Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

643. A Visit From The Bird From Another Planet

Frost’s form shifted to a more stable Corrupted. However, she did not attack. Rather, she also began to walk down the same path that the Arbiter cleared as the world altered. They suddenly found themselves in the center of a city made from emeralds.

| Emerald City |

The Frost that emerged had longer hair and a dress that belonged to a village girl, but from a completely different world. It was closer to a maid dress. Her hair was tied into braids that tumbled over her shoulders.

< “The bastion of your created paradise caused so much misery.” >

< “But you were not the first. And you will certainly not be the last.” >

< “Your daughter was meant to inherit this city you built.” >

< “It is time to take down these walls.” >

< “Evict you from the terrors of Paradise.” >

< “And let the Princess be free.” >

Enchanted beings formed behind her, then disappeared immediately. One was a golem crafted from tin; a giant dog; a scarecrow; and a cowardly lion wishing for courage. She joined the Arbiter. No Conditions were derived from her Corrupted form.

It was likely that Frost had some semblance of control over the Corrupted now, but her words were always influenced by the emotions and tale of her Corrupted form.

“Remind me of my vow, Anna. You must write with Sinder’s pen.” Michaela said.

Anna also approached the Princess, as did Galia and Nav. The girl shook her head and stared courageously into the Arbiter’s eyes.

“… But then you’d be bound to another written cycle.” She uttered as Michaela hovered over her resting child.

A pleasant smile formed on her face.

“Indeed. You are correct. Being bound to another law would only bring forth more misery… I apologize for involving you, Anna. My Beholder Galia. Nav. This child of mine… And you, Frost.”

Frost suddenly disappeared. The emerald city shifted to a serene garden where only one tree stood tall in the center of it all.

It was a juniper tree.

A slim, twisting trunk held the weight of an expansive canopy. Its pale leaves tumbled as it rustled to an invisible wind. It sprouted from where the Glass Coffin once stood.

This was the final resting place of the Princess.

| The Garden of Pallid Regrets |

Infinite stars filled the skies above. A swirling cosmos seemed to spiral around the tree at a pace that could not be detected by human eyes. Michaela embraced her daughter in her own arms and kissed her forehead.

“Ilya… You were my only child.” Michaela whispered; the weeping of the Scabbard in the Princess’ arms softened.

It had finally received the comfort it had longed for.

“I had infinite variations of you across all of time. Infinite of you in the image of ‘Her’. But you were the only one I truly loved. The only one that came from me. The only one I stopped the comparisons. I wanted to give you a better life…”

Michaela’s fell onto her lifeless, cold face. Her eyes were moist, but she never allowed herself to shed tears. Her long, pale hair concealed her golden eyes suddenly as she leaned over her daughter, her shoulders trembling.

“But you…”

She held her daughter close. Particles of light fled from her body. They were absorbed into the tree. Soon, all that was left in her arms was the cold Scabbard of her love-deprived daughter.

“… you only ever had one me. I’m sorry.”

There was nothing that could be done any longer. The Arbiter could not take back what had already been lost. And yet, Frost was able to bring back a piece of her. It yearned to be loved, to be cradled and cared for.

“But things can always return. Just in a different form.”

Frost’s voice came from the side. The Arbiter looked up, seeing a Frost that was born from the tree where her daughter was buried.

And there stood a Corrupted Frost that was closest to the one that first arrived in Elysia, but also carried the properties of the current Frost.

As much as it was a Corrupted based on Amalgamation, it was also one that carried the qualities of Hope. The being’s presence instilled immense reverence in them all despite it being of only the Folklore Origin.

The existence of this entity was an enigma.

Her efflorescent smile matched her delicate, unjudging tone.

“’Frost’ came into this world fifteen years later within the walls of the Nexus.”

“The ‘Her’ you cherished was reborn.”

“But the daughter you lost never did.”

“The cycle of our recreation continued.”

“It has now finally come to an end.”

She reached down to touch Michaela, blessing her with her light. It was close to the one the Arbiter manifested, but also different. It was as if something else was speaking for Frost in this instance.

“I dug her up from the roots of the tree whence she was buried.”

“Her soul etched into its bark.”

“Waiting to be united and brought into this world again…”

“… so that your daughter can find her own place here in this world.”

“Our wrath is infinite.”

“But this wrath is born from the absence of love.”

She then offered a hand to pull Michaela up.

