Chapter 328 - Divine Proclamations

In the burning underground chamber, the complex brass machine thrummed with a deep reverberating sound that caused the very earth itself to vibrate.

All the Exalted in the area felt a deep sense of unease as their bodies reacted to the ritual’s energies. The few regular humans remaining in the area froze in place, their skin turning hard like polished metal, turning into mannequins on the spot.

Only the Head of Staff, her body warped and infused with the ritual energies, was filled with a sensation of extreme enlightenment and power.

Her eight arms took on a divine posture, two pairs praying, one pair with their fingers touching and extended in sacred gestures. The last held the shell-shaped artefact, its gems glimmering within the whirring gears of the contraption. Her face had smoothened out into a mask with no mouth or nose. Her eyes glowed from within as she faced the ritual machine.

A socket opened up in her forehead as she raised the shell in front of her, preparing to insert it into her head. The transformed cultists around her cried out in reverence, falling to their knees and bowing with their foreheads to the floor.

At this moment, time came to a complete stop.

The space behind the ritual chamber expanded, revealing a large stone platform. On top of the stone platform two squadrons of blue-uniformed officers were lined up in firing squad positions in a double row. The front row was down on one knee, the top in a stable firing stance.

On the flanks of each squad, six Exalted officers maintained the chronospatial condition of their surroundings, locking off access to the non-physical planes to ensure that no outside entities could interfere.

The expanded platform turned the cramped, blazing ritual chamber into the end of a picture-perfect firing range.

Captain Nauss, his expression fierce and determined, called the order from the back without hesitation.

“Fire!”

Grey smoke filled the air as silver tip bullets blasted into the frozen tableau. The shots were aimed to maim, staying away from the head and heart — Survivors of the attack, incapacitated by the silver bullets would be stasised and teleported directly to a cell for questioning.

As for the ritual machine, they would attempt to retrieve it unharmed for further study.

As the bullets flew through the air, a vision suddenly appeared in Captain Nauss’ mind.

In the midst of the frozen scene, one pair of the head cultist’s arms moved freely as she suddenly spoke in an ancient language, “The Domain of Time in this space is reversed!”

“The Domain of Time in this space is reversed!” The frozen mannequin-like cultists repeated as they suddenly burst into action, closing the distance to his troops in a blink as they dodged the bullets with inhuman speed. The situation turned around completely, his men appearing to be the ones moving in slow motion as they were cut down.

The vision lasted only for a split second. When Nauss regained his awareness he realized his hand was still outstretched to signal the attack. The bullets from his soldiers’ rifles still streamed through the air.

Two thoughts flashed through his mind. The first was the realization that the source of the vision was undoubtedly the White Maiden. The second was a reminder of his standing orders to ignore Her.

He made an instant decision, calling out abruptly,

“R-Retreat!”

His Exalted officers looked to him in surprise, but they reacted to the order. The air around the platform shimmered as the Astromancers worked together to break the link to the ritual chamber.

Something’s wrong— Nauss felt his spiritual intuition trigger as an invisible force interfered with the retreat. He was personally maintaining the protective field around the area to prevent travel in the other planes; A wrenching force pulled at his spirit, nearly shattering it directly. Several of the non-Exalted soldiers crumpled to the ground, others cried out in pain. A corrupting aura burst from the ritual machine, breaking down the SpaceTime field.

Nauss’ hand went to his chest, he tore the Captain badge over his heart off his uniform, injecting his spirituality into it. The blue sapphire gem in the badge shattered in an explosion of blue light. His body tingled with aetheric power as he wrestled control over the area from the opposing entity.

Nauss experienced a violent lurch as the firing hall hurled through the void and returned to its original location, the basement of one of the other estates on the opposite side of Gold Hill.

Sweat dripped down his temples as he met the shocked eyes of his officers, knowing that his own expression matched theirs. The regular soldiers fell to the ground vomiting while fighting waves of nausea and pain.

The enemy had nearly enacted countermeasures against our attack. If I hadn’t had that warning and called the retreat immediately, we wouldn’t have made it… Though he had just disobeyed the direct command to ignore the White Maiden, he knew that he had just saved the lives of himself and his men.

~

In the hallway beyond the chamber, the young swordsman Cheen and the graceful young maiden Kaya clashed several times in heated battle, when they were hit by the wave of corrupting energy.

The world spun around them as the giant illusory form of a majestic entity appeared in the smoke-filled ceiling above them. A vaguely humanoid figure, with a smooth elongated metallic mask. Amber light glowed from within its constructed body, lighting up the billowing smoke with an unearthly light.

Kaya fell to her knees, her skin melting off in sheets of water, her skin and flesh turning into liquid as she struggled to keep from losing control. Cheen staggered back, his swords clanging against the stone floor. He cried out in terror as his fingers split down his arm, twisting into long metallic ribbons that sliced deep gashes in his legs and torso as they flailed about.

“Be calm, my oji.” A noble voice said softly in his ear.

He felt a burst of purifying energy as a hand pressed against his shoulder. In an instant the corruption in his body was cleansed and it returned to a whole state.

