Bro, I'm not an Undead!

Everyone's hair stood on end. Stay connected via empire

Even Ferex was caught off guard by the unbelievably sharp force which cut the enemy he had been aiming to fight. Granted, unlike the weak enemies from before, the Sif warrior standing before him, cloaked in a passive Territory, was definitely a force to be reckoned with, and would not have gone down with just one blow from the Apostle Ferex… but just a single blow from Pherdanta was overkill.

Everyone behind her, from the Stark Troops, to the civilians they were surrounding protectively, gaped when Pherdanta drew one of her swords, Demion's Dance, and swung it in a brutish flash. The Transcendent Stager from the past, barely having gotten the time to shine, was violently ripped in two, body, soul, mana and armour.

And as if this wasn't enough of a frightening display, several hundred Cavern off on their own business hundreds of kilometres away in different directions, were chopped down from Pherdanta's one slash. It hardly made any sense at all. Their shrills cries could almost be heard from all directions.

"Goodness!" the old Priest beside Pherdanta exclaimed. He should not have been surprised, given that he had already judged Pherdanta to be way beyond him in both skill and strength, but seeing her actually try for once, solidified his guesses tenfold. He swallowed a lump of saliva. Thank goodness he had made his non-hostile nature known when he had crossed into the present Aigas from the past.

Even more astounding than the show of violence by Pherdanta though, was the fact that there was zero collateral. She only struck the enemy. Not so much as a single blade of grass had been harmed when she drew Demion's Dance to attack.

After the Sif warrior fell, staining the ground with his blood and guts, Pherdanta gave a sigh and looked at Demion's Dance.

'This sword is still rejecting me somewhat. It must still have a profound attachment to master. Or… maybe I'm just not using it right,' she thought. The latter might have held more truth given that Pherdanta was still trying to figure out all she could do using her latest skill, [Infinite Sword God: Primordial Sword].

She slotted back the green-bladed sword into its hilt and looked ahead at the unnerved, pale and gaping faces of the group they had been about to run into. Silrat's face was the only familiar one, if she only counted the humans. Ferex was more of a peer, given that he had been part of Skullius' training in the Timemould Mirror Box.

Pherdanta's group converged with Silrat's, and it was only when she was right in front of him that he snapped out of his dazed state.

"Ah… I didn't think I'd run into you," Silrat said with a sheepish laugh at the end. The fact that he couldn't sense an ounce of Pherdanta's strength even though she had just displayed such a horrifying feat with her sword killed common sense. He remembered her though, and the way Skullius had introduced her as the Commander of his troops.

"It was bound to happen. I assume master sent you on a similar mission to ours? Saving civilians?" Pherdanta asked him.

"Uh…yes. Well, I am… was to help mobilise Pelian's forces against the enemy with their help. Festos directed me to them," he replied and turned gesture at Vali, Maxim and the experts behind them. "So far, we have been making much progress, but we hoped to find the Six Houses of Pelian and rope them in as well. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. They have hidden domains, and I'm sure it would take a lot of convincing for them to join us. They prefer to work alone, as far as I know."

Pherdanta gave a nod, and then she finally entertained the burning looks Maxim and Vali had been giving her.

After the initially horror at the kind of attack power Pherdanta could expel at once, Maxim had gathered the substance to give this woman – who was apparently acquainted with Festos – an appraising stare. It was rather odd to see another prominent feminine figure in Festos' service. Maxim had grown to feel somewhat… special after being trusted by Festos not once, not twice, but thrice now.

She and Festos had become allies during the Premium Age Royale, when they were fighting against Baddan, who had still been a Sky Watcher then, tasked by Rias to kill the Contenders in the game. It had been Maxim, Festos and Tallo, the Mage. A bond had grown between the three after brushing with death that time. Maxim especially took to Festos when he sacrificed his Units to save her life near the end of the event.

(A/N: Refer to Ch.772.)

As for Vali, she gave Pherdanta an amused look. Unlike Maxim, she was somewhat thrilled to discover the real Festos' company, and how she compared to them. Or perhaps, how she would compare. She had faith in her value to Festos, especially with the portion of Rias' Imagining Technique which she had absorbed during the Premium Age Royale. Like Maxim, she had also gotten close with Skullius during the Royale, and when Skullius had saved her using the one Supreme Potion he had purchased from the Guilds Association, her interest in the Hybrid Luman had grown tremendously.

The long stare game between Maxim and Vali, and Pherdanta lasted for a few minutes. It felt a tad hostile right before it was broken.

"You must be important allies of my master then," Pherdanta said to the two ladies.

"You're damn right," Maxim said and she folded her arms in front of her modest chest. "And I hope for his sake that he plans to see us. It wouldn't hurt that skeleton to apologise to us for almost making us blow up Aigas. I could have had the blood of billions on my hands, including on my own."

Pherdanta was slightly surprised.

"You know…?" she began.

"That your dear master is a terrestrial, freaky, anomalous skeleton? Yes, we know, dear," Vali said with a smile. "As you guessed, we are important allies to Festos."

Pherdanta wore a duck face.

"I see…" she said. She imagined these women had been allied with her master's alter, perhaps before and after he turned rogue due to the Fulgardt's WILLS. "When this is all over, I don't suppose my master will have a problem sparing some of his time. He has a lot on his plate at the moment."

"We are aware," Vali said. "And don't mind her" – she pointed at Maxim who frowned – "she's just… irrationally emotional when it comes to Festos."

As Maxim began arguing with Vali over why her assertion was untrue, Ferex approached Pherdanta.

"I did not appreciate that," he said, towering over her.

Pherdanta raised a brow.

"What? Me stealing your kill?" she said, almost mockingly. "Please. Killing one measly Transcendent Stager will not count for your redemption in master's eyes. There are many other ways you could reclaim your… honour, or whatever it is you think you need to prove to make up for losing yourself and becoming that thing."

Ferex's sockets blazed with intense light.

"What are these ways?" he asked eagerly.

But before Pherdanta could answer…

"Oh, I have the perfect way. An extravagant way," someone chimed in.