The Seraphic System
Chapter: 92
Disclaimer: I don't own High School Dxd or any other universe used in this story. However, all original characters, plotlines, and world-building elements created in this story are my own.
Pa/ t reon details below the chapter if you're interested in seeing some content in advance.
(Death's kiss)
-{Hestia}-
The air around Hestia shimmered with residual power as she kept her divine senses extended, feeling vaguely what was happening through the portal that connected the sub-dimension to Heaven.
It was making her divine senses ache.
Whatever was happening, the magical energy being thrown around was beyond anything she'd felt in recent memory. Raw, overwhelming force crashed against her awareness in waves.
She gripped the arms of her chair she sat on, trying to steady herself as another surge of power rippled through the realm. Kai had told her he suspected it would be big but this was far beyond that.
This was multiple major Gods in a massive force, fighting with two massive armies if she felt that correctly.
The sheer power that must be bending the air in Heaven… Even with her own divine strength, there was a real possibility of being caught in the crossfire and suffering defeat.
The thought made her stomach clench. Because it meant those she loved were in danger. The angels she took care off, who were absolutely adorable and the man she had grown to adore.
While she took no pride in it, she was powerful.
An Elder God who actively hadn't pursued power with the amount of Faith she had in storage and still was strong enough to smack Major Gods down. If she had gone for the path of power she would have surpassed her siblings.
The kind of conflicts where survival wasn't guaranteed, even for immortals.
But Heaven had its own powerhouses, she reminded herself.
The Angels were fighting back and from what she could tell the Gods were faltering. It made her smile even if she felt worried for Kai. He was most definitely fighting.
The darkness and sense of having no home had faded. And in place her domain picked up the love he felt.
Hestia sighed.
They would win.
They had to and Kai was hard to kill at the best of times.
Still, being alive for so long had introduced her to loss and this level of battle normally introduced everyone to that concept. She truly didn't know how she would feel if she was forced through it again, especially with someone who had become so tied to her heart.
She felt herself pause a moment later.
Hestia's heart lurched as her divine domain suddenly tingled, then screamed in alarm. The sensation hit her like a physical blow, and she knew immediately what it meant.
One of her Angels, one of the beings under her protection, had just died.
Her fists trembled as she felt the connection sever. The Angel's essence, once warm and steady in the back of her consciousness, was simply gone.
She thought of Kai, of his heart that valued peace and love above all else. The part of her that cherished those same ideals began to crack under the weight of loss and rage.
Even knowing Kai's hidden power to bring back the dead didn't stop the heat she felt.
"Hestia!" Aphrodite's voice called out from somewhere behind her, but Hestia was already moving.
She hated conflict, but sometimes to protect those you love it's needed.
She exploded into motion, her divine form blazing as she shot toward Heaven.
Aphrodite could only follow in her wake as Hestia tore through the space between realms.
The sight of Heaven's gates came into view.
She'd only been here a handful of times before and under different circumstances she might have paused to take in the magnificent architecture.
Hestia flew straight for the main gate, her divine aura crackling with barely contained fury.
-{Dulio Gresualdo}-
-{Flashback}-
The bone spirals shattered against his Dual Tempests as he cut through them, holy energy burning away the twisted calcium. Baalberith launched himself upward, four arms spread wide as dark energy gathered around his form.
Dulio followed, pushing off the church roof and into the red sky. The Vatican burned below them as they clashed hundreds of feet above the ground.
Baalberith's mace caught him across the ribs, cracking bone despite his blessed armor. Dulio spun with the impact and brought his duel Chakram's around in a wide arc, trailing holy lightning.
'God' twisted away but the energy seared his shoulder.
"Are you tired, little saint?" Baalberith hissed, all four arms moving in complex patterns.
Dark projectiles formed in the air around them.
Dulio activated Shield of Seraphim again, the golden barrier appearing just as the cursed bolts struck. The shield held for three seconds before cracking down the middle.
Dulio let it shatter and activated the Aura of Grace. Blinding white light erupted from his body, pushing back the red darkness that had been creeping closer. Baalberith recoiled, his tar-black eyes narrowing against the radiance.
'God' raised his mace and bone spikes shot from its head.
