Depthless Hunger

Chapter 216: Different Last Stands

As the city trembled around her, Yurwa told herself that she would stand until the end, at least.

She had a clear view of what she was and wasn't capable of. Her role in the battle was to destroy crystal shielding when possible and remain behind defensive lines when it wasn't. Acid cultivation could provide ranged support, but fighting alone would be suicidal. She didn't think she was a hero, her goal was to help Kai and Zae Zin Nim and all the others put their full strength toward the fight.

If necessary, she had two very meager fallback options. They had all been given something called "Ironskin potions" which she was told would help defend her against crystal attacks. She personally had received a second syringe of acid from Omilaena, who told her that it could provide a boost. The rush of power that had helped her break into Mercantile Central had been almost addictive, but she held back in case the injection could matter more later.

And yet there were so many flying over the battle, either jumping or levitating on crystals, who could take her apart with their bare hands. It made everything she had built in her soul seem small.

Name: Yurwa of N District Pits

Total Power: 058

Acid Cultivation: 487 (39)

Physique Level: G-5 (10)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

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She didn't think she was naive, but she had been proud of the power she'd developed. It was enough to fight the soldiers who had terrorized her and her son for their entire lives, even if they laid hands on her. Kai had said he was impressed, and he wouldn't lie to make her feel better. But in a battle like this...

It had been a small comfort when the great crystals failed, since at least that wasn't another form of death hanging over their heads. She had groaned along with everyone else when she saw Boreas restore one of the crystals. Unlike some, who rushed off to try to take it back, she had known it was a fool's errand. Even though Boreas had flown off, the crystallier he left behind was enough to stop all of them, with the great crystal.

When the crystal turned toward her and her little group of acid cultivators, she did what she could. Yurwa injected herself with the syringe and, as the power rushed through her, formed a great arc of acid. The great crystal began emitting shards designed to shred bodies, as she'd seen before, but they dissolved in her acid shield.

She didn't know how long she would hold, but she'd protect the others if she could. Every second she held, more of the army escaped into the buildings along the street. Then she heard something to the southwest and realized that the great crystal by the harbor was also moving. Except this time, she didn't think it was controlled by her allies.

Even though she felt threatened, it didn't begin striking at her. She was far too unimportant for that. Instead it began unleashing blasts into the city, trying to destroy the revolutionary army. But those blasts were getting closer, and they would annihilate her acid shield even if she could expand it in both directions. She could try to run, but there was nowhere to go.

So she stood tall. If she died, it wouldn't be as a cringing worker, she would make them strike her down as a revolutionary. Even if they didn't notice snuffing out her life, that was worth something. Her son might live to accomplish something more.

Just as the explosions neared, a line of light blazed across the city. Yurwa looked up in surprise, almost blinded, and saw that the crystal just beside her had turned. It was locked against the harbor crystal, neutralizing both of them. Had her allies somehow taken it after all? But no, she had seen them fall when they rushed toward it, how could any of them have survived?

"This way!" Someone shouted at her from near the base. One of her other allies, one of those she had allowed to escape with her acid shield. Yurwa blinked, still not understanding.

"Yurwa, come with us. You held long enough." Someone took her by the shoulder and tried to guide her back. There were people who looked like crystalliers, yet they were fighting on their side.

"What happened?" She barely got out the sentence before coughing. The pain in her throat always returned whenever the tension rose enough.

"Some of the people of the city rose up against them!" Another worker gestured toward the crystal wildly. "Apparently the merchants killed some old woman named Orillia. She's been helping people for years, and the whole Crystallier Cooperative banded together to help. They seized the crystal and they have defenses, we just need to get there!"

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It wasn't so many paces now until they could enter the fortified tower. She wasn't sure if it was truly safer indoors, considering the number of buildings that had been destroyed, but at least she wasn't vulnerable to anyone who might swoop by.

But then a new power landed at the end of the street and Yurwa knew that all of them combined weren't enough.

A man in robes that reminded her of Zae Zin Nim waved a hand and the great crystal lurched violently, all its power distorting. Yes, she remembered him from the meetings: Ren Ziq Quen, one of the Diamond Crystalliers. His power made her feel even more insignificant.

He hadn't even noticed her, but he was still probably going to kill her. The man walked forward, targeting the great crystal and all the fighters who had seen it. She was just in the way and would soon die to one of his attacks, as if she hadn't even been present.

"That's far enough." Zae Zin Nim landed in the street in front of him.

"Really?" Ren Ziq Quen struck the crystal one more time, disabling it, and turned toward her. "This is just going to end the way it always does."

