Chapter 127: Creatures of Beast
Seishan had attended the Valor Ball party with two goals in mind. The first was to warn Changing Star about the consequences of joining Valor indirectly. This did not go very well, of course, as both she and her mother knew how stubborn that girl was.
The second goal was their actual priority, which was getting the Paragon of Purity into Clan Song.
He seemed to be aligned with the government for now, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing considering their neutrality. But Ki Song, Seishan's mother, wanted to make sure that boy joined them.
They had learned about his relations to Revel at the last mint, and they had planned to use that for their own benefit. But unfortunately, Seishan was under the assumption that the paragon of purity was in love with Revel, which turned out to be completely wrong...
In her private PTV, Seishan watched the passing streets of NQSC as she was transported towards one of the Song headquarters in the waking world.
"You don't seem very well, lady Seishan. Did our little shapeshifter friend scare you?"
There was no one in the PTV with her, aside from the driver... And it wasn't their voice.
Instead, it was something far worse, residing in the reflection of her eyes... Mordret, the Prince of Nothing.
That fiend was aligned with clan Song for now, which was only natural considering the war between Valor and Song was approaching. They wouldn't turn down a Divine Aspect wielder, even if he was merely an Ascended right now.
Seishan simply shrugged.
"I didn't expect him to be a naive fool with a hero complex... But now that I look at it, it was my fault for expecting anything else. I should've guessed that from our interactions on the Forgotten Shore." she said, her expression remaining passive.
"Indeed, what a hero that one is! In a way, he might be even crazier than Changing Star, and gods, we all know how much of a psychopath that one is..."
Seishan wanted to chuckle... Coming from mordret himself, It was ironic.
'look who's talking...'
Seishan did not understand those powerful people—Changing Star, Paragon of Purity, and the Prince of Nothing.
They were all Divine Aspect wielders, no doubt. Mordret and Nephis were confirmed to be, but Hugo... Not so much. Though they were nearly certain that he was, considering the fact that he returned from the dead after surviving years of being in a death zone.
Not only that, he did so by conquering the second nightmare and ascending. Everything from his powers to actions indicated that he was the third Divine Aspect wielder in history.
Seishan noticed how all of them were not right in the head, one way or another they were all mad. Perhaps that's why they received the highest possible Aspect rank from the spell.
"Either way... He should stay out of the war for now, but if he doesn't, I trust you can deal with him?" Seishan said.
Mordret was the eldest and first of the Divine Aspect wielders. His Aspect was much more frightening than all of them, as well.
The Prince of Nothing remained silent for a moment before answering in a calm voice:
"Ah, I wouldn't underestimate him like that... I saw him at the ball, yes, but I still know nothing about him, nor have I seen him in battle. Besides, it would be foolish to assume a Divine Aspect wielder is weak, regardless of their rank."
Seishan remained silent after this, but she couldn't help but wonder...
Was the Prince of Nothing wary of someone of the same rank as him?
Outside of the PTV, someone was watching the Princess of Song and the Prince of Nothing from afar. It was a figure covered from head to toe, with only a sinister crimson light shining from their eyes.
That crimson suddenly light intensified, and moments later, the figure disappeared completely as if they were never there.
***
Seishan finally reached the Song headquarters. The servants opened the door for her as she stepped out of the PTV calmly.
The Song Princess made her way through the building, descending to the underground section.
Surprisingly, she didn't head to one of the sleeping pods that Awakened used to enter the Dream Realm. Instead, she kept walking until she reached the deepest part of the underground complex.
It was a gargantuan chamber, with dozens of Awakened workers carrying boxes of supplies and resources.
At the far end of the wall, a magnificent crimson gate could be seen, vast as the room.
It looked like a purer version of a Nightmare Gate, yet the presence it emitted was no less terrifying.
This was a Dream Gate, created by the Sovereign Ki Song.
The Awakened bowed down to Seishan as she passed and the Song Princess acknowledged them with a nod before passing through the gate and entering the Dream Realm.
Seishan found herself in one of the deepest parts of the Jade Palace, in Ravenheart. Her childhood home had changed a lot through the years, and it was only going to change more as the world was spinning quickly.
Seishan would have to match that pace, or time would swallow her whole, as it had so many others, leaving nothing but ash in its wake.
She made her way through the castle, passing through many of her Song Sisters and her own group, the Blood Sisters.
Eventually, the awakened princess reached a highly secure area, where no one was allowed besides a selected few.
It was guarded by no one, as the person inside needed no protection.
There, a corpse of a breathtakingly beautiful woman was sitting on a throne, dressed in a regal red gown. Its hem spilled down the steps of the throne like a river of blood.
The woman's chest was pierced by a sword, which pinned her to the back of the throne... two dead youths were standing beside her, down on the steps of the throne.
