CHAPTER 108: ERADICATING THE NIHIL

Even before the clash happen, the faraway battlefield stretched out before the gothic spires of Monochara, a scarred landscape torn apart by Nihil’s relentless advance.

Crimson tendrils writhed in the distance, infusing the ground with a blood-like corruption that pulsed and spread, devouring everything in its path.

The air carried the metallic tang of decay, and the Nihil’s chaotic form grew larger with each passing moment, speeding visibly toward the bastion.

On a ridge overlooking the chaos, Samael and Oizys stood side by side, their presence a mix of unshakable confidence and wry amusement, for they knew that they had all the time in the world to deal with this Nihil.

Not to mention, might as well showcase Consortium’s wide arrays of capabilities to increase their assessment from their beloved ally.

The forces of Monochara had faltered without direction after all, thanks to Cayame’s disappearance.

But that was about to change.

A deafening roar erupted from the heart of the bastion, reverberating through the stone and steel of its towering architecture.

From the shadows of the Monochara’s heart emerged Cayame, her sudden return a jolt to the anxious forces of the bastion.

Her lion-like lower body moved with predatory grace, while her humanoid torso, glistening with sweat and streaked with gore, radiated an aura of unyielding resolve. Her hawk-like eyes swept the scene, igniting a spark of hope among the ranks.

With her came the full might of Monochara’s military.

Black living cloud titans coalesced from the mist, their amorphous forms crackling with dark energy. Karasu associatives, robed and sharp-eyed, organized with quiet precision.

And Void Hunters, a motley crew of mercenary-like individuals drawn to the battle by the promise of rewards, each wielding their own unique arsenal. The tide was turning.

A Karasu officer approached Samael and Oizys, his steps hesitant under the weight of their piercing gazes. He stood straighter, though his voice betrayed a slight tremble.

"The Monochara bastion is ready to join the battlefront," he announced, his enthusiasm tempered by the overwhelming presence of the two figures before him. "Director Cayame has returned and assumed command!"

Samael’s lips curved into a faint smirk as she locked eyes with Oizys, their telepathic link humming to life. "Cayame’s back, and it seems like she’s not thrilled about Vaingall hogging the spotlight," she thought, her tone laced with mischief. "She’ll want Monochara to take the lead now after all of our effort and presentation."

Oizys’s mental response was dry and assured. "Let her try. Even if they fire that Etheric Cannon, it won’t outshine what we’ve already done with the Eldritch Bolt. We’ll still look like the influential one, no?"

The officer shifted awkwardly, sensing the unspoken exchange but pressing on. "The Etheric Cannon is being prepared as we speak," he added, gesturing toward the Mara Clock tower in the bastion’s center. "We greatly appreciate the Consortium’s effort to delay and disrupt the Nihil from ever reaching the expected distance of conflict, giving us more time to damage control the sudden incident that befell upon the bastion’s chain of command!"

Samael arched an eyebrow. "Let’s hope it’s worth the buildup," she said aloud, her voice dripping with skepticism.

Within the bastion, the Mara Clock tower began to shift.

Its gothic frame—blackened metal and stained glass—expanded and reconfigured with a mechanical groan.

The structure unfolded to reveal the Etheric Cannon, a colossal weapon that rose higher than the bastion’s walls. Its barrel gleamed faintly in the dim light, aimed at the distant Nihil, which was now tearing through the landscape with increasing ferocity.

The ground beneath the crimson hurricane could be seen bleeding red, and the blood of its unfortunate victims in its path fueled its grotesque growth.

Cayame stood at the tower’s base, her voice cutting through the clamor like a blade. "Prepare to fire!" she commanded. Karasu operatives swarmed the controls, their hands moving deftly over arcane panels as the cannon hummed to life.

Samael folded her arms, watching the preparations with a critical eye. "They think this will destabilize the Nihil," she muttered to Oizys. "Back then, we’d have expected Monochara to fumble this, leaving the Consortium to clean up. But after our Eldritch Bolt softened it up, this might actually work."

Oizys let out a low, dark chuckle. "If it does, they’ll owe us twice over. I almost hope it’s overkill—just to see their faces."

"I don’t know if that will happen," Samael’s expression showed that she was not impressed by this development. "We can expect some skewed analysis on the Monochara’s side since they are not the same people as the one we met on Solvish Keep."

