Chapter 457: 457: Too Big of A Collateral?

Chapter 457: 457: Too Big of A Collateral?

Chapter 457: Too Big of A Collateral?

—

"Well, this is not good." Lady Life muttered as thousands of plasma guns focused on them. They were Abstract Grade weaponries, capable of hurting them if hit.

In this cosmos turned into a battleground, where stars served as silent spectators, an impending doom loomed large. The fleets of spaceships, their hulls glinting with the cold sheen of war, trained their formidable arsenal on Neji and the others. It was a sight that could make even the bravest hearts quiver, as those ships were the size of planets and stars.

"Today is bothersome," the Director said and began to chant, readying a spell that'd end all of this at once. But a formidable force stopped her. She looked at Buddha, who was exuding an aura of absolute authority that stopped her from burning the entire legion to the ground.

"It's fine, I'll take care of it," Godmother said in a reassuring voice but the Director shook her head.

"You shouldn't meddle. It's already troublesome that you're in the Prime, now if you destroy their army, they'd really be mad. Stay put, let them handle it."

By 'them', she meant Lady Life and Neji as she shot them a look. Neji glowered and was about to respond when Lady Life stopped him.

"I'll help," She said and ushered to Ra. She looked at him with complex emotions before she nodded with a sigh. "Ra, use Divine Titan." she commanded, her voice echoing the power of creation itself.

"Yes."

In an instant, thousand beams fired from the spaceships, and the power of a million stars blasted within the core of the Life Golem, and a transformation began.

Lady Life's eyes reflected the birth of a man forged by stars, while in the back of her head, she caused the death of a billion more stars across the nearby multiverse. Galaxies winked out, as millions turned billions and all of their power rushed into the Life Golem.

With a silent incantation, she harnessed the energy of those billion stars and pushed it into Ra, who radiated a light that blinded the universe. His already bulky and intricate form, a masterpiece of celestial craftsmanship, began to morph, its wooden fibers stretching and intertwining as if guided by an unseen artist's hand. His body began to grow at a tremendous rate.

The cosmos trembled at this act, as starlight coalesced into streams of pure cosmic energy, flowing into Ra's form that grew colossal, into a titan.

The enormous titan's aura blazed like a newborn sun, and his now planet-sized body loomed over Neji and the others like a turtle protecting its body.

From the sidelines, the Godmother smiled. "And you said he is not a weapon," she remarked dryly.

"He is not, this is just self-defense," Lady Life retorted, her gaze fixed on the ensuing battle.

Ra's body, made of colossal wood and divine energy, towered over the battlefield. His wooden frame, etched with runes and symbols of old, gleamed with a light that rivaled the stars themselves.

[Ra – Life Golem | Titan – High Class 4]

"This form can't last very long, so, son..." Life said, pointing at the ships that have been shooting a thousand beams at them already, slamming onto the barrier around them put by Luck earlier. "[Divine Titan, Dance of a Burning World]."

Ra listened, and Ra moved.

As the volley of attacks blazed through space, his agility suitsuited for his size took the captain of the ships by surprise.

He teleported away from Neji and the others, and appeared over the spaceships that were the same size as him. His colossal wooden limbs swept through the ships, eradicating them in swathes. Each of his movements was an elegant dance of destruction.

In the midst of Ra's relentless assault on the armada, Lady Life moved with haste towards Nejire and Goddess Chaos.

"What's going on?"

"Your girl will end up dead since she's too weak. I'll try to fix that."

Neji asked Lady Life who pointed at the fused girl, Chaos, as the two of them went to her. Beside her, Nejire stood.

Nejire faces Lady Life curious about what fix she was talking about, while Goddess Chaos stood beside her.

Lady Life ignored him.

"Death," she looked at her sister, smiling. "How've you been?"

Amidst the backdrop of cosmic turmoil, a more subtle and perhaps even more crucial confrontation unfolded. Lady Life's gaze, imbued with the depth of eternity, met that of her sister.

The air between her and Mistress Death vibrated with the silent communication of beings who had seen the rise and fall of countless worlds. It had been millennia since they last saw each other, since Lady Life was shoved in the prison.

"Life... sister," Mistress Death greeted, her voice a soft echo that seemed to carry the finality of all things. "It has been long. The currents of existence have kept us apart."

Lady Life's smile was tinged with a bittersweet melancholy. "Too long, Death. The river of time flows relentlessly."

Mistress Death's expression remained impassive, yet her eyes flickered with a hint of strange emotions. "Yet you stand today not because of the flow of time, nor the threads of fate, but for your own choices. You know I stand with the cosmic balance. I cannot sway from my path, sister."

Her last two lines were meant to make it clear that she was not to be blamed for the actions she might need to take against Life. Their bond was more than just blood, because as Abstract Entities they weren't given birth by the same mother to be made siblings. They were sisters by identity, by the basic rules of existence.

Life smiled warmly, feeling a little shameless as she looked at Death. "Hey, Death... Slap me later for this but..." her smile fell. "Please, help me."

....

In parallel, Lady Luck locked eyes with her sister, Contessa Fate. The air around them crackled with a different kind of tension, one born of long-standing rivalry and unspoken grievances.

"Luck," Contessa Fate spoke, her voice carrying the inevitability of destiny. "Your defiance of fate's threads weaves chaos. Look at where you stand."

Lady Luck clenched her jaws in anger. "And your strict adherence to them stifles potential. You have the audacity to say such a thing after you betrayed me?"

Contessa Fate's gaze shook gently, but she hid it quickly. "My duty is to the grand design. Your plea is heartfelt, but cannot alter my course."

That was a disgusting lie. She was ready to sacrifice Luck so that Luck wouldn't stop her from reviving her lover boy. However, in front of this audience, and especially Buddha, she had to pretend.

Amid this exchange, the Director of the Last Act walked beside Luck and looked at Fate with a calm yet persuasive smile. "It's alright, Fate. I think... the twists and turns of this tale could benefit from your intervention."

Fate's eyes gleamed. In a second, a thousand probabilities ran in her mind as she understood her words. If the Director was saying it was 'beneficial' it meant it could help revive the First Gamer.

In an instant, the universe roared twice. It shone into two hexagon symbols as the figures of Death and Fate vanished, appearing beside Life and Luck. On the emptiness of space, two new Icons formed.

"I apologize," Mistress Death looked at Buddha and said. "I shall even things out some other time. For now, my sister requires my assistance."

-「In the night I hear 'em talk, The coldest story ever told, Somewhere far along this road, He lost his soul to a woman so heartless...」

Mistress Death's [Death Icon] was on a whole other league compared to the two others in the sky, belonging to Godmother and the fused Neji. It sang [Heartless] by Kanye West, crying for the infinite souls that will be lost and wondering if she were to perish in this battle.

Contessa Fate's [Kismet Icon] sang the same, worried about the balance of the entire omniverse without the guidance of fate, destiny, and luck as well - since Contessa Fate had been managing luck ever since Lady Luck's punishment.

The other Icons joined them, and the accumulated pressure exerted caused cracks to form in reality like glass. The Godmother of all Demons snickered while the Director of the Last Act looked at Buddha with a grim look in her eyes.

If Buddha really wanted to capture them now, he should count a few hyperversess as collateral.

**

**

**

Read the next chapter right away, along with an entire month's worth, ahead in my Patreon.

Link: /Master4thWall