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603. Pale Ascension
🕑 Added 2024-03-21 19:33:28 +0000 UTCThe watch fixed to Frost’s wrist read that only an hour had passed. There were three hours left until midnight. According to the story of Paradise Lost, the Icon of Judgement disappeared by daybreak.
Obviously, the reason why was linked to the Princess of Puritas. The problem was –
“Just where the hell is she!?”
– The Princess.
Frost allowed the Apostles to give chase as she scoured Paradise with the help of her Innocents in search for the Princess.
< [Salvation] >
The wingbeats of the Icon of Judgement had zero effect on her miniature minions, only causing them to tumble around like adorable balls. Their bodies did not sprout wings like false angels, nor were they transformed into Markers of a Price of Paradise.
After all, how could an Innocent soul be saved? Wasn’t the reason why the Icon of Judgement enacted Salvation was to absolve sin in the first place?
Angry emojis formed above their heads, some depicting a face with a censored mouth as they cursed at the Icon of Judgement.
Frost picked apart this entity more than she ever had with any past Corrupted. Firstly, it was an entity she had little information of despite its notoriety. Secondly, it helped her keep her emotions from further deteriorating.
Because she could only imagine what gave rise to a Corrupted of this caliber.
The wrongs of Paradise. The bullshit rule of a King. To declare everyone as its subjects. One way or another the events from the old world end up being replayed in the present.
“The Orders of Puritas!” Frost, in her unending hatred, drilled a fist into the head of the Third Apostle.
A significant dent was left as blood redder than hers dribbled through the seams of its pale visor. The Fourth Apostle rushed behind her and swung two wings like the blades of a giant scissor.
“All of them obeyed the King of Puritas like he was a God! Is that how you see the Icon of Judgement!?”
Frost ducked as it clamped on the neck of the Third Apostle, further denting its head. Metal blended with the flesh underneath. She could not confidentially tell if they were human or not beneath the pale armor.
“Stories keep repeating themselves. First it was the old world!”
She moved away just in time before the Fourth Apostle attempted to crush her between them both. Even if was her she would have struggled to break free from their hold. Each punch that riddled their bodies rippled through the silent night as windows as far away as a hundred meters trembled.
“AND NOW HERE! The old world and Paradise! Elysia, the King and the Icon of Judgement!”
Sound was dampened by the presence of the Icon of Judgement. Her words were only heard by herself, and those who could interpret the subtle vibrations that left her lips.
The Apostles did not answer her. Instead, the Third remained still as the Fourth relentlessly dashed back and forth, jumping from the walls of buildings and rubles to strike Frost with as much force as possible.
“Same stories keep getting repeated with new context. Before it was me as Sinder then the Crowned!”
Unfortunately for it, she could see windows of opportunity, akin to that of a red, misty strand which she followed like a string of fate. It led her to achieve incredibly powerful counterattacks at no expense of her own.
[Solemn Counter] was not a Skill she had properly utilized until now, as most of her opponents were either too quick or too weak.
Third Apostle | HP: 120,000
Fourth Apostle | HP: 230,000
“In the end, what made the Corrupted hasn’t changed! The people that were blamed for nothing! So why is it indiscriminately judging those that wanted someone to save them!?”
In Frost’s mind she believed that the Icon of Judgement was summoned to enact judgement on the inhabitants of Paradise. But it could not be further from the truth. Because everything was judged indiscriminately and brought to bear wings that cannibalized them.
The same spear formed in the hand of the Third Apostle.
< “Follow me and arise from the shackles of sin. With my hand the forms of thy kin will melt away into the primordial soup that awaits beyond. Become born anew in my most excellent image.” >
< The Third Apostle considers its call >
< “People are not born equal.” It monologues >
< It believes that there must be a way for people to reach into their hearts to bring out their most true selves >
< [Trumpet’s Call] >
<> [Promise of Paradise] <>
It was not allowed to fully wield its weapon. By the time the spear fully materialized in its hands, Frost had already bombarded its body with flaming fists which had already reduced its HP to 60,000.
By dealing with them one by one she could easily overcome this ordeal. But she did not forget that the Princess was her utmost priority. It was obvious who the One Marked by Judgement was, so she needed to prevent her from reaching the Icon of Judgement before she could collect all the weapons of the Apostles, as well as the slices of apples.