Dulio called down Holy Lightning, thick golden bolts crackling through the air. The lightning met the bone spikes halfway, burning them to ash.
Baalberith closed the distance, moving faster than before. His four fists came at Dulio from different angles. Dulio blocked two with his dual Tempests and took the other two in his chest and shoulder. The impact sent him tumbling through the air.
He steadied himself and charged back. Holy Empowerment made his weapons burn brighter as he swung it in rapid combinations. Each strike left trails of light that lingered in the air.
'God'' parried most of the attacks but couldn't stop them all. Holy energy cut deep into his left arm, severing muscle and bone. Black blood sprayed across the sky.
Baalberith roared and grabbed Dulio's arms with two hands. His other arms punched repeatedly into Dulio's stomach and ribs. His armour absorbed some of the damage but Dulio still felt his organs shifting.
He headbutted the 'God' in the face and broke free.
Lightning sparked around his body as he prepared another massive attack.
That was his intent until his body shivered in primal fear.
Before either of them could move again, the sky split open.
They both stopped, a power that made Dulio shrink in himself came to cover everything Dulio could sense.
All the monsters that had been ferociously attacking the Vatican whimpered pitifully, eyes lowered as they shivered. A primal fear consumed them and they tried to crawl away.
A power that even the most mundane human would be able to feel spiked. A portal formed directly in front of him.
A woman stepped through, her hair black and flowing like ink, twelve golden wings unfolding behind her. Her eyes glowed, slitted like a predator's.
He found himself enthralled.
The woman felt ancient. Like those times were any of the Seraphs became serious but infinitely more powerful.
Power poured from her, warping the air.
Dulio was frozen. His weapons lowered slightly.
He knew if the being wished to kill him he wouldn't last long.
More angels followed her.
The woman looked at Dulio with cold interest. He felt her pressure and was relieved she wasn't here for him.
Baalberith stood slowly, trying to recover.
"You-" he started.
A wave of dark green energy struck him before he could finish.
He raised a hand and his entire arm promptly turned into dust. The Being's eyes widened and agony erupted across his face, a hiss of pain escaping his lips. He backed away, his eyes frantically looking around.
A dome of dark green power circled him and began compressing.
The Angel stared at him boredly.
The Being's eyes widened in fear and a massive amount of power was used to combat her. With no small amount of effort he seemed to use all his power just to escape the dome.
She merely raised an eyebrow as he flew back, breathing heavily.
She flicked her hand. The blast crushed part of the courtyard and sent the god crashing into the ground a far distance away, limbs twisted, body torn and a cry of pain escaping his lips.
The woman descended. "I don't believe I remember asking you to open your mouth."
There was a brief moment of silence.
The strange otherworldly Angel took that time to slowly look around, her eyes seemingly seeing through everything as if it were just some sort of illusion.
Dulio stared, wide-eyed and speechless for a few moments. "Who are you?"
He couldn't help himself.
She turned slightly, her expression unreadable.
The Angel seemed to contemplate if it was worth bothering.
"I am Azrael." She replied. "Who may you be?"
Dulio coughed. "I am Dulio, the newly selected Saint of the Church."
"Oh?" A gleam entered her infinitely cold eyes. "A rather impressive one at that."
"Uh-yes." Dulio replied.
"Now, tell me. Just what is going on here?" Her voice was calm, almost deathly so.
"We are under attack." Dulio replied.
"Yes, evidently. By whom?" She further asked.
"A being called the Architect."
Before they could speak, Metatron and Sandalphon appeared.
Both sporting widened eyes of pure shock and disbelief.
Dulio had the feeling he was missing something here. He hadn't heard of Azrael in his lifetime. Not like all the other Arch-Seraph's in any case. He had thought she was dead.
"Sister?"
Just like that, the powerful Angel flinched and spun towards them.
Azrael stared at her brothers, her expression shifting from cold indifference to something raw and vulnerable. For a moment, the ancient power that surrounded her simply vanished and the woman looked vulnerable.
"Metatron. Sandalphon." Her voice cracked slightly on their names.
For a moment, there was silence.
She feared that they would reject her, she certainly deserved it.
"We thought you were dead," Metatron said, his usual composure completely gone. "It's been millennia. Where have you been?"
