The presence of the Behemoth alone caused H5 to fall into silence. The Sector of music was deafened by the sound of a blaring horn as Augurists blew into their trumpets, playing a tune that signaled the arrival of Galia.
It was tune that many did not recognize, but the elderly Elves who had lived during the time of Galia’s rise to supremacy immediately dropped to their knees in total subjugation. They fell on the streets, watching as the crowd brushed by as they held a hand to the sky, with some carrying white bead bracelets.
They knew that salvation had come to them. There was no need to fear anymore.
All trains of Caldera Industries were silent, but the Behemoth made itself known to all.
The train towered over all buildings, appearing like a giant, moving slab of steel that emitted a mechanical groan which could be heard as far as two kilometers away. It slowed down considerably as it entered a trainyard surrounded by murky moats. The Behemoths were not designed to stop. If it did, then the sudden deceleration would kill everyone aboard.
It was a mobile weapon, and the moment a giant insect mound was spotted in the center of one of roads leading to the main strip –
“This is Train Commander Exal. Release all limitations. All aboard are free to engage until the suppression of all Dungeons.”
– It was annihilated by a barrage of cannon fire. Heavy metal rods and balls the size of a small house was fired from the barrels of the giant cannons. At the same time, an array of cubes carrying hundreds of tiny barrels fired accurate volleys of spears.
A dark cloud loomed over the mound one second, and in the next it was utterly destroyed.
“Heading west following a clockwise loop. Right-side engagement only. Engage at bearing 135 degrees True. South, 35 from East.”
A deep, masculine voice similar to Knalzark’s spoke from an invisible intercom.
Within the heart of the Behemoth was a chamber where the Train Commander resided, observing all through magical screens linked to Scrying Crystals. These crystals surrounded the Behemoth, both orbiting the train externally and fixed to its outer shell.
They were close to the Greenbirth Main Strip, the Beholders watching on from the deck with amused faces. Never in their wildest dreams did they believe they’d one day stand on the same side of the battlefield. Standing in the center of them all was the Amalgam in her Black Dove garbs.
“Barbaric as always. The might of machines never fails to amuse me.” Galia chuckled, raising a hand to the sky.
Hundreds of shooting stars flew overhead like a meteor shower. The low-orbit crystal bullets did not strike at anything. It was merely a telltale sign of her advent; a warning to the Impuritas and a sign of sacred hope to her personnel.
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“Our ordnances are accurate enough to not level the city.” Knalzark explained. “Furthermore, our friend Descartes has already issued a warning. Amalgam. One Beholder is enough to stabilize the situation by our presence alone. To bring us all to the forefront may cause unwanted deaths.”
“I just need your presence. No need to intervene.” Frost said. “They should be realizing that we’re here. My Fang tells me that the seismic activity has ceased.”
“You can also listen into the Transmitters?” Descartes wondered, seeing that Frost wielded some of the powers of the Beholders.
“No. I just have trustworthy informants of my own.” Frost solemnly answered.
“So we are here to watch?” Enoch happily wondered.
“My intention was just to reveal our unity. I don’t intend for anyone to take matters into their own hands.”
“It would be a tragedy if I were to walk amongst them. Good choice.” Marionette said, weaving string between her fingers. “I don’t plan on harvesting tens of thousands of poor souls.”
Frost was wary about the Beholders. For a lot of them, just being within the proximity of people was dangerous. Marionette can turn them into strings, Knalzark will crush them into a pulp along with their homes, and Umbra emitted a certain radiance that made normal people divulge their depressive thoughts, with a high likelihood of ending their own lives.
Having them so close to the Train Crew caused a few incidents where people stuffed themselves into the barrels of the cannon, and another lost half their hand as a result of Marionette’s power.
The string she played with was indeed made from that person’s flesh.
Thankfully, there were healers on board this train. Indeed, Frost had brought along several bands of Black Healers and Greater Healers to aid in their cleanup efforts.
“It will be an experience to resort to my fists. There are enough Dungeons to share.” Galia despised the thought of getting her hands dirty. She slipped on a pair of black gloves near identical to Frost’s before she stepped towards the edge. “Our best choices for this are Descartes, Enoch, Satania and myself. Jury is a given. I should pay my Justicers a gesture of thanks from time to time.”
And with that, Galia walked off the edge, falling into the barrel of a cannon. An ear-shattering explosion sounded, and they watched as Galia rode the giant heap of metal straight towards a Dungeon.
“I’m recommended!? By a Beholder!?” Enoch was beyond elated to hear someone acknowledge her as she walked up to the Amalgam, her right-hand bleeding all of a sudden.
Her nails dug deep into her palms, running down her elbows before it rapidly congealed, then solidified into a distorted blade.
“Amalgam. Please let me show you why they call me the Artificer of Rupturing –!”
“Let’s go already.” Satania growled. “Deploying Beholders and telling them to stay put is impossible. We’ve avoided a head on confrontation like this to avoid an escalation. Oh. And don’t blame that on me. I’m just a wrathful Demon doing what she’s told to do.”
“Now that we’re personally getting involved it is possible that we will see drastic measures be taken in the future.” Descartes 3 added. “… and it only took a few hundred years for us.”
“I’m more than happy that we are on the same page at the very least. It took an Archetype more than 300 years to find their voice. It’s too late to blame anyone.”
Frost was understandably frustrated to hear Descartes speak so casually about their failure to fight off the Impuritas. But at the same time, she was thankful that they were more than willing to engage in what she predicted to be an all-out war against them.
She wondered if their show of unity here would one day be matched by something similar from the other side. Only a handful of the lower and higher-ranking Impuritas members had shown themselves, but not once had they seen the real masterminds.
Because they’re still weak. All the more of a reason to take the fight to them.
“They can take all the drastic measures they want. We’ll be cleaning up H5. Jury and I will deal with the White Rabbit. My Hired Arm and the Black Wings will focus on healing and public security.”
“Black Wings. This will be a first.” Beholder Umbra hummed, eager to watch everything unfold from the safety of the Behemoth. “Healers that go against their nature… how envious.”
“Now then – It’s time. Knalzark. When I return, it will be your turn to pay them a visit.” Frost entered her First State immediately as stray strands of white hair formed on her head. “The White Rabbit is likely an Aberration of Elysia. I’m unsure if it’s working with the Impuritas. Nevertheless –
– We must seek it.”