Chapter 338: 344: A Plague of Phantoms: Crazy Noisy Bizarre Star I
Chase
15 minutes earlier
"So is someone going to tell me what the plan is?" Damon asked. Iris gave Damon a droll look from over her shoulder.
"You actually believe that Star Child has a plan?" Iris asked incredulously.
"The barely convoluted embers of one at least." Damon said with a shrug. I was standing in front of the navigation column and analyzing the route we were taking but still conscious of the conversations around me.
"It's the Boss. He's going to grandstand and piss a bunch of people off then do something to make them regret messing with him." Sin said.
"Or just let his evos go on a rampage and instill the 'terror of the Star Shaper' as they would say." Jane interjected.
"They are pretty hung up on that name for some reason." Astrid added.
"Makes sense considering he keeps taking in strays and altering their genetics…case in point, that Nephilguize that swopped in and killed my father's evo." Alberto said.
"Yeah…feeling some kind od way about that. Considering the report that Chase and the others gave us about those things." Jane said. I could feel the judging stare Jane was shooting at me boring through the back of my skull. I frowned then looked back at her.
"Hey don't talk about my evos. Unlike the people I hired and or sheltered from prosecution my evos have a hundred percent loyalty rate." I said proudly.
"So you're just a shitty judge of character?" Iris asked.
"Bite me Tri-clops." I said dismissively.
"Sounds like it." Astrid said.
I rolled my eyes at her then walked over to one of the control pedestals and altered the altitude of the train to the maximum possible. The route that King's Glaive was following to the hotel had the mana train having to take a bunch of detours to get around obstacles.
"I do have a plan. It involves subtly and poise…" I started.
"Fuck, we're doomed!" Iris exclaimed dramatically throwing her arms into the air and falling for her knees. This earned a couple chuckles from the others in the room. I narrowed my eyes at her then sighed.
"The fuck does that mean?" I demanded. Iris crossed her arms and shook her head at me.
"Star Child, you've never done anything with subtly and poise. You're the exact opposite of subtle and poised. You're loud and crude." Iris said.
"Did you just call me low class?" I asked while narrowing my eyes at her.
"Yes." Iris answered without hesitation.
"Ha!" Damon exclaimed. I stomped my foot while channeling freeze attribute mana through my foot and sent a wave of ice creeping across the ground and froze the floor beneath his feet. Damon slipped on the ice and landed flat on his ass.
"Shut up!" I griped.
"Ow? Why didn't you trip her? She's the one that said something!" Damon snapped and pointed at Iris.
"She wouldn't have slipped." I replied.
"He's right…" Everyone admitted in unison. Damon pouted and slammed his fist on the ground, shattering the ice underneath him.
"Anyhoo as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by a mouthy tri-clops…" I said shooting Iris daggers. She just rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "…my plan involves subtly and poise. We're going to crash this little party with style and pizazz!"
"That sentence does not make sense in any way, shape, or form. How do you crash a party with style and pizazz?!" Sin exclaimed. I smirked and looked down at my star crystal.
"Use a little imagination Damon." I said innocently then motioned to the navigation column. "Why do you think I adjusted the elevation of the mana train?"
"To get there quicker." Damon replied.
"Well yes but look at the map." I said then pointed at the little arrow that indicated where the mana train's destination was. Damon and Alberto looked at the display then shared a look before glaring at me.
"That's right over the ballroom of the hotel!" They both snapped.
"Chase, what the fuck are we doing?" Iris demanded.
"Crashing a party with style. Like I said." I replied, flashing her a devilish smile.
"Another one of your theatric performances." Jane said. I turned to her and arched a brow.
"You disapprove?" I asked. Jane shook her head and walked over to the navigation column.
"No, these people nearly killed Nate. They dared to try and steal our evos too. They cannot go unpunished, though I hope your plan isn't to just walk in and start killing people?" Jane replied.
"Give me a little credit, I'm not walking in anywhere or killing anyone…at least not at first." I said mysteriously, flashing Jane another devilish smile. I then looked to everyone and spoke a little louder. "Okay everyone, here's how things are going to go…"
***
"Destination reached. Standing by in hover mode." King's Glaive announced.
I opened the door of the control car and looked down at the glass ceiling of the ballroom below us. I started casting a axiom spell sigil I had prepared moments earlier. A purple column of light appeared in front of me and descended down through the glass dome to the ballroom floor below. I then stepped to the side and let my people walk up to the open door.
Damon, Alberto, Astrid, Sin, Iris, and Jane all walked up to the open door and then one after another jumped into the column of light and descended down into the ballroom, passing through the glass dome like it was made of water thanks to the effects of the spell I casted.
"Fours." I said softly as I summoned his crystalline structure and tossed it over my shoulder. It shattered and he emerged from the structure, snapping his wings open then folding them flat against his back.
<Pretender…> Fours said, lowering his head.
"Fours, we're going to cause a little scene. I'm going to need your help with that." I said then pulled my manacite dagger from my Dia Caos holster and held it up. Fours ears twitched on hearing the dagger getting pulled from its sheath.
<That blade? You mean for us to fuse, Pretender?> Fours asked.
"Yes. Time to show how serious this is." I said then stepped towards the open door.
I jumped out the open door and into the column of light. Fours jumped out after me and the two of us descended down to the ballroom below. Thanks to the spell I levitated inches above the ground for a few seconds before the spell deactivated.
I took a second to read the atmosphere of the room. There were dozens of people from various countries present. All of them looked startled and rather scared at my company's sudden and rather grandiose appearance.
"Sorry to barge in unannounced like this but…we have some business with a few people here." I said, flashing a broad smile. Fours landed behind me, snapping his wings open and snarling aggressively at everyone nearby.
