more radiant stars than the ones above us. Immediately, I allow the chains of my mind to recede, buying me a couple of moments to think. Liberation is not used as nearly as often as it should be.

 

Isaac's words stick with me. I need to figure out what this place is, or we'll never beat it. I don't know what I was expecting to come from the Mother Below's eldest child, but this is still shocking.

 

He can control stars? No... that's something at the level of the Gods or even beyond that. Stars are such massive, incomprehensibly large, and powerful things they cannot possibly be controlled. Maybe the Mother Below herself could, but a child of hers?

 

No.

 

It must be some kind of leverage? Perhaps the Eldest can siphon energy from the stars? Or make phantasmal vestiges of them like Abraham can with his Nightmares?

 

No matter how he does it, though, it's absurdly powerful. A second one is already falling for us, crashing with enough speed that I don't think I'll have time to let Liberation run its course.

 

So then what? What do I do?

 

Earl's bomb is the first thing that comes to mind, the sheer force of its potential to kill this thing. It would work, being capable of leveling a small village, but in this place, none of us would walk out unscathed. The best time to use it would be before breaking out, leaving Eldest here alone, or just with me.

 

I can probably take the explosion without dying. Eldest, too, but he'd be wounded enough that it'd take some considerable time for him to heal. And in those moments, Lennon, Virgil, and Kate could finish him off as I doubt this place would remain if he is grossly injured.

 

It might work. No. It will. We just have to figure out A: how to escape, and B: how to not die to these falling stars.

 

In this slowed perception of time, the heat washes over me from the miniature sun above. Even compacted compared to a true star, it's still thousands of times, if not tens of thousands, larger than any one of us. My hands sweat from the recent struggle, and blood stains my flesh all over from healing Virgil. I'm not at one hundred percent, and neither is Blodwyn, but we have to figure this thing out one way or another.

 

Liberation is slowly forced to come to a close as that sun gets nearer and nearer. Soon, I won't have time to do anything about it. As I let the Ether in my mind wash away and the chains retighten, I funnel Ether toward my left hand.

 

And as I do so, Blodwyn is already on the move, covering my upper body with bone as our heart beats with thunderous energy. Painsforge delivers strength to my whole body as I breathe in deeply, not just once, not just twice, but three times. Doing so, I grimace, feeling time appears to slow, similar to Liberation but not as drastic as a boiling feeling runs through my veins. At the same moment, an overflowing strength inundates my body, one that I know I cannot hold onto for long.

 

I compel that magma to move, to land within my left hand as I throw out all the Ether I can toward the falling star. Already expecting it, I let Blodwyn use one of his earliest Sigil skills, Sacrifice. It's not something we often use. Hell, I don't think I've ever asked him to do so, but he has done it in the past.

 

Remembering a fight many, many moons ago wherein he took me over and sacrificed an arm for additional strength, I let him do the same, allowing that left arm to vanish into power instead of being blown away. It's the most potent strike I've ever held and that I've ever let out.

 

But my vision instantly goes black.

 

****************

 

I awake to something else, someone else, piloting my body. Blodwyn, near-feral in his movement, grabs Kate and leaps to the side of another crashing star. Fortunately, this one is smaller than before, and we all get out of the blast radius before the heat and weight hit us.

 

And unlike when Lennon cut the star, or as my memory returns to me when I hit the star, it doesn't fizzle out into nothing. It slams into the translucent ground and explodes in every direction. My skin burns and leaves behind boils as Blodwyn recognizes that I'm awake.

 

"Yes! Help me! This guy is way too strong! The fiery orbs won't stop!"

 

I slide out a small smile despite the burning skin as Blodwyn works to heal it, giving me back my body at once. I'll have to let him have some fun as the main mind soon. He deserves it. I can't believe he doesn't even know what a star is.

 

But I don't have any time for anything else other than survival. Kwakiteh stumbles to me, a field of Mie's mind protecting her from the sweltering heat. Glancing around, I find Lennon kneeling far away from where he was earlier, obviously still tired. As for Virgil, he's nowhere to be seen.

 

"How long have I been out?"

 

Lily is the one to reply to me, as Blodwyn is too focused on controlling our Ether, repairing my left arm, and keeping the burns from getting too deep. If that sun fell on top of us, we'd surely die. That is, without a doubt, the case.

 

"We're not sure! Mie thinks time might be passing differently in this realm like it's not a real dimension but instead a fake one. Kinda like my meadows but a little more real. Half-real? Halfreal. I like that word. Uh... Long enough for my energy to recover, at the very least, so a few minutes. They've survived eight falling stars, too! How cool!"

 

Lily's childlike mind goes on a tangent before answering me as I feel another bundle of heat growing far above. Growing is a bad description, though, as it's more appearing or coalescing into being. I confirm something with Lily real quick before drawing the Colt from the holster.

 

"Can your bullets devour energy, too, not just living things?"

