Shattered Moonstone

Himari fought the urge to vomit as she slowly rose on shaky legs.

Mother Himari, please be careful. Babylon’s voice cut through the ringing in her ears as she looked around the strange scene surrounding her. She found herself on what looked to be a beach, though it looked as if it had gone through a war, large pock marks dotted the beach creating dunes in the golden sand as pieces of stone jotted out at strange angels. 

What happened? She thought as she watched the three heroes all groggily rise from the sand around her, Eryl scrambling to her side as the other three began to speak.

Amethyst attempted to counter the teleportation; Overseer's distinct voice replied as Eryl steadied her. She succeeded but lost control of the spell causing an anchorless teleportation. You were all teleported to a island in the Dead sea, notice Amethyst has lost consciousness due to the draw of teleporting 6 people across the world.

A suicidal spell that could have easy thrown you all into the ocean, or worse into a different realm. Babylon growled, I needed to divert a significant amount of mana from the system to stabilize the spell as you ricocheted off several divine realms given her connection to the gods. I am requesting that we ban the spell she used as well as consider severing her connection to the various gods as she can use it as a conduit to break through the divine bearer.

We are not going to cripple the girl because of one wild spell. Overseer retorted. We can simply increase the divine barrier, the likelihood of a repeat of today…

Unable to be calculated given “someone” removed their soul pages from the system. Babylon hissed, I have no way of knowing exactly how dangerous that girl is because of you, though it is now abundantly clear she is barely mortal now given she just ripped a hole in space, Overseer, exactly how much mana does she have now? I can’t even estimate given that she survived relatively unharmed, an amazing feat in and of itself if she were a god, but as a mortal; to move six physical bodies along with the floor beneath them should have been impossible! After, mind you, throwing tables around while battling her sister for control…

“Enough!” Himari snapped, causing Eryl to quickly step away from her.

“I am sorry s…” she froze as the ground quaked.

Hecatolite is conscious. Please Himari, refrain from interfering in what is about to happen. Overseer’s robotic voice became distant as Himari watched the tiny woman appear from the sand a dozen yards away.

“Well, that saves us from having to find her,” Lucius spat as he turned to face her, both Anna and Kira nodding to each other as they both walked to separate sides.

“I can maybe remake the recall spell with the crystal fragments,” Anna commented as she fanned out, “though I doubt it will be safe.”

“What if that monster helps us, she clearly has space magic.” Kira replied as she made her way to the other side of Lucius who shook his head.

“Himari,” he called to her who stood stunned between the group and Hecatolite who was now looking around, a terminal floating beside her flashing as it answered her questions. “you’re the expert here, you still want to talk to her?”

Himari swallowed hard as she looked at the woman, black pulsing veins covering her pail skin as she stretched. Her inky black eyes skimmed right past Himari as she looked to the three behind her only stopping when her gaze landed on Eryl.

“Amethyst will be upset if I don’t ask,” Hecatolite growled as the veins on her body coiled around her legs. “Surrender, give me Eryl and I won’t eat you.”

“Surrender?” Lucius laughed as he summoned his spear, “there are 4 of us…”

“Hecatolite, we really don’t need to fight...” Himari cut him off as she put herself in between them.

Himari, I would like to point out that this is the exact opposite of not interfering. Overseer kindly informed her as she held her arms out.

Hecatolite glared at her, her black eyes causing Himari’s blood to cool as her entire body locked into place. Images of destroyed worlds flashed in her mind. Desolate, lifeless cities, lush forests razed to the ground, oceans turned into barren wastes… Himari’s body refused to move as she looked back at the apex predator before her, This is it isn’t it?  She thought as she began to shiver, “I… I surrender.” She barely whispered as she fell back into the sand. 

“Himari!” Eryl cried as she jumped between them, “what did you do to the saintess you heretic!” 

The world around Himari felt as if it slowed to a crawl as an arrow appeared in the corner of her vision, the glimmering projectile suspended in her vision as it crept towards Hecatolite, who’s head snapped to the side as if tracking it. 

With blinding speed Hecatolite raised her arm, a long rifle appearing in her hand before firing a glimmering blue ball that intercepted the arrow, diverting its path causing it to fall short, burying itself up to the feathers in the sand at her feet.

The world snapped back to normal as Himari heard Kira yell out in shock, “did… did she shoot that!” 