"MASTER KINGSTON!" A voice yelled at the top of his lungs.
I turned and saw Hideyoshi marching towards my group with a savage expression on his face and flanked by two soldiers who looked a lot less angry or ready to attack like Hideyoshi. Considering that this ball was one sponsored directly by the Shogun and he was the Shogun secretly, it was reasonable that he'd be pissed.
I stood behind Iris, Jane, and the others who stood in a small circle around. As a sort of shield between me and the ball goers. More for their protection than my own.
"Hideyoshi!" I exclaimed with a cheery smile then channeled attributeless mana throughout my body and into the air around me. This made the disguised Shogun freeze mid-step and the ball goers all get nervous. "I hope you aren't here to lecture me on proper procedure on how to attend a ball on behalf of the Shogun because I'm not in the mood to be lectured right now."
"Master Kingston, whatever reason you are here for today I'm sure it can wait until this afternoon. After you duel with Master Loki Paragon." Hideyoshi said, changing his tone and standing upright. I sighed and shook my head.
"I just said I'm not in the mood for a lecture Hideyoshi Ascred. But since you're having a hard time understanding that from me, why don't I let someone else talk…"
I channeled mana into the manacit dagger in my right hand and cast an axiom spell sigil. Green energy flowed from the spell sigil and and condensed in to a green star shaped crystal in front of me. I grabbed the crystal with my left hand and held it up into the air.
"…CRYSTAL GENESIS ACTIVATE!" I shouted as I shattered it in my hand.
A wave of mana pouring from it and striking Fours, sending a mana wave back in response. Fours floated in mid-air, getting wreathed in green crystal as he curled into a fetal position. His wings covering his entire body before getting encased in crystal as well.
<FOURS CRYSTAL MERGE TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!>
Fours shattered into crystalline dust that whirled around me and lifted me up several feet off the ground. The dust was absorbed into my body and I felt it beginning to change. My limbs became longer, more gaunt and boney. My fingers lengthening to a unnatural length with slightly curved and pointed nails tipping each finger.
Part of my back hollowed out and I felt wings sprout and grow from the hollowed out spaces. Inside my mouth I felt teeth lengthen and sharpen, specifically my canines. My ears lengthened as well, turning into a slight point that cleared the back of my head slightly. I could feel other changes to my face as well but wasn't able to tell what they were.
Finally I began to feel my consciousness and Fours consciousness starting to blend together. Felling myself start to drift away and becoming more and more distant. I felt myself becoming…
Nosforatu
"Nosforatu! We are united!" I yelled, shattering the crystal that encased my body. The crystal dust then surrounded my bare body and formed clothes. Similar to the dashiki that Chase wore before the fusion, only with barely noticeable slits in the back.
My wings snapped out and I flapped them, slowly descending to the ground before tucking my wings back into the hollow space in my back. I took a look at the gathering of people inside the ballroom. There were about seven dozen in total scattered around the room. I turned my attention to Hideyoshi.
"Hideyoshi Ascred. Pray, I bid no insult to your…Shogun however as my base so unceremoniously inferred…We are in no mood for lectures." I said, letting the malice and venom that Chase had been feeling seep into my voice. I turned to those in attendance and raised my voice. "I am Nosforatu, veil of Sho'lajah! I am here to ensure justice comes to the rogues that attacked my base's employee as well as the evos in his care!"
"Justice? You seek a bloodbath?!" Hideyoshi exclaimed. Jane stepped around me and held a hand up to Hideyoshi.
"No we do not. We are not here to kill anyone. I stake my pride as the first princess of Egypt on that. We are however here to see that those responsible pay, as well as those who back them." Jane announced, she then motioned back to me. "Nosforatu is here to make sure that no one gets out of hand."
"More like slaughter those he accuses!" Someone from inside the ballroom barked.
"I bid thee, hold thy tongue! I will not be slaughtering anyone, lest they force mine hand!" I exclaimed with a growl. Jane held a hand out to me to restrain me. I let out a deep breath and backed off at her behest.
"We have reason to believe that various countries were working together to try and steal the Briar Lieons that we were showing today!" Jane announced to the room. This caused the room erupt into a low murder as people discussed. "Several members of my own country's military have been identified in this plot and are already being dealt with by my Father."
"What plot?" Hideyoshi asked. Damon stepped up and pointed to the King's Glaive floating above.
"Major Rakish of the Egyptian Air force as well as four other Majors and Generals from other militaries were planning to kill our head of security Sin, here and then use those evos to frame Sho'lajah Artifact Company in an attack that would start World War five. However instead of Sin they met our resident badass Nate." Damon announced.
"General Revi Sadawalki from Austria, Specialist Erik Voglia from Egypt, General Cassik Goz from the Neo-German alliance, and Princess Alicia Dewmond from Iceland…" Jane read off the names of the General Panzer's associates, pausing for longer than was necessary to allow the confusion as to why she called those names set in. "… these are the main conspirators behind this plot."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Hutexa_The_Djinn
Hutexa_The_Djinn HUTEXA_THE_DJINN HERE! Hello and Welcome back all my faithful readers. Thank you for being patient while I had my little vacation! I'm happy to say that it was great and totally uneventful...kinda...okay not really uneventful. However I did get writing done and even had some new art commissioned for Bone-lasher and Chase! The new cover will have to wait due to...unforseen events. I will add snippets of Bone-lasher's new art in the comments Chase's art will be a surprise until I can come to a agreement with the artist and finish with the new cover. In the meantime I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I'll be posting another Sunday! If you like the story and want to support it, comment, leave powerstones and reviews! Thank you!
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