He raised his eyes to see the strong, decisive posture of his master Zashii beside him. The swordsman in flowing yellow robes removed his hand from his disciple’s shoulder, his eyes fixed on a spot deeper in the underground mausoleum.

“Kaya—“ Cheen breathed under his breath, his eyes turning with concern to the girl he had just been in fierce combat with. She, too, was being cared for by her guru-chi, Ylia. Kaya’s face was pale, but she had also recovered from the corrupting energies.

“This enemy is powerful.” Zashii said.

“Careful!” Ylia warned.

The two guru-chi channeled energy into their auras, protecting their oji as a wave of energy washed over the hallway in saturated blues and reds. Brass-coloured firelight reflected off the walls from an unknown source.

Clang!

Sparks flew off Zashii’s sword as he unsheathed it in an instant, deflecting a metallic blade that suddenly thrust out of the wall. A mannequin-like figure with a mask-like face burst out, striking with its arms that had turned into sharpened spears.

In the same motion that unsheathed his blade, Zashii bisected the mannequin and simultaneously stepped to the side as if moving on the wind. Blood sprouted from his shoulder and calves as three more mannequins attacked from the ceiling and floor.

The swordsman snorted, slashing his sword in an arc that left a trail of blazing light around it. The light spun around him in a blinding ribbon, slicing through the mannequins around him, their body parts falling to the ground in pieces.

A few paces behind him Ylia was facing the other way. There was a spray of mist as she flicked her white and blue fan outward. An equal group of mannequins exploded from within around her as the blood in their bodies crystallized and burst into frozen crimson flowers.

Cheen and Kaya bumped their backs into each other as they were unknowingly maneuvered into safety between their masters. The two guru-chi expertly, wordlessly coordinated their movements together, fighting off the assault.

“Good job, elder brother.” Ylia said dryly, “We’ve stepped right into their trap.”

“Your oji attacked mine first, who’s the one that stepped into it?” Zashii snuffed, running his fingers along a long gash on his arm. Such a wound would normally heal instantly, but his flesh quivered and bubbled as the gash refused to close.

“There is a stream within the rocks. I can lead the escape—” Ylia said, “If you hand over the amulet.”

Both guru-chi communicated silently through their bond with their oji, fully aware of the clash that had occurred prior to their arrival. In fact, it was Ylia who had guessed that the amulet was held by Cheen and had provoked Kaya into attacking him.

Let’s go. Zashii communicated to Cheen. Both men began to dash down the hall, swords drawn.

Ylia sighed as the two women followed. They flew behind, their robes fluttering as they skated along a stream of water.

The deep vibrations of the ritual chamber grew louder as they headed directly to the heart of the mausoleum.

“Not escaping?” Ylia asked, pulling up beside Zashii.

“We don’t have it.” Zashii said.

Ylia’s eyes darkened as she understood the implication of his actions. Charging toward the enemy’s ritual was foolhardy, which could mean only one thing— Zashii was telling the truth, and had determined that the amulet was likely in the hands of the enemy. Ylia, by following him into danger, also showed that she was likely not in possession of the amulet.

The idea that their joke of a ninth brother Nio or his oji had the amulet crossed their minds, but was dismissed.

“Whoever deals the killing blow keeps the prize.” Zashii said.

“By Shuma’s flame.” Ylia uttered in oath, agreeing to Zashii’s terms.

“By Shuma’s flame.” Zashii replied solemnly, solidifying their agreement.

Just a few steps behind them Cheen and Kaya locked eyes and nodded in cooperation.

A moment later the four Exalted emerged into a wide circular chamber aflame with a vivid brassy light.

The brass machine dominated the center of the room, glowing with an arcane orange energy. Its central column extended upward into the smoke as if piercing into another dimension not hindered by the physical realm. The giant mechanical figure loomed above motionlessly, staring down at the scene below.

Between the machine and the guru-chi a female figure hovered in the air, her naked skin smooth and polished like brass. The head of staff had transformed, becoming like a puppet. The soft curves of her feminine figure gleamed in the flames, her eight arms in a diefic pose. A halo of light resembling the face of a clock encircled her head.

Several dozen mannequins in tattered robes were motionless and prostrate in a half circle in front of her in worship.

Ylia and Zashii didn’t hesitate, but launched immediately into attack, streams of water and ribbon swords lashing toward the eight armed figure.

The head cultist calmly made a small, intricate gesture her two lowest pair of hands.

A rune appeared in the air as the head cultist stated, “Spiritual attacks are not allowed!”

The crowd of mannequins murmured in unison, “Spiritual attacks are not allowed!”

The attacks didn’t even make it halfway across the room before they fizzled.

Without hesitation the head cultists’ four middle arms waved elegantly, her hands glowing with trails of amber light.

Once again she proclaimed, “The powers of the Body Domain are forbidden in this place!”

“The powers of the Body Domain are forbidden in this place!” The mannequins repeated.

The four Exalted suddenly felt a block in their bodies as their spiritual energy was locked away by an inexplicable force. Weakness flooded through their bodies as they trembled under the godly aura.

The top pair of hands came together, framing the glowing mechanical contraption embedded in the centre of her forehead.

“The followers of Shuma shall bow to the Clockwork God!”