Chapter 55 - Angels and Aggression (Patreon)

Morning came and Rose went back into the pocket dimension as Echo and Fumi began their ascent. The War Mountains were constantly shrouded in storms and thunderclouds. The two monsters were constantly jolted by arcs of lightning that would have obliterated the average person – but thanks to their Damage Immunity, they ignored both the electricity and the violent vibrations. Communication was impossible, however, and so the ascent was silent save for the thunder.

They crested the mountains and began to descend, following the curve of the rocks as they slowly descended, activating, and deactivating Immovable Object to hop down from the heights. The cloud cover and storms gave way to an intense fog that blocked any vision. They eventually reached a rocky beach. Echo opened the pocket dimension and helped Rose out.

“I can’t see a damn thing,” Echo commented.

Fumi raised her hand, her green Quintessence billowing around her fingertips and crackling with red sparks. “Breeze Bubble.” A sphere of air coalesced around the trio several hundred meters out as the fog was pushed to the edges. The sight that met the trio was jaw-dropping.

The rocky shores were covered with fossilized corpses of angels, demons, and aberrations of The Void. The angels were what Echo expected – winged figures that were primarily humanoid, wearing fancy armor and wielding weapons. The demons were quite different, heavily varied, and almost looking like they were from Warhammer 40K’s warp.

But The Void aberrations were the most striking. They were Lovecraftian-esque creatures that may have been humans or animals at one point, but had sprouted disgusting growths, tentacles, and other cosmic-horror themed aesthetics. It was morbidly fascinating.

Rose laughed – which caught both monsters off guard. “What luck!” She ran over to the one of fossils – an angel struggling against an aberration – and touched it. “They’re corpses!” She raised her staff and began to channel all her Quintessence.

“You’re going to drain them?” Fumi asked.

Rose nodded and grinned greedily. “I can empower myself using these-”

“How dare you!” All three looked up as a beam of sunlight blasted downwards – not an attack, like what Rickard had used against Rose – but glimmering, golden light that stuck in place for several seconds. Echo and Fumi ran in front of Rose, and he activated Bulwark on the other two.

The beam of light faded, and a small army of angels strode out. Covered in white-gold scale armor, wielding hammers, shields, and swords made of the same white-gold material. Their glimmering, golden eyes were staring ahead, resolute.

At their head was a larger angelic figure. They had a hood raised and only two burning, blue eyes were visible under it. His wings unfurled and The Undying trio braced momentarily as a gust of wind pulsed outward from the sudden motion.

“I am Hlarmak. Commander of the fifth expedition force of The Sun.” He pointed at the trio, “You tread on forbidden ground.”

Echo smirked as the hunger began to gnaw in him. “Lux can’t do shit to us on Heimfold.”

Hlarmak grunted and pushed the tip of his massive sword into the rocky sand, “Normally, you would be correct. But this coast is not included in those pacts. Prepare yourselves.”

Fumi took up a ready stance, “I wonder what happens if we eat angels?”

Devour…

Primal Consumption pulsed within the duo. They felt the gnawing, aching hunger. Echo hated that feeling more than anything – it reminded him too much of his past life. But the prospect of getting stronger overrode his sense of revulsion.

He slid his shield-hand along his blade, “Bolt Blade, Flame Blade, Shadow Blade.” He rattled off the spells as his and Fumi’s weapons crackled with blue and red electricity, silver flames, and curling smoke.

Hlarmak raised his massive sword, “Leave none alive!” The angelic horde charged the two monsters, the commander at their head.

Echo took the lead and charged forward, “Overcharge.” He activated the speed amplifying Ability and swung at Hlarmak, engaging his blade as the other angels fell around him, attempting to find an opening. Echo grinned and laughed as he easily repelled the assault coming from all directions – his speed and Perfect Defense keeping him protected from all injuries. “Animus Aura!”

The crimson-spark shockwave emanated outwards – ensuring that all the heavenly host only focused on him. Hlarmak disengaged, however, and flew upwards.

Too high of a Magic Defense.

But, as Echo continued to slice at the surrounding angels, he glanced up and saw with satisfaction that Fumi had engaged with the commander. Echo refocused on the angels surrounding him, carving in large arcs as his shield instinctively blocked incoming attacks. The ones that he could not interpose his shield for, he would adroitly spin as his armored clothing deflected the blow.

Is this all Lux has?