Azrael's wings folded against her back, and she looked away. "I-I'm sorry" Shame crept into her voice. "I never stopped looking for a way to bring Father back. I couldn't... I couldn't face Heaven knowing I'd failed."
Sandalphon stepped forward, and she already knew what was coming. It only served to make her heart ache more knowing her siblings still acted the same for her. "Sister, you didn't fail. None of us could have-"
"Don't." Azrael replied weakly. "I left. I abandoned all of you when you needed me most. I'm a coward."
Metatron floated forward, wrapping her in a hug.
She froze.
"You aren't a coward Sister. You were determined to bring Father back and that's all we needed to hear." Metatron comforted, and Sandalphon quickly joined.
She returned the hug, wondering if Father felt the same way.
Her eyes shifted to the Fallen angels behind her brothers, and her expression hardened instantly. "What are they doing here?"
"They're trying to repent," Metatron said quickly. "To make amends."
Azrael blinked, genuinely surprised. "Repent?" She paused, processing. "I suppose with Father's return, even that makes sense now."
"Azrael, we need to-"
She cut him off with a raised hand. "What exactly is happening here? This attack, who is doing this and why hasn't Heaven sent down more for-"
Then she felt it.
A presence she knew as well as her own, flickering like a dying candle. Uriel.
She almost lurched, her face visibly paling and her breathing becoming shallow. A familiar heartbreak resurfaced in her chest full force. That feeling of loss she hadn't missed
"Heaven," Metatron said grimly. "We're under attack there too."
Azrael said nothing.
She spread her sense through the veil of reality and into Heaven. The full scope of the devastation hit her. Her senses, no longer focused on the mortal realm, expanded to encompass all of Heaven.
Her siblings were dying. Had been dying.The pain hit her like a physical blow. Uriel's presence guttered out completely just as she arrived. Then another. And another.
Her heart clenched, and a wave of agony ripped through her chest. All those years searching, and she'd missed this.
She'd failed them again.
Cold anger replaced the pain. The kind of rage that had once made demons flee at the mention of her name.
She grabbed Dulio by the scruff of his armor and turned to her Seraphs. "Clean this up. All of it."
Before anyone could respond, she teleported. The moment she appeared in Heaven's realm. Her cold abyssal eyes took in the scene. It should have been a moment of joy to be home. Yet, the beautiful pure white expanse was corrupted by filth.
Multiple Gods of old and ones she realised were enemies of Heaven attacked her brothers and sisters in the sky as armies focused below to try and overwhelm her young siblings.
A massive dragon wheeled overhead, breathing fire down on Heaven. The scent of burning flesh and sulfur igniting the area, screams of both Angels and Monsters alike from the flame.
Michael and another Dragon fought against the raging Dragon
The Dragon's power was above her own.
"Just what had happened?" She whispered, feeling the souls of her siblings dropping.
Her hand swiped, making sure the bodies of the Angels caught in the fire didn't disintegrate in case Father could resurrect them. Without a body they would be gone forever.
Her eyes found the presence of her Father. Evidently, he was weakened. Or this attacking force would have been crushed. Yet, he kneeled next to Uriel's body, his eyes sad and pained.
She gritted her teeth, and power crackled around her. The forces under her were crushed. The presence she radiated was instantly noticed as she held back the rage that threatened to consume her.
Azrael swept her hand through the air, carving out a crescent arc of dense necrotic energy shaped like a black scythe.
It traveled towards the large Dragon rapidly, crackling with ghostly wails. As it impacted. An explosion of festering decaying power created a wound and ghostly tendrils began attacking as its own attack.
-{Flashback End}-
-{Kai}-
I stared at the Angel of Death or as much as I could, as she became an afterimage attacking the large dragon, who seemed to be barely holding on with the new addition.
A sigh of relief escaped me.
I had thought that another Super-class had arrived to attack Heaven.
Though, as I watched, I couldn't deny that I was shocked out of my morose state. I had been told that she was dead... how was she here?
And her race. She was like Michael.
The only two Angels that were listed as the Elder variant.
[Elder Angel]A rare Angel variant marked by golden wings instead of white. Not tied to hierarchy or race, but created through special aspects granted by God. Elder Angels are significantly more powerful than their peers.
