A week later.
Arthur was in a familiar office in the underground government complex, the same one where he had his first conference upon arriving at Falcon Scott.
The office was much the same, with only an image projected on the false window, which had changed since that day.
It was still showing the view of the city, only now, there were fewer people on the streets. The blizzard was picking up again, too, so visibility wasn't great.
There were also a few more vacant chairs.
Currently, there were eight people inside the room. Even so, compared to before, it looked painfully empty.
The chairs of different Masters and Awakened weren't arranged, and the most painful absence was Dale's.
The Master of the First Army Company had sadly fallen while defending the elevators from the puppets of the Terror of LO49. Without his presence there, many of the civilians at the port waiting to be evacuated would have died.
Then, the survivors started with Winter and Jet, who were seated next to each other, waiting for the conference to begin. To their right was Sunny, sitting in the shadows of the room.
A couple of chairs away was Naeve with Bloodwave. The former seated around the table while the Transcendent leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
Another group was Sylvie, Reynolds, and Arthur. The three were silent, doing the same as the first two.
Finishing with the Saint of Sorrows, seated at the head of the table. The latter cleared his throat and began to speak.
"As you all know, the Devouring Cloud and the Terror of LO49 were eliminated on the same day. This is thanks to Master Arthur and Master Sunless." He looked at both and gave a grateful nod, then added, "We recently managed to confirm that the victor between Leviathan and Black Butterfly was the latter."
The eyes of those present widened slightly, but none lost their minds at the news.
It was definitely surprising. One would think the victor would have been Leviathan, fighting in the ocean, the place where it could demonstrate its strength most… Yet it was the defeated one.
This implied many things, such as the fact that Black Butterfly surely had very bizarre abilities and was likely as strong as the Winter Beast.
On one hand, the news about Leviathan defeat was positive, making their task of evacuating civilians easier. Without the presence of the creature interfering with the evacuation process, it would be smoother from now on, making the mission perhaps more possible.
But not all news was good. At the same time the evacuation process was facilitated, that meant the next on the Corrupted Titan Black Butterfly's list was them…
The fact that the Corrupted Titan had chosen to attack the other creature instead of them was disorienting enough; however, the news that it had emerged victorious—and that they would almost certainly be the Titan's next prey—struck terror into the hearts of the eight individuals present.
Even adding all their forces together, they surely wouldn't compare against a creature of such magnitude.
The Song Transcendent continued speaking.
"This leaves only three of the five remaining objectives." He looked at those present with serious eyes. "This conference is to discuss new strategies against them using the new information obtained, as well as to notify a recent discovery."
Those present simply nodded.
"Very well." He continued, "The good news is that after the confrontation between both Corrupted Titans, we have managed to definitively identify Black Butterfly's location. The engineers managed a reverse search, eliminating potential locations based on different parameters, and through this, they achieved it."
"And the bad news?" Winter intervened.
The Saint of Sorrows let out a sigh.
"The bad news is that we have detected the Titan's trajectory, and it is projected to reach Falcon Scott in three days."
The internal atmosphere of the room changed abruptly upon hearing the news. The faces of the members hardened while a sepulchral silence took over the room.
"With that out of the way." The Song Transcendent broke the atmosphere with his serious voice. "I leave the floor to Master Jet to update the situation within the capital."
Jet sighed and glanced at her datapad.
"I'll update you on the current state of things. Most of the information has been sent to your communicators, so take a look at it later." She touched the datapad screen, changing the information. "The important stuff is… the wall is still holding, but just barely. Three breaches have turned into six, as you must know. Army Command expects that we won't lose control of the defensive barrier unless something catastrophic happens, though."
She lingered for a bit.
"The First Army has suffered heavy casualties in the past week and a half, true, but no more than Army Command expected. The evacuation is also only a little bit behind schedule. I'd say that as long as the Winter Beast continues to be kept at bay, we have a real chance of pulling this off."
She looked at the members of the House of Night and added.
"With the absence of Leviathan, the evacuation process will now pick up its pace. The calculated numbers indicate that the evacuation deadline could be reduced if the two main threats are contained."
