Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)-Chapter 1105. The Claw of the Head Sends Her Regards

Nav

< Jury, I’m issuing a command to the others. The Corrupted fall under the category of an Act X personnel >

We’re not allowed to kill them…?

Nav

< I’m afraid not. They’re bonded to Act X. They have found common ground, but it is not surprising, since several of them were originally recipients of the Scripts >

“You Corrupted people!?”

Jury’s blood flash boiled as she pointed the tip of her tail at Lachesis.

“As per the Script. Not all are born from people. The 1st of the 9th, 325 PA… Comes from the buried events that saw a Nilhinid succumb to the Strings.”

“Marionette!?”

Jury was ashamed that she had allowed this to slip through her Auditors. What they couldn’t see could not be audited, after all. The lack of Nex generated by Act X personnel due to their apathy was also a major reason why the Interrogating Clock could not uncover the secrets of Act X beyond shallow misdemeanors.

Time Reverberation needed to move from its heavy reliance of the Interrogating Clock.

She realized this too late.

“Marionette… It is a name I’ve come to detest. Beholder Jury. Namesakes encapsulate us. Yourself, are, a juror of your own. Marionette on the other hand…”

Lachesis momentarily paused before adding:

“She has welcomed Frost into her domain. I apologize. Your companions may not be able to hold back the Corrupted without breaking your code.”

She brandished her weapon. It was a sign that she was ready to resume her clashes with Jury. Jury on the other hand wiped the grimace off her face and replaced it with an unexpected grin.

“I’ve already taken it into account. I’m sure you have as well.”

Jury possessed the CognitO Mediator. This device allowed her to converse with a team that was attuned to its frequency.

Of course, the only people who were connected to her telepathically were those from Time Reverberation.

* * *

Sin focused her attention to the ceiling again, as did Wai. The two shared a brief look and nodded before darting away, with Alcina in tow.

“Hey!? I ain’t some kid you can yank off the streets!”

“Gag on this.” Wai shoved a handful of bullet casings into Alcina’s mouth. “Took their time. Tsk. We had it under control.”

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

“Not necessarily. The clause has our hands tied behind our backs. I cannot heal a Corrupted.” Sin remarked. “If anything, they are precisely on time.”

Sin took one step back. A canister suddenly crashed in front of her, just inches away from her face. She did not possess foresight like Frost, but her senses were keen enough to know the precise trajectory of the canister long before it arrived.

It did not come alone. Fifteen more canisters crashed along the Grand Stage. The grouping was abysmal. If the Grand Stage was any smaller, then they would have easily missed their mark. It was a point of improvement for later, but for now, the catapult that was installed by Zermilion had done its job.

The canister door burst open, revealing a fog of mist that was quickly dispelled by the deep breath of its inhabitant.

“Tch. It would have been faster to use the Hyperlink Relay Sites than the Star Cannon. But we proved that we can deploy Moons en mass across the Nex Megalopolis as required by the Head.”

The rich scent of vanilla and roses suddenly filled the room. And with it came an overbearing pressure wave. Act X personnel, aside from the Missionaries and Heralds, instantly found themselves incapable of moving in their presence.

The first thing to emerge from the capsule was a pair of crimson orbs.

“Hired Arm? Surprised to see you here too. And you too, Taleor.”

The woman’s kind voice juxtaposed the aura of malevolence she radiated. Her beauty was also a stark contrast as well. The Acolytes knew that one wrong move could have them slaughtered worse than what Acedia, the Mimic of Amalgamation, and Res were capable of.

She had long black hair, a pair of wolf ears that were tipped white, as was her tail. Her fingernails were coated black, and she wore a white business shirt tucked into a long skirt that reached her ankles. A tie was also tucked into her skirt and latched by her hip was an Interrogating Clock.

Then, there was one final feature that gave her an eerie resemblance to the Head herself.

Her overcoat. It reached as far her knees, and the edges were coated in long, black feathers that held an off-purple glow. The interior was also red, much like the Amalgam’s Coat of Sanguine Prejudice. Finally, a mount of the finest feathers plucked from the One Thousand Eyed Bird were arranged around her shoulders.

This was none other than Ber, the Claw of the Head.

Though she did not look away from Sin and Wai, she knew precisely what was happening around her. Her ears did not even react to the screams. To her, they were nothing but background noise she had long been accustomed to.

She brought a hand to her ear where a golden, feather-shaped earring hung. She tapped it, and once, steam left through the door seams of the capsules before bursting open.

“We’ll take the Corrupted from here. Five to fifteen means we can place three on each Corrupted. Hired Arm. Has Frost given you an order?”

“She has given you authority over me.”

“Perfect. Clean up the excesses. You’re a lot stronger than me, so you’ll end up killing one of the Corrupted.” Ber was about to turn, until she noticed Wai’s ears move.

Wai then asked:

“Am I still needed?”

“We do not stop until the mission ends.”

“Understood.” Wai lowered her head slightly.

It was a rare gesture of respect. This stemmed from the fact that Ber, like Ignis and Res, had overcome their Corruption.

Ber was a special case however, for she had gained a Corrupted Persona.

Her eyes scanned the Grand Stage again, and her ears fell slightly.

“Raoul is not here?”

“He’s defending the twins inside of the Isolation Sphere.” Alcina answered swiftly, bowing with every spoken word.

Ber’s face softened as she looked in the direction of the Isolation Sphere. It was an expression of both longing and hatred. But her heart was anything but conflicting like the emotions worn on her face.

She wished to see Raoul, even if it was for one last time.

She steeled herself with a single drawn breath.

“Remember my orders.”

The Seci Resposne Moons took their first steps from the capsules, each wielding their own unique weapon, as well as a vial of Serum R: Red Riding. Each Seci Response Moon also possessed a Corrupted Persona, though it was gained from the Eternal Library rather than from their hearts.

Just one Moon was enough to turn the tide. Res alone was already a nigh insurmountable wall. The Alter Frosts were only held back because their mission was to defend, rather than annihilate.

But in the face of an additional sixteen Moons?

Act X did not stand a chance.

The full might of the Head had descended upon them, like Angels from a Heaven sent to banish evil.

And still, they were made to hold back.

Ber, however, had something else in mind. Rather than prolonging this brawl and endangering the twins, she snapped her fingers, and her Moons produced a dull gemstone that carried faint tinge of green.

“Get the Hyperwarps ready. We’re bringing these bastards straight into the Nexus for Archiving! The receiving team will suppress them without the risk of a third-party subjugation.”

Indeed.

They were going to confiscate Act X’s Corrupted.