Chapter 425: A Sliver of Hope (1/2)

Jason’s star phoenix form was impervious to almost any form of attack, with transcendent damage being a critical exception. His aura could downgrade transcendent damage, but with a diamond-ranker suppressing his aura that would not come into effect. He chose, then, to risk diving into the storm of energy reforging his spirit domain as Shako gathered transcendent energy for an attack. As he disappeared into the rainbow chaos outside of the pagoda, Dawn’s true form emerged from a shimmering portal.

“That’s enough, Shako.”

“Dawn,” Shako said, dismissing his gathered energy.

“I cannot imagine that this is what the Builder sent you here to do,” Dawn said. “You have come into this world and killed Jason Asano. This is in express violation of the compact between the Builder, the Reaper and the World-Phoenix.”

“This is not Asano’s world,” Shako countered.

“You may find it hard to convince the World-Phoenix and the Reaper of that.”

“He deserved death. That man has taken that which belongs to the Builder and turned it against his faithful.”

“Faithful? Is the Builder truly that obsessed with making a world so that he might become a god? He is already so much more. You realise the entire cosmos thinks he’s gone mad.”

“You would belittle the Builder for what he has made?” Shako asked. “Without the Fundament Gate he stole from the Builder, he would never have been able to affect this place and remake it.”

“Then you should be grateful that he took it. The Builder had billions of years to rectify the mistakes of his predecessor, but his inaction has allowed the task to fall to a boy.”

“You speak as if your World-Phoenix played no part.”

“The World-Phoenix acts in accordance with her purpose,” Dawn said, anger taking over her usually tranquil expression. “The Builder has ignored his own purpose by leaving the situation alone and has now chosen to make use of it in service of his private intentions. This world would not be crumbling if the Builder had not struck a bargain with a lowly god to exploit it.”

“Perhaps I may have acted with haste,” Shako conceded.

“You and your master both have a habit of thinking like mortals. You get caught up in pride and focus on singular things when you need to take a larger perspective. You are like Asano in this way. I think, perhaps, that Thadwick Mercer was a more fitting vessel than you or the Builder are willing to admit. You pass off questionable decisions as his influence, yet is that truly the case?”

“I did not come here to be insulted or listen to your slander against my master, Dawn. There is only so much I am willing to tolerate, even from you.”

“Clearly,” Dawn said, looking pointedly at Jason’s necklace and sword on the floor. They lay where they had fallen when Shako destroyed Jason’s body. “But you didn’t come here to violate the agreement your master made, either.”

“I still hold that this is still not Asano’s world. There is no violation.”

“Then your master and mine will have to settle this with the Reaper, then.”

Shako expression took on an angry grimace.

“Perhaps I have pushed the boundaries of the agreement and a concession can be made. When Asano returns to the other world, no Builder cultist of a rank higher than his will attack him.”

Dawn smiled.

“That is worth less than nothing. The Builder doesn’t keep its own word, so why would it keep yours? Even if it does, so what? Your promise does not preclude diamond-rank allies or a hundred silver-rankers being sent after Asano.”

“You think the Builder so petty?”

“Yes. I would advise against trying to grab my throat for saying so, though.”

Shako looked as if he had eaten something unpleasant as he swallowed his retort. Dawn waited as he took a moment to calm himself.

“What do you want?” Shako asked, his voice measured once more.

“Asano claimed for himself something created by the Builder. A door.”

“The Fundament Gate. Asano should not have such access to the foundations of reality.”

“If the Builder didn’t want mortals to have that kind of access, he shouldn’t have given it to them.”

“It was an item; the Builder’s to give or take. Asano should not have absorbed it.”

Dawn laughed, bringing a surprised expression to Shako’s face.

“If the Builder thought that mortals would only use what he gave them for the purposes he intended, then he is as great a fool as any of them.”

Shako seethed at the continuing insults to the Builder but Dawn was not Jason. Shako showed not so much as the shadow of an aggressive move.

“I don’t know why you bring up the Fundament Gate,” Shako said through gritted teeth. “Asano had already taken it for himself and the Builder has neither claim nor control over it. Again, I ask, what is it that you want?”

“I wish to create an item that he can also absorb. One that lets him use the gate to anchor a bridge between Earth and Pallimustus, using the existing link as a basis.”

