Actus Suprem Devick’s fingers were slick with blood, yet her grin kept stretching wider and wider as she considered the sublime work of art she had woven. Generally, she considered Elhume an unimaginative prick, but this plan had flair.

Exactly her favorite, iron-flavored flair.

It had been hard, following the myriad traces and hooking the juicy meat waiting at the end, but she had managed it. Her image trembled in anticipation, jangling chains of rust leading out to each of her targets. Innumerable, sweet meat, fresh meat, aged meat, rotten meat. The work of thousands of delis over hundreds of years. After a week of focused effort, she felt the usual triumphant exultation of success. Just as quickly, boredom arrived.

It was an occupational hazard to being a prestigious person, such as herself.

“And next?” Devick asked over her shoulder.

For several long seconds, the blurry form of Elhume didn’t respond. Its energy had been erratic in the last hour, but Devick previously hadn’t been so idle as to really take notice. Now, she felt a desire she believed long suppressed at the inconsistency; she felt the overpowering impulse to pounce and attack Elhume. He felt weak to her sensitive tongue.

Not yet, Devick chided herself. She raised a hand and rubbed the corner of her mouth in case any drool had leaked. I am a just and kind mother. All this… ehhehe, yes, this is all to prepare a platform for my cute son to have his ascension. More than anything else, isn’t the act of motherhood one of innate generosity? Perfectly describes one such as myself.

…although obviously, if the Ghosthound putters around, I will graciously also clean up after him. A mother’s toil never ceases.

“Next, we drag them to us, on their knees,” Elhume rumbled.

The Actus Suprem squealed in anticipation, boredom and treason forgotten. Threads of rust color madness leaked out of her body, ready to insinuate themselves into the entire Nexus. The whisper of torture metal on metal spread throughout the entire Nexus.

*****

The giant array created by the Upper Sonara Society continued to crawl its way wider and wider, requiring truly an impressive amount of energy to keep it running. Aether lines were carefully carved and supported in their gradual evolution. Randidly sat and meditated above the working, partially observing its progress, partially waiting impatiently for some change to manifest in the sky, but also pulling his Aether and Nether into tight rotations within his body.

The two flows ran opposite one another, grinding against each other and eliminating impurities. His body heated up from the constant friction generated between the two energies, but it wasn’t even enough for his Homunculi’s Engineered Adaption to trigger. Heat swirled about him— while his energies ground each other down into their purest form, he drew ephemeral landscapes with the vapor rising from his body.

Cosmic wind rising from the Engravings below swept through and distorted the misty reproduction of Donnyton while he moved on to sculpt Kharon. He continued to work, enjoying the distraction while he prepared his energy for the fight of his life.

Congratulations! Your Skill Motif of Unimagined Tolls (GD) has grown to Level 1150!

…yet still the final confrontation lingered, right beyond his awareness. Soon, he had gone through every geographic formation on Expira that he knew without any further developments. The Engraving continued to ooze its way outward.

“Tch,” Randidly flexed his fingers and rolled his shoulders to break up the monotony. He forced the tension out of his body as best as he could; he felt silently grateful to Neveah for badgering him until he developed at least a primitive ability to do this. Because it was unknown how long this would stretch. Almost three hours had passed since the Engraving had been activated and it appeared to be nearing its full climax. “A reprieve, huh?”

From his tongue, a notification sprung.

A Reprieve: A small amount of time in which to sharpen your edges. The threshold of this Path’s conclusion remains in front of you, traveler. Do not miss this opportunity.

Congratulations! Your Skill Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist (GD) has grown to Level 1580!

…

Congratulations! Your Skill Arch-Heretic’s Thaumaturgy (P) has grown to Level 899!

Congratulations! Your Skill Heraldic Tongue of the Alchemist (GD) has grown to Level 1612!

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

What a silly… and somewhat dangerous Skill, Randidly thought in a daze as he looked at the notification that hovered in front of him. From his words, a change was wrought in the fabric of existence. He could feel the safety, an ephemeral sensation dancing across his skin. The structure of the Nexus had shifted, to allow Reprieves to become part of its functioning.

When he focused to perceive the brilliant novas of light underpinning all of existence, he could see the Reprieve as a spectral bubble around his own expansive energy signature. Gradually, it shrank. Only with his Skill was it possible, but as Randidly looked, he could see-

Congratulations! Your Skill Emerald Eyes and Dove Whispers Certify the Objective (GD) has grown to Level 1513!

“Five more hours, huh? A little less,” Randidly mumbled as he measured the shrinking nova. His mind still spun from the ridiculous implications of his Skill activating in that manner, but he tried not to let himself be sidetracked; five hours was plenty of time to dedicate too a task. Not enough to start a new project, but enough to add some extra teeth to any of his myriad abilities.