Himari looked back to see the three of them had weapons at the ready, a chime in the back of her mind a Overseer spoke. Chances of survival, 24.6% Himari… you can't save them.

Himari took a deep breath as she looked back to Hecatolite between Eryl’s legs. “I know.” She bit her own tongue as she resolved to do nothing. As the temporary administrator she had all the power of the system at her fingertips, a direct link to the world's mana well, but with that power came a single restriction. She couldn’t use it if she wanted to interfere with the free will of those around her, the balance of the world… they made their choice, I can’t do anything about that now. 

Lucius let out a loud yell as electricity danced down the length of his spear, scorching the sand as it arced around him. With a flash he vanished, appearing before Hecatolite as he thrust his spear forward, a tree on the far side of the beach exploding as a pale blue arc crashed into it.

He let out a surprised gasp as a tiny hand held onto the shaft of his spear, the blade harmlessly hanging in the air above Hecatolite’s shoulder. 

Another dull pop filled the air as Hecatolite’s arm shot out to the side, not even looking as she shot another arrow from the sky. 

Lucius jumped back, ripping his spear free from her grasp as the ground beneath them rippled. Himari could hear Anna’s chant as Hecatolite sank to her knees in the newly formed quagmire. 

“That's annoying,” Hecatolite hissed, turning her gun to Anna only to snap it back to the side as she deflected another arrow. “Fine, you are first.” At her words the ground beneath her exploded, Hecatolite vanishing behind a wall of sand as she fired straight up into the air. 

Hecatolite twisted unnaturally in the air, positioning her legs up towards the sky as she continued to climb. “Inutil!” she screamed, the terminal appearing at her feet abruptly stopping her ascent as she slammed into the obsidian slab only for it to explode into shards, and… confetti, when she kicked off it. 

Kira desperately fired arrows at Hecatolite who was now rocketing towards her, her small, clawed hand outstretched as she descended.

Himari could see a flash of recognition in Hecatolite’s eyes; at the last moment summoning another terminal, crashing into it before falling into the sand at Eryls feet. Eryl followed her orders to a letter. “Protect the heroes”.

Eryl stepped before Kira, arms raised as she attempted to defend the woman. “Damn it.” Hecatolite hissed rolling to the side as Anna fired stones at her, just barely getting to her feet as Lucius descended on her in a flurry of lightning fast stabs.

Hecatolite hissed as she summoned another terminal to deflect a stone spike flying at her. The terminal flashing as Overseer chastised her for using it as a shield again, the dull red of the screen outlining a large 100 on it.

“How long can you dance around like this?” Lucius taunted as she ducked another strike from him, a dull thud from her rifle deflecting another arrow as she used a terminal to block another stone bullet. 

“Should have loaded bullets into IRIS.” Hecatolite hissed as she used the barrel of the rifle to deflect another stab from the spear.

Himari watched in horrific amazement as Hecatolite easily deflected three heroes, only able to keep up with her movements due to the systems’ help as she effortlessly shot arrows and spells from the air around her while dodging spear strikes. None of the three attackers seemed to realize that the only thing keeping them alive at this point was the sheer number of attacks, and Eryl’s intervention every time she moved to attack one of the ranged heroes.

Every time Lucius moved in, the other two would cover him with a barrage of projectiles forcing Hecatolite’s arms to be used as defense; when she attempted to ignore Lucius and attack Anna or Kira, Eryl would jump between them slowing her advance enough for Lucius to intervene and the cycle would repeat.

How does Eryl keep getting in her way? Himari thought as she watched her break free of another of Anna’s binding spells.

Mother Eryl, even disconnected from the system, has still trained in martial arts along with every hero that has existed in this world. Even without the use of mana her sheer experience along with the body she had created for herself would make her more than a match for the heroes as they are now. Babylon boasted as Eryl blocked Hecatolite again, this time however, Hecatolite made a grab from the glimmering gold collar on her neck only to be met by a brutal strike to her ribs that lifted her from the ground as it pushed her away from the elven woman. 