Azrael's appearance was unique... compared to her sisters she possessed midnight black hair that framed a face of stunning beauty, with high cheekbones, full lips, and dark eyes.
Dark hair? I had only seen Fallen with that colour strangely enough.
Her lithe figure moved through the air with thirteen golden wings contrasting startlingly against her almost gothic look. Her attire consisted of simple black robes with silver outlinings.
She was like Gabriel, mostly in the fact she was beautiful to the point of being perfect. Her power as well... it practically fused with the air. It was no doubt holy but it held something else.
I watched Azrael seemingly teleport through the air, her speed impossible to track as she joined Michael and Tiamat. Dark green energy with strands of holy power crackled around her body and struck the dragon's scales.
Wherever it touched, the flesh began to wither and rot. Only the Dragon's insane healing factor allowed it to contend with the force that was Michael, Tiamat and Azrael.
The dragon bellowed in pain, whipping its massive tail around.
Azrael seemingly appeared under it, then appeared at the creature's flank. Her hands pressed against its hide, and more death magic poured in. Black veins spread outward from her touch.
Dark mist began pouring out from the Dragon's scales and she backed away. That proved to be wise as the flames sparked and exploded outwards in a massive smoke cloud.
Michael carved deep wounds with his holy sword while Tiamat breathed dragon fire into the creature's faces. The dragon retaliated with a blast of multilayered magic, showing itself a multiple magic circle that enhanced the attack in a dome before it was released.
The attack sent Michael tumbling backward.
Another head sent a sound wave towards Michael that he avoided, sending a holy blast of his own that turned into multiple spears.
A barrier suddenly came up. The spears slid past the barrier's surface only to meet another barrier that was quickly formed.
A spiralling magic circle was formed and quickly added to another magic circle that carried a ball of draconic power that was sent back at Michael almost simultaneously.
Tiamat dove in, her claws raking across the dragon's wing membranes. The Dragon twisted and caught her with its jaws, he used another hand to punch her. Only for the impact to be partially weakened by Michael ramming into his fist.
Tiamat let out a large amount of fire and The Dragon shook her violently before hurling her into a floating spire.
Azrael teleported to the dragon's head and drove both hands into its skull.
Death magic flooded the wound, eating away at bone and its skull.
The dragon roared and performed some sort of technique. Power surged through its massive form, and a ball was created next to him. The ball hardened and became solid, sprouting fleshy tendrils to attach to an open wound on his rib cage.
It pulsed and for any who weren't in the higher realms of the God-class, there were suddenly two of them. The clone materialized with a thunderous roar, identical in every way to the original.
With the sheer amount of power the dragon possessed, it was like having two Super-class enemies on the field now.
The drain on its energy would be doubled, but with that much raw power, it hardly seemed to matter in the short term.
Azrael immediately engaged one clone while Michael and Tiamat focused on the other. The dragon managed to push back slightly, forcing some distance between itself and its attackers.
The clone Azrael faced breathed a stream of corrosive acid.
She whispered something and I could tell a Heavenly Domain skill was used, a massive black flowery bloomed behind her and filled with dark energy that seemed to attract the acid towards itself.
As the acid made contact, the ambient draconic power was sucked out of it. Making the acid less corrosive and an aura powered by the draconic energy formed around the black flower.
She then further retaliated by creating a massive veil of death energy that formed into a physical construct, the veil of energy collapsed towards the Dragon who blew it apart with ease, only for thousands of death shards to rain down even faster.
A shield forming around the Dragon and the shards dug into its surface, the first line exploding and destroying the barrier. This scene followed as shards rained down in waves. Two heads of Azi Dahaka focused on shielding while the middle one let out a massive wave of frost towards Azrael.
The flower once again sucked in the attack and Azrael changed position. She sent death spears that punched through the clone's scales, leaving festering wounds that refused to heal.
One of the clone's heads lunged at her with its claws extended. Azrael phased through the attack and appeared on its back, her hands glowing with necrotic energy.
Michael's battle was more brutal. The original favored physical attacks, presumably to save a bit of energy as it used its massive bulk to try and crush him. Michael dodged a downward swipe and slashed upward, his holy blade carving through the dragon's forearm.