 

"Yeah! Ever since I got my Virtue! It's most energy now! At the least, heat for sure! Remember when I shot that demon! It was all cold and icky!"

 

Having my answer, I flip the barrel of the Blooming Spider Lily upward and stare at Eldest. Still, he stands without a care in the world, but as I pay closer attention, I can see that he's not as nonchalant as he seems. The chains upon his body are strained as if he is pushing himself to be this far from his body and using too much strength.

 

Perhaps we don't have to break his Dominion. Maybe... maybe it will break itself if we last long enough? No. That's too hopeful. But it might weaken enough for us to find an exploit. That's something better to rely on.

 

The star above finally begins to fall after gaining enough energy, so I pull the trigger. In an instant, a river of darkness connects the star to me, and I feel a vastness press up against me.

 

I get confirmation of a previous theory, as for a minute moment, I sense a tether to a distant star from Eldest. Lily, however, devours the star with more swiftness than Eldest can transfer the energy to us. And in just a few seconds, I feel utterly rejuvenated and empowered.

 

My Ether saturation is a little dangerous after those three gasps, but it's not all that bad since I can use Burdenless. Plus, there is Excavator with another one for Blodwyn. I release a small, contented sigh as the river of darkness fades. Lily even bursts out with a little 'ah' before falling into silence, likely falling asleep. Leaving the confines of her steel twice in a few minutes must be too must for her.

 

It worries me that she is asleep once more and that we are now low on rounds in her chamber, but there are more pressing matters. Namely, the fact that Eldest is staring me down, the buglike eyes of the demon bulging out with visible wavelengths of Darklight.

 

I witness a gruesome smile twist onto Eldest's face as he physically rips the being's body that he is taking over. This Motherbound... for him to so terribly take over another Dominion, even if they are both infected by Darklight...

 

How strong is he really? My father is fighting him?

 

If what we've seen is just a projected strength from afar... I think this being, whether he's a demon, human, or something more sinister, might not be too far off from Vincent when he was a 9th Sigil. To be able to toy with another Demigod like this is beyond reason. It is...

 

A flash of light behind Eldest tears my focus back into being as all of my injuries are wholly gone. Twin daggers seek the nape of Eldest's neck, but a spinning backhand leaves Virgil flipping over a hundred feet of cosmos, the terrain refusing to buckle underneath the vast force.

 

"Virgil!"

 

My friend, unable to even Flicker in time, slides to a stop, his face tucked into the floor. In response, I sprint toward Eldest, pulling Kate to follow me with a shout. As I take my steps toward the Mother Below's child, I notice that Eldest's arm is broken, a bone jutting out where the elbow should be.

 

That speed! It was too much for the vessel! The warning signs are beginning to show! Though, the Darklight is already recovering the bone, muscle, and flesh. I lock my eyes on Eldest's hands, preparing for another attack as I dart at him.

 

Kate is right behind me, following my movements like a shadow, and even Lennon is starting to move again. His steps are slow and unhurried, but they possess a confidence I could never hope to bear. Kwakiteh and Mie dive toward Eldest, the fabled Claymore in their hands lighting up with a terrible power.

 

Evil. That is all I can possibly describe what is exploding from Demonsbane, taking life, joy, and even bits of Kate's body from her as she swings at Eldest. I go low, diving for his legs while she seeks to remove his upper half.

 

This Motherbound lifts his unbroken hand to catch Demonsbane, grinning eerily, but Kate returns that smile. Flesh meets steel, and as expected, the flesh is bisected. Only what happens after isn't normal.

 

Demonsbane slices through Eldest's hand, but tendrils, tiny strings of Darklight, invade and wrap around the steeled edge. As the strings do, I slash at his legs to upend his balance, but the figure twists with enough speed to blur my sight. A lashing kick hits me right in the gut, eliciting mind-numbing pain.

 

Darklight invades my body in innumerable quantities, forcing me to wage war within my body with Blodwyn's help. But quickly I give up on the war as I realize I will soon lose. Rapturous is not enough to combat a Demigod's infection. So, instead, white mist spews from my body, Burdenless taking form.

 

I use mine, having Blodwyn save his within Excavator for when we are struck again. As I finish saving my own hide, I notice that the threats diving into Demonsbane's metal are identical to the ones Gorgeous had along her clothes.

 

A tiny thought emerges within my mind before it is confirmed. Eldest's hand reforms around Demonsbane, and with a wide smile, he leans in toward Kate's face, stricken with fear.

 

"What a lovely gift, my dear. She will positively adore it. Though... Maybe I should introduce you to Gorgeous if you can make such fine things. She'd treasure the opportunity to take a few more."

 

The Eldest can use the Powers or Dominions, maybe both, of his siblings. Does that mean... wait... this Dominion...

 

It isn't even his.

 

It must be... what was her name?

