Hajin lightning eater clashed with a bishop of the theocracy, blades of lightning and light repeatedly slamming into each other in a shower of sparks and intent, both ascenders actively attempting to use their realms to supress each other.
Hajin clicked his tongue in frustration, dodging an overextended reach by the bishop and summarily using his blade to relieve the head of the bishop off his shoulders. The battle had become bloody and barbaric but still the members of the titan guard persisted, driving back the bishops who exuded the power of silver rank but fought like bronze rankers.
He landed on a roof top atop the holy common zone, the name given to this part of the Luminian zone, a most shabby and derelict place filed with those too poor to live in the higher zones of the theocracy.
Tomasa, default leader of the ten even though they were their own team individually had chosen the name and asked the rest to keep it from the titan blade, at least for a while. Hajin had seen reason in that, the titan blade had driven it into their skulls and very being, often through violence that he was not a deity.
Certain circumstances however had brought it to light that he was that very being he strived to avoid and it made the members of the titan guard even more satisfied to see the titan blade elevated to such levels. His attention was drawn to flashes of light in the skies above that arced and prepared to rain down on him, his sister-warrior appeared by his side, clothed in the dark and purple colors the guard had chosen but had hidden during their muster call to avoid the scrutiny of the titan.
Yellow hair and with floating blades that shimmered and multiplied with intent, Lucina blade rain flicked her hand as her blades shimmered into the hundreds and met the attack head on.
Explosions filled the air, sending miniature shockwaves rampaging up and down the skies above as the power of the blade rain made short work of the incoming attacks. She glanced at him,
“Squad blade rain has captured the zone, we’re being asked to reinforce the assault piercers at the gates to the luminous zone, they need back up” she said,
“where’s Vaughn?” Hajin asked as members of squad lightning eater began to land on the rooftops, bearing the secret crest of their squad, a bolt of lightning on their clothes.
“Vaughn battles a bishop above the skies of the luminous zone, Yemi goes to clear the way to the citadel” she replied,
The runic brawler had been laying his supressed wrath into the ascenders he had been facing since crossing the shores of the Luminian theocracy, the most melee-oriented member of the ten, his wrath on the battlefield was as glorious as it was deadly. Hajin glanced around the area,
“This is insane, how are we supposed to hold an entire continent by with just over 150 of us?” he asked,
“We aren’t, that’s why we’re heading to the citadel, crushing resistance along the way as well as whatever these bishops were” Lucina replied,
With a flick of his hand, members of squad lightning eater advanced, squad blade rain behind them as they laid supressing fire of blades to pin down priests who frothed at the mouth, attempting to overwhelm them with large numbers,
“Something is wrong with those attacking us, it’s like they’re possessed” Hajin said,
“We first encountered them at the gates of the holy common zone, a rapid madness for the death of your foe, we unfortunately lost three of the guards, before we realized it and began putting them down” she replied,
“And their bishops, these silver rankers that feel like bronze rankers, whatever technique was used to raise their rank, it was for naught” Hajin said,
“All the more reason we need to get to the root of the issue, the sooner the titan blade deals with the matter the better” he continued with a darkened gaze,
“Tomasa sent a message, something about the titan blade deploying a crucial weapon, have any idea what it is?” Lucina asked,
“There are rumours of one with the powers of the titan, and the streak of purple light we saw flashing through the sky was an indication of this, I have a feeling we’ll see what this weapon is in time” he commented.
Together, the two commanders of the titan guard and their teams pressed forward, laying suppression fire and clearing the way towards the citadel of light.
*********************
Idris landed close to the temple of light, fist crushing a guard in golden armor and sending the bronze ranked ascender hurling away. He had held back on his strength, attempting to save the life of the guard whose only crime had been to be under the thrall of the being holding Lumia hostage. All around him explosions wreaked the area, the invading force of the titan laying damage in their surprisingly quick attack.
The temple had been fortified of course; bronze ranked bishops of the theocracy placing a barrier over the entire area to stop any invader from entering the temple. It really was a flawless work of power, the aspect of the bright scourge flowing like filament lines around the barrier, it was enough to stop even the most battle-hardened silver ranker,
Except Idris was the wrath of the titan blade incarnate and bursting with the titan aspect,
Although the aspect of the titan had been somewhat dimmed, the power nonetheless was more than enough to deal with the almost non-existent aspect that had been spared for the defence of the temple. Crashing through the barrier like the shattering of glass, he was accosted from all sides by bishops, wielding deadly light-based weapons.
Unwilling to activate his titan skin ability, Idris began an intricate dance with the bishops, dodging and deflecting their weapons with the broadsword in his hand, he removed the head of a priest, rolled and with one punch, blew the chest cavity of another.
