Quill's PoV:

I push myself up from the ground, head spinning as I try to make sense of my surroundings. The acrid stench of burning rubber fills my nostrils while tremors shake the earth beneath my feet. Screams pierce the air from all directions.

"What happened?" My thoughts feel sluggish, disconnected. The last clear memory is trapping that assassin with Soul in my Snoring Dragon illusion. Now everything's chaos.

My divine sense extends outward, far beyond what my eyes can see. The magnificent skyline of Ebber's Ridge lies in ruins. Most of the towering buildings have crumbled to nothing but rubble and ash. In the distance, I detect Soul's familiar aura locked in combat with... something. But his energy feels diminished, weakened.

"Lala." The moment my daughter's name crosses my mind, my divine sense rushes to the underground caves beneath Lysium. Relief floods through me as I find her safe, though still recovering from her earlier exertion. Eve stays vigilant by her side while Issabele tends to Nor's wounds. At least he'll survive.

A blur of movement. Something charging straight at me. My arrays activate instinctively, a two-dimensional rotating barrier materializing between us. The creature doesn't even try to evade. My array cleaves it cleanly in two.

I struggle to focus, to understand why my mind feels so foggy when my body and Qi reserves remain intact. My divine sense functions perfectly, yet my thoughts refuse to align.

Examining the bisected creature, I frown at what I see. Instead of blood, pure darkness oozes from both halves. The thing resembles a lizard, but pitch black, eyeless, noseless, with a grotesque mouth stretching half its length. Rows of jagged teeth line the impossible maw.

I stare at the bisected creature, my thoughts finally crystallizing into clarity. The worst part? Although I can see it clearly before me, it's almost invisible to my divine sense. Pure luck led me to catch this one - its noisy charge and blatant attack making it impossible to miss.

My fingers trace ancient patterns in the air. A new array springs to life, its symbols twisting and morphing. The concepts of life and vitality interweave with determination and concentration. The array settles against my back, burning through my clothes. Searing pain courses through me, but I push it aside.

A self amplification array. One of my strongest.

My mind snaps into focus as my divine sense explodes outward with newfound power. Even with this boost, the creatures remain little more than faint dots in my perception - weak annoyances barely registering. But there are so many. Millions upon millions of them.

From my elevated vantage point, they appear as an endless dark wave flowing toward Ebber's Ridge.

I trace the flow back to its source, and my divine sense encounters something that makes my skin crawl. A massive presence, distant yet terrifying. Though I sense its immense danger, it seems contained, unable to reach across directly.

'A different dimension,' my mind supplies.

The situation leaves only one option: fight.

I leap into action, my feet barely touching the ground as I race toward Soul's location. Behind me, a new array blooms like a flower, its patterns interweaving life essence with lightning and wind. The concepts of determination and serenity flow through the matrix, stabilizing the volatile mix.

Soul comes into view, his massive frame moving with uncharacteristic sluggishness. His aura fluctuates wildly - something I've never seen from him before. The creature he faces towers over him, its four arms working in perfect coordination. The vertical mouth running down its torso gnashes hundreds of teeth, dripping that same dark substance I saw earlier.

Its right arm morphs into a club while the left stretches into a crude blade. Soul parries each strike, but his movements lack their usual precision.

My array pulses, ready. I release it forward, watching as it slams into Soul's broad back. The impact sends ripples through his flesh, and the smell of cooking bacon fills the air as the array sinks deep into his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" Soul's head snaps toward me, eyes wide.

The monster seizes its chance, lunging at Soul with terrifying speed. But Soul simply sidesteps left, casual as ever, and plunges his arm elbow-deep into the creature's body. Lightning crackles along his limb, cooking the monster from the inside out. It crashes to the ground, twitching.

"Thanks," Soul grunts, already charging toward another identical monster that appears in the distance.

'Next, information'

I unleash another array toward the approaching horde, buying precious seconds. My divine sense maps the battlefield, tracking both allies and enemies. The information floods my consciousness: Soul's position, the creature's movements, the city's structural damage. Everything flows through my mind in perfect clarity.

A teleportation array springs to life beneath my feet as I lock onto Lala's location. In an instant, the cave materializes around me. The air here feels thick, heavy with tension.

Nor lies against the rough wall, his chest a mess of torn flesh and blood. A constant stream of metallic sand flows over his wounds, knitting the damage together bit by bit. Nanites - advanced even by today's standards.

