Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Before Future Skullius went to the Severed Union…

The Tremur Forest here wasn’t quite lush. In fact, it was charred and battered – ruined by the failed preemptive attack from just a few minutes ago. The target of the attack had survived and healed without an issue.

"I have many, many great plans. The likes of which you can’t even begin to imagine. And sadly, nothing you do can stop the progression of these plans. Even besting me will not change the course I have made."

"Let’s etch history on this godforsaken world."

As the Hybrid Luman said these things with a great, nasty grin on his face, a beautiful gem shining over his head, Pherdanta couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine.

For the others beside her, watching – the Heads of the five Houses of Pelian, Vali, Maxim, Ferex and Guissepo – it might have been worse. Their blood, if they had some, was starting to run cold, turning them pale and purple.

"I feel it from here. He’s monstrous. They both are!" Illyinni said, her eyes bulging.

"They sure are," said Maxim with a mocking grin at the woman.

Vali seemed unfazed. She had her arms folded as she watched. To her and Maxim, Festos’ power wasn’t exactly new to them.

Shura Desmonn said nothing, but it was all too clear that he shared the same sentiment Illyinni did given how he balled his hands into fists; it was an attempt at keeping his composure.

Agnees Kudobtu struggled to breathe and even the ever-smiling Shannazah had donned an expressionless face. These two in particular were baffled. They had come to the Hybrid Luman’s aid back in Opungale just a few days prior, and while Festos had indeed been a force to reckon with then, what he was now, as they saw him was…

Preposterous!

Guissepo and the old Priest shared a similar reaction – deep-set shock – as well.

…But Ferex was beaming.

He couldn’t have been happier to see his master. Well, at least the other one adorned in gleaming Transcendent grade armour that hid his appearance, as well as a cloak that seemed to be made of sparkling diamonds. Towering gales of Null Life Essence were gushing from him, but the others couldn’t see it.

Their attention was on Festos and the large, orange-eyed creature following him.

Indeed, the allied force of Aigas’ Houses, Pherdanta, Vali, Maxim, Guissepo and Ferex had crossed time with the help of the Priest.

In order to help Pherdanta master Festos’ trick – the unlimited sword slash – as she started to call it, they had gone back in time to a few hours ago, right before Festos and Replicus fought.

They weren’t here with their actual physical bodies, however. The Priest used his abilities to copy their consciousness and sent them back in time while their bodies remained safely stowed away in a habitable spatial vessel.

The group was hiding behind a few trees that remained way beyond the barren, burning field that Replicus had caused with his preemptive attack against his evil counterpart. They needed the distance, after all, according to the Priest, their group could be sensed and harmed by individuals in this time.

At the moment, the group was looking at a massive tower of darkness that rose from the ground, casting a deep shadow on the world. Festos and Replicus were standing in front of its doors.

A moment later, they walked into the tower and the doors closed behind them.

"Now what?" Illyinni turned to Pherdanta and asked. "Are they going to fight in there the entire time? How are you going to see?"

"For now, we wait," the Unlimited Star said. "According to Yuyui, the battle takes place all over Aigas, and this tower is something like a default location for the clash."

"We’ll need to be able to move around to keep up," said Vali before turning to the Priest. "Can you help with that? Those two move faster than any of us." She glanced at Pherdanta and corrected herself. "Most of us. Surely, since we are only a bunch of consciousnesses, you can move us about easier."

The Priest pursed his lips.

"We all might be consciousnesses, but we are still able to exhibit our powers," he said. "Because of that, it’s a little difficult for me to grasp each of the individual energies that you compose of right now, but I think I will manage."

"Good. Then we’ll have to keep an eye on when they leave the tower," Pherdanta said. Her eyes never left the immaculate dark mass.

She was determined to catch every instance where Festos used the trick. The fact that she had given herself a limit motivated her. Pherdanta convinced herself that if she needed to see the trick more than three times to replicate it, then she wasn’t worthy of her title as the Commander of the Stark Troops.

It might have sound a little absurd or unreasonable – a standard a bit too high, even for her – but to Pherdanta it made all the sense in the world.

She was supposed to be different from the other Unlimited Stars, from the entire force of the Stark-Soul Order, in fact.

She was supposed to be its Commander and she held herself to higher standards.

She didn’t make it known, but Pherdanta was quite dissatisfied with the fact that Kintar was stronger than her. A lot stronger indeed.

Grim, Yuyui, Savast, Baddan and Kenno might have been alright with Kintar being such a ridiculous monster that transcended common sense, but she wasn’t. Where they all said something like, "Well, that’s Kintar for you. The little freak," Pherdanta wanted to reach the diminutive Deputy’s heights.

What did she want to prove?

Well, after the Impossible Task, Skullius made it clear that each one of the Unlimited Stars were his trusted friends. In a way, he considered them equals. For Pherdanta, who wanted to be Skullius’ shadow - his deepest defence - her initial reason for always staying close to Skullius, her original show of loyalty seemed to thin.

She had killed her own brother in front of Skullius to prove her loyalty, and indeed, Skullius accepted that loyalty whole-heartedly, but instead of continuing to honour the role Pherdanta chose for herself - the one she wanted - Skullius named her the Commander of the Stark Troops instead.

Now, Pherdanta had to adapt to this role.

For that, she set freakish standards for herself.

She had to be able to inspire, to lead.

That air of a leader was budding from her, but it was yet to be complete.

The first thing Pherdanta wanted to complete herself, was a certain threshold and flavour of power, as well as an ability to draw it.

She felt that being able to replicate the Festos’ trick would help her cross this hurdle; and then one of her goals would be completed.

And thus, when the tower a distance away shook and two figures spilled out, Pherdanta’s eyes zoomed in on them, honing in every miniscule detail.

She would emerge from the other side of this, and the journey to the Under… perfect!