Then she set the datapad down on the table.
"That's all."
The Saint of Sorrows nodded.
"Now we are going to discuss the plans to deal with Black Butterfly." He grabbed some papers and began handing them out to everyone. "The information we have on it is still too scarce to develop a well-thought-out plan."
The room was once again dominated by silence as all the members read the information on the sheets.
After a couple of seconds, Sunny looked up from the sheet and proposed in a somber voice.
"Why are we going to wait for the bastard to come to us? Em… we could create a cohort and intercept it a few kilometers before it poses a danger to the capital. If we die doing it, at least we buy time for the civilians to be evacuated."
Arthur tilted his head to the side, thinking about Sunny's proposal.
In a sense, he was right, that would allow more people to be evacuated. But going out to intercept a creature without knowing exactly what powers it has is a suicide mission.
Even Sunny knew that, but the creature might never expect a cohort to attack it prematurely. Maybe it could work that way.
Those thoughts were in the heads of all those present.
"It's a plan that will be discussed with the high ranks," the Transcendent in charge replied simply. "Anyone else want to contribute an idea?"
No one said anything more on that topic, and the meeting ended briefly afterward.
---
Arthur, Sylvie, and Reynolds walked through the capital's streets on their way to the main building of the First Army.
The cold continued to grow with every passing moment, clearly marking the time limit they had to evacuate everyone. The streets had fewer people in them, but the number of military vehicles didn't decrease at the same pace.
Due to the presence of so many Gates, it was inevitable that many people would fall into their First Nightmares. Making the number of Sleepers increase.
Even if hundreds of new Sleepers appeared, it would never be enough to cover all the needs—but even so, it was help the government welcomed.
[You have slain an Awakened Beast, Rangwolf.]
'Having fun, Regis?' Arthur joked in an amused tone.
'No,' Regis replied dryly.
He chuckled internally, and Sylvie curved her lips slightly.
"How was the fight against the Tyrant?" Arthur asked his father.
Due to the tasks they both had, they had only recently been able to interact normally.
Reynolds carefully shrugged with the bag in his hand.
"It was curious… Jet did something strange during the fight and managed to make the Tyrant stand still within a perimeter she drew with the blood on the ground." His face changed to one of confusion. "Then she grabbed a creature's Shard and inserted it into the drawing. It began to glow with a purple color, and that was when the Tyrant froze."
Arthur nodded.
That was something he had taught Jet during all this time.
He chose the runes that were easiest to learn and had the best offensive effect to teach Jet. Then they developed a way to use them in a combat situation, and it seemed Jet used this method to deal with the Tyrant.
In reality, what Jet did was draw an array of runes that together represented a power similar to Static Void.
These runes were those of time, space, freezing, and target.
Within the last rune, she had to detail which would be the target the rune would affect, and to do so, she had to use the runes that represented the Fallen Tyrant.
These were precisely "Fallen" and "Tyrant."
This created the problem that if there were another Fallen Tyrant within the array, it would also be affected. And this increased the essence cost to activate the array and the necessary power of the nexus, which would be the Shard placed in the correct spot at the moment of activation.
The material with which the array was drawn also influenced its power. It wasn't the same as what Arthur did using Aether Manipulation to draw them with ambient Aether versus what Jet did to draw them with the blood on the floor.
The ambient Aether was much richer and more potent, which was why what he did to save Jet at the time worked wonderfully—besides, he had used the branch of his Aspect Legacy to do it.
The blood on the floor came from creatures that had been corrupted. Therefore, at the moment it became part of the array—and a person was the target of the array—it could end up corrupting them. This would depend on the quality of the blood and how corrupted the creature had been.
Arthur didn't know if Jet realized this when she did it, but having the possibility of corrupting someone in such a way was something very potent.
Definitely, the process was complicated to do. Yet Jet did it in the middle of a fight.
She definitely had talent to keep improving and even do it without the need for blood to draw it in the future.
Arthur smiled.
"That's indeed curious… well, you were part of the fight too."
"I was, but I couldn't do almost anything against the Tyrant," his father replied while shrugging.