Tiamat circled around, breathing fire at the dragon's exposed flank. The creature spun faster than something that size should be able to, catching her with its tail. The impact sent her crashing through multiple waves of the army below.
The dragon Michael fought opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of dark fire. Michael raised his sword, holy energy forming a shield that barely held against the assault. When the flames cleared, his sword was glowing red-hot.
"Kai, who is that?" Aphrodite asked, her eyes fixed on Azrael.
"Someone that was widely believed dead." I replied almost absentmindedly. "Azrael."
Aphrodite's eyes widened. "Like the Angel Of Death?"
"Yes." I affirmed. "You know her?"
She smiled briefly. "I am your go to on divine knowledge aren't, perhaps I ought to introduce you to Athena." She said, before turning serious. "Not directly. She used to be a rather notable figure, a powerful Angel who didn't interact with people outside of Heaven much. Tasked with managing the souls of the dead." Aphrodite replied with a hint of admiration.
"Used to be?"
"Yes." She nodded, looking at the Angel. "She's been presumed Dead. With only her shadows being seen collecting souls."
I wanted to ask her what these shadows were but I decided against it.
"So, Heaven thought she was dead as well. Why had she disappeared for so long?" Aphrodite wondered. "Such a powerful figure would have helped heaven go a long way."
I had a feeling I knew the exact reason. Heaven definitely could have used her, but I couldn't blame her. It was obvious she would have come if she knew that Heaven was under attack.
My eyes trailed to a flash of purple light, one that originated close to the Architect.
I didn't wait.
"Dite, protect my body." I said, earning a confused look.
That's all she could do for the first time since electing my Saint.
I activated the Divine Link.
-{The Architect}-
The Architect's face twisted into a snarl as watched over the scene.
His father's mocking words echoed in his mind.
'You always were too hasty, boy. I told you before that Heaven will not be easy to conquer, especially for an incompetent youngling such as yourself.' The condescending voice chided.
He slammed his fist against the control console, cracking spider-webbing across its surface. The battle feeds showed nothing but failure. His forces were being decimated across multiple fronts.
"Super-class Angel," he spat. "Where the hell did she come from? I've never even heard of An Angel so powerful. The empowerment Angels received should be long gone!"
The intelligence reports had been garbage. No mention of this mystery Angel. No warning about the Greek pantheon getting involved. He'd planned for Heaven's defenses, not for external intervention on this scale.
One.
He'd only managed to kill exactly one of their major players, Uriel. And he had grievously wounded another one. Everything has gone down the drain. His rallying forces were being pushed back in both battles.
His jaw clenched.
This couldn't be a total loss. He wouldn't let it be. He took a calming breath. Letting his anger take hold of him would make him like the rest of the idiots.
His servant shifted nervously.
"Activate the containment protocols," he calmly ordered his communicator. "All units, priority shift to capture operations."
The cages that had been prepared hummed to life in the lower levels of his somewhat intact command ship. The containment artefacts and batteries used to fuel them glowed to life.
Specially designed prison cells that could hold angelic beings. If he couldn't win this war today, he'd take prisoners. They would sell incredibly well on some markets. Enough to still put him in the profit zone.
And there was one prize worth more than all the others combined.
Gabriel.
The Archangel was still fighting in Heaven's eastern quadrant, her holy light and the copious amounts of water filled with holy energy easy to find as it floated in the sky like a miniature ocean.
She was isolated, separated from the main group by the chaos of battle. Her battle with Tlaloc was coming to an end as Tlaloc looked to be barely fighting back. He needed to act quickly.
"Deployment teams seven and twelve, converge on target Gabriel. Containment priority. I want her alive."
He leaned back in his command chair, watching the tactical display.
The battle was lost, but Gabriel in chains would make it worthwhile.
He turned, looking at the demonic creature with glowing tattooed eyes carved into his skin and a massive teeth less mouth. Trapping a God-class was never going to be easy, but he only needed a few moments to achieve it.
Though…
He needed a distraction.
The Architect looked over to a hulking beast suited in armour and a pulsing Evil Gear fused into its chest, a mass of blackened chains and gears turning in slow, grinding rhythm, embedded with shifting runes that bled red light like cracks in stone.
He didn't want his bodyguard to leave his side but for his next actions to succeed he couldn't have too many interferences.