“An astral bridge is the domain of the World-Phoenix,” Shako said. “You don’t need the Builder for that.”

“Improperly anchored, the bridge will be vulnerable to tampering and destruction. The Fundament gate will allow him to securely anchor it in physical reality. Give me the designs of the Fundament Gate so the World-Phoenix may create a complimentary item that works with it.”

“That is not within my authority to offer,” Shako said. “The door was the Builder’s personal design.”

“But you do have it. You simply need permission to pass it along.”

“No. You ask too much.”

“Too much? I’m not even done making demands and already you’re refusing? Then the Builder’s violation of the agreement will stand. This means that the cult of the World-Phoenix may intervene directly with the Builder’s invasion of Pallimustus. We haven’t raised our hands since before you were born, but you’ve heard the stories, right?”

Shako’s expression went dark.

“In the face of an opportunity to be free to act directly,” he asked, “why would you accept another concession? Why you would do this for Asano?”

“He’s a friend.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I originally wondered why the World-Phoenix assigned me this task personally,” Dawn said. “I came to realise that it is not always good to become too separated from mortal sensibilities. Not a problem you seem to have, but I did and the World-Phoenix saw this. This is why she sent me to watch over a man whose sensibilities are very, very mortal.”

“Why would the World-Phoenix want you to become lesser?”

“Not lesser, Shako. Grounded.”

“When you are ascending to the heavens, grounded is lesser,” Shako argued. “You and I stand on the cusp of true transcendence. Why should we care about mortal concerns?”

“Because if we don’t understand the mortal parts of ourselves, it causes problems when we leave the last of our mortality behind.”

“What kind of problems?”

“Well, for example, we might go off and start looting worlds for parts so we can cobble them together in some mad desire to play god.”

“I will only tolerate these insults to the Builder for so long, Dawn.”

“We have not yet finished negotiating the consequences of the last time your patience expired,” Dawn said, her ruby eyes glimmering and her voice filled with cool but unmistakable menace. “Are you so anxious to concede even more?”

Shako took an involuntary step back.

“That’s what I thought,” Dawn said. “Now, our time is limited and we should return to the topic at hand. The designs for the door.”

“I can likely obtain them for you,” Shako said, although his expression was unwilling. “Again, though, I have to ask why. He has knowledge and power enough to build a bridge back to the other world using the link between them. He doesn’t need this object you want to build for him. You realise that if he absorbs it, he would be intrinsically linked to the bridge he subsequently creates. If he dies, the bridge will collapse.”

“Yes.”

Shako narrowed his eyes.

“That’s your intention,” he realised. “You’re looking past the Builder invasion of Pallimustus.”

“Yes. Asano is yet to realise that success in his current challenge will be the very thing that sets his next one in motion.”

“You haven’t told him, have you?”

“I am forbidden. Jason does not always make the best choices and the World-Phoenix doesn’t want him finding out and risking two worlds to avoid that outcome. This bridge will be his compensation. A sliver of hope in his darkest hour.”

“When the time comes, you won’t help him?”

“It falls outside the World-Phoenix’s authority and it will not be allowed. This is the most I can do.”

“And you would give up the chance to send all your forces against us for that?”

“The World-Phoenix is not the Builder. It prefers to avoid such crude methods. But I will need another concession.”

“And what is that?”

“Allowance for me to go to Pallimustus.”

“Absurd. Do you think the great astral beings will permit a half-transcendent to intervene in a physical reality of that level? If you go, the Builder can send his own half-transcendents and by the time we're all done fighting, that world will be a lifeless cinder. Neither of us wants that.”

“I will not confront any of your forces or deliver any material aid carrying the power of the World-Phoenix, any other great astral being, or otherwise disproportional to the existing power of the world in question. Under those terms, the great astral beings will allow it.”

“Then why bother going?”

“To warn them that you are coming. And when.”

“And you think I will allow this?”

“Allow? I’m going to Pallimustus and you can do nothing about it. Your choice is whether I’m bringing words or an army. Unless you genuinely believe the Builder can convince the others you did not violate the compact by killing Asano.”

Once more Shako seethed in silence, before raising his eyes to glare at Dawn.

“I cared about you very deeply, once,” he said.