Chapter 379: The Hand Of Inevitability

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Riven glared at the five entities before him, listening to their introduction while struggling to understand the absurdity of everything around him. Their strange shapes seemed to blur at the edges of their silhouettes as if they had forced themselves into a place that could barely contain them, or rather, they were forcing themselves into a proper, contained shape. Even their voices seemed to come from somewhere beyond the darkness.

"Hands of Inevitability? What sort of nonsense is that...?! No! Get out of my head!" Riven roared, straining against their grip until every muscle in his spiritual body burned.

As he spoke, he snapped at the giant hands clutching him, tearing into them with his teeth. They did not bleed or recoil. Their fingers only tightened. One hand dug into his skull, crushing one of his eyes and forcing a broken groan from his throat. Pain burst through his head, but he kept fighting, clawing at anything he could reach.

The woman approached him again with a chuckle, her lips hovering close enough to steal a kiss from his. "You carry so many lives inside you already," she whispered, her voice was like a melody of honey and poison, making Riven’s mind feel like it was fighting against a constant spell trying to charm him, to turn him into her slave.

Her hand reached him and traced his skin. As her fingers moved across him, her face grew redder and her breathing turned heavy with excitement. "Why resist? Join us. Let the darkness of humanity complete what they have already started."

"They?!" Riven demanded. "W-Wha...?! Who are they?! How do you know who I am, and...?" His voice faltered as he looked toward the fully armored figure, the one wearing a sealed helmet. Of the five, that figure appeared the most human, and the sight of him stirred a sense of recognition Riven could not place. "You...! Are you...?"

"..." The armored figure remained silent. He did not move or answer, even as Riven stared at him, waiting for some sign. Then the smallest of the entities floated in front of Riven, blocking his view.

"Huhuhu! He’s so lively, and I love how he fights back no matter the odds! He truly is the fabled Adversary! Hey, Nihil! Do you really think we can recruit him?" the small figure asked with a chuckle, rubbing his large, greasy hands together. His grin widened as he studied Riven, as though the suffering before him were nothing more than entertainment.

So that was his name. Nihil.

The tallest among them, who appeared to be their leader, spoke once more. His voice was resonant, loud, and clear, carrying enough power to silence the others at once. Even the woman withdrew her hand and turned toward him.

"It does not matter whether we succeed or fail. The fact that we are here, that we have formed completely before his eyes, is already a great step forward," Nihil declared. Authority filled every single one of his words, and unlike the others, he showed no excitement or amusement. He regarded Riven with the patient demeanor of someone who believed the outcome had already been decided, as if he had read fate itself.

The largest and fattest of the Hand of Inevitability chuckled, nearly choking on his own saliva as it dripped between his swollen lips. His round body trembled with every breath, and his greedy eyes remained fixed on Riven.

"May...! May I take a bite?" he asked, opening his mouth wide enough to reveal several rows of crooked teeth, creeping Riven out beyond belief.

He approached Riven and dragged his long tongue across his face. The slimy touch made Riven’s stomach twist as an endless, sickening disgust consumed him. He pulled his head away, but the hands restraining him refused to loosen.

"Hush!"

The woman hissed and slapped the tongue away before it could touch Riven again. The blow cracked through the darkness, making the fat creature stumble back and scream in pain.

"Oouugh! Desire! Why?! That hurt!" he whined, clutching his tongue with both hands.

As he cried out, he noticed blood pouring from the fresh wound. He stared at the red stains on his fingers in disbelief, then sucked in a furious breath through his teeth.

"Don’t touch him, Slob! He is mine~" Desire warned, placing herself between them as if Riven were a prize she had already claimed.

She chuckled with malice while Slob glared at her in anger. Sweat and grease rolled across his swollen body, then ignited into hellish flames that crawled over his skin without consuming him. His wounded tongue twitched as he growled at her.

"Huhuhuh! Huhuhu! It seems things have gotten interesting! Are you two going to fight?" another of the entities asked, leaning closer with open delight.

"Chatterer, do not provoke them."

Nihil’s voice echoed around them, and every other voice stopped at once. Slob’s flames dimmed, and Desire’s mocking smile slowly faded. The five entities turned back toward Riven with serious expressions, obeying their leader without a single protest.

Riven narrowed his remaining eye as he memorized their names and appearances. Whoever these demons were, they seemed to form a group of five, each one representing a finger on the same hand. Yet he still could not understand what that hand belonged to, or why it had reached for him.

"You must be curious about who we truly are. But is it not already clear to you, as you see us and experience what we are?" Nihil asked, watching Riven for any trace of recognition.

"I don’t understand a single thing you’re trying to say..." Riven allowed his body to sag, pretending that his strength and defiance had finally abandoned him. In truth, he was still drawing the Sword of Memories deeper into his Astral Avatar. The weapon continued expanding within him, hidden from their sight, while he waited for the first chance to break free. He needed them distracted, confident, and certain that he had stopped resisting. "But I can tell you’re not Espers. You’re not even true entities. You’re just... reflections. Condensed malice given form by the Noosphere... Is that right?" he asked while narrowing his eyes and awaiting their response.

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