"Go, cause chaos." He ordered.
The hulking figure didn't answer, its legs bending before it jumped. Thick black muscles lifted high in the sky and it descended on the front line of Angels powerfully.
A shockwave booming as dozens of Angels all around him were blown away.
-{Dulio Gesualdo}-
Dulio watched the scene in muted horror.
The front lines of Heaven had become a graveyard.
Dead angels lay scattered across the pristine marble, their wings broken and bloodied. Most of them were being actively dragged back but a few couldn't be reached.
His eyes burned at the sight. The smell of fire and ash littered the area. These were beings he'd only been honored to see a few times in his entire life, and now they were corpses littering the battlefield like discarded dolls.
The horror only lasted a minute before he decided to act.
He moved forward in a blur, only to pause abruptly in the air as felt it at the back of his mind and on his soul. The divine link activated, his God's presence flooding through him.
The surprise nearly knocked him off balance and the wind surrounding his floating forward flickered in control. He accepted without hesitation, letting himself become a willing vessel.
His gaze or his lord's gaze was directed toward a hulking armored figure that was smashing through rows of angelic forces. The thing was massive, easily twice the height of a normal person, with black plate armor that seemed to absorb light.
Angels were trying to surround it but it moved with surprising speed for something so large. The hulking being caused a dent in the army, slapping multiple Angels away and charging through lines.
Many angelic spells rained down on the surface of its powerful form. The armour seemingly took the abuse of multiple light explosions and elemental spells with ease.
He felt his Lord raised his arm and called on his Sacred Gear, Zenith Tempest. Storm clouds gathered overhead in seconds, crackling with holy lightning. The air itself seemed to thicken with ozone and holy power.
He brought his hand down and the lightning followed.
Multiple bolts struck the hulking figure simultaneously, each one charged with enough holy energy to level a building. The creature was blasted backward, carving a trench through the area as it slid to a stop.
A storm came to fight against the black clouds of soot and ash. His Lord took to his powers with an ease that left him in awe.
The armored figure slid and regained its footing, turning toward Dulio. Even through the helmet's eye slits.
Elemental formed around him and went to help in the area the hulking figure had devastated, instantly firing at the monsters who tried to take advantage of it.
The Hulking Figure charged, its powerful body gaining speed and approaching rapidly.
Dulio felt his hands be raised once more and the clouds above darkened, golden streaks of lightning crackling audibly. Only drowned out by the battles of the other God-class fighting in the distance.
Streaks of thick bolts of holy lightning that made the air fizz around them strikes down, forcing the large figure to dodge. Explosions of electricity and holy power left in his wake. Along with the dozens of corpses of enemy Archean Spiders that were blown apart.
The hulking being jumped up powerful, a boom in its wake.
Clouds gathered in my hands, holy lightning crackling chaotically. I gathered my hands and the cloud expanded. The clouds darkened and the crackling bolts of lightning sparked as the cloud was sent at the approaching figure.
The cloud came to cover the figure and bolts of lightning flashed as they impacted him, his shadow visible through the brief light. A red glow emanated from the centre and the cloud began shrinking, the holy lightning becoming less charged.
The red glow in the figure's chest pulsed brighter, cutting through the dissipating storm cloud. A crackling bolt of crimson lightning erupted outward, streaking toward Dulio with vicious intensity.
He raised his left arm instinctively.
Seraph's Shield
Holy energy materialized as a barrier of golden light just as the red bolt struck. The impact sent shockwaves through his bones, but the shield held. Storm clouds immediately began swirling around his left arm, forming a dense protective layer.
The hulking figure burst through the last wisps of his lightning cloud, armor smoking but intact. It launched itself upward with tremendous force, closing the distance in seconds.
The being avoided the barrier.
A massive gauntleted fist swung toward Dulio's head.
He caught the blow with his cloud-wrapped arm, the impact driving him backward through the air like a missile. Wind whipped past his face as he regained control, swinging his right hand in a wide arc.
A beam of concentrated holy light erupted from his palm, thick as a tree trunk, racing toward the armored giant.
The creature twisted midair, taking the beam across its shoulder. Armor plates cracked and scattered, revealing glimpses of something writhing beneath.
