Chapter 1313 (2/2)

They were a bit earlier than Tatiana had expected them, but that didn’t matter. This sort of confrontation was inevitable.

Even the conflict of images on the dance floor proper seemed to stall out as the Nemesai pulled all the attention in the room to them. The ripples of light and images shifted to become more tranquil. The whole of Earth’s elite that were assembled today turned to look at the group that had orchestrated the death of thousands only a short time ago.

For a second, no one said anything. Then Thea snorted. “Nothing to say? I had thought the people of Earth had more spine than that.”

That statement had Tatiana raising her eyebrows in surprise. I had thought it was strange that they were making such an obvious entrance so early in the night… but now also antagonizing most of the guests? Are the Nemesai trying to incite violence here…? Or perhaps this is just them acting out againstRanddily’s implied threat that compelled them to attend the party itself…?

But Thea’s words seemed to have the intended effect; there were surges of emotion from around the room that quickly changed the environment from fearful to volatile. Tatiana was especially surprised by one man from Zone 1, sitting in a wheelchair, who briefly reacted with such a cutting and vicious surge of hatred that it shredded through the confusing swirl of emotions around it. That one brief glimpse into the man’s depths was just as potent as an image.

Tatiana made a mental note of the man.

Perhaps wanting to savor the reaction, the Nemesai began to casually stroll forward through the crowd toward the tiles. People backed out of their way, faces twisted into grim stares as they considered the Nemesai. The crowd was angry, but no one wanted to be the one to break the uneasy peace. They couldn’t even respond to Thea’s words.

...until Mrs. Hamilton’s voice cut through the heavy mood. “Jump on in. The tiles are certainly a delightful experience.”

“Plenty of room,” Warlord said with his eyes glittering as he looked over toward the approaching Nemesai.

Even Azriel perked up as she looked over at the approaching group. “Oh? I wouldn’t have believed that anyone but Randidly had an image worth a damn on this planet. What a diverting surprise. Is the flaming bear coming too?”

In Tatiana’s mind, the sudden tightness around Thea Glasshammer’s eyes and the way the Winged Serpent abruptly stilled in response to Azriel’s words confirmed that they were trying for a shock and awe strategy in their entrance. And it seemed that three people had already begun subverting that impression. So they would need to change their strategy

But the Bandit King didn’t possess the tact of the other Nemesai.

He barred his precious-gem encrusted teeth in a snarl. “Do you think this is a joke? I cannot believe that there are people that had the gall to invite us-”

“Enough,” The Obsidian Duke said suddenly. “Demonstrate through action. There is no need to speak to ones such as these.”

Ah. Tatiana tapped her chin as a thought struck her. Perhaps this isn’t about Randidly at all. Perhaps they even would be interested in the meeting normally, but the Nemesai are worried what the people of Earth will think if they casually attend the party. As though some of their fear of them will disappear. So they risk attracting ire by entering boldly in order to leave an impression… but why are they willing to go to such lengths to make others fear them?

Thea, the Winged Serpent, and the Grey Lich stayed on the ground while the Obsidian Duke and the Bandit King proceeded forward onto the tiles. The Bandit King, in particular, was already releasing an ominous pressure even before he moved out to join the other people who were testing their images. People drifted naturally deeper into the central part of the ballroom as the Nemesai approached. Then, as soon as the Bandit King’s feet touched the glowstone tile, a ripple of light ran through everywhere.

Once again, the smallest and weakest individuals had the light beneath their feet waver and shrink. By this round, the weaker individuals produced practically no light through their image. Even Azriel, the dominant force on the floor, showed signs of waning as the Nemesai began to wax brilliantly. Almost immediately, the press of their images blasted outward and filled the ballroom.

From the Obsidian Duke, there was a strange sort of image of claustrophobic metamorphosis. It was possible to feel how the heat and pressure of the ground warped materials into a completely different shape through his mind. To the Nemesai’s credit, the process seemed firmly grounded in silence. But there was a strange sense of alchemy to it that gave him his persistent ability to absorb damage.

Meanwhile, the Bandit Duke carried with him a more predictable scent of blood and the ominous feeling of standing on a field filled with freshly deceased bodies. His was a figure that was dripping blood and craving more. The depraved cravings in his heart were laid bare for all to see. The dark, oppressive nature of the two images seemed to seem into the air, tainting everything they touched.

If there is a problem with this floor, it’s that it conveys the images too well, Tatiana thought as she frowned down at the action below. She managed okay against the pulsing image that pressed against the surrounding area, but she could sense that some of the reverberations were penetrating the thick walls of the ballroom and affecting the caterers who were just trying to prepare additional food. She quickly sent a message to Wolfram, who immediately began to move through the perimeter passages of the building to provide the average people some protection.

As for the employees passing out drinks… they were mostly selected from the Order Ducis applicants. So although they didn’t necessarily have the strongest images themselves, they at least had experience enduring against the power of another person’s image. With exceptionally stiff expressions, they continued to drift around the party and offer the distracted guests flutes of champagne.

Helen had been only too happy to provide them hands-on experience of the agony of enduring through an image. It seemed she had quite a bit of frustration to work off after fighting a Randidly who relied only on his physical body.

The light beneath the two Nemesai’s feet continued to swell. It seemed that they were familiar enough with each other that they worked together, quickly pressuring even Azriel’s image to shrink to a size smaller than them.

“Is this really all you have?” The Bandit King cackled. He spread his arms wide in mocking imitation of the image the Paolo was still producing. “Is this truly the limit of your strength? Well then, don’t mind if we tear everything you’ve built to the ground.”

“Fuck you.” Someone from the crowd spoke up. Tatiana stiffened. Alta Bounty slowly stalked forward toward the Nemesai, her eyes narrowed. Smoke drifted up from the corners of her eyes.