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829. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
829. Hope Is The Thing With Feathers
The light engulfed them both. Any attempts to see beyond the light where the heart of the Advent existed only resulted in burned retinas. The Advent responded to Iscario’s call, and finally, she spotted the device that had activated it.
It was a piece of a star; a pale, bright rock that resonated with the Advent of Desire. Nothing could stop Iscario now. Frost felt an invisible weight chain her down as they were held captive in the direct presence of the light.
… I just needed 5 more minutes…
Iscario’s Blessing was so close to being revoked. All hope seemed lost. The next thing she could do was attempt to hijack his wish, but she didn’t even know where to start.
Nav. The Star Child! Is there anything she can do!?
“Ilya. You’ll return to my side soon. I will grant you freedom. So don’t cry, oh dearest sister. It will all be over with but one wish!”
Nav…?
< … The Star Child only guides the one who desires their wish to be granted the strongest. You… have no wish like that, because unlike them, you don’t try to take shortcuts. You’re too honest for your good >
… what does it matter now if I can’t do anything because of it?
Frost felt like she was at the end of the line, but even so, there wasn’t a moment where she believed she had lost. It would take more than a wish to take her down. Her emotions swelled. Being faced with certain death only further Heightened her emotions.
< … You do what you’ve always done >
“Yes. YES! It’s here! This wish of mine! Take me! Take me into the light!” Iscario hummed delightfully. “The fruit of my efforts is here. Albeit an unripe fruit. But with you gone… or with you severely crippled, then there are a million more chances. The Divining Stone will pave the way for us ever more!”
< You hope >
Hope. It was a word that Frost cherished. Hope was what allowed her to survive in the Black Forest. What illuminated her path through the depths of hell to where she was now. It seemed like hope had left her at a dead end, but that would only appear that way if she didn’t continue to believe in it.
To simply believe that there was a way forward, no matter how dark it seemed.
Right. It was always like that. A belief, huh. Magus said that hope is like a powerful belief… A belief intertwined with Light… wouldn’t that allow us to create a miracle? Probably, but it’s unlikely. Still… I can’t lose here.
Frost managed to move a footforward towards Iscario. It would take another fifty before she could reach him. By then, it would already be too late.
But even so –!
“I will not die here! I’m the only one who can stop Iscario! I’m the only one who can save Cer’s mother!”
//////// < ALERT > ////////
< Major Resonance Detected >
< This resonance is not from you… >
< Rather, there is a Will that is influencing the Genesis Stone on its own accord! >
< “I… want to see her again…” >
“What… is this…?” Frost asked herself, watching rays of light moved from Iscario towards the Genesis Stone where the Effeuiller La Dahlia resided. “The Blue Dahlia… She’s… She’s taking over?”
“No. No, no – NO! WHAT IS HAPPENING!?”
< “I’m uncertain if she will remember me. If this world is the right one…” >
The restrictive lights lifted from Frost as more of the rays of light were cast over the Genesis Stone. For a moment, a blue-haired apparition encapsulated the Genesis Stone. It was far too faint for Frost to see, but what she saw was nothing short of breathtaking.
“… Her desire to see Cer again… don’t tell me…”
< “But I could never forget that moon and your cries that night.” >
“IS MY DESIRE TO SEE ILYA AGAIN NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU!?”
“… Your desires… are nothing compared to a mother’s love…” Frost, finally able to breathe again, clenched her fists tightly as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “… You were split between choosing killing me or Ilya. If you truly did love her, then why do you persist to go this far? Ilya… wouldn’t want to be brought back on the blood of the people she saved when she gave her life to this world!”
“What do you know about Ilya? Her agony? How our mother never decided to embrace either of us. I had to become her only source of love!”
“You trapped her… Tch. There’s no point in arguing anymore. You’re long gone. You have nothing left!”
The stars that were consumed by the Piece of the Fallen Star gradually returned. But these were not like regular stars. They were painted stars. An entire, false cosmos surrounded them like they were stuck inside of a children’s picture book.
“… It’s time.” Frost nodded to herself, snapping her fingers.
“All of this… just to resume our fruitless brawl? Nothing will change. That Genesis Stone… It’s not too late to destroy it –!”
Iscario wore a perplexed look suddenly.
“… My Skills…? Status. Status… STATUS!?”
< Iscario’s Blessing of the Nexus Has Been Revoked >
Frost knew what she had to do now. She knew what needed to be done, not just for herself, but for Cer as well.
And as a result, she looked up at the Genesis Stone with sincere eyes. The opaque color disappeared, returning them to normal as even more cosmic hairpins decorated her long, brilliant hair.
She could almost hear the faint sound of children encouraging her to push onwards.
< The Fourth State Has Manifested as Hope >
< Asterism’s Corrupted Zone Has Manifested >
< All Corrupted Zones Lower than Apocalypse-class are overruled by the Amalgam’s Corrupted Zone >
< Any possessed Corrupted with the matching Affinity may have their skillset and abilities manifested as a Corrupted Zone >
“… This inconvenient power of the Archetypes… this law of the Amalgam… This was your aim from the start? Pathetic. It changes nothing –!”
“I’M STILL HERE!”
Frost did not allow him to speak further, and instead, bolted forward. It was her one and only opportunity to bring him down, and she was not going to lose it. She dragged him across the city at immeasurable speeds, attempting to break through his Qliphoth Field but to no avail.
However, as her emotions soared, so did the appearance of a certain untapped power.
With each consecutive strike she dealt, she could sense a well of emotions accumulating within her chest. A faint outline of a golden light could be found around her hands as her eyes shone with the light of a golden star.
If normal attacks could not get through Iscario’s Qliphoth Field –
– Then what about Absolution?
* * *n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
< CONDITION: All allies of the Amalgam are inspired so long as they have direct line of sight with your Asterism. Realization and Awakening Criteria fulfillment chance slightly increased. If inspired enough; then a person may fundamentally reach greater heights >
< SUPPRESSION REQUIREMENT: Cleanse the skies of its stars >
< SUBJUGATION REQUIREMENT: Collapse the body that holds the stars together. In other words, you, Frost~! >
< Don’t let the bad guy win~! >