Fumi skipped in the air around Hlarmak, slicing into him as her weapon carved through his armor like a hot knife through butter. There was no match. “Achronerate,” She muttered as she activated the highest level of the Alacrity Ability.

Almost without effort, she dispatched the commander by slicing away at his neck, decapitating the angel as the body began to flutter downwards.

Spirits given bodies can be re-killed.

She assaulted the angels who were surrounding Echo, carving away at them as their attention was absorbed by his Animus Aura. She deactivated her speed amplifier.

Is this all the fury a Goddess can muster?

“My lady!” An angelic messenger flew at full speed into Lux’s audience chamber.

The lady of luminescence sat on her throne. She focused on drowning out the prayers of her worshippers. “What?”

“The fifth expedition. They are being wiped out!”

Lux stood up. “How?!”

How strong are these monsters?

She snapped her fingers as Chrystalis appeared in front of her in a flash of blue and gold. The archangel bowed, “How may I serve, my lady?”

“What is the progress tracking this Tiberius?”

“It is slow going-”

“Ignore him! Go to the forbidden coast! Now!”

“It will be done.” Chrystalis vanished in a pillar of bright-blue and white light.

The Goddess of light turned to another servant, “What is our progress of bringing the most devoted here for conditioning and training?”

“My lady, we have ten-thousand mortals that have joined us and are being prepared. But with so many, your divine Heat will be spread thin. They won’t be as strong as a singular entity imbued with your might.”

Lux frowned. She knew this, of course. “A single entity cannot be everywhere at once.”

“What of your siblings, my lady? Won’t they take affront at you attempting to control vast swaths of Heimfold through your followers?”

“They may.”

Lux returned to her throne and resumed her place, once more listening to the prayers of the faithful.

Echo and Fumi finished off the remaining angels as their corpses crumpled on the sand.

“Impressive,” Rose commented, still channeling her Quintessence for a massive spell. “Or they were weak angels.”

Echo stabbed his sword into the ground, “Transmute Substance.” All the angelic corpses shifted and molded together as the gear formed a neat pile next to them. The hearts conglomerated into a single orb. Echo retrieved his sword, sliced through it, and handed a half to Fumi.

DEVOUR!

The two gobbled down the congealed heart-mass.

Echo gasped as the pain knocked the wind out of him, and he fell to the ground, convulsing as the white, divine light coursed through his being. He felt a searing heat – not flames, but incandescent, furious sunlight like the worst sunburn that scorched through him. He curled in on himself.

Rose looked on curiously. “What will happen?” she wondered aloud.

I never considered that Lux would send angels in bodies to Heimfold. She must be desperate.

The sky crackled with blue, drawing Rose’s gaze up. Fumi turned and held a ready stance above Echo as a light-blue and white glimmer appeared in the air in front of her. An angel stepped out and held a spear at the ready, twirling it in both hands. “You face Chrystalis, archangel of Lux and general of her heavenly hosts.” She flared her incandescent, shimmering blue and white wings that formed a spectral shield behind her and to her sides.

“Cryssy?” Rose asked breathlessly as she paused her Quintessence accumulation in her staff.

The archangel’s spear-tip dipped. “No, it can’t be.” The angel ripped off her helmet, revealing her light blue lips and piercing eyes. “Rose?”

Fumi glanced between the two, “You know each other?”

Rose slowly lowered her staff. “Cryssy, you’re alive!” She ran forward to hug the archangel, who returned the gesture before they separated. Rose’s face was covered in tears, “I thought you died during the cave in.”

Chrystalis – Cryssy – was tearing up as well, “No. We were trapped in another cavern.”

“Where’s Dahlia?” Rose asked, breathlessly.

“Dead. She was crushed in the cave-in.” The two held each other at arm’s length. “Did you escape once Caelum purged the world with the Artificial Gods?” Cryssy asked.

Rose stepped away and pulled off her ring, revealing her undead nature. “No. The Void suffused me. I died and came back.”

Cryssy recoiled, her face screwing up in outrage. “No!” She picked up the spear and pointed it at Rose, conflicted feelings crossing her face. “You can’t be undead. It’s a trick!”

Rose put the ring back on and resumed her regal appearance. “It’s me. Remember the sky-trader? The sour treats? Being underground-”

The archangel shook her head, “Damn it. No! Stop saying that!” She backed away and took up a ready stance once more as Fumi dashed in front of Rose, “You’re not my sister! My sister can’t be…” She trailed off as rage and grief flashed across her face.

