Chapter 101: A Bloody Victory

Rachel’s ears shot up as more gears rumbled in the distance, and the world expanded, mist easing back to reveal dozens more dyalitha. A unified howl fractured the icy landscape, creating a colossal fissure that brought out an undead horde of other bulky, powerful entities.

Fifty-foot reptilian creatures in chains clawed out, burning with green flames, with the wolves riding them as winged snakes burrowed through the ice to reach their icy pillar.

Nia’s braided red hair drifted to the side as the wind picked up, a blizzard rushing in from the opposite direction to cover them in a whiteout, but the Blood Moon wouldn’t be denied by such things as natural storms, no matter their size.

"The clock starts now!"

Rachel gave Nia a raised eyebrow as the earthquake split the base of their platform, taking them to the ground where the armies of dyalitha-reanimated corpses of their conquered foes rushed to meet them.

I see plenty of replacement hammers to grab; it’s the only weapon I’ve practiced with in my mental space thus far.

"The Moon Hare and Living Denier Moon Bunny against the world," Nia sighed, spinning her weapon around to counter the blizzard that embraced them; the Blood Moon’s powerful rays still shone through, making it appear like they’d entered an arctic blood storm. "We really were screwed at Challenge Rank Two without hacks."

Jumping off before they crashed, Rachel landed on the leaping lizard creature as it tried to predict where they were, attempting to use its own body to disrupt the crimson rays from feeding their immortal, undead bodies; it was a good attempt that would be repeated.

Fueled by the waves of unending strength and unlimited regeneration, Rachel entered the chaos, a streak of crimson light as she ignored the majority of the undead hordes; her targets were the living controlling them, and whole companies of the frozen armies collapsed with every dyalitha skull her kulina hammer crushed.

The melancholy strum of Selene’s longing for her lover-turned-vampire pulsed within her breast as the world spun in slow motion. She could keep up with the mind-numbing acceleration, pivots, pinpoint accuracy, nigh-omnipresent view, and strength imposed on her frail, mortal body thanks to the insane regeneration the Blood Moon provided. Meanwhile, her spirit was protected from the insurmountable stress by being safely stored within the depths of Hades.

Two minutes and fifty-three seconds later, she and Nia broke through the ribs of the headless corpse of a giant wolf chieftain, caked in gore. It had survived being decapitated, somehow. Magma bubbled out of the ground as she broke through the ice, pressure rearranging the tectonic plates and destroying her arm, only for the appendage to grow anew.

"Throw it in?" Nia dully asked as the green, unholy necromantic symbols on his stomach changed again, the body trying to animate itself.

Rachel wordlessly kicked it in. "I...don’t know if I like the Blood Moon. I don’t feel anything but peace and loneliness, despite you being here."

"Yeah. Not a fan, Major."

They watched the corpse burst into flames in the rising magma, the bunny people safe from the main destruction they’d caused. It hadn’t been hard to free them; it didn’t feel good or bad either. And even this victory didn’t sate her under the cold crimson rays; all Rachel felt throughout this battle was a surreal, melancholy peace.

The ravaged, frozen landscape warped as destabilized tectonic shifts churned beneath the sheets of melting ice, and all the imprisoned kulina were freed from their confinement, unaffected by the cataclysmic battle.

When the world changed, and they were suddenly away from the rays of the Blood Moon, Rachel was a little disappointed that the hammer had stayed behind. She remained detached, perhaps even apathetic, with the unique lunar energy still tainting a part of her Lunar Pool.

Thunderous applause filled the stadium as replays of Nia rocketing through giant lizard people and ripping apart reanimated kulina within the whirlwind of their passing played across the many holographic screens around the coliseum.

Eostre’s concerned voice entered her mind as Dionysus hyped up the battle that he hated but relished in the praise the audience gave him, nonetheless. The Black Moon’s taint was tempered by the Blood Moon’s serene and accepting vibes as she saw Nia give her a two-fingered military salute before dispersing into shimmering stars, releasing her artificial body.

"Your spirit is still in Hades; I’ve rarely seen a body act solely on Intelligence, without the spirit. How do you feel? It should be sent back shortly—I don’t know how it works—maybe they realize you’re not supposed to be there when you’re not under the Blood Moon?"

Intelligence? How does that affect spirit or body? All I feel is this dull apathy right now.

"Sadly," the tulpa whispered, "you are experiencing what Ambrogio feels for eternity. As for Intelligence, it is the guiding force, the acting force that is transmitted through the spirit to the body, the agency that promotes action. It is the core of a soul, the core of all persons or acting agents in existence.

"Yet, your spirit is shackled in Hades, stemming from the transfer of several primary functions that come from the unity of Intelligence, spirit, and body. For this reason, humans generally call the spirit the ’soul’ of the body; as inaccurate as it is, they are merely describing how they feel without understanding the process. In essence, the unity and bond of sensations from the body and Intelligence are not being properly transferred because the binding agent is absent. How hollow is it?"

Rachel wasn’t entirely focused on the reason for Hades holding onto her spirit for safekeeping; she had other things to concern herself with.

Meh... she shrugged, studying her restored black-and-red military school getup; it was considered Nia’s true body, which meant it was covered under the Blood Moon’s effects. I’m unsatisfied, yet unbothered. It’s a strange duality. I’m missing something critical... Missing something I know I shouldn’t... I can’t be bothered to care, yet I know I should. Nia?

A soft sigh came from the living denier. "The same. I could smile or laugh, but I feel very somber... I’m content with not being in the light or warmth. Does it make everyone else not connected to the Blood Moon feel... Mmgm, she internally groaned.

Isolated. Paranoid. Unsettled... Unloved by the night. It’s like she projects this emotion—this phrase: love...the death of peace of mind. That’s how I think it feels."

Nia seemed to let it go, moving on to what came next. "Once my spirit returns, the virus will continue to ravage—haaa. There it is. Damn. If I survive, shopping trip, Major?" she asked with a hopeful chime that mirrored her love for training; she was a soldier.

* -- * -- *

[Level Up - Level 8]

[2 Stat Points Added; 3 Available]

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[1 Equipable Feat Choice Available]

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[Level Up - Level 9]

[1 Stat Points Added; 4 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

* -- * -- *

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Available]

* -- * -- *

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade II Achieved]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade III Achieved]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade IV Achieved]

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[4 Style Points Added; 4 Available]

[1 Synchro Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Point Added; 1 Available]

* -- * -- *

[15 New Inventory Slots Added]

[15/15 Inventory Slots Available]