After that, they continued talking about other topics as they walked. Every thirty seconds, the Spell's message told him that Regis had killed another creature, and soon they arrived at the main building of the First Army.
The building was a five-story structure of a completely gray color. Its architecture was basic in design.
The three entered the building and went to the fourth floor in the elevator. Along the way, they crossed paths with several members of the First Army, and these stopped to greet them with the utmost respect possible.
Once on the fourth floor, they went directly to their mother's offices.
Once in front of office 005, Reynolds knocked on the door, and a soft voice was heard from inside, letting them in.
Entering, they took in the views and frowned.
The room consisted of a window that should have let in ambient light but was facing a slightly taller building, preventing any light from entering through it.
This design flaw was due to the government's need to create more buildings to shelter all the civilians.
Inside the room were a couple of large cream-colored sofas, with an alloy table in front. Then shelves of the same material were on the walls, full of books and records.
Finishing everything was a desk with a mountain of papers whose ridiculous size overshadowed the adorable woman sitting behind them.
"Oh, give me five seconds." His mother said. "Sit on the sofa while I finish."
"Okay," the three said at the same time.
They sat on the sofa and let themselves fall into its comfort. Then Arthur summoned his storage Memory in a shower of silver particles.
From the Memory, he began taking out some simple snacks that Seishan had gifted him when she returned to Ravenheart.
A package of chips appeared on his hand, and opening it, he placed it on a plate that was on the table. Then he did the same with a pack of sweet snacks.
Finishing the preparation for the snack, his father opened the bag he had brought and took out three coffees and a tea from it.
"And you, Sylvie?" He asked while handing her a coffee. "How was the fight against the Terror?"
Sylvie took the coffee with both hands and brought it to her mouth, then blew on it slightly and took a sip.
The fragrance's flavor invaded her taste buds, and she smiled slightly.
"It was complicated." She set the coffee down on the table. "Reaching the depth where the creature was located was difficult, but with Sunny and Naeve, we managed it eventually." She shrugged. "Actually, the hardest part was doing it while fighting the creature's puppets."
Both nodded, and at that moment, Alice came out from behind the mountain of papers. She approached the sofas, and Reynolds handed her the tea.
Noticing Alice paying attention, Sylvie continued, "Once we reached the creature's periphery, we started fighting it… or that's what I think happened. The truth is, the closer you are, the stronger the hex was, so I don't remember much of what happened."
She took a bite of the snack and then a sip of coffee.
"Then when I regained my use of reason, the creature had already been killed by Sunny, who received help from Bloodwave, who arrived just in time."
Alice asked, amused.
"Did Sunny steal the kill from Bloodwave?"
"I don't know… maybe?" Sylvie replied while shrugging.
Reynolds laughed.
"Well, if he did, good for him. You can't kill a Corrupted Terror every day."
Arthur chuckled. "Indeed…"
He laughed because he had already killed a Corrupted Terror before, but his family didn't know.
Arthur was referring to the Terror that killed thousands of civilians being evacuated from Aurora Vale. Then, once the city was destroyed by Goliath, he encountered the creature again around Erebus Field, and there it met its end.
His mother looked at him strangely but eventually said nothing, and they continued talking for the rest of the afternoon.
---
A little later.
Reynolds, Alice, and Arthur stood on the pier, looking at the enormous ship that was going to transport his mother to North Antarctica.
Looking at the ship full of people, Arthur felt a degree of satisfaction.
"Well… it's my turn to board the ship," his mother said, with a hint of reluctance in her voice.
Arthur said nothing, but took a step forward and wrapped her in a firm hug. Seconds later, his father did the same, and the three stayed like that for a few moments.
"Take care," he said, his voice slightly soft.
His mother, with a trembling voice, replied.
"You too, baby."
Reluctantly, Arthur pulled away from the embrace and decided to say, looking at his father.
"You should go with her."
The atmosphere changed at that moment, and the warmth in his mother's eyes dimmed a bit.
