blueteamnovel 275. Pushing On
275. Pushing On
275. Pushing On
Carpalis’ hand returned to her side. It fell in slow motion, polluting the world with superheated vapor. She could not catch or cradle her arm as it flailed loosely from its socket. Blood steamed down her hands like rivers, and they dripped from her fingers like miniature, falling crimson moons. They were tangible. Her blood was so thick that it partially turned into red mist.
It eroded the edges of the escarpment as the world, for the first time, witnessed one of their esteemed deities in such a miserable state. Carpalis’ smile only grew as she watched Jury and the others plummet, satisfied by nothing more than the completion of her mission.
“Hehehe... haha. This... is the price we pay for peace. Please show me that my dream is still alive.” Carpalis entrusted every fiber of her faith onto Jury and her companions, shutting her eyes as she desperately clung onto the hopeful prospect of a peaceful future.
Even though she no longer had any hand to reach out for it, other than the artificial Faustian Bargain that forever strangled her.
Snap did not retreat, and neither did the little Frost. The tiny reminder of their beloved friend was infatuated by the light, her eyes sparkling as they fell together, tethered by Ignis’ tentacles. Snap ran the risk of being instantly killed. However, Snap was fast enough to avoid nearly all threats. Still, it took a major risk, but it too wished to lend all of its 8 hands in whatever capacity it could.
Also...
“Bzzzt.”UppTodated from
The little Frost nodded with Snap’s whine, understanding something that the others could not. Nav could not either. Snap sometimes spoke in a language indecipherably by the Blessed, largely because its ‘words’ were just incoherent noises.
The little Frost understood them like Frost. They carried a certain emotion, and through that could they understand their eight-legged friend in those moments of uncertainty. Jury clutched onto the Diamond Counter she wore in the center of her chest as they prepared to make contact with the ground.
Snap’s deep descent sharply shifted to a shallower angle, and before long, they began to glide along the rooftops, cleaving away the blue tiles. Their speed had decreased significantly, but there was nothing present that could ever dare to compete.
Far ahead were the Scarlet Logic Midnight Teams, each operating in a sub squad run by a manager. Snap’s approach stirred a violent storm of dust and debris, which showered over the cityscape as they all prepared themselves to hunt the Elimination Teams.
Not many words needed to be shared. They were prepared to fight months ago against the Scarlet Logic, and the recent revelation and encounter with their Collection Team only further whetted their bloodlust.
Ingis tightened her tentacles around the others and clutched tightly around Snap. She became their anchor as Ber threw herself off to the side, smashing along the walls with nothing but a devilish grin.
“Res is about the only one who can take them out from the skies! Good thing we got Snap to help deal with that!” Ber shouted, passing through a metallurgic shop that exploded with slag.
She grasped a handful of metal rods and held them over her shoulder, her arms crackling with a dark blue electricity.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t get creative and take the initiative! REMEMBER YOU RED LOWLIVES! YOU MESSED WITH MY SISTERS!”
Ber’s railgun was dangerous to put it lightly. Everything within a 40-meter radius crackled, and the moisture in the air was instantly propelled outwards like a giant cloudy shell in the next one hundred meters.
Her evolution into her matured form had further developed her Galvanic Blood unbeknownst to her, hence the darker coloration of her sparks. They were not present in the City of Spades, but they were a minor detail compared to the carnage they caused along the abandoned streets.
Pavement tiles, mosaic windows, tables, doors – even confectionary – seemingly followed them in their rampage. Res’ eyes glowed with an immense blue, contrasting the deep red. All metallic material that happened to fall under her gaze turned a dull red, then a bright orange, and she dragged it along to the flying Scarlet Logic, slicing wings and tails.
They scattered immediately, losing one who was impaled by a direct hit from Ber. It did not kill them immediately. Rather, Cer finished them off, swinging wide with Ignis’ tentacles as she dragged the metal stake around, biting away flesh and steel with electric chomps.
These Blood Moons and Red Giants were like the weakened ones they had previously fought. The armor they wore was shoddy at best. With each bite Cer took she realized that even the cloth was completely normal.
“No plate amor. No vest. My gut’s hating this!” Cer shouted, flailing the still living body of the Insectid in her hand.
“Don’t become a Corrupted!”
“Are you hurt!?”
They panicked, and she reassured them with an uncertain look. Turning to the light above, she wondered why she felt like her heart was being interfered with. It was painful in an unexpected way, and her breathing became ragged.
It was as if the Advent was repelling her.
Begging her to stay away.
“I... don’t know. What was that? Agh... My heart... won’t stop ticking...”
“Could it be because of that? The Advent?” Ber wondered as Jury returned to Snap’s back to regain her bearings as things began to die down.
Snap pulled them through the thick of it all, and they soon found themselves traversing a large, open plains.
* * *
They were about a third into C4.
Many dungeons were left behind, as well as the main force of Scarlet Logic. Further ahead however were larger dungeons. They appeared to be Plague Hearts, some perhaps Complex Hearts, but there was no way to tell exactly without Nav’s help.
Nav would not respond, only occasionally uttering something as if addressing someone else.
And those bulbous masses grew like the spores of a mushroom, Jury was shocked to hear a voice call out to her.
“Do you think you’re deserving of a second chance?”
“Eh...?” Jury blurted out, turning to the others who were engaged in a conversation of their own regarding their wishes.
But she could not hear their words.
“You’ve taken the bite. Are you happy knowing that you’ve corrupted us?”
Someone was speaking to her mind directly.
And it wasn’t Nav.
“That face tells me you know nothing. Living blissfully ignorant has always been a theme with you. That, and your gluttony. You don’t remember it? That’s fine. You’re an Angel... so approach the light, old friend, and you might just uncover something ‘new’.”
The melancholic voice urged her to push forward. Jury could not care less about the voice. Her mind was set to save Frost and reach the Piece of the Fallen Star no matter the cost. However, it seemed that regardless of what she thought, her heart responded to the approaching light.
Why was it so familiar to her?