"Dad."

The word comes from behind me. Lala pushes herself up, her legs still trembling from earlier array manipulation.

I move toward Nor, my mind already calculating the best way to stabilize him before I start squeezing information from that bastard. Then her word hits me like a physical blow. I freeze mid-step, my thoughts grinding to a halt.

Spinning around, I cross the distance between us in two strides. My arms wrap around her small frame, lifting her clear off the ground. She lets out a surprised gasp as I crush her against my chest.

"You finally called me dad!" Tears stream down my face, and I don't care who sees them. The emotions I've held back for decades burst forth all at once.

Pink spreads across Lala's cheeks. Her eyes dart around the cave, refusing to meet mine as embarrassment overtakes her.

"Hehe." Nor's weak chuckle echoes from behind us, but nothing else matters right now.

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My daughter. My little girl finally acknowledged me as her father. In all my decades of existence, I've never felt joy quite like this.

I hold Lala close, savoring this precious moment, when space itself ripples behind me. The air bends and twists, folding in on itself until the little assassin materializes - the same one Soul and I trapped in our illusion earlier.

Lala glances at him, then at me an relaxes completely in my arms. Her trust warms my heart even as Nor scrambles to his feet, nanites working overtime to stem the bleeding from his wounds.

"Stay back!" Nor's voice cracks as he presses himself against the cave wall.

I almost laugh at the fear in his eyes. The assassin's power is impressive, I'll admit - the ability to reset himself in space and time while keeping his memories intact. But Soul and I made sure he learned his lesson in that illusory cavern. The limitations of his ability are clear - he needs to be conscious and alive for it to work. A simple fact that made our... educational session particularly effective.

The assassin stands motionless, his earlier confidence replaced by something closer to respect. Or perhaps it's fear. Either way, the message we impressed upon him seems to have stuck, the chains holding his soul working overtime to make sure he knows who his new master is.

Nor continues to panic, unaware that the threat has already been neutralized. The nanites swarm across his chest, desperately trying to contain the damage. His eyes dart between me and the assassin, waiting for violence that won't come.

I release Lala from my embrace, though she stays close to my side.

"What's your name?" I lock eyes with him, watching for any hint of deception.

"Seven," he answers, voice flat and mechanical.

I raise an eyebrow. Perhaps our lesson in the illusory cavern wasn't thorough enough. His body trembles as realization hits him. He drops to his knees, head bowed low.

"My name is Seven, exalted one." His voice wavers. "The only name I ever had, given to me by the Union."

"The nonsense outside," I keep my voice low, controlled. "Is that also your doing?"

Seven's face scrunches in genuine confusion. "I don't know what you mean, exalted one."

Something in his response rings true. I shift my attention to Nor, who's still pressed against the cave wall.

"You." I point directly at him. "I know this is confusing but we don't have time. What the hell is happening outside?"

Nor blinks rapidly, struggling to process. "W-we are isolated down here," he stammers. "Completely."

I roll my eyes and summon a projection array. Images flicker to life - fallen skyscrapers, masses of panicked people, psykers fighting desperately against endless waves of creatures. Above it all, Soul dances through the sky, lightning crackling as he battles an army of humanoid shapes.

"Incursion." Seven's single word sends visible shivers through everyone present. Even Eve and Issa pale at the term. "We need to run. Now!"

I massage my temples, trying to process everything happening at once. The headache pounds against my skull, a constant reminder of the chaos unfolding above us.

"Explain," I command, my voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.

Nor shifts uncomfortably, the nanites still working overtime on his wounds. "Knowledge about incursions are on a need-to-know basis. General population knows just the basics," he pauses, wincing. "While a city lord like myself knows a bit more, but not enough."

My gaze shifts to Seven, watching as his body tenses under my scrutiny. "Abyssal Incursion," he says, as if those words should clarify everything. "But I don't understand. We are far away from the frontlines." His eyes widen suddenly. "Unless..."

Before anyone can react, Seven's hand plunges into his own chest. The violent motion makes Eve gasp, but he doesn't stop. With a grunt of pain, he yanks something free - a small dark crystal that sizzles and sparks in the cave's air before crumbling to dust.

In a flash, he vanishes, reappearing meters away. His body shows no sign of the self-inflicted wound, as pristine as if nothing happened.

"I was marked," Seven admits, head bowed low. "I didn't know."

My head throbs harder as I piece together the fractured information. Patterns emerge, connections form, and a plan starts taking shape in my mind.