With one last bite, the Third Apostle froze in place as blood gushed from its open chest.
The Third Apostle | HP: 0
< “People still need a nudge in the right direction. Evelyn will reach out her hand into the shallow pools where they drown. But I will thrust them into the deep end where they can learn to swim.” >
< It envisioned a world without misery. But through misery could one truly understand themselves >
< It embraces the dark of the city, knowing that it is a matter of filling the void with stars of their own >
< [Pale Reverence] >
< [Pallid Regrets] >
It was consumed like the first two, leaving behind only veins and nerves connected to a golden fruit. Were that fruit a brain and a heart, then it would have resembled the most stripped-down version of a human being.
< “I promised thee ascension. Close thy eyes and be encased in my pallid Kingdom.” >
Frost brought along the Fourth Apostle to the nearest Marker where she devoured its slice. By now she had consumed 400 slices but did not notice any overt changes just yet. However, to her shock, the Innocents were not spared by the Pale Web disease.
Strands of their black hair had turned white, as well as their skin.
“This makes no sense. I thought they were Innocent!” Frost exclaimed, now moving her attention to the Fourth Apostle.
< The Icon of Judgement does not discriminate. But there is perhaps a deeper meaning behind this interaction >
“Explain it to me!”
< My life began slightly before yours >
< Therefore, I do not have the relevant context for this >
< However… >
< … You should have recognized it by now >
< [Salvation] >
< [Salvation] >
< [Salvation] >
“Recognized what!? I’m begging you – tell me! As good as I am at reading between the lines, I’ve never seen anything like this before!”
Multiple wingbeats nearly threw her off her feet. She utilized her strands which were connected to the bare flesh of the Fourth Apostle to keep herself tied with it. She revolved around it like a giant yoyo.
The Corrupted clearly did not possess higher levels of thought. Otherwise, it would have cut her free from its body.
Suddenly, as Frost reduced the Fourth Apostle’s HP to 120,000, and as it raised its hand to the skies, the voice revealed a prompt.
< Nay. I do not just mean the Innocent born from your golden orbs >
< I mean the Markers of a Price of Paradise. The notion of rebirth and ascension >
Frost scoured her thoughts and memories to where she had seen this before. But no matter how hard she sifted through her mind she could not find anything. Yet for some reason, Ber’s name lingered at the tip of her tongue.
Suddenly, Frost’s eyes opened like a pair of golden moons.
“The Egg….”
< Vergillia, I appoint thee to guide my chosen Apostles to follow the light at the end of hell. Only then will thee see the end of it.” >
< The Fourth Apostle bleeds for the cause >
< It will guide the most gifted towards a most excellent mission >
< All for the sake of breaking free from the cage of misery >
< [Trumpet’s Call] >
<> [Promise of Paradise] <>
Frost’s mind obscured reality.
Her split-second lapse of focus resulted in the spear plunging straight into her chest. It pierced her heart, and she felt it burst before it restitched itself. Blood was spat onto the visor of her enemy as she forcefully tore herself off from the side, nearly ripping herself in half just to escape.
Her ribs snapped like the wishbone of a hen. [Corporeal Restoration] fused her body parts in only seconds as a gush of steam consumed them both, moments before she began her counterattack with added ferocity.
“Gaagh…! The egg! The white egg!” Frost silently screamed during the assault. “That’s what Ber hatched out of! Is that what the Icon of Judgement – no, what Elysia did in the past!? Did they become Corrupted after they were hatched from an egg!?”
< The pale egg; Markers; cocoon. They are all synonymous with the process of transformation, whether willing or unwilling. In essence, it is a facilitating process >
“For Corruption, right!?”
Frost was so sure that it was for the Corrupted.
However, the Voice did not respond immediately, prompting Frost to call out to it.
“What are you saying!? There were other kinds of transformations!?”
< But of course. Before the conception of the Corrupted there were boundless methods to fundamentally change humanity. Whether through Gifts given by the Stars, or through methods of their own. P-Factor Augmentation and the miracle of Magic are other methods >
< In this context, we are witnessing elevation of mankind >
“… into what? Markers that bleed? That have to bear tainted blood forever!?”
