Abyssal Awakening

Running with all of her might, Alyss scrambled around the arena while countless tendrils of dark energy spawned wherever the woman glanced.

Her senses were pushed to the limit as she couldn't envision a way to attack the host without being consumed by her gaze.

'HAVE YOU FIGURED IT OUT YET?!?!' She screamed at Cayla.

[SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO THINK!] Cayla screamed back as she too was scrambling through her old notes, trying to figure out how to defeat this host.

However, everything that she had written in the past couldn't be used right now since it didn't match Alyss's fighting style at all. Attack from afar? Using a ritual to isolate?

Using certain Sigils to blind?

Alyss couldn't access any of those right now. And even if she did, she needed high level Sigils for it to work on the host.

With what she knew of her, the Zenia family rarely gave her powerful blood since they were afraid of her escaping.

Sliding another set of tentacles, Alyss activated her technique.

Destruction Point!

Homing in on the weak point of the tendrils, she adjusted her blade and made a vertical slash, severing the tendril and creating a path for herself.

However, behind her, the tendril repaired itself and lashed out at her.

Gritting her teeth, Alyss parried without turning around.

'Still nothing!? I'm about to die out here!'

[Do you know how hard it is to focus with someone shouting in your ear?! I'm going as fast as I can!]

She needed to gather as much evidence as she could so that she could figure something out. A way for Alyss, using the skills she has, the martial arts and even her Eldrich power, to reach the host.

She needed a way to restrain that Eldrich gaze, a way to stop Alyss from going into madness the moment she was captured.

What could she do? What could she take advantage of?

What options are available to them at this moment in time?

[!!!] Sitting upright, Cayla's pupil constricted.

Her smile trembled as she let out a laugh.

[I got it!] She grinned.

Out of all the possible options, this was something she never considered.

A power or rather, a seal that was bestowed upon Alice.

At first, they thought it was simply a seal to restrain whatever Nyer created. But if that was the case, it should've been Alice that was sealed.

Yet she was still the main body.

So what did it seal?

Alyss's power? That's not quite right either. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to use the blackened limbs or the Violet Flames.

Therefore, there was only one answer.

Velouria, as someone who's very familiar with the Outer Gods, noticed the seed of power early!

Those chains were used to restrain the Eldrich power dormant within Alyss!

Her power gained through ritual, one that caused the chains to dig in violently was always Eldrich energy!

'What are you laughing at!?!?' Alyss questioned, wondering if Cayla lost her mind.

[The fact that my previous master is a genius! She even prepared for this scenario!] Cayla stood up with a grin.

[Listen to me carefully Alyss. I need you to let her capture you in her gaze momentarily. Just a moment but it should be enough for the chains to activate.]

'Hah???'

[The chains that Velouria placed on your body were never one to bind you. Rather, it was to bind the Eldrich energy, preventing it from going out of control! Think about it, when the chains weren't there, didn't Alice begin losing her mind? Moments of insanity, not that she's not insane already but you know.] Cayla shrugged.

Thinking about it for a moment, Alyss nodded.

After the chains were placed, Alice became a little more… 'tame' compared to when the chains weren't there.

This… 'Inner Hunger', was suppressed.

In fact, the most recent memory of the chains working was during the first confrontation. When Alice was captured by the Outer God's energy.

Alyss had presumed that her forcefully taking over managed to free Alice. But when she manifested, the Golden Chains followed, bursting out of her body and dispersing the energy.

[We can think about it later. But for now, just let the host capture you and allow the chains to act!]

Gritting her teeth, Alyss nodded and agreed with Cayla's gamble.

Snapping her fingers, Alyss disabled the walls.

In that instant, the woman's head snapped towards her location and the entire world lost its light.

Tendrils shot forth from all directions, capturing Alyss as a strange mass of flesh burst out from the woman's body, pulling Alyss close and opening its countless eyes.

Alyss felt her entire essence being swallowed by the Outer God. The connection that formed between them, the true body behind this host.

A boundless mass filled with eyes, a shrouded body that can't be observed and this… eerie energy that persisted in this space it occupied.

*RUMBLE!!!!