"Seishan... You have returned." One of the youths spoke. "You too, Mordret."
The Prince of Nothing left Seishan's eye and manifested in his human form, which was that of a man in a black suit, with eyes that were a reflection of the world.
He offered a cheerful smile, before bowing slightly.
"I greet the mighty ruler of the Song Domain."
Ki Song stared at him for a moment, before sighing.
"Those shenanigans of yours are getting old, boy."
"Well, what can I say? I like to be charming."
Seishan ignored Mordret and looked at her mother.
"The ball went... Horribly, to say the least. Changing Star seems set on joining Valor... As for the Paragon of Purity, he doesn't seem to have any type of romantic interest in Revel."
Her mother did not seem surprised by this outcome at all, almost as if she expected it.
"That girl... If she weren't such a bum, perhaps we would have already secured that boy's allegiance." She sighed even deeper. "It's not a problem, either way. He isn't planning on joining Valor, is he?"
Seishan shook her head. "He still seems to be with the government... Though, he is a problematic personality. Unlike Changing Star, he seems to possess a hero complex, and a big one at that... And he might be a little insane in the head."
"Hm?" Her mother said, confused by her words.
"...He seems to think a Sacred being stole his ship Memory in the second nightmare... He didn't seem to be lying, due to his heartbeats ,which meant he fully believes what he said."
Her mother did not seem surprised by this, as she only laughed.
"Knowing how strange our world is, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true..."
Ki Song's expression suddenly shifted, as her sight locked onto Seishan.
The Princess of Song shivered... Was she mad at her for failing?
Even the Prince of Nothing flinched slightly, wary of what the Supreme was going to do.
"You better get out of my daughter's soul before I tear you out of her myself, creature." Ki Song said, her words sharp and direct.
"Mother, what are you—" Seishan's eyes suddenly widened, as she felt a chill run through her soul.
It was colder than anything she had felt before, more twisted then anything she has felt or seen...
before her astonished eyes, a ghost-like creature exited her body, looking deformed and abominable.
She had seen it before... Back on the Forgotten Shore, it was one of the transformations used by the Paragon of Purity, specifically the one he used to take over gunlaug. But this one was different—it was more terrifying, twisted, and far more powerful.
The Princess of Song started shaking in fear as her instincts were screaming at her to run away.
'That thing was inside of me?...'
Even the Prince of Nothing was shocked, as he retreated back into the reflections.
The ghostly being smiled, then a flash of red engulfed the chamber.
When it receded, a human was standing there, shocking Seishan even more.
It was a tall man, with white hair, whiter than even that of Changing Star. His skin was ghostly pale, like that of a corpse... And his eyes were two crimson jewels.
Seishan was confused, not from the sight but from the feeling this man was giving.
'A Transcendent... He's a Saint.'
But more importantly, why did he look exactly like the Paragon of Purity?
"This humble creature greets the Supreme of the War Realm." The man offered a slight bow, with a smile on his face.
Ki Song's gaze was cold and unreadable. The world itself seemed to shift as she looked down at the Transcendant creature beneath her.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't destroy you right now."
The man's smile did not falter as he approached the throne, completely ignoring Seishan and Mordret.
"I'm Albedo, one of the few surviving children of Beast."
Seishan's eyes widened. She had known about the existence of past realms, but none of those realms should have survived. All of them were consumed by the Dream Realm and their inhabitants should be long dead....
"And I'm here to offer you a deal, Heir of Blood Goddess."
"A deal, you say..." Ki Song studied him with a cold expression. "Offering a deal while not even revealing your true form is a bit rude, don't you think?" The Sovereign looked deep into him, as if gazing into his very soul. "You are much like that boy, from what I see... But also very different."
Albedo only smiled at this. "I'm assuming you're referring to the wielder of the Omnitrix from this realm. I will admit, we are similar—but he is nowhere near my level. He is a human assuming the forms of other Noble Creatures, while I am a Noble Creature currently assuming a human form. It's merely a gesture of goodwill, really."
"Hmm, I can see that... Well then, child of Beast, speak and don't even think about lying to me."
"I wouldn't dream of it... You're a mighty Supreme, after all."
Albedo took a step closer, his crimson eyes gleaming as they reflected Ki Song in their depths.
"Your Domain is vast and powerful, Sovereign of the war realm. I can feel its weight pressing against my very soul. It is... impressive. But even the mightiest Domain can be expanded, made stronger and more absolute."
Seishan couldn't believe what was happening right now... A mere saint was speaking to her mother like he was her equal...
"I come from the Beast Realm. A realm that once held countless Noble Creatures and countless souls. Some of them still survive to this day, trapped beyond the White Desert, beyond the reach of any other Supreme. They have no ruler and no Domain to call their own... With my help, all of them can become your subjects."
