Her smile revealed perfectly pearly white teeth, a hint of sadism encroaching upon her face. As precarious of a situation as it may be, Esther exuded only the flowing grace of a dancer as she kept her arms spread like wings.
Enraged, the Green Devil tried to break free from the chains, yet to its surprise, the tiny chains remained unbreaking.
Despite being a hair's width compared to the massive body of the Void Creature, the chains did not creak nor stretch. Even the black leather jacket Esther donned showed no sign of resistance.
"Sky Mending Chains," Calypso muttered with wonder. Her expression was filled with reverence, though a tinge of envy slipped through.
High up in the sky, Esther snorted at the monster's efforts.
"This is a magic relic bestowed upon me by the Harbinger himself," her expression turned feverish with reverence, "It is your honor to die by it!"
Her left hand balled up into a fist, causing the chains to tremble at her behest. As if they were alive, the chains extended even more and wrapped around the full length of the Green Devil. It struggled vehemently in defiance, using its full strength to attempt to pull away.
All to no avail.
The chains pulled the remaining heads together, digging into the scales of the monster to create a mountainous bouquet of writhing flesh. Esther stood atop one of her chains, suspended midair by a magical force.
A burst of purple light exuded from her body as power from her star core flowed through, filling up her cells. From her veins to her pores, a magnificent purple light dyed her skin a magnificent purple hue.
She assumed a fighting stance, legs firmly grounded with the chains quickly moving to support her movement.
Purple flames blazed as Esther drew back her right arm, poised for a devastating punch aimed at the supermassive beast before her.
As if sensing danger, the Void Creature attempted to flail with even greater strength, sending shockwaves through the earth and gusts of wind in all directions. It did not pay the chains digging deeper into its flesh any heed, yet its lack of care for injury did not help in the slightest, for the chains would not give way.
Esther smirked, her expression twisted with bloodthirsty intent. With a shout that drove away clouds, she unleashed the divine might contained within her arm.
A tsunami of purple light washed over with such intensity that it blinded the world. Carried by the impossible strength Esther possessed, the light crashed into the bundled up body of the Void Creature.
Flesh twisted and flattened, blood vessels burst, and bones and scales were crushed. The Green Devil was unmoving, forced to remain rooted by the Sky Mending Chains as the side of its body that had been struck slowly flattened into a mangled mess.
A purple halo appeared behind Esther, and soft purple light cascaded down and solidified into a transparent lilac horn that rested upon her temple. A burst of vicious sharpness ensued, as she pressed with all her might.
"Physical Enhancement: One Thousand Times!"
BOOM!
A sonic boom echoed, sending ripples through the fabric of space, tearing small holes into the void. Then, as quickly as it had happened, they dissipated, leaving the world in silence.
Where the Green Devil once stood, now only empty space remained. The mountainous heads that seemed to blot out the sun and swallow the earth had completely turned to dust, leaving only the lower half, still large enough to form a vast mountain range.
One brutal strike was all it took, destroying the star cores and crushing the Green Devil's defense.
With the soft clink of chains, Esther fell from the sky and landed upright, a small crater forming where she stood. The chains on her jacket had returned to normal, now looking as ordinary as a quirky accessory. Had someone not known better, the Sky Mending Chains would have been nothing more than ordinary metal.
"Fuu…"
Esther let out a breath of hot air, the vapors clearly visible to the naked eye. She proceeded to take out a rectangular device resembling phones, an old technology from thousands of years ago.
With a click, the screen lit up with a soft blue glow. Tapping through the interface, Esther pulled up what seemed to look like a to do list with dozens of items. One tap, and she checked off a line that read "Devil Class Mission #2E6F40" in bold font. This was just one of many successful subjugation attempts on the list.
Putting the device away, she called forward the squads that had partook in this subjugation. Unbeknownst to Esther, the rest of the Void Reapers, or the entire Void Subjugation Corp for that matter, a dark shadow hid between the broken terrain.
The blob of darkness shifted for a better view, watching as Esther talked to the subjugation squads with a tone of authority. After a brief moment, it shifted into the light, melting away until no sigh of it remained.
The Void Subjugation Corp went about their missions, subjugating Void Creatures with increasing efficacy whilst rotating squads, ensuring equal opportunity to gain experience. No one realized the shadow that watched them silently from afar, engrossed in training.
...
Five months later...
BOOM!
An explosion shook the earth, followed by a wave that stretched across the entire horizon, heading straight for the mainland.
High up in the sky, Corpse Supreme stood in midair, his arms clasped behind his hunched back. Right beside him, several other people stood with similar authority, their auras not losing out in the slightest.
Each of them were Saint-Supremes of the Allied faction, powerful in their own right, and possessing rich domains with numerous Awakeners at their beck and call.
Without warning, Corpse Supreme brought his hands forward, clasping them as if in prayer. He allowed his wrinkled lips to part, letting out a breath of foul air.
"Bone Manipulation: Titan's Cage"
From the earth emerged pristine white ivory pillars as tall as mountains. They rose with a rumbling of the earth, dividing the mainland from the approaching wave. Within moments, the wave collided with the bone pillars, its power dispersing into the earth and keeping nearby settlements safe.
Abruptly, six bright lights emerged from a heap of flesh that dyed the waters red. Five of the lights were orange, but one of them was a rich blue color.
With a frown, one of the Saint-Supremes made a move, stepping forward with their palms pressed forward and their eyes closed. A burst of light quickly followed, as a third vertical eye opened up on his forehead.
"Psychic Power: God Hands"
A pair of ethereal hands, manifested above the star cores, each covering the area of a mountain. In one fell swoop, it contained the orange star cores, though the blue star core managed to slip loose.
With a gust of wind, the star core flew away, leaving a streak of light. The sudden escape greatly alarmed the Saint-Supremes present, as they quickly moved to destroy the fleeing star core.
Bone spikes, psychic blades, fireballs, and a myriad of other attacks rained down upon the star core, but none managed to land a hit on it as the core dodged and weaved.
Right as it seemed like it would escape, a cold voice cut through the air, silencing the world.
"Shadow Dominion: Sword Grave"