Chapter 1274 (2/2)

Meanwhile, the Nemesai looked at Randidly Ghosthound’s image with solemn expressions of caution. Alana was the one who took the news the best. Upon hearing what the Ghosthound said, she simply nodded. “No worries, we can take it from here. Thanks for the assist.”

The Ghosthound’s image shook his head and muttered quietly to himself, “Can’t believe I had to leave in the middle of the ogre fight for this…” Then his body simply began to dissipate, fading slowly out of existence.

To arrive quickly was one thing, but to leave just as fast after killing someone was quite another. Riding on the same wave of helpless fury that seemed to be drowning him for the last two years, Decklan raised his dagger and whipped it forward. After his early attack, it was clear that he wouldn’t accomplish anything with such a strike. Yet Decklan refused to simply allow this image to intervene and then escape without having to face the truth of what he had done.

Perhaps he had expected that the blow would be harmless, but Decklan hadn’t expected the dagger to simply pass through the image’s fading body. But as a shadow still hanging in the air, the image turned to Decklan and raised an eyebrow. “You again? What?”

The dismissiveness in the Grim Chimera’s voice vicious.

“You…!” Decklan was so angry his mouth failed to find the words to describe how sociopathic Randidly Ghosthound was. For several seconds his jaw worked soundlessly, then all the hatred and self-pity and anguish he had felt since Terra’s death came gushing out. “This was our chance! Don’t you get that?!? Straud had made contact with a powerful being that could change things! Free us from the System. And you…!”

Decklan clenched his jaw so hard that the bone popped. “You are so threatened by anyone else but yourself possessing power that you cut us off from every other person in the Nexus! If you hadn’t have tried to maintain your complete dominion over this Earth, the sky is the limit for what we could accomplish! The things Straud showed me… he was born on a different Earth! With that power, we could have solved the violence! We could have saved so many lives! If you-”

The shadowy image shook his head sadly. He waved his hand and black particles of energy that had once created the illusion that it was anything more than an image spiraled up to form an oval in the air. The air within that opal slowly darkened and then buzzed like a television set with a slightly wrong reception.

But as that buzzing cleared, the oval became something like a window through which everyone on the field could see. There was a figure clearly visible through the oval, sitting quietly with lifeless eyes. But what was most immediately attention-grabbing about the figure was the fact that the man’s own hands were blacked and corrupted, tight around his own throat.

Perhaps no one else recognized that man immediately, but how could Decklan, who had thrown his lot in with Straud in search of an escape, not recognize the face of the man within the oval of darkness?

“That… is that the same figure that appeared earlier to destroy the limits on the Nemesai’s images?” Alana asked in confusion. Randidly’s image simply nodded.

Meanwhile, Decklan threw himself at the disappearing image. Because he didn’t have his daggers, he simply slashed with his fingernails like they were claws. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!? HE COULD HAVE SAVED US! HE COULD HAVE TAKEN US BACK TO A WORLD WHERE-”

Decklan passed through the fading image and hit the ripped up turf while breathing heavily. A second later, the image dissipated. The oval that showed the face of Straud’s god hung there for several more seconds, before also fading to nothing.

“Terra…” Decklan whispered.

Gradually, the stadium once more woke back up to the situation. The remaining guards from the Order Valorem had a short discussion and then left a few to guard the surviving populace while the rest trooped down onto the torn-up field.

But Decklan just stared blankly at the ground. Once again, everything had come to nothing.

*****

Dauntless sat up in the announcer’s box and looked down over the assembled forces of both sides as Randidly’s image departed. The box was empty, likely deserted by the people originally in here during the worst of the bloodbeast attack. So now it gave him the perfect vantage point to look over the stadium and consider his next move.

Almost helplessly, he shook his head. I know the Nemesai still have one more surprise ready, but it won’t be enough. Do I have to intervene on their side…? But that would mean I would be lumped in with them. And as long as it is clear that I am a separate evil, the Nemesai will continue to be a distraction… especially after their actions today.

Dauntless glanced down over the bleak-looking stands. The last of the blood was being sucked away now by the Winged Serpent’s ritual, leaving the stands oddly clean despite the earlier chaos. But broken and near-mummified bodies were strewn everywhere. Probably ten thousand people had been butchered in the chaos of the initial attack and due to the blood seal on some of the people from the Order Valorem that turned them traitor. Although populations continued to sharply grow with the emergence of Bubble Cities, this would sharply grab the attention of the Zones.

It was the largest loss of life on New Earth to date.

Then Dauntless glanced over toward the Nemesai. They will be forced to retreat, but won’t suffer many losses beyond that… perhaps-

Then Dauntless glanced upwards. Underneath his helmet, his face split into a wide grin. “Theodora Greyman, you are a saint, hahahaha!”