Decklan’s eyes were wide as he watched this monstrous version of Randidly Ghosthound swipe his black-flame-covered-claws and scythe through the remnants of Straud’s body. Instantly, he felt the connection in blood that signaled the oath between himself and Straud disappear. That heart-wrenching decision he had made to abandon the Earth after being convinced that Straud had a way to return to a Pre-System Earth suddenly became pointless as his benefactor bled out on the ground.

For several seconds, Decklan stared blankly at the collapsed body. Rather ironically, the Winged Serpent’s ritual done at Straud’s behest continued unabated, resulting in a vast quantity of blood that had been within Straud’s body being pulled up into the lifeblood accumulation.

Even his blood became fuel for whatever the ritual was creating.

As one, the bloodbeasts that had been harrying the people in the stands simply collapsed into splashes of blood. That liquid was seized too, all flowing in thick streams toward the ritual. Yet Decklan felt a small bit of satisfaction seeing clearly from the Nemesai’s expressions that their mood was not good as they watched their ally slaughtered.

Yet as soon as he noticed it, Decklan couldn’t help but want to collapse and cry. What did it matter if others shared his misery? Is this… has everything really been… for nothing…? My hesitations… my decision… just wiped away by a single claw...

With the largest antagonist that was trying to harm the people of Earth defeated, there was almost a full minute of silence as people glanced around and waited for someone to step forward and take charge in the aftermath. Those who were weak knew it wasn’t their place. Those who were strong… All of them refrained from moving hastily as they looked out at Randidly Ghosthound, who was simply standing there and looking down at the crumpled form of the Straud.

It seemed unlikely that anyone would forget the thirty seconds it had taken Randidly Ghosthound to slay the foe who had tormented the Earth for so long.

Clenching his fists, Decklan pressed his eyes closed. Without even bothering to understand the situation, to understand why this is really the best for anyone… you just came through and crushed everything…

“...are you Randidly?” Finally, Alana Donal stepped forward and broke the strained silence. Her expression was puzzled as she considered the glowing core at the heart of Randidly’s body. “I obviously recognize the features of your image, but your skin… And how do you maintain such a pristine avatar form…?”

Randidly Ghosthound twisted and looked at Alana as though noticing her for the first time. Interest flashed in his eyes, but mostly Decklan noticed that the color of his eyes was darker than he remembered. The green there was the color of growth in the deep forest, wild and slightly feral.

Randidly waved his extremely dangerous looking clawed hand. Some of Staud’s blood trickled off his talons and was pulled upward by the ritual. “I’m not the main body. I’m just the image of the Grim Chimera, sent here to clean things up a bit. And as for the strength of the image…”

Scratching his chin, the Ghosthound seemed rather genuinely stumped. “Practice I guess…?”

“Practice,” Decklan hissed bitterly through his teeth. After being smashed backward by the force of the Ghosthound’s aura, his wounds had finally recovered. He reclaimed his dagger and looked enviously over at the powerful figures of Randidly Ghosthound and Alana Donal who both had the potent whiff of images around him. Would the world really be this fucked up if all it takes to overcome these trials was practice…?

“Just an image…” Her voice was surprised and Alana seemed to consider that revelation carefully. Her eyes flashed with intensity as she scanned the Ghosthound once more, this time with a more discerning look. “I suppose that means that… Randidly has other such images within him that are just as powerful as you?”

“Yup, but I’m probably the strongest when acting alone. I’m the Grim Chimera image.”

Meanwhile, Decklan’s blood had simultaneously frozen and turned to acid. His hand gripping his dagger spasmed, tightening his grip on the blade to the point that it was painful to maintain.

If this was just a single image… how powerful had Randidly Ghosthound become? And did he really believe that the reason they hadn’t become as powerful as he had… was just because they weren’t trying hard enough? Some of the deep regret that Decklan had carried since being swayed by Straud fell away.

You truly don’t understand the struggles of those who are not blessed, Randidly Ghosthound. Decklan began spinning his dagger across his still-trembling fingers. You don’t understand the lengths we need to go to in order to survive. You don’t understand what it’s like to be constantly at the mercy of another’s whims.

Alana continued to study the image in front of her, as though looking would allow her to understand the trick to separating an image from her body. The Grim Chimera responded to Alana’s searching look with a vicious grin of invitation. “Want a quick spar?”

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Alana’s mouth twitched. “...I’ll pass for now. Besides, we still have the Nemesai to fight. Even with the barrier down, it will take some time for reinforcements from Zone 1 to arrive.”

“I’ll pass, the main body’s orders were unfortunately clear. These Nemesai should be problems that the people of Earth should resolve without our assistance.” Then this image that was so arrogant with its words cracked his neck and looked around as though bored. “If that’s it, I’ll be heading out. You take care of the rest.”

The people of Earth felt their hearts flutter. Decklan could see many people staring at Randidly Ghosthound’s image with a deep yearning in their lives. After only having heard stories about the man in the past, finally seeing his power… it left a deep impression on the hearts of all of the witnesses.