"We already talked about this," his father replied dryly. "I'm not leaving if you don't." Arthur tried to intervene, but Reynolds continued speaking, "You are my responsibility, Art. You have no idea how I was feeling inside watching you stand in front of the swarm of creatures from the Devouring Cloud."
"I was dying inside." He confessed. "Seeing you there with so much confidence made mine vanish, and that's something I can't let happen again. That's why I don't plan to leave you alone."
Arthur began to feel a pressure in his throat, and the following words came out slightly weak.
"But… I'm fine. You saw it, I could handle myself in that situation." His voice returned to normal. "I'm strong enough to stay alive."
"And I'm not?" His father asked.
He replied quickly.
"I didn't mean it like that, I explained myself badly." He shrugged. "I meant that I don't need your protection, that Mom and Ellie need it more. They need you."
Reynolds's strong and fierce eyebrows furrowed while his jaw began to harden.
"And don't they need you too? Do you think the two years you were away were easy for us? That your mother and sister didn't miss you?" His voice came out deeper, showing his indignation. "Let me tell you they did, that all of us worried about you!"
"I know!" he declared. "I know it was hard for you, but now they need you more! Ellie is still young, she needs a strong figure to guide her. She needs her father!"
That was the last straw for his father.
"Don't talk about what Ellie needs without her present. How could you possibly know if you've gone more than two years without seeing her!"
Arthur looked at the ground, his hands clenching so hard that in a matter of moments, blood would come from his hands.
"Enough, both of you!" his mother thundered. "Stop being so childish. Art… your father is right, you shouldn't talk about what Ellie needs without her present. But at the same time, you must learn to respect the decisions of others."
She shook her head.
"I don't like the idea of either of you staying, but I can't do anything about it. So stop arguing."
"I'm sorry." He apologized, but his hands kept clenching. "Have a good trip. Let me know when you arrive." He turned around and left.
Both of his parents watched his figure walk away with sadness and indignation on their faces.
---
Shaking his head, Arthur continued walking through the streets, watching the snow dance in the stark beams of electric light.
As he walked, the civilians stared at him.
Respect, admiration, hope… that was what he saw in the eyes of the civilians when they looked at him. They all had an expectation of him, and carrying those expectations was tiresome.
'I can't stand the thought of having them look at me right now.'
Arthur simply wandered aimlessly for a while, trying not to think about anything in particular. In the end, he found himself standing in front of a Rhino.
Knocking on the door, he waited a few seconds.
Soon, the Rhino's door opened, and a tall woman with red hair was looking at him with a surprised face… a second later her face went a shade of pink.
"M-Master Arthur… t-to what do I owe your visit?" Samara asked, nervous while fixing her hair.
Arthur smiled at her and replied.
"I'm looking for Su… Master Sunless. Is he present?"
"I'm sorry, but he isn't here at the moment." She replied after a few seconds.
Arthur was about to thank her and abandon his goal of finding him when another feminine voice was heard from inside the Rhino.
"He's probably at Professor Obel's apartment."
The woman finished the sentence, appearing behind Samara. She was a petite woman with mousy hair and an unassuming face, her gaze calm and confident.
Kim looked at Arthur without changing her expression.
He smiled politely at her for the information.
"Thank you. See you."
Both women nodded, and Arthur left.
As soon as they saw his back walking away, the two women looked at each other.
Kim noticed Samara's cheeks were slightly red and chuckled.
"Not a word," the affected one said.
Kim nodded with a small smile.
"Whatever."
Arthur was standing in front of a dormitory tower. He hesitated for a bit, then entered and descended to one of the underground levels.
With his Aether Sense, he managed to identify the presences, and moments later, he was standing in front of an ordinary door. Knocking lightly, he waited.
A few seconds later, it opened, revealing a young woman with dark hair in a bun, her black eyes having dark circles under them. She was wearing a simple warm jacket.
The moment she opened the door, the woman's face had furrowed brows, and a slight irritation was noticeable in her expression. But upon identifying the presence in front of her… she froze.
Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. She completely forgot how to speak. She opened her mouth but didn't pronounce any coherent sentence.
"Ah… Mas-Thur? Wha… what…"
Soon, a laugh could be heard behind the woman, and she turned around.