Rose sighed and straightened her posture, “I am White Rose, Lich Queen of Kaad. Undead Prime Human and former Exarch of the Archrune Spire.” Her voice softened, “Please…Cryssy…”

Cryssy slowly donned her helmet, “I am so, so sorry, Rose. But I can’t.”

Fumi stepped towards the archangel, raising her blade and preparing to fight off this servant of Lux.

Rose frowned but nodded solemnly, “Don’t be sorry. You have to serve your goddess.” Rose reached into her hip pouch and pulled out a silver vial. “I’ll capture your soul in this once Fumi dispatches you. Then, I can cleanse her claim to you. We’ll be sisters again.”

Cryssy screamed a battle cry as Fumi engaged with the archangel in a shower of sparks and glinting steel.

Rose ran over to Echo and grabbed his head, “Come on! Wake up!”

I need you to beat her so I can save her.

Fumi activated Overcharge and was able to keep pace with the archangel with relative ease. It had been some time since she had fought against a spear user, but she activated Waveblade to fix the reach advantage.

Devour…

The archangel would pierce, she would deflect. She would reach in and deliver several strikes, and her foe would twirl the spear haft to deflect in kind. They were locked in an equal, dizzying dance.

DEVOUR.

Fumi felt the hunger gnawing at her again, and activated Achronerate.

Or tried to. Reality slowed to its normal pace as the archangel’s glimmering wings exuded some type of powder. Her Waveblade also vanished, forcing her on the defense.

She can cancel Abilities.

Fumi was pressed back, losing ground as she barely held off the angelic assault. Several spear jabs pierced her defensive screen and bounced off the armored clothing. The few that found purchase caused her searing pain.

And didn’t regenerate.

If I die near her, I might die for good.

“Echo!” She shouted, feeling panic rise at the thought she might actually die.

Echo heard a voice off in the distance. One he recognized immediately. He gasped and opened his eyes, seeing Rose up above him.

“Fumi!” He sat upright, and saw his love being pressed back by a much lither and faster angel.

Why isn’t she using Abilities?

Almost as if to answer his question, the battle carried close enough to him that the blue, sparkling powder descended around him, and he felt an apathy settle over him.

“She can cancel Abilities,” Rose muttered as she stood up and took all her channeled Quintessence and readied a spell. “I’ll capture her soul the second you kill her.”

“Are you going to hit her with something?” Echo asked, picking up his weapon and shield from the ground.

Rose shook her head, “I’ll need a lot of my Quintessence to pull back a soul with that strong of a claim to it.”

Echo stood – and was surprised at how quickly he was able to stand up. He felt light as a feather, and his grip on his sword was much firmer. He ran over and jumped into the fray, interposing his shield to take a strike from the spear tip.

The archangel blurred as her form sped up even faster – some divine version of Alacrity – and Echo continuously blocked. He was shocked at his reaction time and how slow she seemed to be moving.

He was able to keep up with her without even activating his own Abilities. He had no access to them and was on an even footing. Fumi backed off next to Rose and let Echo take the lead as she jumped backwards with the undead mage, clearing the Ability-disabling aura as her wounds regenerated.

Devour…

“Really? This is all Lux can throw at us?” Echo jeered.

“Foul beast!” The archangel sped up even further – equaling the speed of Overcharge – and Echo began to feel a little pressure, having to bring his blade to bear to deflect. He snaked his weapon out to score light touches on the spear-wielder’s armor, causing minor slashes and cuts. Reveling in the power difference.

DEVOUR!

“Come on!” Echo felt the bloodlust rising as adrenaline coursed through him. “Show me everything!”

The archangel screamed in fury as the light-blue and incandescent-white sparkles poured from her in a divine aura. She sped up to the level of Achronerate, equaling Echo’s Perfect Defense and even scoring a few hits which bounced harmlessly off his reinforced clothing.

“My turn!” Echo let a spear strike past his defense, allowing it to graze his ribs as he grunted from pain. He caught the shaft in between his shield-arm and his body, bringing his knee up to snap the weapon in half. He turned and laughed, leveling the blade at his foe. “You stand no chance.”

The archangel raised her hands as the spear flashed and reformed in her grip, “I haven’t even begun.” The sparkles deactivated and Echo felt his Abilities – even the passive ones – come back on. She glowed with a brighter, blue energy as the sparkles glimmered around. “Light of the Goddess, smite the heretics!” She leveled the spear at Echo, “Sun’s Wrath!”

