From the kneeling remains of Mei's companions, one skull began to crumble. It did not crack or fracture, it simply turned to ash.
Osita's eyes flashed.
"Murmur." The name left his mouth like a blade drawn halfway.
Anger surged through him, sharp and immediate, and Aethelgard answered. The Bastion flared, its laws tightening as Osita directed his will outward not at the Beast King, but beyond it. The domain searched, layers upon layers of reality peeling back as he attempted to locate Murmur and drag him into the Absolute Bastion by force.
There was nothing, no resistance, no attempt at evasion, no trace at all. Murmur had prepared for this.
The realization settled heavily.
Osita's gaze returned to the dark gods before him, and through his connection to his wife, strained but still present he felt her life force. Faint and alive.
He closed his eyes in acceptance.
"Release her," Osita said quietly, the words scraping from his throat, "and deal with me as you wish."
