Shattered

The Stars Align - 2

AN: The end of this chapter is a cliffhanger! What a surprise!

***

"Oh no."

That was the reaction Michael had at the same time as Hinata picked up the ring, as he realized that the very stars were being pulled and tugged into a giant interstellar magic circle. He was at a loss for words, baffled by the sheer scale of it all. But he wasn't one to be drowned in awe. So he scrambled to inform Feldway.

Feldway. He said. There was no response. Michael gazed at Feldway who was standing around a kilometer away. Still a relatively unsafe distance in case the woman threw one of her nuke-grade potentially solid null energy balls, but [Castle Guard] negated it. Michael noticed Feldway being completely fixated on...something.

His gaze followed Feldway's line of sight, but Michael found it difficult to describe what he saw.

This...

It was doing it's best to hide. That was for sure. But what was stealth to the King of Justice and one of the Seven Angels of Origin?

He focused on the object; it's geometry was unusual. A plethora of energy was rigidly held together by what appeared to be mathematics rather than biology. Layers of energy pushed out outwards before collapsing inwards in certain patterns, mimicking something that could not be seen. It's intricate shape appeared to flow like water but was undoubtedly just predictable, rigid calculations manipulating it's shape.

And just then-

<<Critical. Violation of 4th Cardinal Law as established by Individual SɎ₴₳Đ₥i₦ØⱧⱠØrĐ has been recorded. Conceptual Lifeform "ⱥꝟⱥⱦⱥɍ" has manifested in physicality. Initiating rectificative action.>>

The message was carried to every single inhabitant of the world, for an interloper foreign to their very plane of existence had arrived. As for Michael, he stared in shock.

Never in a uncountable years of existence had he expected the term "Conceptual Lifeform" to appear. It had only been a far-fetched possibility, briefly discussed then discarded by both Michael and Feldway.

But now, they would pay the price. For they had forgotten a crucial saying: Always expect the unexpected.

***

Before continuing, there is a concept to understand. For that, a question to ask:

What is a skill?

Conventional wisdom says it is simply a power, an ability to be harnessed. Something that is awarded by the Voice of The World, and that which propels a user to new heights. But now the very notion of "conventional" has to be broken down into its components and studied tirelessly.

For the question is: What is a skill?

A skill is a set of instructions. A macro, so to speak. When activated, a skill simply executes a set of actions which produces the effect of the skill. A skill does only what it is programmed to do and nothing less, nothing more. A flow of magicules is taken from the user to execute those actions and bring the skill's effect to life.

But this poses a problem. Take, for example, something like the Unique Skill Garlic Rain. When activated, the skill rearranges the atoms of falling raindrops to turn them into garlic. This is an immensely complex power, and something no mortal could do on their own. Thankfully, the skill takes care of all the hard work. But the real problem is the power usage. For a seat such as rearranging the atomic structure of thousands of droplets - tiny may they be - uses an enormous amount of energy.

In this case, wouldn't it be better to simply arrange the droplets into something more deadly, like for instance a rain of sharp knifes? The amount of magicules needed may increase enormously, stay constant or decrease sharply, but in the end we have a far superior skill in combat. And surely the skill can turn water droplets into knifes if it can turn them into garlic.

So what is the nature of skills? They can do vast things, yet they are limited by the programming of their nature. They can do great, extremely complex things but nothing less that's only slightly different and much simpler to execute.

Some extremely powerful entities like The Star King Veldanava could create and erase skills at will. To do so involved the manipulation of infons; the tiniest particles contained within every single thing in existence, even souls and skills.

But that is only one part of the whole story. Infons are perhaps the most important part of a skill's existence. But they are not the whole of a skill's existence. There had to be something more. Something that was the very essence of power. Something that was the higher, refined power of skills. Something that transcended the menial work of magic and the rigid limiters of skills.

And that something? Well, a certain Manas was about to have an unlucky first encounter with it.

***

"Feldway?" Michael asked through [Thought Communication].

"Stay back and protect Velgrynd! We need to retreat immediately."

"Is the threat that severe?"

"Yes." Came the reply. Michael considered his course of action for a moment.

"Velgrynd, stay close to me." Michael send.

"As you say, Rudra." Came the swift reply.

Now Michael focused his sight on the object. From whatever hell that object had crawled out of, now it was being pushed back into it. The dense conglomeration of pulsing poisoned air was being suffocated by an invisible force, presumably the literal Voice of The World.

Except... This time, the True Destroyer would not go down so soon.

...

......

...........

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