Ki Song's expression remained unreadable, but her eyes flickered with interest.
Indeed... Ki song goal —Ever since she conquered the fourth nightmare — is to expand her domain and gain even more subjects, further increasing her supreme power.
"I cannot possess a Domain myself, as I lack an Aspect—which means I will never threaten your authority but I can help you expand it instead. In return, I request that you aid me in my ascension... and in conquering the Fourth Nightmare using the power of your domain."
For the first time since this conversation begun, Ki Song seemed surprised.
"The Spell can infect Noble Creatures as well?"
Albedo nodded.
"Indeed. All inhabitants of the Divine Realms are capable of being infected by the Spell, that is the only requirement."
Ki Song looked at him calmly, her expression shifting to one of cold calculation.
"The information you've given me is indeed valuable. Bringing an entire civilization into my Domain would empower me greatly... But you do realize that the information is all I needed, don't you? Why would I keep you—someone who is clearly pursuing ascension—after this? You wouldn't be satisfied even after becoming a Supreme Noble Creature. The next step for you would be Apotheosis... And at that point, nothing would stop you from destroying me and all of humanity."
The air in the chamber grew heavy, thick with the weight of Ki Song's will. Even seishan took a step back, afraid of her mother's wrath.
Albedo remained still, unshaken by her power.
"The solution is simple," he said softly. "Just challenge the Fifth Nightmare and attempt Apotheosis alongside me."
The room went silent.
Ki Song's beastial will washed over Albedo, making him take a step back this time...
Then she spoke. Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of wariness in her voice.
"The Fifth Nightmare is the most dangerous step in the Path of Ascension for supreme humans. Challenging it is a far greater gamble than conquering the previous four Nightmares,as the chances of success are slim. My comrades and I all chose not to abandon the waking world or leave humanity without the guardianship of Supremes for that reason... There was no reason to risk our lives in the Fifth Nightmare when there were other paths..."
She leaned forward slightly, her eyes boring into his.
"No Awakened from this cycle has ever challenged the Fifth Nightmare, so knowledge of it comes only from fragmented chronicles left in the ruins of past civilizations, like Godgrave, the realm of the sun. The Fifth Nightmare is where the abyss between Supreme and Sacred is at its greatest. It is not about gaining raw power or attaining deeper mastery of one's Aspect but is instead about shedding the remains of one's mortal self and being reborn as something greater."
Albedo listened carefully, even mordret —Who was hidden in reflections— and sieshan were focusing now. It was not everyday that they got to receive such knowledge from a supreme.
"It is a uniquely cruel trial. Unlike the others, it involves two trials instead of one, a personal trial tailored specifically to the challenger, and a collective trial. Both are unimaginably brutal, failure in either results in death."
Ki Song's voice hardened as she continued:
"Even if one succeeds, the Spell facilitates Apotheosis in record-breaking time, but the transformation carries severe risk. The changes to consciousness and sense of self cannot be controlled as the nightmare spell does not care whether the challenger remains themselves afterward, it only cares about elevating its Challenger to godhood. This is what destroyed the Sun Realm civilization. Their Spirits—former supremes who attained godhood—ultimately devoured and destroyed their own world after losing themselves to that transformation."
Her gaze was cold, absolute.
"Every weapon wielded and every power possessed becomes a burden in the fifth nightmare. Even the challenger's own Domain turns against them, survival depends solely on oneself—but preserving the truth of one's self is far more difficult than staying alive, that is the true peril and the true horror of the fifth nightmare"
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle.
"So, Albedo..." she said, her tone sharp as a blade. "Do you understand now why I will not throw myself into that abyss? Why I chose to remain a Supreme, to protect what I have built, rather than risk becoming something that would destroy it all?"
Albedo did not flinch. Instead, he only chuckled, his inhuman voice spreading across the chamber.
Ki Song's eyes narrowed at this.
"Are you laughing at me, creature?"
"No. Not at all." Albedo's smile widened. "Your fear is only natural... But what if I told you that I can offer you Apotheosis on a silver platter? without the risk of losing yourself or your domain?"
"That is not possible. Only the nightmare spell can do such a thing, and natural apotheosis is impossible, as well." Ki song replied with a calm voice.
Albedo shook his head, as he raised his wrist, revealing a crimson gauntlet with an hourglass symbole on it.
Seishan noticed that it was similar to the thing the Paragon of purity uses but this one felt more... violent.
"Weaver was the eldest of the daemons and the most dreadful of them all. They created the nightmare spell, the only true god in this era... But even the nightmare spell pales in comparison to the the ultimate creation of the Galvans... Children of war, meet the ultimatrix."
Ki song was almost enthralled by the crimson gauntlet, as she sensed the power within it...
"I ask of you again, supreme descendant of beast god, do you want to become a god?"