“There is unfortunately little for me to bring onto the table as our issues are our own. The Chained Theocracy’s presence is terribly small in this continent.” Beholder Umbra began. “I have only two branches present. The rest are scattered around the far away lands of Zelmori, the homeland of my kind.”

The continent of Zelmori – or sometimes called Zelmori Fall by its native inhabitants – was a continent located in the southwest. It serves as the birthplace of all Demons and other entities of a similar origin, such as the Succubae, Vampires and races that were considered evil in traditional Earth media.

It was a vast continent much like theirs, with its own population and renditions of the legends that occurred on these lands. The current continent the Nexus resided in didn’t have a name, but it was usually referred to as the ‘main’ continent as a slight against the Demons.

People tended to refer to where they came from by their Regions rather than the continent, so the namelessness of their continent was hardly an issue. Strange, but understandable.

Frost could only imagine what living in a Demon society would be like, never mind the equivalent of an entire world.

“But because the Amalgam is willing to hear me complain, I firstly want to address that there has been an unauthorized usage of our Oblivion Lock.” Chains fell from her shoulders like tumbling hair, coiling around her bare feet until it grew to her knees.

These chains had long lost their lustrous glow; the strange membrane that caused it to exude its sacred aura. They were cracked, chipped, and damaged beyond repair. The sheer weight of the many chain links alone caused several to groan as they crumbled as though they were made of sandstone.

Suddenly, her eyes moved onto Enoch.

“ImpulseWorks. Technology is being stolen as we speak. You should learn to abide by the terms we agreed on. Your Atelier has become a target of internal affairs. Last week you made a cunning effort to hide it.” Her words implied malice, but the way she spoke seemed like she didn’t care at all.

It was frankly impossible to tell if this even meant anything to Umbra. It felt like she was only bringing this up for the sake of it. Regardless, Frost listened carefully as a small glimmer of their conflicts arose.

Enoch smiled.

“Samyaza is to blame for trying to hide it. Kissaria opened the Gates for the Golden Index’s army to sweep through Scarlet Logic’s territory. How we use your technology does not concern you to begin with. We are at larger risk when we open the connection between each Gate. Such were the terms. The Arbiter’s feathers aren’t rustling. I’ve been keeping an eye on this Council. They rustle only to the truth…”

Suddenly, Enoch lapped her lips.

“… But it seems that one got away. Pity. I was sure your Penumbra Knights were put to the same rest you constantly preach of. The Eclipses have gotten softer. Sorry about that.”

She was unapologetic, and was correct as the Arbiter immediately identified the lie in Beholder Umbra’s statement.

“It was not that you used it, but how you used it. The Subcut can leak into the Epiderma. Those flames are unstoppable. Amalgam. I wish to take at least a hand from that one. It is neutral grounds, but we can surely arrive at an agreement.”

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“The moment either of you pick up an arm then you are as good as dismissed from being a Blessed. As for you Enoch, I’ll personally be taking your limbs if you continue.” Frost swooped in with a dangerous voice. It was not a warning. It was a promise. “Even after we risked losing so much more than the City of Spades and the Nexus, your Ateliers are still at knife’s edge?”

“It’s gotten worse.” Enoch admitted. “Tech gone, coms gone – the chain of command doesn’t exist past a certain point – Oh, sorry. I’ll wait my turn. You’re right, Amalgam. Why should we be fighting amongst ourselves? They’re angry at Kissaria. Last time I heard, she’s well aquatinted with you.”

“That she is.” Frost fondly recalled that penguin Artificer. “Beholder Umbra. I want you to overlook what Kissaria did. I will not ask again. Kisarria saved more lives than we all did combined by allowing the Golden Index access to into the City of Spades.”

Frost realized that the nature of conflict could not be rooted out so easily, and Enoch was right. Ateliers outside of the Nex Megalopolis were at greater risk of conflict until communication could be reestablished.

The Hyperlinks needed to be restored. Galia understood the look on Frost’s face and nodded, indicating that she would be the one to bring it up.

“As you wish. The age-old conflict of Demons and humans will never end. In truth, I simply wished that she stopped clinging onto that futile belief of hers. Death was my intended gift.” Beholder Umbra continued, shrugging off the clash as though it had never occurred.

The Arbiter’s feathers rustled quietly.

Fucking lunatics. Now that I think about it, she reminds me of D-13.

“Inevitability. Acceptance. Death. I think these three describe their philosophy.”

How did you figure that out?

“There is a short excerpt I’ve found in the Library. It refers to a Demon of sorrows, who was chained beneath a moonless night for centuries. It refers to the unchanging nature of the world. I believe this is a reflection of her philosophy.”

… are you able to find anything about the other Beholders?

“This was by sheer luck. With the Archivist’s help, we may be able to pry deeper into the Beholders. Frost. Have you considered it?”

Sorry. Considered what?

“That Beholders may be able to become Corrupted.”

… I’ve thought about it, but I really don’t want to consider that a possibility. I can’t even fight one as I am now unless I’m given ample time to reach the Fifth State. Isn’t it dangerous combing through the Library alone?

“I am in the company of Ignis and the Alter Frosts. The Archivist is the one who runs the risk of exposing their pasts to the Librarians. For us, it will help facilitate our understanding of them. Expecting it to change them is not possible. However, expecting it to help if something were to go awry is. I like this place. I think this is what ‘like’ means.” Nav finished, mimicking the sound of a flickering book before Frost was brought back Beholder Umbra’s half-lidded gaze.

“The loss of Scarlet Logic means that our more experimental procedures will be difficult. We used to rely on them to maintain a few of the fronts of the southern war and as fuel in Zelmori. Without them, we lack a critical amount of biomass to keep our kind sated. I excluded it in my introduction because I believed you were aware of the nature of Demons, Amalgam. Many of us prey on the living. The highest of us however, prey on their souls.”

Frost hid her shock. She was under the impression that Demons were in some way better than humans. That they were misjudged. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. As it turned out, Demons – or more accurately – entities originating from Zelmori required sustenance from the living in some capacity.

Like how a Succubus required sexual energy or fluids, and a Vampire required blood. Demons were not just limited to flesh and souls but bargains as well. Beholder Umbra explained that not all Demons were quite like this. The shining example was Carpalis, who used racial traits to protect rather than to steal.

Going against her nature caused Capralis immense suffering.

There was no doubt in Frost’s mind that Umbra had endured a similar fate, and instead of trying to change, she had embraced it.

No… If the chains were anything to go by, then she had enforced it.

This is how Frost interpreted it.