Randidly chewed on his lip. He ran a mental finger along the humming pulse of his churning Nether Core, feeling the powerful flow of energy. His whole body thrummed with Nether. Then he pivoted and focused on the images existing in his Soulspace, finding their image physicalizations settling across his body and the half dozen drops of liquid Aether floating in his core. He reached out gently to those drops and they gathered around his touch.

He exhaled. He gripped the first drop. The tightly refined emotions seethed and writhed in his hand like a fish. But his attention remained fixed. He carved away the outer layer of the drop of liquid Aether, turning it back into its less refined form. Layer by layer, he created a cloud of Aether that swirled around his body.

Finger by finger, he cracked the knuckles as he looked at the diffuse energy. Although it had been unrefined, it retained a bit of sympathy for that energy which used to be its fellow companions, within the drop. Which made it easier for Randidly to gather that energy together, searing it and tempering it with vicious flows of Nether.

Congratulations! Your Skill Randidly Ghosthound, Executive of Nether Reborn (GD)(U) has grown to Level 1541!

He grabbed the edges of the energy and snapped it. His eyes scoured its length for any imperfections. He made a few minor adjustments, then beckoned to Yggdrasil. The image of the World Tree manifested above his body, thick golden roots slithering forward to completely surround the energy field. Randidly poured all the emotional intensity he had gained during his time in the Sonara. A new drop of liquid Aether formed, one so purified and stuffed with energy that it gleamed like a gem.

Randidly grinned. He pointed and the drop spun and twisted, flowing like liquid and gleaming like a gem. Yet this was only the beginning. While he was satisfied with this piece, he needed more. Randidly began working through each drop of liquid Aether, taking it apart, reinforcing and upgrading the insides, and then reforming them.

He felt his mental energy beginning to grow sluggish, but he continued making drops of liquid Aether even after he had finished refining the old ones. He pushed his mind until he had thirteen gleaming drops of energy hovering in the air in front of him.

Congratulations! Your Skill Apostate Moirae’s Seditious Touch (GD) has grown to Level 1313!

Congratulations! Your Skill Deviation’s Inevitable Machinations (GD) has grown to Level 1755!

-in the middle of the intoxicating process, Randidly heard the noise of chains rattling that also somewhat sounded like delighted laughter. Madness ran a finger along his cheek.

His eyes snapped open, the process half finished. In his awareness, the isolating bubble began to crumble and fall. At first he frowned, but then a bitter expression twisted up the corners of his mouth. Ah. Well, it’s a little less bullshit like this. A Reprieve is limited by your awareness of threats; I had been prepared for Elhume to come at the head of the army, or even to move by himself to crush us. But for it to be Actus Suprem Devick…

The chains rattled once more. The noise seemed to originate from all around the area, from the length and breadth of the Nexus— her madness had risen to encompass them all. Randidly looked down at the Engraving Ritual to understand the scope of the threat against him. However… looking at the Engraving, which still continued to grow, he couldn’t really understand.

Randidly frowned. It’s not an attack? But that power-

Her image sent chills down his spine. From this distance, it was impossible to tell the depth of darkness lurking in her heart. But the shape of the image felt oppressive, even for the current Randidly.

The chains rattled again, closer. The Engraving faltered, but not due to any attack; for a brief moment, the flow of energy into the array slowed.

Lyra, who had been standing next to Nathaz Eloise at the edges of the Engraving, bent forward and vomited out blood.

At that very moment, Randidly understood. He almost wished he hadn’t. “Fuck. They are doing a version of exactly our same attack. An indiscriminate offensive. But while we are trying to go after the Nexus’s supply of Aether… they are targeting Grand Fates. Elhume’s had Devick lace chains and madness through them all. And now she’s hauling them back.”

Neveah flitted to Randidly’s side. She nodded in agreement, their thoughts moving together. “Stronger individuals can resist the pull; after all, Devick is targeting the whole of the Nexus with her effort.”

The chains came again, loud and demanding.

“Fuck, she’s a monster,” Randidly said, impressed despite himself. “Did you feel that?”

Neveah gave him a harsh look. “Don’t get distracted. Your feelings toward Devick are complicated enough as it is, but this isn’t the pure-hearted version you’ve come to appreciate. This Devick is broken and hollow and wants to stuff you up inside her innards. Or put her hand up your ass and use you to tapdance. Domineering this definitely is, but this is who you need to overcome. And also…”

Randidly tilted his head to the side. Neveah bit her lip. “It’s not quite correct to believe this method is similar to the Upper Sonara Society’s. It is a broad and indiscriminate attack, yes, but I suspect this isn’t the endgame. I’m even more concerned with what follows— what does Elhume want Devick to do, when she rips out Grand Fates from most of the Nexus and gathers them in one place?”