The inclusions of the Black Knights did not do much to alter Amphoreus' overall fate. Even if the Imperator possessed the power to defeat a Titan all by herself, she could not stop the descent of the Black Tide. It is the purest unstoppable force belonging to Destruction.
Shi Tian, with his "meager" 30% Divine Transformation Realm power, could not change this fact. The Black Tide was the result of Nanook's gaze. It is in the same category as the fragment of IX that he withstood for an unknown number of years.
Direct suppression is impossible even with his divine "artifacts". Nevertheless, they still altered a small part of Amphoreus.
"Boss! Why are we here again? I don't want to see that midget again!"
Cipher did not answer immediately. She strolled the quiet Styxia. What was once a city devoid of life—of treasures soaked in ocean water—became cleaner with the Black Knight's arrival.
She originally had her sights locked on this ruined city filled with unearthed treasures. Who expected Cerydra to take it as their base?
"Haven't we learned once? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
"B-but that imp already fooled us thrice!"
Looking at Zagreus' traumatized (digital) face, Cipher let out a laugh.
"Pfft… aha! Look in the mirror. Is that still the Trickery Titan that I know?"
His trauma originated from their contact with Cerydra. She sought the Trickery duo to commission some things.
The first time, Cerydra asked them to take something out of Amphoreus. Cipher ended up tripping on Aglaea's golden strings due to unnatural reasons.
The second time was when Cerydra asked for their assistance against the Strife Titan. Their main objective at that time was to 'complete' the Strife Titan's divine body. He was in the form of a divine sword at that time. His "Reason" was missing from it, thereby being corrupted by the Black Tide.
In the end, Cipher became Nikador's pesky moving target. She drew on his attention while Cerydra and her knights completed his divine body, defeating him.
The third time was when Cerydra commissioned her to kidnap Castorice. She also ended up being seen by Aglaea, which turned into another trouble for Cipher.
All three times were high-risk situations that made Zagreus' mind ache.
"We don't use the word 'fool' when we receive our payments."
Zagreus' grumbling was cut short.
He… agreed.
If there was one thing that Cerydra does best, it would be paying upfront. The number of wealth she accumulated was way beyond Cipher's expectations.
One mission was the equivalent of her toiling hard for a few decades!
What's more, Cerydra also gave her the blessings of a 'performer'. When stacked with her ability as the Trickery Demigod, it becomes an unstoppable power.
Because of this, Cipher won't decline Cerydra's commissions no matter how troublesome they are. Money is money, at least in her eyes.
"Aren't you just aggrieved that she put slander on your name a thousand years ago?"
"You didn't know how much I suffered at that time. That Strife Titan came knocking at my door! The Reason Titan asked me how I fooled those two Titans!"
"Alright, alright. It is me, your Boss, who receives the money. It is also me who pays you a monthly salary. You don't want your stomach to be devoid of treasures, no?"
"Of course not!"
Before Zagreus knew it, he found himself being more accepting of the midget's presence. She did give them a large sum of treasures…
'Why does this feel wrong?'
A smug cat walked to Styxia's highest tower with the former Trickery Titan in tow. She entered the office on the highest floor. Cerydra was busy reading a book when she intruded.
"Oh~? What are you reading?"
"A treasure map. Interested?"
"Sure thing~"
She tried to pick it up from Cerydra's hands, only to fail. The latter's small hands were faster. She shut the book tight before it turned transparent.
"I have a commission for you."
The Imperator laid everything down clearly.
"I want you to get someone inside the Vortex of Genesis. This should not be known to others."
"That simple?"
Cipher felt like there was more to it.
If it was all about setting up a "performance", Cerydra matches her "trickery". She is fully capable of escorting someone to Okhema's Vortex of Genesis without a second soul knowing.
"This Imperator has something else to do. I want you to bring her in my stead."
Cipher's eyes narrowed down.
'Something else to do… It is far from simple.'
"The reward will be the ones from the past two commissions combined."
"..!"
Her cat tail shot up. Her throat bobbed at the thought of that legitimate gold mountain.
"Are you for real?"
"This Imperator never jests."
"I accept it!"
Soon, Cerydra saw off the cunning cat-thief. Aglaea could not handle her, but she could. Throwing money away at that cat is the most direct solution to acquiring her aid.
Coincidentally, Cerydra's millennium-long-conquest filled her coffers to the brim.
'This settles it. All that's left is a talk with… her.'
She knew the end of Amphoreus was drawing near. The promised Era Nova is but a "great reset" designed to bring Amphoreus back into the beginning.
This fact cannot be changed despite Shi Tian's assistance.
Cerydra resolved herself to 'settle' the grievance between her and Hysilens before it happens. Her heart cannot lay rest as long as it exists.
'How good is the past…'
*****
A golden star kept burning relentlessly. Golden blood spilled out of it. They dissipated into nothingness as soon as they touched the ground… that vast expanse of nothingness.
Another phenomenon was the explosion of a planet. Crimson-red cracks littered around the huge celestial body before it exploded.
Then came the spatial folding of an entire star system. Everything got reduced into a 'thin line', exterminating all forms of life present.
Next was…
…
…
…
"Fu…"
I opened my eyes to the frosted surroundings. Everything remained the same inside the Tomb of the Thirteenth Titan. It was those random memories that messed with my mind.
I exhaled one more time, allowing my mind to stabilize. Countless new memories are sorted under the category of 'Destruction'.
Closing the gap between 78% and 80% is bigger than all my prior progresses combined. It is the deciding point if I can reach the authority of a 'Pure Child of Anasvara'.
This required taking in all of Amphoreus' memories. Fifteen million cycles included the fifteen million times the Black Tide swept over Amphoreus, and that Black Tide is connected to Destruction.
It is inevitable I come in contact with it.
If it wasn't for this "forgotten cycle" being tightly protected by Fuli… or rather, a Pink Elf posing as Fuli, I would have ditched Amphoreus right after reaching 30%.
Destruction…
It is very similar to Nihility. Just that Destruction focuses on pure 'destruction' and the emptiness that comes with it. Nihility focuses on the latter part only.
Fortunately…
I already dealt with a pesky Aeon once.