Decklan hated Randidly like he had rarely hated in the past. What? You interfere to stop the Red Revival, yet you abandon these people to fight against the Nemesai on their own?!? Is what you really care about just making sure no one chooses a different path than you, Randidly?!?

Meanwhile, the Nemesai looked at Randidly Ghosthound’s image with solemn expressions of caution. Alana was the one who took the news the best. Upon hearing what the Ghosthound said, she simply nodded. “No worries, we can take it from here. Thanks for the assist.”

The Ghosthound’s image shook his head and muttered quietly to himself, “Can’t believe I had to leave in the middle of the ogre fight for this…” Then his body simply began to dissipate, fading slowly out of existence.

To arrive quickly was one thing, but to leave just as fast after killing someone was quite another. Riding on the same wave of helpless fury that seemed to be drowning him for the last two years, Decklan raised his dagger and whipped it forward. After his early attack, it was clear that he wouldn’t accomplish anything with such a strike. Yet Decklan refused to simply allow this image to intervene and then escape without having to face the truth of what he had done.

Perhaps he had expected that the blow would be harmless, but Decklan hadn’t expected the dagger to simply pass through the image’s fading body. But as a shadow still hanging in the air, the image turned to Decklan and raised an eyebrow. “You again? What?”

The dismissiveness in the Grim Chimera’s voice vicious.

“You…!” Decklan was so angry his mouth failed to find the words to describe how sociopathic Randidly Ghosthound was. For several seconds his jaw worked soundlessly, then all the hatred and self-pity and anguish he had felt since Terra’s death came gushing out. “This was our chance! Don’t you get that?!? Straud had made contact with a powerful being that could change things! Free us from the System. And you…!”

Decklan clenched his jaw so hard that the bone popped. “You are so threatened by anyone else but yourself possessing power that you cut us off from every other person in the Nexus! If you hadn’t have tried to maintain your complete dominion over this Earth, the sky is the limit for what we could accomplish! The things Straud showed me… he was born on a different Earth! With that power, we could have solved the violence! We could have saved so many lives! If you-”

The shadowy image shook his head sadly. He waved his hand and black particles of energy that had once created the illusion that it was anything more than an image spiraled up to form an oval in the air. The air within that opal slowly darkened and then buzzed like a television set with a slightly wrong reception.

But as that buzzing cleared, the oval became something like a window through which everyone on the field could see. There was a figure clearly visible through the oval, sitting quietly with lifeless eyes. But what was most immediately attention-grabbing about the figure was the fact that the man’s own hands were blacked and corrupted, tight around his own throat.

Perhaps no one else recognized that man immediately, but how could Decklan, who had thrown his lot in with Straud in search of an escape, not recognize the face of the man within the oval of darkness?

“That… is that the same figure that appeared earlier to destroy the limits on the Nemesai’s images?” Alana asked in confusion. Randidly’s image simply nodded.

Meanwhile, Decklan threw himself at the disappearing image. Because he didn’t have his daggers, he simply slashed with his fingernails like they were claws. “WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!? HE COULD HAVE SAVED US! HE COULD HAVE TAKEN US BACK TO A WORLD WHERE-”

Decklan passed through the fading image and hit the ripped up turf while breathing heavily. A second later, the image dissipated. The oval that showed the face of Straud’s god hung there for several more seconds, before also fading to nothing.

“Terra…” Decklan whispered.

Gradually, the stadium once more woke back up to the situation. The remaining guards from the Order Valorem had a short discussion and then left a few to guard the surviving populace while the rest trooped down onto the torn-up field.

But Decklan just stared blankly at the ground. Once again, everything had come to nothing.

*****

Dauntless sat up in the announcer’s box and looked down over the assembled forces of both sides as Randidly’s image departed. The box was empty, likely deserted by the people originally in here during the worst of the bloodbeast attack. So now it gave him the perfect vantage point to look over the stadium and consider his next move.

Almost helplessly, he shook his head. I know the Nemesai still have one more surprise ready, but it won’t be enough. Do I have to intervene on their side…? But that would mean I would be lumped in with them. And as long as it is clear that I am a separate evil, the Nemesai will continue to be a distraction… especially after their actions today.

Dauntless glanced down over the bleak-looking stands. The last of the blood was being sucked away now by the Winged Serpent’s ritual, leaving the stands oddly clean despite the earlier chaos. But broken and near-mummified bodies were strewn everywhere. Probably ten thousand people had been butchered in the chaos of the initial attack and due to the blood seal on some of the people from the Order Valorem that turned them traitor. Although populations continued to sharply grow with the emergence of Bubble Cities, this would sharply grab the attention of the Zones.

It was the largest loss of life on New Earth to date.

Then Dauntless glanced over toward the Nemesai. They will be forced to retreat, but won’t suffer many losses beyond that… perhaps-

Then Dauntless glanced upwards. Underneath his helmet, his face split into a wide grin. “Theodora Greyman, you are a saint, hahahaha!”