The scene shifted to a dimly lit chamber, the air thick with an unnatural stillness. Evengarde Rest stood at the center, his presence commanding yet calm, as he gazed at the gathered warriors before him.
"Deepchimes," he began, his voice even, "are the pinnacle of resonance mastery, the manifestation of one's soul reaching beyond mortal limits. But they are not all the same." He took a step forward, meeting the eyes of those listening.
"They can be broken down into two primary categories—amplification and infusion. The amplification type extends a user's resonance into the physical plane, creating a separate dimension that forces all those in its range inside. It warps the battlefield to the user's will, making escape nearly impossible unless the caster is weakened or their control is broken."
He raised a hand, the air quivering slightly as his resonance stirred, though he held it back.
"The infusion type, on the other hand, embodies the deepchime within the body of the caster. This results in a transformation, enhancing the user's abilities in ways beyond what normal resonance could achieve. These are more commonly seen among warriors who rely on close combat."
Evengarde folded his arms, his gaze darkening slightly.
"But there exist rare combinations of these two types—deepchimes that possess both amplification and infusion. Such abilities grant the user the power to shape both their environment and themselves."
He let the words settle before continuing.
"However, there is another subtype. One that only a few have. If you have a connection to a drowned god, your deepchime evolves into the sovereignty type."
A murmur ran through those listening. Even among the most seasoned fighters, the sovereignty type was something that belonged in myths and nightmares.
"The sovereignty type," Evengarde said, "has a single, absolute trait: domination. They are unbound by the laws of this world. They transcend concepts, space, and time." His eyes burned with certainty. "So far, to my knowledge, only five exist. Amorus, myself, Akira, Talon Atsali, and Drallus Ehr. We are deepwokens of our respective attunements."
The weight of his words settled over the room, and silence followed.
Back in the present, the air trembled as Duke Ishamon Erisia unleashed his deepchime.
Übel's eyes narrowed as he analyzed the unfolding resonance.
"Amplification type," he muttered, seeing the forming dimension attempting to take hold. But something was off. The boundary of the domain shimmered inconsistently, flickering as if it were unstable.
Übel's mind raced.
"It's incomplete," he realized. "The barrier isn't fully materialized. That means… the luminous flash didn't just boost his ether and resonance. It also unlocked his potential."
He turned to the squad, urgency in his voice.
"Focus on damaging him. If we disrupt his control over the deepchime, we can break it before it fully solidifies!"
There was no hesitation. They surged forward as one.
Duke Erisia raised a hand, and the ground beneath them cracked apart. Shards of stone and metal lifted into the air, twisting into grotesque shapes. The debris transformed, forming into massive humanoid figures—golems, their bodies glowing with eerie, spectral energy.
Übel's mind sharpened.
"He's extracting material from the ground," he noted. "But… it's more than that." His eyes flickered between the moving constructs, the strange ethereal glow within them.
"No…" His realization sent a chill through him.
"His resonance isn't just manipulating objects. It's converting souls into constructs."
His stomach tightened.
"And if his deepchime is amplifying that ability… then he can turn anything into a construct. Souls or not."
There was no time for further thought. The golems lunged.
Leonardo intercepted the first, his sword cleaving through its arm, but the severed limb twisted, reforming instantly.
"They regenerate!" he warned, dodging back as another strike came for him.
Kounéli struck next, a burst of crimson ether lashing out as he severed another golem in half.
"We need to find a way to shut them down completely," he called out, landing beside Velvet.
Velvet's eyes gleamed with intensity.
"Übel, any weaknesses?!"
Übel was already analyzing.
"The core," he deduced, watching as the spectral energy inside the constructs pulsed. "It's where the souls are stored. Destroy the core completely, and they won't regenerate."
Kounéli nodded.
"Then let's cut through!"
The squad moved with precision. Leonardo kept the frontline busy, his blade keeping the golems at bay while Kounéli and Velvet worked to identify and strike their cores. Übel weaved between the chaos, his mind focused on Duke Erisia himself.
The duke stood amidst the battlefield, unmoving, his form half-shrouded in the unstable deepchime field. His eyes burned with unrelenting rage.
"You will not take this from me!" he roared. His voice resonated through the battlefield as his constructs surged forward once more.
Übel clenched his teeth.
"He's desperate." His gaze sharpened. "Then we push harder."