Chapter 5: The Great Shift Part 5

Atlas remained motionless, yet his gaze tracked every movement of the Nameless Beast, like a predator stalking its prey.

In his world, everything was divided - from the cobblestone floors to the lifeless bodies, and even the people around him. In his mind, all that mattered was this creature and how to kill it.

The Nameless Beast let out a thunderous roar, its jagged teeth bared in a menacing growl. Unfazed, Atlas took the initiative and charged towards the beast, launching a frontal assault.

Both of them collided with tremendous force, the Nameless Beast reaching Atlas first and sinking its teeth into his thick Tungsten armor. The more the beast gnashed its teeth, the more cracks appeared, until finally, after a series of powerful punches from Atlas, all the teeth shattered into countless pieces, causing the creature to retreat.

Atlas's armor remained virtually unscathed by the beast's attack. Seizing the opportunity, he swiftly closed in on the creature and struck it down. However, the beast swiftly regenerated, its teeth reappearing as it clamped down on Atlas's legs.

Though the armor held firm, only a small dent was left behind. Atlas returned the favor by forcefully slamming the beast to the ground, freeing himself from the jaw-tight grip the beast had on him.

Raising his blade, he brought it down upon the beast's neck. The blade sliced through skin, flesh, and bone, but became lodged within the creature's neck. "Auden was right," Atlas thought, momentarily distracted. "This creature grows stronger with each fatal blow."

Suddenly, Atlas felt his feet leave the ground as the beast lifted its neck, forcing him to release his blade and slam it into the earth. The creature lunged towards him, aiming to sink its teeth into his neck, but Atlas swiftly blocked the attack with his forearms, protecting his vulnerable spot. Unlike before, the beast's teeth did not shatter, but managed to slightly penetrate the defensive barrier of the Tungsten armor, softly biting into Atlas's skin.

It wasn't deep enough to immobilize his arm - but enough to draw blood. The blood slowly dropped down into Atlas' face and trickled to his neck where a transparent red veil lay. Right now, it was ordinary, no depictions of anything, or special appearance, no nothing.

At least it was like this until his scarlet blood trickled down onto the transparent cloth. The cloth glowed with its transparency being no more. It was as solid as bed sheets. Suddenly, a small black barrier encompassed Atlas with the Nameless Beast being pushed away.

The black barrier shrank down into the size of a common ball. The Nameless Beast tried to attack, only for a foot to connect with his ribs.

—••••••••••••—

BEYOND THE VEIL

CHAPTER 5: THE GREAT SHIFT PART 5

AUDEN SATO I

—••••••••••••—

Auden Sato had his black blade jammed inside the jaw of the Nameless Beast. Every attempt that the creature tried to take was met with its mouth being sliced open.

Unlike Atlas and Níels, who tirelessly battled the creature in search of the elusive pearl, Auden possessed prior experience in combating these monstrous beings.

With unwavering determination, Auden enveloped himself in a translucent veil, a manifestation of his spirituality and faith. The veil, adorned with countless tiny white dots, resembled a midnight sky adorned with distant galaxies' sparkling stars.

This veil was wrapped around in Auden's right arm which held his curved blade, with his left hand holding his gold revolver.

Standing tall with resolve, Auden locked eyes with the formidable beast. As soon they met eyes, his brown irises transformed into a mesmerizing blend of purple and black, accentuated by a large white pupil surrounded by a constellation of white dots. Letting out a quiet sigh, Auden directed the tip of his sword towards the creature, ready to battle.

"Lost in the cosmic vastness of the tree;

space is utterly meaningless;

especially to House Hadō."

Auden whispered softly to himself, as his curved blade became adorned with a myriad of vibrant purples, occasionally interrupted by glimmers of gold. The golden hues danced delicately, resembling a speck of gentle glitter, as they formed intricate patterns resembling the roots of a tree, stretching from the tip of the blade to its center.

With a sudden flash, a gaping hole tore through the Nameless Beast's body, leaving only its head and feet remaining. In midst of the body, a tiny pearl hung suspended admst the air.

The pearl was silver in color with small cracks around the pearl. Auden couldn't help but feel exasperated and annoyed. "One just wasn't enough," he muttered to himself, a deep sigh escaping his lips, as he raised his left hand.

In his left hand, Auden held a remarkable revolver. This one-of-a-kind weapon boasted a curved handle adorned with brown leather straps, revealing a glimpse of silver metal beneath. The chamber and its surroundings gleamed with a golden hue, while the hammer stood out in a striking scarlet red. As for the barrel, front sight, muzzle, and trigger, they exuded a sleek carbon black.