"Oh."

The Etheric Cannon’s hum grew into a roar, its energy peaking in a blinding surge. With a sound that split the sky, it fired a beam of searing light that lanced through the air and struck the Nihil’s core.

The vortex convulsed, its crimson mass fracturing into countless smaller entities—fleshy, red hurricanes that scattered across the battlefield.

The destabilization had worked, just as Samael and Oizys had anticipated, but the real fight was only beginning.

Cayame’s voice rang out again, resolute and commanding. "Now, all forces that stood against the test of time and debilitation, eradicate them!"

The forces of Monochara surged forward, a united front of steel, magic, and raw power.

And with it, so did the rest of the Consortium’s military.

"Might as well," Oizys sighed.

"Well, no way we’re letting the Monochara outdo us, in this too" Samael said, her smirk widening.

She raised a hand, and her Divine Constructs—towering, radiant figures of light—glowed brighter, their forms enhanced with a surge of concocted spells that amplified their strength and speed.

Following the gesture, Oizys also summoned her tendrils near the crimson corrupted area where the Nihil was destabilized.

The numbers of her tentacles went from a hundred and multiplied into a thousand an instant, shadowy, fleshy appendages unfurling and lashing out with destructive prowess.

"Well, this won’t take long" Oizys said, her tone edged with sadistic delight. "We’lls just outdo them as well in the eradication phase."

The battle erupted into a storm of chaos.

Samael’s constructs moved like extensions of her will, their blades and spells carving through Nihil spawns with devastating efficiency.

Oizys’s tendrils went on a berserk, ensnaring and crushing the smaller hurricanes in a relentless dance of destruction.

Their power was undeniable, a spectacle that drew the eyes of every fighter on the field.

But the others held their own in their own ways.

A high-ranking Void Hunter swept his death-forged spear in a wide arc, clearing hundreds of meters of spawns in a single motion.

Karasu representatives wove intricate spells, casting shimmering shields over their allies to deflect the Nihil’s frenzied attacks. The black living cloud titans lumbered forward, unstoppable forces of nature that swept aside swathes of enemies with each ponderous step.

It was a collective effort in a way, each faction bringing its strengths to bear.

Still, Samael and Oizys stood apart, their sheer dominance a testament to Vaingall’s might. They cut through the chaos like twin storms, leaving nothing but silence in their wake.

The Nihil spawns fell one by one, their numbers dwindling under the relentless assault.

In under five hours, the battlefield was still. The last of the fleshy hurricanes dissipated, and the crimson corruption began to fade from the earth.

The Nihil had been neutralized completely, a victory won through the combined efforts of Monochara and Vaingall.

Cayame directly approached Samael and Oizys as the dust settled, her expression a rare blend of gratitude and respect.

She seemed to possess some kind of skill or power that let her to contort space and gravity to a certain extent, but it was very different than the one Samael often used like when she was creating her spatial storage, or the same one Azulus use to blink back and forth in a short time.

"Your assistance turned the tide," Cayame said, her voice steady despite the fatigue etched into her features. "Monochara won’t forget this."

"Your appreciation is wasted on us," Samael answered immediately. "Everything we done is merely the will of our Deity of Harvest. Thank her and not us."

"I’ll make sure to vehemently remember that," Cayame nodded, her hawk-like gaze softening.

Samael could sense that something felt wrong about Cayame in this instance, but she couldn’t really grasp why.

In a way, she felt like there was more to this than what met in the eye.

After the intense battle, the forces began to regroup, tending to the wounded and clearing the remnants of battle.

Samael and Oizys lingered on the ridge, gazing out at Monochara’s gothic spires piercing the clearing sky.

The bastion stood unbroken, a symbol of their triumphant effort.

Yet beneath the celebration, questions simmered. The Nihil’s aggression, and whispers of a new faction pulling strings—all threads of a larger tapestry yet to unravel.

For now, though, they savored the win. In the unforgiving world of Fathomi, that was enough.

"Looks like it went well," Blanchette said to Kivas who was still watching everyone from afar inside the lounge.

"The moment the battle is over, you sprinted her just to say that?" Kivas chuckled.

"I don’t particularly like seeing and participating in conflict, dear sister."

"Your words and actions say otherwise most of the time."