"No. Not this time."

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..

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A group of allies had attempted to bombard Suortril with various attacks, to no avail. Kai watched briefly before he decided that the merchant was the wrong target. Suortril was most dangerous in the systems and plans he set up, and those were spread all across the city.

But where could he do the most good? For the first time since the start of the battle Kai wasn't rushing from emergency to emergency, so he took a moment to take stock.

Their core army was faring better than anyone would have imagined. The Ironskin potions that Omilaena had mass-produced were doing an excellent job protecting them from the minor crystal attacks that normally cut down uprisings. Of course they did little good against Ruby and Diamond level crystalliers, but those fighters were largely occupied.

Most of the crystals floated without energy, but one of theirs was under assault and the nobles were still holed up in the northernmost tower. That was probably the place to start. He didn't see a way to pursue any of their contingency plans, so he might as well fight visibly and take pressure off the others.

"Kai!" Kraetius stomped to a halt beside him, panting as if he'd barely caught up. "One of the main merchants has split off, we have a chance to catch her alone!"

"Who?" Kai was already following him as they moved higher into the city. "How many defenses?"

"It's a woman named Riuklina. She definitely has several Ruby Crystalliers, possibly more. That's why I went to get you. We can stop her before she prepares more weapons, but we have to move fast. There's no telling when their forces will catch up."

They vaulted higher into the city and Kai marveled at how flimsy the estates looked now. A year ago, he had moved through these same streets, seeking a noble patron for the sake of money. Now he was leading a revolution and gold was only worth what it had bought before the fighting started.

"Where are we headed?" Omilaena appeared beside them with an unreadable expression on her face. Kraetius jumped and almost retaliated before controlling himself.

"We're taking out the number two merchant in the city," Kai told her.

"Sounds good, I'll come along."

As they drew closer to the largest and oldest estates, Kraetius looked increasingly nervous. Eventually he edged closer to Kai and spoke in a low voice.

"I didn't want to believe it, but some were saying that Omilaena isn't on our side anymore. That she was bought out." The old man looked back to her, eyes slightly too wide. "Maybe it's a lie, but you should be careful, just in case."

Kai nodded and gestured for him to be quiet, since there was too much of a risk of Omilaena hearing them. Would she really sell them out now, after all this? Then again, he could imagine that all of this was just a long negotiation, forcing the merchants to agree to some terms he couldn't comprehend. She did seem unusually untouched, as if she hadn't been participating much in the battle.

When they reached Riuklina's estate there was a single Ruby Crystallier guarding the entrance. Between the three of them, they knocked out the man almost instantly and then they pushed inside. Kai was alert for sources of power, wondering if the noble had any weapons as dangerous as Suortril's, when suddenly a voice emanated from the side.

"That's far enough."

The power in the voice made his body lock up for just a moment. Kai growled and pushed past it as Behemoth's Heart resisted the effect. When he could turn again, he stepped into a side courtyard and knew exactly what he was going to see.

Riuklina sat in a balcony within her estate, apparently calm and waving herself with a fan. There was a circle of glowing qi crystals humming around her and generating a nearly transparent barrier. She had two Ruby Crystalliers standing nearby as guards, but Kai barely even looked at them.

Tareth Nordulind stood in the center of the courtyard, waiting.

"I'm sorry, Kai." The power of Tareth's Spellword Class pressed against them and Kraetius fell back a step to one knee. "I thought you were a good kid. I wish that you hadn't joined them."

"How can you go along with this?" Kai's words sounded feeble compared to the magical tones, but he made himself keep talking because he wanted to believe he could reach Tareth. "If you've fought in this war, you know they treated their workers like slaves. I didn't come here to destroy things, but how else will anything change?"

"It's all black and white to you, isn't it?" Tareth removed the great Direboar pelt from his shoulders and tossed it aside. "This isn't like a battle against monsters, where everyone is on the same side. This is the Krysali way of life. You're just an invader."

"Aren't the uprisings just the Krysali way of life too? This is just an extension of that."

"Oh, enough chatter!" Riuklina waved her fan at everyone in the courtyard below. "Kill him already!"

Tareth drew in a breath, far faster than Kai had ever seen before. He had been planning on running forward and striking his opponent before the Class powers could take effect. Two steps closer and Tareth let out a roar that seemed to go on and on, shaking the courtyard.

Kai met it with Void Gaze and the two techniques clashed. The Diamond Crystallier was too strong to be stopped by it, but Kai wouldn't be bowed by his Class either. They locked in place, voice against gaze, as their powers raged against one another.

Then something sharp plunged deep into Kai's back.