It hit the marble floor hard, carving another furrow, but rolled and came up charging again.
Dulio descended, meeting its next leap with a barrage of lightning bolts. Each strike lit up the battlefield in stark white, thunder drowning out the distant sounds of other battles.
The figure pressed through the assault, swinging massive fists that Dulio barely dodged.
Dulio's storm clouds deflected crushing strikes while his lightning scorched the creature's armor. It moved faster than something that size should, adapting to his attack patterns.
Two Tempest Chakrams were thrown towards the hulking figure, who dodged one and caught another. Lightning came to burst around the Tempest Chakrams in a crackle.
A red glow on the beings chest flashed and the lightning was absorbed, an armoured hand came out and a thick red bolt rumbled towards Dulio.
Dulio created a bubble that absorbed the bolt of lighting.
As the hulking figure approached, Dulio watched as his lord's power was directed through his body and glowing chains formed. He narrowly avoided a punch, overlaying an illusion that briefly confused him and the chains wrap around the beings arm.
Something happened and a seal formed on the figures armour, the power surrounding its armour became noticeably dimmer. The glowing chains quickly wrapped around Dulio's arm and he lashed out with a punch.
As the figure was sent away, a beam erupted out of its chest.
Dulio watched as 'He' avoided it, and gathered a ball of compressed gravity. A ball bending unnaturally in the air and sparkling with purple power. He realised it and the beast, who created a barrier of compressed magic under itself and pushed away.
The Tempest Chakram's were summoned back and flame surrounded them. He threw one and Dulio watched intently as a technique was used, his body flickering to become behind the hulking figure as he punched forward.
A powerful slice was driven into his back, followed by a blast of holy light that scratched its back. As it flew away, vines erupted from the ground and caught its leg.
Dulio moved forward and the figure barely ripped himself out in time to dodge a crackle of holy light that thundered down.
He felt his lord's appreciation for his power and blushed inwardly.
Wind formed and blasted towards the hulking figure as he began his charge once more.
Dulio's hands clapped a wave of gravity pulsed out and the area began shifting unnaturally, the Hulking Figures balance was lost and vines erupted from its feet.
A powerful blade of light tore through the area which the hulking figure barely avoided, only to be struck by a wave of lightning from Dulio's outstretched hand which held one of the Tempest Chakram.
Just as his Lord went to continue. A peripheral flash caught his attention.
Across the battlefield, metallic cages were descending from the smoky sky, trapping wounded angels inside. Several had already been captured, their struggles growing weaker behind the bars.
Dulio started toward them, but the hulking figure intercepted with a bone-rattling tackle in the sky.
The warm presence in his mind shifted, carrying his Lord's intent.
"I need you to take over."
Dulio sent his acceptance back immediately.
The divine link faded, leaving Dulio alone in his own body again.
He didn't focus on anything else, a glare being sent the figures away as he re-engaged him.
-{Cao Cao}-
Cao Cao breathed heavily, blood seeping through multiple wounds as he gripped his corrupted spear tightly.
He looked across at the group of Holy Knights he had gotten the names of. At the front was the girl he had heard being called Elizabeth, behind her Nyxera lay unconscious in a spreading pool of crimson.
Then the blonde girl, Asia, he believed her name was, knelt beside her, hands glowing with healing light.
Elizabeth's Sacred Gear pulsed with red energy, and the familiar sound of "Boost!" followed behind.
Cao Cao activated the Ring of preservation on his left hand. Time slowed around him for a split second, his enhanced perception giving him the opening to dodge her next strike. Her gauntlet sent a shockwave out from the place where his head had been.
She was on him again before he could fully recover.
Cao Cao pulled a crystalline artifact from his belt and crushed it. A barrier of hardened air formed between them, but Elizabeth punched straight through it without slowing down.
With his weakened state from fighting so many beings, Cao Cao was relying on the artefacts given to him by the Architect. It had been a long battle. He had watched as the tides between the two armies went forward and back.
His first encounter with a Holy Knight had been the girl known as Nyxera.
After a long fight he had beaten her into the ground which led to his current predicament.
The healer, Asia, was showing herself to be powerful as she seemingly held up most of the front line with her presence. When he had gone to take her out, Elizabeth had slammed into him with a powerful hit and forced him to redirect his attention towards her.
