Chapter 1314 (2/2)
So as the Nemesai projected their violent images and applied pressure to the surrounding people, Alta’s eyes narrowed. Despite the fact that she was just an image body, one that she tried to make in her original image, she felt a terrible heat coming from her chest. Even as she tried to suppress the impulse, pressure built inside of her body.
And when they started joining hands to suppress Azriel, well…
*****
“Fuck you.”
Alana paused as she entered into the ballroom, flanked by Hank Howard and followed by six blue-silver dragons who were glancing around with interest at the human dwelling. Wivanya raised her long neck to get a better look at the individual throwing off such powerful waves of fury.
What Alana found almost amusing was that all the people scattered about the front area of the ballroom were so fixated on the image battle happening in front of them that they didn’t notice the dragons only a few meters behind them. It seemed that she had been worried about drawing too much attention for nothing; there were plenty of eye-catching guests attending Randidly’s birthday party.
Hank sighed. “I finally thought I’d get the chance ta play the hero, too…”
Alana’s lip curled up in amusement, but she stayed focused on the drama unfolding in front of them. The woman stalked forward, the air warping around her as the heat began to blast outward from her person. Her aura was so powerful that you could literally see the amount of heat that she was producing.
The two Nemesai standing on the raised platform at the front of the ballroom narrowed their eyes but stepped to the side as the woman passed. The Bandit King whirled around to glare at the person who had shouted an expletive at them, but his expression faltered as he saw the responsible party and felt the image rolling off at her.
...where does her power come from… Alana thought with narrowed eyes. She felt a drop of sweat forming on the back of her neck. When she looked at the young woman who was heating the entirety of the ballroom with her presence, Alana felt only a minor threat. Yet the power of her image… was it possible that she possessed a relatively weak body that tricked her Preception…?
But as Alana watched her, the young woman’s body began to transform. She took another step forward and her skin began to redden and scab over as though she was being burned by the heat she was producing. When she took another step, her torso was suddenly wrapped in a thick metal casing and the center of her body glowed like a furnace.
The next step had her wearing a steel helmet, but it could be seen by the growing redness along her neck and arms that her burns were only growing worse. There were places where her flesh cracked and oozed underneath the unrelenting heat. Yet the woman showed no signs of pain, simply pulsing with a hungry fury.
Then she stepped down onto the tiles that measured images and the temperature immediately jumped up about ten degrees. The light produced by basically every other figure wavered wildly as they struggled to stabilize themselves while being battered by the fresh image. Aside from the two Nemesai and one other woman who possessed a similarly powerful image, most of the other people on the tiled floor retreated to the sides. Even Mrs. Hamilton pursed her lips and gave up ground before this young woman that was transforming into a metal monster.
“Do you think being stronger than these people is enough?” When the metal young woman spoke, her voice was hoarse and vicious. “Do you think your tantrum will every change the fate of you and your planet?”
“You-” The Bandit King began, but he narrowed his eyes as the light beneath the metal woman’s feet grew almost blinding. His image of the bloodsoaked field was thoroughly suppressed. The heat in the ballroom became almost unbearable, to the point that Alana gave Wivanya a glance. “...no, you aren’t from Earth. What the hell are you doing here? And what do you think you know about us?!?”
Wivanya’s image spread outward, gradually covering the front area of the ballroom. The temperature thankfully began to sink back down toward livable levels. Some people realized the source of the intervention and turned around to give a thankful glance, but their eyes widened when they noticed who was powering that chilling image.
Alana rolled her eyes. Why are people so obsessed with dragons…?
The metal woman laughed with surprising coldness. The brightness beneath her feet quickly grew beyond the size of the two Nemesai. Her body was wreathed in flames. “No, I am not from this planet. But I know what you do now is pointless. People who are unwilling to spend there time building something to last… will never have true strength. Any benefits you receive will crumble to nothing but ash.”
“You dare-” The Bandit King began, but he forcefully buffeted backward by the force the metal woman was releasing. All the while, the woman took one step at a time forward and soon seemed wrapped in a red-hot suit of armor.
“Is this facade of cruelty truly the path you wish for?” The woman roared. “And if it’s not… why do you continue to hide from the truth and follow it?”
“Well said.”
The room shook with that casual phrase. The images that were previously so easily rippling across the ballroom slowed and then stilled.
Randidly Ghosthound stepped out of the darkness and suddenly appeared on the central island with the five strange objects covered in tarps. Alana’s eyes widened to see that he was dressed up; well-embroidered silk along his legs caught the light as he stepped forward. Then he spread his arms and a buzzing, black energy drifted down to touch the tiles. The light of the images sputtered and then faded.
Suddenly the floor seemed completely inert. The people who were still standing on the tiles turned slowly to face him. With a solemn expression, Randidly glanced around at the surrounding people. “And tonight, that’s why you were all invited here. It’s time to talk about the Paths we have chosen… and what we can build for Earth.”