June regarded Eden Pyram with a bemused expression, his cold, confident demeanor only serving to stoke his amusement. He had never seen this man before, but he pretty much knew who he was.
Beside him, September grunted in disapproval. Without a moment's hesitation, a massive black hammer materialized in his hands, its presence as commanding as ever.
"Don't you ever get tired of that weapon?" June drawled lazily, stretching his arms. "We've got thousands of ethereal arms now, why not switch it up?"
September didn't answer. With a fluid motion, he hurled himself toward Eden, cutting through the crowd with brutal efficiency. Each time an opponent came close, he swept them aside with ease, his momentum unstoppable.
Eden's expression shifted—surprise flitted across his face—but there was no hint of fear. Instead, spectral phantoms began to coalesce in midair around him, forming an eerie swarm. In one smooth motion, he summoned a staff into his hand, and the phantoms closed in, attempting to trap September within their insubstantial embrace. For a brief moment, it appeared as though September were buried under an avalanche of ghosts.
Behind him, June casually plopped down onto a tree-shaped chair he had created, his legs crossed as he observed the scene. With a soft sigh, he muttered to himself, "35th complete ethereal arm, Lifecrusher. I never understood why such a simple weapon would rank that high…"
Before he could finish, the pile of phantoms erupted in a burst of energy. When the smoke cleared, September stood at the centre, his heavy armour unmarred, not a scratch on him.
June turned, his gaze sweeping across the crowd of motionless citizens. "You all want to join in, or are you just going to stand there like statues? I'd be willing to spare you if you run fast enough."
But the citizens remained unfazed, their faces blank, as if trapped in a waking dream. At once, they summoned their ethereal arms and charged forward in a coordinated assault.
June's lips curled into a smirk. "Of course. Why did I even bother asking?" he said, rolling his eyes. The tree-shaped chair he'd been lounging in sank into the ground as he stood, a long sword materializing effortlessly in his hands. "Well, the best weapon I have is only ranked 87th but… should be good enough."
With a swift motion, he stabbed the sword into the shoulder of one of the citizens. The strike seemed to take effect through the entire crowd, as if every person was connected by an invisible thread.
Meanwhile, from his window high above, Alexander Levison noticed the fight unfolding below. His usually confident expression faltered, replaced by genuine surprise.
He recognized the weapon in September's hands, but what truly shocked him was the sight of the citizens, they stood up over and over, disregarding their wounds and relentlessly attacking June.
"What is going on…" he murmured to himself, before the orb of clarity appeared in his hand, its faint glow calming his nerves. As his expression steeled, he rushed out of his room, the surprise in his eyes slowly fading.
By the time he reached the front gate, Shun and the others were already there, watching the battle unfold with keen interest.
Sensing Alexander's approach, Joe quickly turned around. "Prime Advisor, what's going on here?"
The others looked to him for answers, but Shun stood unmoving, his gaze fixed on the chaos outside.
Alexander, not bothering to respond to Joe's question, called out to Eden. "Eden! What is happening here?"
Eden's eyes softened slightly as he turned to face Alexander, but his silence spoke volumes. With a wave of his staff, more phantoms appeared, flooding the battlefield to confront September's unyielding advance.
The group quickly realized that Eden was the figure who had ambushed them earlier in the street, but this only deepened their confusion. If the second ambush was meant to test their identity, what had been the purpose of the first?
"I'm going to help!" Emilia shouted, her mechanical arms springing to life as she prepared to leap into action.
"Wait!" Otto Morphy called after her, his face etched with caution. "We don't even know who's on our side here."
Emilia paused, her gaze sharp. "It's obvious—Eden's side."
Otto shook his head. "He's the one who ambushed us earlier. There's more to this than we understand."
Behind them, Alexander's expression remained cold and thoughtful. "I knew it. Eden's the one behind all this."
"The one behind what?" Emilia asked, confused.
"The leader of the Unfinished," Alexander answered, his voice flat. "No… the Unfinished were never an organized faction or cult. They were ordinary citizens, manipulated by a powerful ability." His eyes narrowed as he observed the unyielding march of the citizens outside. Despite their numerous injuries, they continued charging forward with the same hollow determination.
"I should have realized it," Alexander continued, his voice distant, "but I stayed in my office, thinking. I never truly saw the reality of what was happening to these people…"
Shun shook his head, his movements deliberate as he stepped forward, a dark dagger now appearing in his hand. His eyes were focused, but there was a quiet, cold resolve in them.
"Shun, wait!" Otto called once more. "Which side are you on?"
Shun didn't glance back as he replied coolly, "Neither. Both sides are asking for trouble. We might as well kill everyone."
Alexander gave a small nod, his voice still calm. "Spare Eden's life. I need answers from him."
With that, Shun moved, his body blurring as he launched himself into the air. Landing behind September, he aimed the Harvester directly at his neck.
September reacted swiftly, swinging his hammer and knocking Shun aside with ease. "June, we've found the boy. Take him and go," he shouted, examining the small dagger in Shun's hand. "The Harvester's not in its complete form. We might have a chance against it."
As the battle raged, Silver dashed forward, intercepting June with a precise strike. The others followed suit, each forced into the fray now that Shun had engaged directly.
Shun picked himself up, wincing as the pain from his wounds became more apparent. The Harvester had failed to take effect on him.
September's voice was cold and flat. "Lifecrusher has no ethereal abilities. It's just raw power. And that's enough to make it the 35th complete ethereal arm."
Shun nodded, unfazed by the comment. He swapped the Harvester for a massive axe, swinging it across the ground, part of the earth beneath gathered itself upon the Terraniac Axe.
Meanwhile, Joe's wings erupted from his back, and with a single flap, he soared high above the battlefield, radiating light that bathed the entire area.
Emilia's mechanical arm shot out, grabbing Kris and hurling him through the air. He spun mid-flight, wielding a long scythe almost three times his size, its edge cutting through the air in chaotic arcs.
Otto Morphy was a blur of motion, his blade slicing through Eden's phantoms as he advanced, his voice cold as ever. "Why did you attack us?" he demanded, slashing through the last of the apparitions.
But Eden didn't answer. His once-confident expression was now gone, replaced with a deep sense of fear and desperation.