632. Tales From the Rivers

632. Tales From the Rivers

Twenty Recovery Units rained down a hail of gunfire at the Impuritas. The Scarlet Wolf of the Vice Captain kept watch, for it was clearly no match for the likes of high-ranking Impuritas.

Legions of charcoaled, abstract corpses hung from invisible strings were gunned down. The infant insectid beasts were also suppressed no matter how many were spawned by the Hornet. Bullets hailed from everywhere as the Impuritas oddly wanted to preserve their lives than to die and revive.

Usa – the Captain, took direct control over the entirety of the Recovery Team as Cara stood her ground beside the Lunar Haruspex and his two Lunas.

They gave a succinct observation using the scrutinizing power of the Amalgam’s Blessing.

“Level 130 is the highest. That belongs to the main Ankou. The others are all level 120, including the worm. No known abnormalities or Conditions.”

“All information is being relayed in real time to the Head. Our orders, Master?”

A Luna always referred to their superior and direct supervisor as their ‘Master’. It was born from the extreme reverence nearly all Candidate Moons had towards the Moons of the Nexus. They adopted it even after finally graduating as Aspiring Moons.

“Lay low. This is not a fight for you. Captain of the Apex Recovery Team.” The Lunar Haruspex deeply commanded.

“Listening!”UppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

“All fodder belongs to your team. Lay ruin to those that avoid the light.”

As ordered, the Recovery Units laid waste to the Impuritas. They were destroyed before they could even fully manifest. Each individual bullet had the capacity to injure even a Moon. Impuritas of their make therefore did not stand a chance against the power of the Head’s weapons.

“Loyal hounds of the Nexus...” Hypnos scathingly uttered. “... So you were here to clean up after the Amalgam.”

“Cleanup has always been part of our job description.” The Lunar Haruspex replied in a slothful, uncaring voice. “As we always have. As we always will be ferrying Corrupted and fellows with namesakes to their deathbeds.”

He seemed to recognize Hypnos.

Of all Moons in the Nexus, there were only five with considerable years of duty. The triplets with thirty years, Garmr with sixty and finally – Anpu, with seventy-five years under his belt.

Indeed. This Moon was Anpu.

Despite his immeasurable combat abilities, he had not chosen to become part of the Seci Response Arm. In fact, he qualified to be the very face of it. Even before that he had been invited into the ranks of the Black Moons of the Chained Theocracy.

This was perhaps why he was familiar with Hypnos in the first place.

“A pity to see you here still grasping at the concept of metaphorical rivers.” Anpu slowly spoke, his voice overpowering the gunfire.

Anpu was a man who had seen enough endings to fill a library.

Though he was a Demi-human, he lacked the visible features of one. Only the tail of a jackal hid underneath his garbs. The tip was shaped like a weighing scale, and it softly tapped against his back in the tune of his heartbeat.

“As crude as we last met. Serum G has kept you stagnant. Unlike like us or the River Nile, wouldn’t you say, old friend?”

The mention of the metaphorical rivers visibly irritated Anpu.

“They still think the root of my origins is sourced from some ‘River’ across our sea? You haven’t changed either.”

“Friend of yours, huh!?” Cara shouted, retrieving a red and black suitcase that was drawn from a Carrier’s Dimensional Storage. “It’s sickening seeing people you knew end up like that!”

“He was someone that walked a similar path as mine – a path clad in eternal night. It’s no surprise that he seeks abstract things like it will fix all grievances.”

* * *

“Do not target the Raven. Expositionists have no power on this battlefield. The wiser approach will be to capture them alive.” Anpu ordered, musing Raven who, as said – only observed the events.

“Corrupted manifestation? Hoh. Now that is surprising.” Raven uttered. “The Brightest Star is lacking in many ways... So the Amalgam has reached this point.”

“This is concerning.” Hypnos agreed, whereas the other Impuritas could not believe their eyes.

Cara’s wrists and throat bled like a waterfall. Fragments of blades stuck out from various parts of her body. She pried a blade far too large to have been inside of her chest, and she wielded it effortlessly in a single hand.

“They can wear Corrupted...? And yet we are still incapable of becoming one...?” The Monarch was taken aback by the strongest, instantly firing needles at them from the endless smoke. “Unfair. It’s unfair! Die! Children! Devour them!”

But those needles went nowhere.

They dropped in front of Cara’s feet like flies. The flick of a black tail appeared all around Cara, swatting the needles from the skies.

Projectiles were never a powerful weapon in Elysia, save for firearms like the likes of the Justica Arms. The reason being was that any competent person could cut them down long before they were considered a risk.

“It’s futile.” Anpu said. “This fruitless conflict will only end in one way.”

The armor of the Clockwork Spindleworm began to give way. Bullets now entered the smoke, clearly striking some of the Impuritas as they let out a hoarse cry.

In the meantime, Cara swung her oversized knife around like a paintbrush, causing red slashes to explode within the fog. A knife disappeared from her body with every stroke. The oppressive attack kept the Impuritas in check.

It seemed like the Impuritas were on the verge of an unceremonious death.

However –

“Futile, you say? Oh friend. So much time has passed since we walked on the same road.” Hypnos recited.

A hoarse, indescribably cry broke out from within the smoke.

“Futility was all this world ever knew. Life is so precious, and yet we bury them away. It may not be at the same Soul Rank as the likes of a sacred Leviathan, or dare I say, Tiamat, but...”

The putrid head of a decaying creature emerged, its wriggling flesh attaching the base of its neck to the ruptured side of the Clockwork Spindleworm. Its face was similar to that of a serpent but possessed a vertical-split mouth. Overgrown, barbed teeth tabbed into its face and ripped it apart as it screamed.

“... A Moon like yourself will struggle regardless against an old relic like Fafnir.”

The massive head of the wingless dragon belonged to an ancient dragon called Fafnir. Its slimy, rotting body dripped with black goop, which anchored itself into the gaping wound of the Clockwork Spindleworm.

“You... Will constitute us... Word will spread... of your desertion...” The Clockwork Spindleworm perished, its body now serving as the body of the resurrected dragon.

Because it grafted itself to the center part of the worm, it appeared to have two bodies.

Fafnir

Beast of Eternal Greed

< Eulogy >

Soul Rank: Incandescent | Impuritas: Memento Mori LEVEL : 150ORIGIN : Dragon

HP : 250,000

ATT : 3,000MAG ATT : 3,000ATT DEF : 1,200MAG DEF : 1,200

MP: 120,000

RESIST : 300AGI : 45