Echo glanced up, seeing the clouds and mist begin to part. He lifted his shield, “Guardian’s Embrace!” The silver-sparking-crimson Quintessence flowed from his shield and created a protective bubble. He glanced at Fumi and Rose. They were far enough away that they wouldn’t be hit.

The beam of white-sparkling-blue light crashed down onto his shield. He grit his teeth as his Quintessence began to drain as he blocked the wrath of Lux channeled directly from on high.

The archangel pointed the spear at Echo, “Amplify!”

Echo felt his arm shake as the beam seemingly redoubled in strength. His power drained even faster. Then, an idea hit him.

I can counter it.

He knew that he would need the opposite of light. And he had shadow as an Affinity.

Thanks, Umbra.

He sent off silent thanks and pulled on the reserves of Quintessence he had been stockpiling in his Brightsteel over the past several days. He thought of the desired effect, chose the correct Affinity, and created a new spell. “Umbral Eminence.”

The interior of his Guardian’s Embrace darkened to the deepest black one could imagine. No light could escape it, and silver flecks and wisps floated throughout the shielded area. The shadows settled around him and formed a suit of full plate. A dread, shadow warrior coated in arcane power.

He deactivated his defensive Ability and walked forward as the immense power of The Sun fell upon him.

The spell he had created would – for a short time – absorb all damage. Only possible as shadow was a prime element, and natural counter to light.

Invincibility for a very limited time.

He activated Achronerate and closed the distance with the archangel, exchanging an intense flurry of blows as he bashed at her with his shield, chopped with his blade, and continued to carve them apart little by little.

The holy champion was completely taken aback, pushed further and further as the light of The Sun continued to blast down on the monster covered in shadows – but seemingly did nothing. The darkness billowed and seemingly absorbed the beam.

“I have you!” Echo shouted as he tossed his shield to the side, gripping the spear and pulling it through his body – the shadows absorbing the point - as he impaled the archangel upon his blade. He ripped the blade upward before letting it go as it clattered to the sand, and gripped her light blue, beating heart. He pulled back and the golden and sparkling blue ichor sprayed over him as he brought it up to his mouth and took a bite right in front of her eyes.

DEVOUR!

The archangel began to fall.

Rose saw the moment Echo defeated Cryssy and loosed the spell before her sister’s soul departed. “Become captive to my call, Soul Cage!” The icy blue Quintessence shot forward and gripped the soul as it began to depart, dragging it back and depositing it into the prepared vial that she quickly sealed.

“Welcome back, sister.”

Rose felt incredible happiness. An emotion she had not experienced in many, many years. She had family once more.

She looked over at Echo as Fumi dashed to his side, the shadows falling away as the beam of light faded.

That was reckless.

Fumi got next to Echo right as he collapsed. His breathing was shallow. She glanced at the other half of the archangel heart in his hand, and quickly popped it into her mouth.

Echo screamed, and she held him close as he thrashed violently, his skin shimmering golden and light blue as his convulsions increased.

“Shhh.” She cushioned his head and gently held his face. “You did good.”

Fumi was elated. He had shown pure ruthlessness. Lost himself to the battle-lust. Soon enough, she was sure he would have no problem killing and eating those lesser than them.

You’re hardening yourself.

Lux screamed in rage once more.

“That bitch!”

She heaved with rage as her citadel exploded from her fury.

“Pacts be damned!”She stood up and walked forward as the glimmering hardlight that composed her fortress shattered before flickering away. She gathered her Heat – all of it she could muster that was not allocated to her servants on Heimfold – as she drained every single vessel on The Sun.

But she stopped as the wails and cries of her people – those souls she kept in sanctuary – cried out at the sudden disappearance of her power that sustained them. She was torn. Destroy these pests that had killed her archangel and trapped her soul, or continue her purpose as ruler of The Sun. She lowered her hands and let the Heat return to her servants, angels, and souls under her care.

I can’t go against my purpose.

She returned to where her throne once stood. “I need allies.”

She waved her hand and briefly channeled a small amount of Heat as a small window opened. She saw a scene of carnage as her sister was somewhere unexpected. “Caeli, what are you doing on Heimfold?” She asked, bewildered.

The Artificial Goddess of the Winds and the Wilds looked up from her hunt, “Oh, hi sis! Just killeng dese despoilers av nature!” She turned and stabbed some type of hunter with a spear before turning to face Lux. “What do you need?”

Lux smirked, “Well, since you’re already there, perhaps you can do me a favor…”

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