"Exalted one," Seven's voice breaks through my thoughts. "I-if," he stammers, "If you could summon the two demon monkeys, we might be able to stop this."

The pain in my head intensifies. During our illusion array, Soul and I had portrayed ourselves as Red Trickster Monkeys serving a greater power - me, in my divine form. It seemed clever at the time, but now that deception has come back to haunt me far sooner than expected.

"We need to move," Nor chokes out. His hands fumble at his sides. "Leaving the moon takes precedence over anything else." He snaps his fingers, and a pad rises from the floor. He grabs it and starts tapping frantically. "I've activated the Final Sanction. We got a few hours left."

I stare at Nor, my fingers reaching for his throat. The nanites crawl over my skin, trying to protect their master, but my Qi burns them away instantly.

"The hell is that?" The words come out sharp, angry.

"A series of planet crackers set under the crust." Nor's face turns an interesting shade of purple. "It's the only way."

"You are going to blast this rock to dust?" I lift him higher, my arm tensing as rage builds inside me. Millions of innocent people live on this moon.

"I-I'm still in control." He gasps for air between words. "If you manage to destroy the portal, I can stop it anytime." His eyes dart between my face and my hand. "But if not..." His voice trails off into silence.

Nor's expression hardens suddenly. "Now, I got better things to do, so either kill me or let me do my job."

"Aghh"

I let go of the bastard and prepare to depart.

"Seven," I command. "Take Lala and leave this rock."

"As you wish." He bows and starts moving.

"No." Lala's voice cuts through the cave. Her small frame straightens as she faces me.

"This isn't up for discussion." I keep my voice firm despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "That slave will keep you safe."

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

I survey the chaos unfolding before me, my divine sense struggling to track the endless waves of enemies. The sheer number of abyssals makes my head spin. No formations prepared, no artifacts to draw upon, and Qi itself feels thin in this technology-dominated realm. Not to mention that I haven't properly trained since reaching the core realm.

A ruthless grin spreads across my face. "Just the way I like it."

Racing through the devastation, I spot Soul battling against a dozen humanoid abyssals. Lightning crackles around his massive frame as he launches himself like a cannonball, smashing through one creature and reducing it to paste. He whirls to face the remaining threats.

"Please tell me you got a plan." His voice booms across the battlefield.

"I do." I nod firmly. "Stop fighting. Help everyone evacuate while tagging all enemies."

"Tag?" Soul's confusion is evident.

I manifest a tiny formation at my fingertips - a basic array children use in their first lessons, playing simple games of tag.

"Understood." Soul's response is immediate. A massive lightning bolt crashes down from above, engulfing his form before branching outward to strike every nearby enemy. Their bodies char and crumble in seconds.

Though his aura dims noticeably, Soul wastes no time. He charges toward the ground, marking each creature he passes with the small array.

I rush toward the portal in the distance, my lips curling into a predatory smile. "Now then, time to play."

With each step closer, my body screams in protest. Every instinct tells me to turn back, to flee from this overwhelming dread. My divine sense recoils, threatening to shut down entirely. The pressure feels familiar though - almost like standing before Murmur during one of her temper tantrums.

The solution is obvious.

'Slap'

My right cheek burns from my own hand, but the sharp pain cuts through the fear. I charge forward as the endless void beyond the portal tries to devour my very soul.

The moment I cross the threshold, the pressure vanishes. A grin spreads across my face as I take in my new surroundings. A dark sun hangs in the sky, casting its malevolent light over a scorched wasteland that stretches beyond my sight.

An endless tide of creatures surges toward the portal - billions upon billions of them. Most are small, similar to the lizard-types I fought earlier. But in the distance, I spot monstrosities that defy explanation.

My eyes drift upward, and I freeze. Something massive looms above, watching me. Countless eyes, each one larger than mountain ranges, cover the sky around the black sun. Thick tentacles connect this incomprehensible being to the ground below. As I watch, eggs burst from these tentacles, releasing even more beasts that plummet to earth before joining the rush toward the portal.

My heart shudders, not from fear but from excitement.

Usually I need to be careful, to prevent myself from exploring my art while avoiding destroying everything in my vicinity.

But here, I feel like I can just let go and try something new.

If a six layered array managed to destroy the heavens, then I wonder what a seven layered one could do.

"Well, time to find out" I exclaim and let my art take over me as an endless amount of formations bloom.