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Within the endless strife that was Valhalla, a battle most grand was taking place. The Lingering Sentiment was motionless and speachless, even with Diana’s words and movements. With the dragon girl having put some distance between them, her weapon changed form and a new tactic was implemented. But like the foolish child she was, she believed these new strategies would have any effect. Such as it were then that the armor only stood still even as fiery chains circled it.

[color=silver]“……”[/color] At once Diana’s flames sizzled out before being overcome with a rusting, icy metal. Every one of them were snuffed of their light and the chains were easily broken like tattered tools. In response, the Lingering Sentiment held out its free palm once again, aiming at the circling dragon girl. Its own runic symbols, incantations alien to both of its enemies, would form along its hand.

And with a sudden burst of motion, chains of its own began to sprout forth. They snaked and snared, catching Diana by the ankle and halting her motion just before the last of her lines could be completed on the ground. Each energy bullet bounced off its armor and with a mighty heave, the Lingering Sentiment forcibly dragged Diana’s form closer to its waiting blade.

But Suparna was making this difficult, much more so than it needed to be. With globs of maggots flying toward it, the living armor instead suited its blade best to swiping at the crawling things. It was just enough time for the maggot girl to strike, her blade landing into its helmet with more of her hellion spawn crawling in. [color=silver]“……….”[/color] Unfazed, the armor slowly began wrapping its sword arm around Suparna’s waist, applying enough pressure to keep her still; and possibly break her spine if she wanted to still be feisty.

Back inside the Nexus, the battle between Vassals was becoming more intense. Archorus’ machine was working in double layers, focusing on the two enemies attacking it on either side. Keeping note of Titanica’s blazing fists, the machine lurched backwards with a boost of its rockets. Moments later, a wide swipe of flame would just barely graze its chest as it dodged Titanica’s uppercut. 

This left the AI to scramble against Henry’s pressure, the missiles it fired at him being returned in no less than a few heartbeats. Stunned and rocked by the impact of it, both Henry and Titanica would see a massive construct of ice forming on the machine’s shoulder where its left launcher had originally been. [color=7bcdc8]“Not bad. This model is starting to become obsolete,”[/color] Archorus’ voice mused, optic sensors seeming to narrow on Henry.

Some damage was done by his attack run but not much. With its free hand, the machine broke off a hunk of its iced shoulder and moved to slam it into Titanica’s face. The Machina soldier could be dealt with any time, but it was her fellow Vassal that interested Archorus more. As the machine continued to use the massive ice spike as a weapon to bludgeon Titanica, that same ice structure suddenly grew and bended, eagerly stretching out to impale and stab the flying Henry.

Below them was a battle that rocked the very oceans, ancient creatures of the deep beginning to resurface into the light once more. And the great snake that studied Bonesword, Khaine, and Saef was as impassive as ever. There was something familiar to it that might have been noted by Khaine; but it didn’t seem like it would attack. In fact, it was unconsciously scaring away the other creatures from this location, its serpentine eye never once blinking. A monster that belonged to no Faction usually resided in the dark crevices of the Nexus or deep into Neutral Territory. But this one, this massive snake, chose to swim up and abandon the battle below it.

Its slithering form was large enough to be seen by all in the underwater ruins, its scales somewhat glinting in the lowlight of the water. It would be breaching the surface soon, eager to seek out the purpose it was tasked and given. And as it did so, entering the open world of the Nexus anew, every Faction Leader was watching very closely. What was the meaning of this.