Makeup Acquired

The woman had little strength left after being shot, but thought of a great solution. Rescuing Despise from his recently concluded one-man war. He had actually done it. He eliminated all Searchers from the real world. And after the scorching encounter, his clothes were noticeably ragged, and he did in fact bleed a little from small injuries all over. If one were close enough to him, they would notice tiny spots of sweat that were still forming.

— Many of your books… will be lost in flames.

— Do what you got to do… — Epicenter leaves through another portal.

— I was not asking for permission…!

After killing all remaining Searchers, Despise was mildly weakened.

The Ballada had locked eyes with the Meteor Swordsman and, even though their opinions on the matter didn’t change, there was suddenly a new priority at hand. Cementing his idea, Franchise slams his hand throught Useless’ head, carving it instantly. The child’s death allowed them to speak once again.

— RETREAT!!!

Franchise then turned and opened a portal to the outside. The Ballada acknowledged what Franchise had done, but obeyed his order, nonetheless. As they enter the portal, back into the real world and the ruins of a destroyed Lapse, Despise followed. Jumping from his platform he dashed in their direction.

Killerkill, Franchise, Evangelist, Juice, and Ragnarok had already crossed the portal. The only one at the edge between worlds, was Imperium. Who stopped and looked behind him, to access the danger. Only to see Despise drawing his weapon. It happened faster than the others could realize. Despise can draw his blade in 0.143 second. As fast as the blink of an eye.

In other words, Despise can issue a fatal attack, in under a second. Whilst Imperium could snap his fingers, in 0.14 second. Just 0.003 second faster than Despise. If the attack issued by Imperium wasn’t strong enough, i.e., if Despise did not fear it, he would not be stopped by it. And if he was not stopped at that moment, all of the Ballada would be cut down to scorching smithereens before another word could be uttered.

Imperium’s powerful and unique body, who was growing accustomed to the life of a Searcher and the immense strength that laid dormant, acted in its own accord. Something that can only be described as instinct ordered the kid’s body to attack with indiscriminate power. In that time-constricted face off, they saw each other clearly.

Despise’s superior judgment recognized a genetical change within the boy.

“METHOD DEVELOPMENT!!!” — Imperium thought, subconsciously.

He simply had to block this attack.

Epicenter had already rescued Limbo and was on her way to get Slots and Teacher. For their luck, they were distant enough to escape before it was too late. If Imperium had the time to name this attack, like in the comics he enjoyed, it would have been: Ever Spiralling Wave Cannon.

At first, Despise blocked the burst with his Meteor Blade and managed to survive the attack. At first. But as the Spin Motion that was issued continued to grow and expand further into the Bookstore Dimension behind him, the bookshelves began to spin, and a giant collider of matter began to form. Already spinning, Epicenter makes her permanent escape with Slots and Teacher. Imperium was also safe, in the outside.

Because soon after, all the bookshelves that floated, formed a mega-structured beyond human perception. Spinning into a vortex that warped the space itself. Useless’ body was destroyed, Meatball was killed and Despise was trapped inside, because the portal made by Franchise was also destroyed with the attack. Imperium caused the entire Bookstore Dimension to be destroyed.

The six of them breathe quietly. In high alert and unsure of their situation. There was a silent air that filled the destroyed arena they were in. Back in the real world, they could only see the scorched remains of the Lapse. And nothing else. Ironically enough, that was very relaxing. Exhausted, the group begins to sit down.

All of them, thought of what to say. Simultaneously, in the rainy Black Light District of Depth 5, the remaining members of the Heavy Draught gathered. Teacher, Slots, Epicenter and of course, Limbo.

— Oh, great captain, we seem to have failed your orders. — Slots kneeled.

— Hmm? My orders? — He sat on a nearby rock.

Teacher herself was numb and did not know what to say. On the contrary, Epicenter was beaming furious. She couldn’t hold to her knife any more tightly. Nor could she stop herself from tearing up.

— Captain…

— Not a word, Epicenter. I understand. We lost two dear compatriots. I sensed their memories fading. They are, sadly, no longer with us.

Limbo was quite the actor, but even his mannerisms and speech could not cover the fact that his eyes still showed no emotion. Only Teacher and Epicenter had genuine, human reactions. Epicenter sat down, crying into her hands. She was like many other Searchers, who had choose Vespucca and The Wetlands as their home. Nothing else awaited her in the outside. But it seemed as if the end had arrived.

— Captain Limbo… — Teacher tried to control her shaking voice. — What now?

— Now? We rest. Thanks to your sacrifices, we’ve accomplished our mission.

— And what would that be?

Limbo had a patient smile.

— You are beautiful, Teacher. Like art.

— …what?

— Though, you are not art. But you are almost there.

— Limbo… what in the fuck are you talking about?

— I’ve got makeup, if you would like to use, and enhance your beauty. I managed to snatch some in the relics we stole. Would you like to try it?

Teacher had her mouth agape, silently confronting a fact about her Captain she might have already known. Part of her wished for him to shut up, but another part wanted to see him run his mouth and concluded the harrowing truth about Limbo.

— I’ve said it as a compliment because I’m nice like that. But you are not as beautiful as art. Nothing is. Think about it for a second, my dear Teacher. What is worthy of the title of art? One would say, something that evokes an emotional reaction within you. That’s good. Just for the sake of wording, let’s call things that evoke something in you as “beautiful”. Therefore, something that is ugly can also be beautiful. Understand?

Limbo got up, demanding the attention of his few allies.

— But saying that both something ugly and beautiful is art, would be an insult. It would undermine the value of all other things above it. True beauty is unattainable. No one can point at the Mona Lisa and say, “this is true art.” Because there ought to be something more beautiful, that we simply don’t know. Something of true value does not exist in our world.

Standing face to face with Teacher, Limbo remained peaceful. Teacher, on the other hand was terrified, to experience something that few in human history had experienced. To be in the presence of someone, who has nothing to himself. It was almost like he didn’t exist, yet he stood and spoke, right in front of her.

— If men must attribute value to things in our world…

To be in the presence of someone who cared for nothing.

— Then all men must surely be fools.

Limbo reveals to hold lipstick in his hands.