Perhaps it was the nature of the aspect of the titan, but Idris could feel those who were truly allied to the being that held the entirety of Lumia in its grips and these bishops were all willing members, no mercy was to be given. His blade deflected another attack and ripped the bishop from waist downward, the bishop screaming in agony as the spot where he laid was suddenly bombarded with light-based attacks as well, Idris deftly avoiding the attack that mercifully ended the life of the bishop.
Even as more and more bishops and priests began to appear, the never-ending army that the theocracy had to pile on their limited amount, Idris knew he had to get into the temple and deal with the consecrated ground as quick as he could, he could feel its oppressive effects on himself and those allied to the titan. Activating his titan call ability, a beam of light shot to the sky as the crest of the titan appeared overhead, drawing the attention of all allied to the titan,
- Titan call: you can rally allies of the titan to you, empowering them at the expense of your endurance, 10 END per second.
Idris saw the streaks of light descending and cleared an area of the ground for them, watching as three ascenders, all silver rank and members of the ten the titan blade had trained personally appear. One with a golden rod, the other with red corrosive mana drifting from his hands and the third a hybrid wolf monster,
“Thank you for answering my call” Idris stated,
“You need to get into the temple” the one with the golden staff asked,
“Yes, the sooner the better” Idris replied,
The staff wielder nodded and swung his staff, the weapon growing absurdly large till it began crushing bishops along the way, clearing a straight part for the temple that Idris took, tearing forward with terrifying speed when a figure dropped from the skies above, crashing into the ground like a bomb as Idris deftly dodged the attack.
The smoke cleared away to reveal a man in white priestly robes with two axes in his hands that glowed with deadly intent and aura. Warriors also with axes began to drop around like stones, once again blocking the path again to the temple.
Standing straight, the man pointed one axe at Idris,
“Your heretical feet will not step any closer to the temple of lord Rieus” he said,
“Archbishop Gosto” Idris said,
“Sect leader Idris, or should I say heretical emissary Idris of the titan blade, I would take great pleasure endi- “was all Gosto could say as the blunt end of a staff shot towards him, the archbishop hardly getting time to block before he was blasted back a few meters.
Leaving the archbishop to the three silver ranked ascenders, Idris blasted forwards,
“You will not pass!” members of the order alpha and omega screamed, axes raised as they brought it crashing down on him with all their bronze ranked strength,
“repel” Idris whispered, activating one of his boons as the titan aspect within him glowed,
A concussive force wave slammed into the ascenders the moment their weapons came in contact with him, redirecting their attacks straight back at them in a maelstrom of aura that left more than half of them dead. Tearing his way towards the giant golden doors of the temple, he gripped the broadsword tighter and swung it with all his strength. Intent and aura from the titan aspect answering as the door crumpled like paper, making way for Idris to enter the temple where a glowing figure floated high above a box, a loud gong echoed within the temple,
Notice: the temple of the primordial scourge Rieus ouroboros has come under siege by the emissary of the titan blade,
- The temple is sealed off for the duration of the fight,
- External influence from patron primordials has been restricted to scrying alone,
- The temple has been declared neutral ground and all venerations has been placed on hold.
The glowing white being spoke with a feminine voice, her features blazing and her eyes golden,
“This temple will be your death false emissary” she said, her voice echoing around the chamber,
“cardinal Elita?, what happened to you?’ Idris asked, astonishment in his voice,
“By the grace of lord Rieus, I have been elevated higher than you m- “
“you know what?, I could care less, let’s just get this over with” he cut in, gripping the blade tighter,
Cardinal Elita now reborn an angel of pure aspect energy burned as bright as the sun,
“You will pay for your insolence!” she hissed as Idris snorted,
“I hear that every day from my wife, put some more tremble into the tone” he mocked as Elita screamed and the air became filled with lances of light,
The champion and emissary of the titan blade and Rieus clashed,
*****************************
Archbishop Gosto shook the dust of the fallen building where he crashed off his body, getting to his feet as he stretched his two hands out, alpha and omega, the two axes flying into them,
“Step back brother-bishops, the followers of the heretic are mine” he rumbled, the beaten bishops stumbling away from the three silver rankers,
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“Wow, lot of hate in that tone, don’t you think Marcel?” the hybrid wolfman rumbled,
The man with red corrosive glow coming from his hands nodded,
“Not something you’d find in your average priests” the man who was Marcel replied,
“Who are you people who follow the heretical ways of the titan blade?” Gosto asked,
The man with the staff that had somehow broken through the guard of Gosto’s smiled as his eyes lit up, the wolf and Marcel groaning,
“Why did he have to ask that?” Marcel asked as he sighed,
“I’m really sorry for this” the wolfman said to Gosto,
“We are the shield” Tomasa started,
“Hardly shielding anything Tomasa” the wolfman murmured,
“We are the wall”
“Hardly using myself as a wall am i?” Marcel grumbled,
“We are the protectors of humanity” Tomasa continued, practically giddy,
“We are the titan guard!” he finished, striking a super hero pose,
“Kill me now” Marcel groaned,
“gladly” archbishop Gosto bit out, clearly disgusted by their childish attitude,
Throwing alpha, the axe tore through the air, intent burning on its edges,
“cleave” Gosto commanded,
The bo staff of Tomasa slammed into the axe, its body coated in copious amount of his authority, deflecting the weapon. Tomasa frowned,
“Those blades are bad business” he announced,
“They are blessed by the aspect of lord Rieus, your powers are nothing before its divine might” Gosto said,
“Aspect?” the wolfman asked,
“That is a concept far above your station, rejoice that you would die by the powers of a higher existence” the archbishop announced as he shot towards them, omega in one hand and alpha spinning back towards him,
The wolfman roared, his voice ripping through the air as claws of aura and intent manifested in the air slamming into Gosto who had to defend, the attack ripping at his body, driving the archbishop backwards. Instincts screamed at Gosto to roll as the wolfman was suddenly in his front, claws of pure intent and mantle tearing for his throat.