 

Ireful. If I remember correctly, that woman, when I met Abraham, had a star emblazoned into her clothing. It adds up. Knowing the danger to come instinctively, I jaunt forward, leaping and tackling Kate away from the flickering threads with pointed ends that remind me of jewelry. My memory flashes to all the fancy jewelry on Gorgeous' frame before I slam into the ground with Kate.

 

We roll once before the both of us are already scrambling to our feet. Mie gives me a mental nod before I hear Kate curse under her breath.

 

"Like that, we lost it? Are you fucking kidding me?"

 

My eyes follow where hers go, and I let my jaw drop as Eldest lifts Demonsbane, the most infamous, potent, and influential Claymore in the world, into the air. His stolen claws wrap around the hilt before the entire blade glows with an infectious duality of dark white and light black.

 

Then, the weapon vanishes as a rift in this dimension sucks it right out. A thud rings out as Kate's knees hit the ground beside me. She falls even further as Mie's voice cuts through the shock.

 

"You need to get her up, Wyatt. Have her focus on the fight. She just lost the most important thing to her. I'm trying, but I'm not enough."

 

My eyes flick to the side as I witness Virgil gradually returning to a standing position. To my left, Lennon is still walking toward Eldest. But before I can do anything, the Motherbound clenches his fist once more, radiance coalescing within.

 

Above, another star begins to fall. The energy has gathered up enough after Lily siphoned much of it away to crash once more. I stagger backward as Ether rages within my body again, but before I can even take a singular gasp, a crack emerges in the sky beside the ball of fire.

 

A minor inhale from Eldest, the most emotion he's really shown this whole time, tells me that this isn't something he was expecting. And if he isn't expecting something, then it's likely good for us.

 

So, I take a gamble and step back further, heading toward Lennon while hauling Kate with me. That crack continues to grow until it detonates with force, a black, familiar flame covering a figure before it slams into the high-above star.

 

My heart sinks as I realize Bonfire somehow broke into here with his flames, only to collide with the most fatal thing here. I don't even know how to react until I observe the ball of fire as it begins to shrink. What?

 

A laugh rings out beside me, piercing the tense atmosphere as Kate returns to herself. Still, it's more of a lunatic's laugh than her usual low, short-living chuckle.

 

"That... idiot... He's eating it!"

 

By the time I peer back up at the star, it's already been reduced to half the size. Then half that, and half that. Before I even know it, Bonfire burps out a plume of flame and miraculously... slams headfirst into the floor. The dumbass groans in pain and rubs his head before I notice that not all is normal.

 

His arms are arcing with silvery-black veins. Of course. He can eat it because he's an Eventide. Plus, fire is his specialty. Nonetheless, his fingers and arms twitch as he stands, struggling to contain whatever is within him.

 

"What are you!?"

 

A furious roar, however, breaks me from my worry as Eldest finally makes an authentic move. I catch his legs break with my eyes as he hurtles for Bonfire. Yet, the eldest child of the oldest God never reaches his destination, for a monster blocks the path.

 

A formless blade cuts at Eldest's neck, and the Motherbound twists in the air with his threads, shattering more bone and spilling bowls of blood. Nonetheless, the Darklight rejuvenates his wounds in but a moment as he clashes with Lennon Hull.

 

The sheer force of the impact slides me backward on the ground, but instead of being pushed away, I dig my heels in and lunge for the battle. Living Manacles surge forward ahead of me to help combat Eldest's threads, and the moment I get close, I craft a Ballista.

 

The five of us collide against Eldest together. Lennon is the first and foremost line against the Motherbound; he protects Kate and me with his Dominion, the endless and formless tides of blades guarding us. Bonfire, after managing to stand once more, relegates himself to devouring the falling stars as per Virgil's command.

 

Finally, Virgil is constantly giving us orders through Mie's mental link, gradually guiding us to giving him an opportunity to push Eldest beyond his limits.

 

It's taken us a while, but as I level my Ballista at Eldest to force him to dodge, enduring a strike from Lennon's blade in exchange, the space around us warps. Distance seems to become fake and wobble as I witness Eldest's face twist into a grimace. Wait... no it's more than space! I felt this with Tyler Shaw! He's manipulating time!

 

A flash of danger, one that stabs so profoundly into my core alerts me and forces Shiver into action. Three gasps devour much of my remaining saturation as I kick the ground. My leg turns to mush, but I don't get attacked at all, my movement obviously changing something despite the environment.

 

I breathe out relief as space gradually returns, yet when the world comes back into place, a head falls to the ground. Crimson flows from the opened neck as the body it once was atop of crumples like any other dead creature.

 

My eyes can't leave the body as Eldest groans, his dissatisfaction only managing to raise my ardor further. The turbid thump of my heart is the only sound I hear, the creature's voice echoing without noise as I watch the blood pool.

 

"What a shame. Had to trade Killian's children for a lesser one."