It was clear that the Star was not here to seek a Retrofitter. The long corridors faded from light to pure darkness as the man strolled through the underground expanse, driven by the call of the Nexus.

The light of his hair faintly illuminated the way but never enough to reveal the walls, ceiling, or floor. He was like the only star in the night sky, travelling along a soundless void. Neither his footsteps nor his breaths made a sound as he carried a swagger seen only on those who knew exactly where they sat in the hierarchy of the living.

Stars were untouchable until only recently. Iscario’s betrayal opened the doors of scrutiny which prevented them from obeying the commands of the Nexus. The last four months had left the Stars starved for action. So, to finally be able to stretch their wings was an indescribable sensation.

The smile was impossible to scrape off his face. Eventually, he reached the halfway point. In the distance one could spot another light faintly waving away like a floating, pale ember. It was a hypnotizing dance that had little effect on the Star. As he drew nearer the light of his hair and the strange ember intensified.

He soon realized that the light was in fact the esca of an Angler Fish, dangled by a thin, transparent illicium. He spoke before the beautiful, pale face of a woman abruptly entered the limelight.

“What reason does an Eclipse have to linger in the home of a Retrofitter?” He amusedly said, never stopping as he gracefully walked past the half-naked Eclipse, dressed in only a thin layer of sticky, opaque membrane that sloshed around the parts she needed to hide the most.

“I could say the same, Star.” The Eclipse’s voice was the harmony of multiple women at once, sounding like a high-pitched violin as her long, barbed tail was held against the throat of the Star to cease his advancements. “There is no reason for your kind to be stepping foot into our depths.”

Red, bioluminescent fluids ran through her tail, creating a mesmerizing pattern as hundreds of tine bones and veins ran in parallel. Her transparent body kept her organs out for display. It was a sight that would awe even the squeamish.

The Star paused, placing a finger against the bladed tip of her tail as he tried to push it away.

“I’m here for business in accordance with the Amalgam’s Will. The ‘Head’ should now be a term universally recognized by all Ateliers.” He maintained his smile. In fact, he didn’t even consider the Eclipse to be a threat even though in truth –

“The Head. We’ve heard it as soon as the Artificer of Rupturing returned to M-A1. What we want to know is what you’re doing here.” The Eclipse warned, her blade digging into the flesh of the Star’s finger, just enough to draw a single droplet of blood.

– An Eclipse could reduce him to ribbons if they so wished.

“Business? You’ll not find the Retrofitters here. You are delusional if you believe we will tell you. Our duty is to remain here on standby until further notice. You are not the one who delivers our orders.” The Eclipse spoke frighteningly fluently.

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Abyssal Aquatids were known for their broken manner of speech, which clued the Star in that someone else was speaking on the behalf of the Eclipse. Further down the tunnel he could sense the presence of another person, and when he raised a hand, the glowing esca immediately clashed with an invisible barrier surrounding it.

The entire corridor was instantly engulfed with a wicked flash of light as the walls turned orange for a split second. The soaring heat of a star was incurred momentarily, showcasing one of the defensive Passive Skills Stars possessed.

[Coronal Ejection] – A Skill that ejected magic at the same frequency as whatever came in contact with the Star. It was similar to the passive electrical barrier that protected the Eye, Fang and Claw from ranged projectiles, but for Stars it worked against physical attacks.

“Oh dear. Does it always need to resort to violence with Moons?” The Star spoke as if taking pity on the Eclipse. “Combat-bred races don’t take lightly to the art of business.”

“Precaution. Must enact. You’re suspicious.” The Eclipse finally spoke in her true voice, losing the reverb as it returned to a regular yet utterly irresistible tone. They were femme fatele’s for a reason, after all.

Other Stars had different variations of the Coronal Ejection Skill, with Iscario – the Brightest Star – notably being able to deflect seemingly all ranged and piercing-type attacks.

This, however, was not perfect. There was a brief vulnerable period before the Coronal Ejection could be prepared, which was under a quarter of a second.

A swift follow-up attack saw the Star’s hand become wrapped by the illicium, preventing him from acting against whoever it was that spoke through the Eclipse.

But it was never his intention to harm them. No. Rather, all he wanted was to talk. To convey the message the Nexus so generously entrusted him with.

“Tell message. No need to enter further. Speak mind. Or seek healer soon.” The Eclipse firmly warned, her vibrant, blue eyes drilling into the back of the man’s head.

He chuckled. “As you wish. I would have preferred it to be in a more suitable –!?”

Suddenly, the barbed tip, which resembled the tail of a stingray, pressed flushed against his nape. The Eclipse wished to get down to business. As someone who could only speak in simple terms, hearing the man’s purple prose only pissed her off.

“… Your duties as Assassins have been relinquished. As you may have heard, the Moons are now strictly governed by the Amalgam.” Understanding his position now, the Star spoke succinctly, but still kept his awfully smug grin.

“Roles being removed? Can’t hunt Moons? Hard to believe.” The Eclipse glared daggers into his back as she walked around him, her feet slapping against the cold concrete. “Moons dangerous. Go crazy frequently.”

She then dragged a finger down the man’s body, beginning from his chin and down to his pelvis like a mock dissection.

“I assure you it is the Will of the Amalgam. Failure to comply will see you joining the ranks of the Condemend. You wouldn’t want your magic stripped from you.” He said, using his free hand to flick hers away, causing a minor explosion to erupt between their fingertips. “Not like those Blood Moons and Red Giants.”

She brought her finger to her mouth and suckled on it as if it were wounded.

“… Speak more. Inflow Direct said nothing. News spread slowly. Herald not visit yet.”

Suddenly, after a brief pause, footsteps could be heard approaching them from far behind. Even within the veil of darkness they could tell who exactly this person was, judging from the scraping sounds of metal and the ethereal, blue glow of their lengthy apparel.

A young, masculine voice then spoke.

“Oh… but I am here. Never too early. Never too late. As per the Will of the Script.”

What emerged was a Herald. He used a blue-tinted great sword as a cane, dragging its forever sharpened blade across the floor.

“A Star of the Nexus, and a Moon in the same place. What the Star speaks is the truth. The Script tells me it is so. I sincerely hope you don’t mind me overseeing the transaction. It is a requirement of mine, as per the Script.”

He then clutched at his heart, elated to be faced with the living legends of Elysia.