Iscario’s stats were absurd.
His status as a Blessed had concealed his true power from even the Beholders. Galia was fooled into thinking she had this loathsome Star on a leash. Had Michaela involved herself with the matters of the Nexus, then Iscario’s nature could have been caught long before he laid his hands on Frost.
But this was a fleeting thought to Frost who was engaged in an all-out war against the Fallen Star. Only one thing mattered right now, and that was the death of Iscario. It didn’t matter how, when or where.
He needed to die here.
“Stolen Atelier technology. The Impuritas must’ve funnelled the good stuff straight to you.”
Frost, seeing the barrage of crystal bullets ahead of time thanks to her precognition, dashed through the tree lines. She moved rapidly in a clockwise manner around Iscario, bleeding herself and erecting [Unlying Tablets] infused with [Inferno] and [Liquid Fire].
“I’ve been hearing that name often since you’ve taken over the upper half of the Nexus. Impuritas… It’s fitting. Only can an impurity like yourself have the confidence to call us impure. Likewise – I see us the same way!”
| Justica Arms – Execution |
Magical circles formed just a meter in front of the 12 Justica Arms. Then, a hail of crystal bullets assailed Frost. Iscario tried to shoot just in front of her, attempting to predict her movements.
However, Frost’s AGI was slightly higher. But her speed alone would make it difficult to change her direction in time to avoid the attack.
“Good, you’re aware that you’re as fucked up as they are!”
“Temporarily. Now then Amalgam – Won’t you quietly die for our sake!?” Iscario pointed a finger outward, revealing a ring with a dark gemstone reminiscent of a tiny Train Core.
He possessed 10 different rings, each varying in color. Frost didn’t notice it before, but a pale ring lost its light when the 12 Justica Arms disappeared.
Those rings hold Atelier tech? But how? I thought you could only hold Skills through the Etched Coins.
The ground before Frost changed color. It turned to a shade of orange seconds before an immense gravitation field compressed the trees and dirt into themselves.
| 72 Quants of Gravity |
< EFFECT: Release 72 Quants of Gravity to a specified location. 25-meter radius. Targets indiscriminately. Stolen Atelier technology >
“Caldera Industries too!?”
“They call you the Amalgam, but you don’t even possess the full arsenal of the Ateliers of the Nexus! The only notable artefacts on you are those on your hips! That firearm is a limitation!”
Incidentally, this was where [Thermal Propagation] came in. She changed her direction in the blink of an eye and carried most of her momentum. Her movements were brisk and angular to throw the attack off.
She didn’t want to test out how much damage a single bullet could do. If it was the same as his ATT and MAG ATT stats, then she’d lose 1/5th of her HP pool in an instant.
At the same time, she hurled a combination of [Liquid Fire], [Prejudice] and shot several rounds of [Infinite Hatred]. The flames did little against him, and the dark jaws fizzled the moment they touched him.
With Frost being as hyper aware as she was now, she noticed that the way [Prejudice] failed to penetrate his defenses was different from merely being the result of his high Def stats. Granted, it wasn’t going to injure him to begin with, but she found it odd how it just fizzled out of nowhere.
What’s that dark aura around him? It pops up whenever my magic gets too close. The [Liquid Fire] isn’t even touching him. Hey, Nav! Could that be why Iscario has +5,000,000 DEF?
< Highly probable. If you can get close enough to touch it, then you might be able to Analyze it! >
It was easier said than done, but it was also what Frost had in mind in the first place. Despite her attacks being able to barely damage him, she applied as much pressure as she could, morphing the terrain inadvertently.
The less obstacles there were, the less interference with her precognition there would be. In the past the environment would have played a large role in how a battle would play out, but now, it was but an afterthought.
Nothing she had could injure him right now, even with [Amplification]. Not yet. Not until she Heightened her emotions. It was better for her to take out the (Un)Attentive Claws first, seeing as how leaving them would only make it more difficult to take Iscario out.
Their mere proximity to him blocked her attacks more than the strange barrier. Frost attempted to weave in and land at least one hit, but the moment she came close –
“If you were truly the same person as my sister, then why do you lack wings!?”
“Better than pretending I have any!”
– The (Un)Attentive Claws would tank the hit for him.
< “Is it enough for me to atone?” >
“Amazing how far guilt can drive a person into a corner. Pure, untouched guilt can be the perfect shield. What now, Amalgam? Won’t you continue bleeding the mother of those triplets you hold dear?”
(Un)Attentive Claws | HP: 249,925,000 | 250,000,000
Frost had landed a critical strike, turning her 15,000 ATT to 75,000 ATT. It seemed like the (Un)Attentive Claws yearned to die, so that she could pay her penance for what she did to her daughters.
“I don’t believe it… It’s the same storyline again, but this time it’s with the mother.” Frost ruminated on this with a long, drawn-out breath.
It was as if a cloud of steam vented through her nostrils. Her eyes lingered on the Price of Paradise as her thoughts went to the little Ilya who paid the ultimate price, never knowing just how loved she was by her mother.
The Blue Dahlia was on a downwards spiral to do the same thing to herself, never knowing just how much Cer loved her despite the hell she went through.
“It was never their fault…” Frost lamented, her eyes narrowing as she loaded a purple bullet into her De Jure.
//////// < WARNING > ////////
< Your Emotional State is rising >
< You are also at an increased risk of Instability >
But Frost didn’t care. The only way to beat Iscario was to raise her Emotional State. Iscario likely didn’t know about this, and the further the battle went on, the more favorable it would be for Frost.
“Cer couldn’t find love because of the way this world was. Her mother… I know she had to sacrifice something to keep them safe. That price had to be her memories.”
Frost fumed in near silence as she fired the bullet at Iscario. Since the previous bullets had not injured him, he did not react when she pointed the barrel of De Jure at him. Instead, he summoned his 12 Justica Arms again, as if to say: “I have 12 times as more firepower as you? What can you possibly do?”
“Why do miracles require our precious memories!?”
– The explosive power of De Jure was like that of a second sun. Frost output the highest possible damage she could from De Jure. She could have used [Amplification], but that would destroy her weapon in the process.
This bullet was able to not only strike Iscario before the (Un)Attentive Claws could protect him, but also struck the barrier that surrounded his body like a second skin.
Iscario | HP: 154,745,000 | 155,000,000