Because of the zero gravity environment the remains of the victims didn’t fall. Severed legs and half bodies began to float aimlessly in the air. The scorched wreckage of artifacts and the remains of those who had been in the direct path of the beam drifted in the air for all to see.

The cries of the injured soon followed. Those who had been lucky enough to only be hit by the edge of the beam began to scream in agony. Their charred skin and broken artifacts were a testament to the raw power that had just been unleashed.

Cold shivers of what could have happened ran through the onlookers who had been lucky enough to be standing just a few feet away from the path of destruction.

Like a nest of ants thrown into a boiling pot, the crowd burst into a flurry of panicked chatter and frantic movement. Some people were trying to get as far away from the platform, while others were frozen in place as they tried to understand why the barrier had failed.

Such a thing had never happened in the short time since Stratus had been created. The natural laws of the city were supposed to be absolute and impartial.

The more perceptive Arcanists and Ossuarists in the crowd felt something that chilled them more than the deaths. For a split second they could have sworn they felt a pact law being actualized. It felt as though the city had intervened to protect the Noble Xiph. But no words had been spoken and no contract had been signed.

The idea of the natural laws of the world tear being biased enough to save a single person was a terrifying thought that challenged their understanding of reality and also filled their minds with deep suspicion.

In the middle of the carnage on the platform, Finn and Nova were still locked together... Or rather, Nova was still holding him. She had passed out the moment she fired that beam from her chest. Her body was bent in an uncomfortable U shape and her arms were still locked around Finn’s midsection in a tight vice grip despite her unconsciousness.

Finn, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, though he was leaning forward slightly to bear the weight of Nova’s limp form. He looked down at her with a neutral expression before looking at the iron sword in his hand. The metal was glowing red and was beginning to crack from the extreme strain he’d put it through.

He tossed it away into the open air. The sword traveled a few feet before it shattered into a million tiny fragments in a blast of residual air energy. The sound startled several people who were nearby but Finn didn’t pay them any attention.

He reached down and began to pry Nova’s vice grip from his body. Her fingers were stiff and surprisingly cold but he managed to loosen them without causing her further injury.

Once she was free, he lowered her softly to the compacted stone of the platform. As he did, the glowing orange lines on her body began to fade into a dull grey. The cannon artifacts that had been hovering in the air lost their glow and dropped to the ground with a heavy thud. Their source of power had been cut off and they slowly reverted to their small compacted forms.

As they dropped to the ground, Finn suddenly sensed two figures moving toward the artifacts with a blinding speed.

Judging by their auras, they were Arcanists at the peak of the Grade 3 Master rank. They had caught the scent of opportunity, moving decisively to claim the Mechanus nobility artifacts while the chaos was at its peak. From their sheer momentum, it was evident their flying artifacts were built for speed. Even Finn found their pace impressive.

Finn had sensed them coming, but he didn’t even bother to move at all. In the first place, he didn’t care whether Nova’s weapons were stolen by scavengers or not. He didn’t know her well enough for that to concern him. Besides, he could also sense that someone else was already taking care of it.

The two Master Arcanists came in low and fast. They reached for the small metallic cubes on the floor, but before their fingers could touch the artifacts, their visions tilted.

In the blink of an eye, two headless bodies crashed onto the platform and skidded across the entire length of the arena with their blistering momentum before falling off the edge into the zero gravity zone again. A trail of dark blood was left across the platform marking where they had been severed with a clean efficiency.

The young man who looked like Nova’s brother landed on the platform a second later. He was flicking a serrated blade to clear the blood from its edge. His expression was hard and full of a deadly rage as he grabbed Nova’s artifacts and charged toward Finn.

Finn was just standing up after placing the girl on the floor, and he watched the boy approach without moving a muscle.

Before Nova’s brother could do anything rash, a hand grabbed his wrist. It was the older gentleman who had been with him. The man’s grip was firm and unmoving. He stepped between Finn and the fiery young noble and held his position with a quiet strength.

The young man glared at Finn over the older man’s shoulder, about to say something... but when he raised his eyes to meet the older gentleman’s gaze, the words died in his throat.

HE had never seen such a cold, yet urging look on the gentleman’s face before. That look was enough to douse the blind fiery rage within him and make him actually look at Finn a second time.

The gentleman also did the same. He quickly wiped the expression from his face and turned to address Finn with a polite and practiced smile, opening his mouth to offer an apology for the young master’s behavior.

But Finn wasn’t even looking at him.

Finn’s gaze was directed at the very top of the Stratus dome. He was looking at the grand landmass hidden by the golden clouds. He knew that the person in control of this city was up there and he knew that they were the one who had dropped the barrier to save the girl.

Finn turned his eyes to the gentleman and spoke with a voice that was cold and carried a sharp edge:

"Now that the rules of the pact have been broken I would like to demand reparation from the one who is in control of this city."

The gentleman went silent. The polite smile faltered on his face and he took a moment to truly look at Finn. Behind him the young brother had a shocked look in his eyes. He began to reassess the young man standing before them with a new sense of wariness.

The gentleman started to speak. "I’m sure there is a misunderstanding. The city laws are impartial and natural. Perhaps it was a structural failure in the artifact dome..."

Finn didn’t even respond. He continued to stare at the man till his words trailed off towards the end.

The man visibly swallowed, seemingly lost for words. But then his eyes brightened and he tilted his head as if listening to a whisper.

Finally, he nodded, his expression brightening.

"Very well. It would seem they would like to meet you too."