Michaela’s eyes trembled, then they closed as she took that small hand which allowed her to ascend.

“These were the woes of a fallen star.”

“Be glad that it didn’t turn out into an apocalypse.”

“Else we could have lost another paradise.”

“Or worse.”

She then smiled at Micheala, her hands clasping her cheeks almost longingly. It was unclear who was speaking to her. On one hand, the dialogue fit precisely what Frost wanted from the Arbiter.

But at the same time, it was as if the ‘Her’ she knew so long ago was speaking directly to her.

“Goodbye, The Vagrant Star.”

< The Dove From Jupiter Has Been Suppressed >

She fizzled away into a steam of light. The Looking Glass shattered, its fragments flooding the River that ran through the world. The waters instantly dried up, revealing the pale, marble floors of the Floor of Judgement as Frost stood in the Corrupted’s place, heaving heavily.

The golden strands of Frost’s hair were slightly brighter now, and her eyes carried an even stronger presence of a Star.

“… Michaela… So… what do you say…?”

Frost panted, and before she knew it –

“I will do it.”

– Michaela embraced her. All seven tails and twelve wings engulfed her form. Between their bosom was the Scabbard that no longer cried. It snored silently in the comfort of its rightful owner’s embrace, awaiting the day that they could finally reunite.

“I will… seek paradise. I will break away from the formalities of my pride. Breach its walls and allow this untaped reservoir to gush. I’m sorry that this is what it took to reach me. I…”

Michaela suddenly fell to her knees and embraced Frost’s waist.

“… will be better. Thank you. Thank you… for breaking the cycle…”

“… We’re only at the start.” Frost said, patting her head. “Things have already gotten tougher since the last time I said, ‘things will get harder from now on’. We need you, Michaela.”

Frost healed her. Even though her healing magic had various Masteries, it could not quickly restore the wounds of the Arbiter.

They remained like this for some time, cherishing each other’s presence as they finally came to a mutual understanding. Michaela didn’t say another word. Galia’s eyes lingered on Frost’s unnatural presence, and Anna wiped away her tears.

Nav on the other hand, slowly approached Frost.

Then, from out of nowhere –

“O-Ouch –! Nav?”

Nav smacked her back.

“For worrying me. Again. You have no tact. Could you imagine what would have happened to me if I had a heart? How could you, Frost?”

“I’m… I’m sorry –!?”

“How could you!?”

Nav angrily embraced Frost from behind, burying her face into her back.

“I wasn’t there when you first Corrupted. I never understood how everyone felt when you lost your way. They told me and I still couldn’t understand. But now…”

“… Nav… What’s wrong? I’m still here, right?”

Frost clasped onto one of Nav’s hands.

Nav shuddered.

“… I was afraid.”

Frost’s eyes quivered. The fact that this came from Nav nearly caused her to weep. Nav was a machine at heart, woven elaborately with human skin. For a machine to admit that they were afraid proved that she was more than just that, but it was also because of this that it stuck to Frost.

“Mm. I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to Corrupt. Thank you for being here. I could hear how you were sending prompts to everyone. I wouldn’t have been able to return without you.”

“Did… Elysia get to you?” Anna wondered.

“No. It was me. I’m the one that led myself down into that spiral of Corruption. I just couldn’t stand to sit by and do nothing. Michaela… I’ll wait for you to calm down. We’ll have our heart to heart then… and afterwards, I’ll need everyone at my Summit.”

Frost was still recovering from her Corruption but was far less withdrawn compared to the last time it happened. It surprised Anna, who would have expected Frost to at least grovel for a bit, but the fact that she was able to stand up immediately was a testament of her growth.

“The usual?” Anna asked, ready to scurry off.

However, Frost gave her a surprising answer.

“No. I want all Beholders and prominent Stars and Moons. All of us are going to meet at my Summit, and we are going to discuss how we’ll be moving forward. A new Archetype will be joining us. I’ll make sure of it.”

“W-What suddenly came up?” Anna wondered.

“Uriel.” Frost answered. “Another Angel. The Red Wing.”

“Like the White Wing?” Nav wondered.

“Not quite.” Galia answered. “The White Wing has no group of her own. Uriel, the Red Wing on the other hand…”

Galia held a rose in her hand. It was plucked from the garden of the Briar Rose. She snipped the thorns away, allowing them to collapse and disintegrate at they touched the ground.

“… is affiliated with the Broken Thorn.”