Chapter 382: Ignias’ Intervention, Buying Riven Time To Escape!

-----

The members of the Hand of Inevitability slowly began approaching him from every direction. They surrounded the bubble; their eyes fixed on Riven as if they were deciding which part of him to claim first.

"I suppose it’s about time, right? The sooner we parasitize his mind and Astral Avatar, the better," Chatterer said with a chuckle, his smile never leaving his face. His fingers stretched toward the bubble, twitching with impatience.

"I agree...!" Desire nodded eagerly and stepped ahead of the others. "Can I do it? Let me do it! I promise I won’t break him too much."

"Halt," Nihil ordered. The others stopped before they could touch Riven. Nihil raised one arm, revealing a long, mummified limb that ended in sharp claws. His five eyes moved across the endless expanse around them. "There is someone else here..."

All five stared at Riven again. His pulse jumped as he realized they had already sensed Ignias hiding within him. There was no longer any reason to wait. If they acted first, both of them would be trapped.

"Damn it! It’s now or never, Ignias!" Riven cried, abandoning every attempt to hide her presence.

Riven roared as the power inside his soul erupted. Ignias manifested from within him in a violent surge of fire, shattering the bubble that held him. Her enormous body expanded across the Noosphere until she encompassed him as a giant dragon, her wings spreading over the floating ruins.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

Ignias roared with all her strength and unleashed a flood of flames in every direction. The attack tore through the endless floating rubble and swallowed the five entities at once. Without wasting a second, she grabbed Riven in one claw, turned away from them, and flew as fast as her wings could carry them.

As she raced through the Noosphere, Riven looked back and saw the Five Fingers still standing where they had been. The flames covering their bodies faded without leaving a single wound. None of them appeared frightened or surprised by the attack. They merely watched Ignias flee.

Desire chuckled. Her figure disappeared from among the others, then reappeared directly in front of Ignias before the dragon could change direction. She floated in their path with an amused smile, completely untouched by the flames.

"Fufufu, that was funny. So it was only some lizard?" Desire laughed as she glanced over Riven’s companion. Her eyes moved from Ignias’ wings to her claws with open disappointment. "Is this your pet or something? And here I thought someone truly dangerous had come to rescue you."

As she laughed, Desire pointed her index finger forward. She waited until Ignias was close enough, then casually flicked the dragon’s forehead as if she were brushing away an insect.

BOOOOMMMM!!!

Ignias was swallowed by a massive explosion of pure darkness. The blast tore across her spiritual body and burned through her soul, scattering pieces of her fiery form throughout the Noosphere. Her wings collapsed, and the claw holding Riven opened as she lost control.

"Uuuuaaaaaaggghhhh!" Ignias screamed in agony, unable to defend herself or stop her body from breaking apart.

"?! IGNIAS!!!" Riven screamed her name as he watched her spiritual body burn away in disbelief. For a moment, he forgot the enemies surrounding him and reached toward her fading flames. "BASTARD!"

Panic took control of him. He summoned his sword and swung it at Desire with all his strength, aiming for her neck. She vanished before the blade could touch her, then reappeared above him without warning. One hand shot down and closed around his head.

Then she pulled.

"G-GAH?!"

In a single second, his head was torn from the rest of his spiritual body. Riven stared down at himself, unable to understand what had happened. There was no blood, but the sudden separation left him unable to move or control the body below him.

"W-Wha...?! How is this possible?!" he demanded, looking in every direction for some way to return to his body. His connection to it remained, but Desire’s grip prevented him from restoring himself.

As Riven struggled, Desire smiled and held his head between both hands. Her eyes glowed as she brought her face closer, her lips almost touching his own. A strange pull entered his mind, numbing his resistance and drawing his thoughts toward her.

"And with this kiss, you’re mine, Riven Claymore... Forevermore, you will serve us beneath my love~!" Desire chuckled, closing the final distance between them.

"N-No...!" Riven tried to turn away, but her hands held him in place. He pushed against her influence with everything he had left, yet his thoughts were already beginning to blur.

He groaned as her lips came within a fraction of touching his. Desire’s smile widened, certain that there was nothing left to stop her.

And yet...

RUMBLE!

A powerful shockwave surged from somewhere beyond the floating ruins and shook the surrounding Noosphere. Desire immediately pulled her lips away and turned toward the disturbance, glaring at the distance. Riven felt her grip loosen for the first time. Something was forcing its way through the endless darkness, approaching them with enough power to make even Desire stop.

A bright azure star appeared within the darkness.

It descended toward them with incredible speed, revealing a beautiful white horse made of crystallized ice. The stallion galloped across the empty space as if solid ground existed beneath its hooves, leaving trails of frost behind. Its blazing mane flowed with icy azure starlight.

Riding the magnificent stallion was a prince-like figure with pale skin, blond hair, and gleaming blue eyes. His body was covered in white armor, and a long cape fluttered behind him as he charged toward Desire without hesitation.

"Begone from him, witch!" the rider roared, raising his sword above his head.

With one swing of his sword, he released a wave of freezing psionic energy. It spread across the Noosphere and struck Desire before she could react. Frost covered the space around her, completely negating her teleportation as she tried to disappear.

SLAAAASH!

RUMBLE!

"W-What is this?! Aaaaaggghh!" Desire screamed as the frozen slash tore across her body and sent her flying away from Riven.

-----