With a steady hand, Auden placed his finger on the trigger and squeezed. The bullet was gooey and seemingly moved by itself, it didn't help that it was scarlet red and looked straight from hell. Once it was released from its chamber, the hell bullet shattered the sound barrier, hurtling through the air at a mind-boggling speed: eight times faster than sound itself. The scarlet bullet collided with a precious pearl, reducing it to mere dust as it unyielding pressed forward.

The impact of the bullet was devastating, wreaking havoc upon those unfortunate enough to be in its path. Bodies were crushed and mangled, with chunks of flesh missing from their necks, shoulders, and upper torsos. The sheer velocity of the bullet tore through the air, causing the ground to tremble, shattering any remaining windows, breaking countless ears, and ultimately bringing down the very building that housed the decapitated judge and the creature that had emerged alongside Yves.

Auden was taken aback, his slight surprise evident on his face. "No matter how many times I fired the Scarlet Death, these Hellspawn Bullets wreak havoc."

He muttered to himself, but before he could turn around, a faint sense of spirituality was caught in his perception. This nearly made him freeze, besides the Nameless Beast, he was the only one to use spirituality in the surrounding area. This caused him to turn immediately.

To his astonishment, he found Atlas on the ground, using his forearms to block the jaw of the Nameless Beast. His sword lay just out of reach. The scarlet aura around Atlas' neck transformed into a thick veil of spirituality. Auden couldn't believe his eyes and almost stumbled in disbelief.

"Holy shit! That was a veil the whole time?" Auden exclaimed, his mind racing to comprehend what he had witnessed.

[Auden was well aware of the process of obtaining a veil. The process of gaining a veil had no limit, the most common ways being blessed by someone's chosen deity, having a long family history of envoys, and forcing open the barrier between the supernatural and natural.

Anyone had the potential to acquire one. However, since the sixth Age, the number of 'Envoys' had been rapidly declining, with only around 150,000 remaining in the current age. It was a far cry from the golden age of envoys, back then, approximately one-third of the world's population held that title.]

Before Auden could gather his thoughts and rush to assist Atlas, a black barrier materialized around him, shielding him from the beast. The barrier then shrank back to the size of a small ball.

"He's undergoing the rebirth phase!" Auden exclaimed, swiftly moving to deliver a powerful kick to the Nameless Beast that had previously attacked Atlas.

A grin spread across Auden's face as he felt the satisfying crunch of bones breaking within the beast. Withdrawing his right hand, he pointed the tip of his black blade directly at the Nameless Beast.

In an instant, a beam of energy erupted from the blade, displaying a mesmerizing combination of black, purple, yellow, and white. This cosmic energy shot forward at the speed of light, piercing through everything in its path.

However, the beast managed to evade the attack by swiftly dodging to the left. The beam continued on its trajectory, striking a blood-covered man who held a small sword. This man was another barbarian.

The barbarian's guts were instantly liquefied, his upper body and lungs collapsing under the force of gravity. It was a gruesome and unsettling sight. Unfortunately, this was not the end of his torment, as his veins were invaded by a mysterious purple and black liquid.

This liquid infiltrated his bloodstream and nerves, decaying everything it touched. The barbarian's body crumbled, his skin, flesh, and bones melting away until only his skull, feet, and shoulders remained. The initial impact had either melted or destroyed everything else.

Witnessing this horrifying scene, the onlookers were filled with terror, realizing that they too could meet a similar fate. Yet, their attention was quickly drawn to Auden, who effortlessly sliced the Nameless Beast into pieces, revealing a gleaming silver pearl.

In that very moment, they all realized one thing: Auden was the hunter here, while the creature was the hunt.

Just as Auden prepared to strike the finishing blow, his spiritual perception was invaded once again. To his right a mere five feet away, the impenetrable black barrier shattered into countless fragments, revealing Atlas suspended in midair.

Atlas was curled up in a fetal position, his head bowed and his arms tightly wrapped around his legs, which were drawn close to his chest.

Suddenly, Atlas opened his eyes. It was mesmerizing, to say the least. With hues of deep brown, his eyes possessed an irresistible charm that whispered mysteries. Profound and mysterious, the warmth emanating from those eyes mirrored the vibrant colors of autumn, but beneath the surface, a spring of resilience and hardship laid, as if the wisdom of centuries was etched in his gaze.

Not a sound was made, everyone held their gaze at Atlas. Even the madman, Níels, was entranced by the beauty. The only sound that broke the stillness was Atlas's deep sigh, as he gracefully descended and landed on his feet. All eyes remained locked on him, including those of the two Nameless Beasts, as Atlas cast his gaze upon his sword lying on the ground. In an instant, it vanished from its resting place and materialized in Atlas's hands.

Most of them were left bewildered, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred. Auden alone fully grasped the truth, Níels had a hunch, while Yves, ever the analyzer, pieced together the puzzle.

"Summoning," Yves whispered, finally unraveling the mystery.