And at this rate… until Mother Hecatolite dies of old age. Even with the minimal damage she has sustained I doubt these three heroes will be able to stop her. The only thing keeping them alive currently is Hecatolite’s inability to attack at full power due to Mother Eryl’s presence, once she finds a way around that… Their odds of survival are now less than 10% as even surrender will likely end in their deaths. Overseer’s answer caused Himari to shiver, to think the Hecatolite could simply dance around three hero level combatants. Even if she accepted that their training had been stunted due to Jaspers “safety orientated” training style that leaned heavily on stopping the heroes from learning any large “mana wasting” spells instead focusing on whittling attacks that would be ultimately ineffective against someone like Hecatolite, the fact that she could so easily deflect three people and still have enough room to actively protect someone was mind boggling.

Himari watched as Hecatolite’s arm seemed to move separate from the rest of her body, bending at an odd angle as she shot an arrow behind her. No matter what skill Kira used, how many arrows she fired, or from what angle, the arrows were always intercepted.

Finally, something changed, Lucius pausing as he watched Hecatolite and Eryl have another exchange, it ending in Hecatolite gaining a bloody nose as she was again pushed back. Hecatolite dove towards Eryl again only to be met with another right hook to the jaw.

A wicked smile grew on Lucius face as he dug his heels into the sand, electricity crackling around him as leveled his spear.

“No!” Himari screamed as he vanished in a spray of sand, molten glass footprints tracing his path as he charged directly at Eryl.

The entire world froze as Lucius struck true, punching through a terminal that had appeared, piercing through the center of Eryl’s back tearing its way through her stomach and into Hecatolite’s shoulder, causing her arm to fall limp to her side, a look of shock on her face as Eryl’s blood sprayed across it. 

Hecatolite let out an ear-splitting scream as she desperately grabbed at Eryl who staggered as Lucius pulled his spear free.

“Look at that, she was useful for something.” Lucius laughed as Hecatolite caught the falling woman with one arm, lowering her gently to the ground. Hecatolite ignored her own wound that gushed black blood as she desperately tried to hold Eryl’s gaping gut wound closed.

“No, no, no, no…” she repeated as she pushed on the wound, “I need… Inutil, how can i…” her words were cut short as Lucius swung again only to be stopped as she grabbed the spear with her bare hand. “I’ll KiLL YoU!” Hecatolite screamed, her voice distorting as she violently yanked on the spear. 

Up until this point she had held back, not only because of Eryl, but simply because she hadn’t needed to take them seriously. The heroes were little threat to her, their weapons though dangerous, seemed to move in slow motion as she dodged them, giving her more than enough time to dodge them as she tried to get to Eryl and remove her collar. That and Amethyst had an aversion to what she was about to do, what she needed to do.

Luicus didn’t even have time to yell as Hecatolite yanked him down, a sickening crunch echoing through the still air as she bit through the center of his throat with blinding speed. The look of shock in his fading eyes burned into Himari’s memory as she watched Hecatolite remove another chunk of his throat while he fell, by the time his body hit the ground his head dangled from little more than a sliver of skin.

Summoned Hero, Lucius, the spear of Valor, has died. Note, a large quantity of his soul mass has been “removed” making his soul unfit to return to his home world. Sending an apology to Sol 3 terra administrator Oracle and adding the soul to this world cycle of reincarnation, assigning a new designation, A803128542.1 has been added to the system.  

Another scream filled the air as Kira rained arrows down at Hecatolite who covered Eryl with Lucius’s body, taking more than one arrow herself as she blocked them from hitting her. 

“We need to go now!” Anna screamed as Hecatolite stood facing them.

Himari could see Anna clutching something in her hand as she began chanting a spell. Babylon’s voice answered her question before she could ask it. Summoned Hero Anna is attempting to force recreate the “recall” spell from the shards of an enchanted crystal. Such a spell will likely result in another wild teleport if not assisted by the system. Do you wish to assist…

No. Himari thought as Hecatolite let out a primal yell, charging across the beach towards the two women. Kira desperately firing arrows at her as Anna chanted. I will not help them. She turned her attention to the bloody pile on top of Eryl, only glancing back as Hecatolite finally reached the two.

Kira swung her bow as Hecatolite’s clawed hand came at her. Hecatolite’s claws carving through the gaudy golden weapon and plunging into the woman’s stomach right before Anna finished her spell. 

Anna grabbed onto Kira’s back and with a blood curdling pop, they vanished, leaving Hecatolite standing there her tiny hand wrapped tightly around a spinal cord that had been severed, leaving the lower half of Kira’s body in her grasp as the top half vanished.