Her enhanced speed was becoming impossible to track. Cao Cao thrust his spear forward, the corrupted Longinus crackling with dark corrupted light energy.
Elizabeth twisted aside and drove her knee into his ribs. He heard something crack.
He coughed, but spun his spear. She ducked and his leg lashed out, managing to connect and kick her away. He thrust his spear forward and a wave of crackling blue energy exploded out from its tip.
She recovered from the kick nimbly in the air, landing and avoided it. She immediately began charging towards him once more, her speed boosted to incredible levels.
A stray monster managed to find itself in her way and she tore through it.
Cao Cao grimaced and blocked another punch with his spear, but was sent back from its sheer force. Slamming his spear down, a gust of wind loosened her footing and allowed him to slam his spear into her side.
"Boost!"
The red aura around her intensified.
Cao Cao launched himself backward to create distance.
His spear gained an aura and he thrust his spear once more, instead an energy construct formed an exact replica of the spear and sent it flying towards her at insane speeds.
Elizabeth knocked with some difficulty. Only to close the gap in a single bound.
Cao Cao raised his spear to block once more but she was too fast now. Her fist connected with his jaw, spinning him completely around. Before he could recover, another punch slammed into his kidney.
He skidded away, managing to slam his spear down that created a powerful shockwave of energy that erupted from the spear. He looked at his spear almost mournfully for a moment.
Had this been his original spear. He would have been in a much better space. The artefacts had made him powerful, but the power of his spear had held so much potential. Which was all lost.
Elizabeth was blown back.
His spear waved, and one of the artefacts attached to its side glowed. Energy constructs formed, weaker imitations of him charging forward with blank eyes.
Elizabeth didn't waste time, smashing her way through them, each one shattered as she tore through them.
With a powerful swing, the next artefact charged and a wave of shadow spike erupted from the ground in the dozens. Elizabeth managed to jump back, but one managed to pierce her arm.
She gritted her teeth, even as Asia behind began focusing on her. A green glow covered her arm and began healing her.
Cao Cao scowled and sent another beam at the blonde healer, one that was blocked by Elizabeth with her gauntlet.
Elizabeth forced him to focus on her once more as she charged towards him. He did everything in his power to keep her at a distance. He managed to get some minor hits off before she was upon him with wrathful eyes.
"Boost!"
Her next combination was a blur.
Three punches to his torso, an elbow to his temple, a knee that folded him in half.
Cao Cao's vision started to blur.
He stumbled back through the air only managing to get his footing at the last second, tasting blood.
The Ring of haste on his right hand glowed as he tried to boost his own speed, but it wasn't enough. Elizabeth was operating on a completely different level now.
He desperately thrust with his corrupted spear. Elizabeth caught the weapon bare-handed, her boosted strength allowing her to hold the dark Longinus without flinching.
That was a mistake though, as Cao Cao grinned and the spear burst with energy that sent her flying back. A magical circle appeared on the end of his spear and corrupted balls of light began heading towards her.
She barely managed to recover and avoid them as they exploded. Suddenly her Boosted Gear glowed green.
"Dragon Shot."
A ball of powerful draconic energy formed in front of his gauntlet and she punched it towards him. The ball of red streaked like a comet through the distance between them.
Even when he slammed his spear down and formed a barrier around himself, his world exploded into nothingness, with only pain being the evidence of his continued existence. The feeling of his skin being licked at by scorching draconic energy made him bite down a scream.
As the light died down Cao Cao hit the ground hard, his artifacts scattered around him. His forearms were burnt and his body leaked copious amounts of blood.
He breathed desperately, reaching out for his spear and barely raising it to send a blast of energy towards the girl. His lack of footing proved to be an issue as he was blown back.
As he fell back, his face was morphed into one that of rage.
This wasn't fair.
He had done so much, all for the sake of Human supremacy. All so Humans could stop being the victim to Gods and supernatural creatures alike. Why was he the villain in this story?
Because he tried to help kill some Angel?!
The last thing he saw was Elizabeth standing over him.
She looked tired. Her wounds were healing but the stamina lost from using so much power at once was evident on her.
Elizabeth sent him one angry look as her arm raised and then darkness claimed him.
-END-
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