{!!!} Letting out a shriek, the formless mass recoiled back as Golden Chains pierced out from Alyss's body, stabbing against the tendrils of the beast.

In that instant, this corrupted space was dismissed and Alyss found herself back in her body.

"ARHGGGG!!!"

In front of her, the priest let out a cry of pain while blood poured out of her eyes.

She stumbled back, clutching her face in pain while the corrupted mass of flesh was now nowhere in sight.

Not wasting this chance, Alyss immediately activated her Resonance and Absolute Zone!

Phantom Shift!

Appearing in front of the host, she twisted her body and unleashed a series of slashes, shredding apart her limbs.

Gnashing her teeth in anger, the host tried to fight back but just as she raised her regenerated arm, Alyss flicked her blade up, severing the wrist.

Dark energy burst out from the wound but the chains glowed brighter, supressing the energy around her.

Sheathing her blade momentarily, Alyss focused her mind and overlayed the personal artifact over her weapon.

Lance form!

A form that let's her target what she wanted without missing!

Destruction Point!

Targeting the connection between the host and the Eldrich energy, Alyss unleashed a three fold slash, converging on one point and destroying the tether!

The instant the tether was destroyed, the host's body began to crumble away to ash, unable to contain the Eldrich energy that existed within.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Alyss glanced at the statue and saw the flowers withering. Pieces that resembled Alice seemed to have broken off somewhat, turning it back to the 'blank' state it had before.

'Seems like if we kill the other hosts around this place, the statue should revert back to the blank state. Do you think that'll free Alice?' Alyss asked.

Thinking about it for a moment, Cayla shrugged.

[I don't know. The… parameters of this ritual is too strange. I don't know what the Eldrich energy is doing but none of the information I know can be trusted anymore. We also don't know where Jin is.] Cayla was worried.

With Jin being a key piece to the previous ritual, there's no doubt that he'll be one of War's main targets. The question now was where to find them and what she's planning to do to him.

'Let's go for the hosts first. Now that we know the chains work, we just need to assassinate as quickly as possible.'

[Agreed. I've already marked down the next closest island. Based on the energy that we've seen, the pathways we need to take is rather simple.]

Nodding her head, Alyss sheathed her weapon and left the location.

###

"Oi…" Kazira paused as a vein bulged on her neck.

"Oi Oi! What the f*ck?! Why is the Icon of Ith'Zir dead?! How is she dead?!" Kazira questioned, confusing Ye Shen who was standing by the side but didn't say anything.

Gnashing her teeth, Kazira swatted the empty air in front of her.

"Don't give me that sh*t! Weren't you the one who guaranteed that the Icons can do their job?! One ritual site is already gone and the progress has slowed. Why am I lending my body if you're just giving me failures like this ha?!" Kazira spat out in anger as her aura began to rise.

Not far from her, a dark energy manifested, threatening to lash out.

"Get your priorities right. I'm not asking you for your power. You're asking me for mine. You have no advantage in this." Kazira glared as rusted blades exploded from the space around her, piercing the black energy.

Despite the blades being corrupted momentarily, a fierce crimson energy lashed back, supressing it.

"So what now trash? I can make you into something… Subline and wonderful. Or do you want to actually pull your weight?" Kazira warned as a chaotic energy burst out from her body, manifesting as crimson spikes and rusted weapons.

The Authority of War!

Feeling the authority crashing down on the location, Ye Shen couldn't keep himself standing as he was forced to kneel.

A moment of silence extended before the presence of the Authority disappeared.

Kazira seemed satisfied by the response as she walked back to her throne besides the egg housing Jin.

Parts of his body was already beginning to change with certain symbols being stitched onto his body. There was an emptiness in his gaze yet it was not complete just yet.

A little more.

Just a few more steps then Kazira would've successfully cultivated two host bodies for herself. One to house Eldrich energy and the other her current authority. By combing the two, she'll create a twisted divinity to ascend the ladders of godhood.

She could already see it, the God of War.

People calling her name in reverence, the battles raged through her will. She desired such authority!

###

Wandering through the endless expanse, Alice's pace was beginning to slow down.

Her gaze faltered with only a single thought in her mind.

'Who… Am I.'