Behind her was Sunny, covering his mouth to keep from laughing loudly.
Noticing him, she returned to reality and asked.
"What are you laughing at?!" She hit him on the shoulder while retreating inside the apartment.
"At you," Sunny replied while not even reacting to the hit, then looked at Arthur in the doorway.
"Arthur, did something happen?"
"No." He lied. "I was just checking how things were going."
Sunny lingered for a bit, then narrowed his eyes. "Sure… well, since you're here, come in and let's eat something." Then he turned around and went inside the apartment.
Arthur closed the door behind him and followed him.
The interior of the apartment was completely basic, with only what was necessary to survive. The walls were of a material similar to stone with a beige, almost orange color.
Inside the living room was an old man in a white coat. He was at least eighty years of age or older. His skin was thin like paper, with knotty blue veins clearly visible beneath it, and his neatly combed hair was completely white. The old man's eyes, however, were still brimming with sharp intelligence and awareness.
Noticing Arthur's presence, Professor Obel smiled radiantly.
"Oh, Master Arthur, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Professor Obel; I have heard many positive things about you." Arthur greeted him politely.
Obel and Sunny led the action and sat around the table. Arthur followed, sitting slightly away from them.
"I can notice something is bothering you, young man," Obel noted, but before he could respond, he said, "Beth! Stop hiding in the kitchen and come greet properly."
Sunny chuckled, and a set of footsteps was heard approaching the table.
The woman named Beth approached them and sat next to Obel and Sunny.
"H-hey, my name is Be-Beth."
"Nice to meet you."
Sunny couldn't contain it anymore and asked between laughs.
"Why do you talk to him like that? You never reacted that way with me!"
The woman snapped and stared fixedly at him.
"That's because you're a nobody!" Then, realizing her overreaction, she added, "I mean… M-Master Arthur is very famous. I didn't know who you were before meeting you in person."
Sunny rolled his eyes, Obel laughed lightly, while Arthur became slightly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the latter noticed and decided to change the subject.
"How's the evacuation process going, boys?"
Arthur and Sunny looked at each other, but it was the latter who decided to speak.
Shrugging, he commented, "The wall has been breached in different places, but we still have control of the situation. Em, well… the port is still in good condition, and the evacuation process will accelerate according to what has been discussed."
Arthur nodded.
"The city defenses are in good condition for now. But we expect a big assault tomorrow. Make sure to remain inside, and don't go to the surface levels of the building, no matter what happens."
Then he hesitated for a while. Eventually, he asked in a cautious tone:
"I am sorry to ask, Professor… but why are you still here? I would think that you would be put on the priority list for the evacuation."
Beth gave the old man a scathing glance and said with indignation:
"The Professor gave up his position on the priority list, saying that he wouldn't leave without his assistant." She coughed lightly. "I mean, me. And since I have nothing to do with the high-value group, we are both stuck in the standard selection group now."
Sunny let out a defeated sigh, and Arthur blinked a couple of times.
Obel looked down in embarrassment.
"That's water under the bridge." He looked up again and took in the views of the three. "I am an old man, you know? My bones hurt when I move, and the lives of young people like you are more valuable for the future…"
'What kind of reason is that?'
Beth puffed out her cheeks while shaking her head.
"You should value your position more, Professor…"
"I do." He replied. "But nothing I said was a lie, future generations are the ones who will carry society forward." He smiled satisfactorily. "Look at you three. Two Masters of renown, and you, Beth, who are a brilliant mind."
"Still…" The young woman wanted to keep complaining but didn't know what to say.
Sunny sighed.
"If everything goes well, you should be able to board a ship in the coming days."
Arthur looked at Sunny as he said that and noticed how he winked at him.
"I should be able to do something," Arthur said after noticing the signal. "I can't promise anything, but I can try."
Beth looked at him with hope in her black eyes.
"We would appreciate it so much!"
He nodded, and Obel couldn't do anything but sigh.
"You do you, young man. We'll see what happens."
After that, they continued talking for a while longer until both Masters had to leave to continue with their tasks…