Despite their horrific discovery, the trio had no choice but to continue. At worst, Cyrene could just summon a suitable 'Hero' through the [Author] card and escape.
They did not encounter any monsters along the way. The quiet, dimly-lit rooms of the Sky Castrum felt more eerie without the presence of life. Their tense senses caught wind of any changes in the surroundings.
Hysilens signalled with her hand to stop. The sound of footsteps grew increasingly louder… until its source appeared in their eyes.
"Imperator? And Cyrene!"
They were none other than Phainon's group. Hyacine and Anaxa did not know them. It was Trianne who enthusiastically ran to their side.
"Cinny!"
"...Lady Trianne."
Cerydra received the short girl's hug. Her body froze momentarily out of guilt.
"How did you hide all these years? Nobody can find you!"
She looked at Cerydra as if they were playing a simple hide-and-seek—one that lasted for a thousand years.
"I… This Imperator will tell you the answer later." She paused before looking at the other two. "I am the Imperator, Okhema's former ruler. The Sky Titan is influenced by another power foreign to Amphoreus. I require your assistance."
"...Similar to the Black Tide?"
"Yes."
Hearing her answer, Anaxa's face froze. Even Hyacine was shocked by it.
One Black Tide sent the entirety of Amphoreus to near-destruction. Hearing there was another, similarly powerful force present, is enough to intimidate most people.
Fortunately, these two do not belong to 'most people'.
Anaxa let out several low chuckles. Hyacine took a deep breath and stabilized her emotions.
"I have heard of the Imperator's name from that… woman. While I hate to admit it, anyone she trusts is trustworthy."
"Lady Aglaea's mentor… I will follow your orders."
The reshuffle was done swiftly. Two groups joined into one, with Cerydra serving as the team leader. Phainon had personally seen Cerydra's might while Trianne is an old acquaintance. As such, no issues arose until they returned to the central control room where Amphoreus' weather is manipulated.
Phainon's group filled in everything they discovered. That included the shut eye above the dome.
"Aquila… It is the Sky Titan. It is not dead, but it is also not alive."
"Like Cassie's state?"
"The Death Demigod? No…"
Nihility exists on a different spectrum than Destruction.
If Destruction is all about the cessation of existence…
Nihility is the meaninglessness of existence. Dead or alive, it bears no meaning.
Just then, a sudden change occurred.
The shut eye opened.
The place turned several degrees lower in an instant. Drops of liquid resounded clearly in the enclosed room as two familiar beasts emerged.
"Lady Trianne. You said you can create Century Gates from outside this place?"
"Um."
They tested it earlier. Trianne could not create a Century Gate leading to the Sky Castrum, even with the 'artifact' Shi Tian left. She could, however, create a Century Gate leading to outside the Sky Castrum. The artifact he gave worked.
Roar-!
Cerydra's premonitions turned real. A pitch-black bone dragon dripping with black fluids emerged out of the pitch-black dome. At its chest lay a dull rainbow eye.
(A/N: This, but everything else is black + black fluid.)
Screech-!
Hundreds of meteors came from the dome. Flames blazed along them, drawing streaks of red light.
Bam-!
Rumble-!
Everyone propped themselves for a defense when a semi-translucent curtain appeared from above. Most of the meteors that fell sent shockwaves across the ground. The floating platform they stood in shook as it started to remain unsteady.
As for the meteors that are supposed to fall on them, the curtain 'bounced' them off elsewhere.
Phainon spotted a pale purple light converging at the dragon's eye. His instincts took over him. His hands held Shamash's handle on a tight grip. Flames danced on its crimson-black blade. A pillar of crimson flames emerged out of it.
Ripple-!
The pitch-black dome rippled as the flames crashed onto it. Like a computer screen bugging out, pixels appeared as it desperately endured Judgement of Shamash's power.
"Hap..!"
The flame pillar came crashing down at the right time. The purple ray converged and Aquila's eye cut through it. Everyone watched as Shamash's 100% power descended upon the Sky Titan.
Screech-!
Bam-!
Its huge body was swatted down. Aquila… or rather, Seliose fell uncontrollably beneath the core control area's platform—to the boiling golden-red magma.
Phainon's breathing turned labored. Shamash's full power drew out almost every inch of his power. His inadequate control is another factor, causing him to expend more than what he needed.
"The two! Stop them!" Anaxa warned.
Unfortunately, they were too late. The lion and the horse flew down. Their small bodies turned into black liquid before merging back into the bone dragon.
The effect was immediate.
Roar-!
Neigh-!
Screech-!
Mixed sounds came out of the corrupted Titan's mouth. It spread its wings before flying upward.
Swoosh-!
The air shockwaves pushed everyone back a few steps.
"When can you use it again?"
Cerydra faced the exhausted Deliverer.
"Yes, but I need to recover for a while."
He pointed the greatsword's tip straight to the dragon.
"Then we need to buy time." She turned to look at Hyacine. "How was it?"
The girl shook her head.
"The Coreflame isn't responding. My ancestors' calls fall into deaf ears. Lady Seliose… I believe she cannot hear us."
In the original cycle, Phainon's team was supposed to obtain the Sky Titan's Coreflame mid-fight. Hyacine would have to merge with it in that short span of time to help others defeat the Sky Titan once and for all.
Without the Coreflame, it would be difficult to swiftly defeat the Sky Titan.
Countless plans went through Cerydra's head. She was previously confident she could follow through Shi Tian's guidebook to bring Amphoreus to the Era Nova. The unexpected appearance of Nihility broke any notion of that.
Still, they are lucky to have already reclaimed eleven Coreflames. As long as they can get past Aquila and return its Coreflame to the Vortex of Genesis, the final Coreflame belonging to Kephale can also be returned, thus completing the Flame-Chase Journey.
Soon, Cerydra made a choice.
"We will bring down the Sky Titan… by whatever means necessary."