Bringing alpha and omega up in an arc to tear the wolfman from top to bottom, hands of corrosive aura and mana stopped the blade, Marcel smiling at him,
“can’t have that now, can we?” he said,
Gosto shouted as his realm of pure light and mana suffused the area, bathing them in its oppressive feeling, Tomasa moved, snapping his fingers as a realm imposed itself on the realm of Gosto, a large mountain with a giant staff at its top, a giant statue of a humanoid monkey grinning down at Gosto with a malicious feeling. Gosto regained his steps,
“What sort of realm is this?” he bit out,
Tomasa laughed as he hopped, blasting towards the top of the staff high in the air,
“Welcome to mount Huaguo, home of the monkey king” he smiled as he flicked his hand,
The skies above darkened and hundreds of staffs began to fall through the clouds above, burning like a comet towards the ground, Gosto felt danger, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time and realized just how much the ascender Tomasa had been toying with him, this was no ordinary realm, it felt ancient,
More than ancient, primordial,
Eyes widening at the implied meaning, he roared with his full strength,
“SMITE!” swinging both axes together in perfect harmony,
A melodious sound like the cry of an angelic choir broke out around him, sending force waves towards the staffs that fell, crushing a good number of them but having to dodge the rest as he made sure to tear his way out of the realm of the staff user with a primordial realm.
He fell into a realm of burning fire and brimstone,
Shouting as the flames burned his body, coating himself in his smite authority as a figure laughed, floating in the air. The ascender known as Marcel, now bare chested, both hands burning red hot like live charcoals skin red hot and eyes blazing red,
“Welcome to diablo” he said with a devilish smile,
Archbishop Gosto snarled,
“I see there will be no redemption for your souls” he said,
Marcel shrugged as a pitchfork made of intent manifested in his right hand,
“Reign in hell than be a slave in heaven and all that” he said with a grin,
Opening his hands wide, a large book manifested next to Gosto,
“Then I will wipe away your existence from this reality by the power of the most holy one” Gosto said as the book opened,
“Page 1, chapter 1, let there be burning light!” Gosto shouted as a bright burning light manifested,
Turning the dark realm of smoke and fire to dawn, Gosto pointed one finger at Marcel who looked terrified, basking in the power of the little aspect he had even as it burned rapidly like dry paper set on fire,
“Begone from this hallowed ground accursed creature!” he shouted as the light burned everything in its path,
It left behind ashes and a charred skeleton even as Gosto fell slowly to the ground, huffing as the little borrowed aspect he had snuffed itself out, leaving a tired and strained silver ranker whose body tried desperately to heal the damage done by wielding aspect.
It was meant to be his trump card, his last-ditch effort against the titan blade to seriously damage the false primordial; he took great pleasure however in the fact that he had slain a monster that would have otherwise proven a menace to the future plans of lord Rieus.
The sound of someone clapping jarred him back to the situation of things around him as a deep terror induced cold held his body,
“Beautiful, beautiful!” a voice said that drove fear into him,
The realm of diablo shimmered as it broke and reverted right back to its burning state, Gosto screaming as the flames burnt his hands and knees, scrambling to his feet even as he squeezed his core, draining what mana was left to make his body float. The silver ranker Marcel appeared again, this time without the whole devilish persona as the flames of his realm seized and cooled, turning it into an ashy wasteland,
"I’ll admit, I was impressed, that aspect power of yours, wow” he said as he grinned,
Gosto’s eyes widened as he realized his gravely mistake,
“That way your plan, wasn’t it?” he stuttered out,
Marcel shrugged,
“Eh, more or less, can’t have you holding that much power over our heads now, can we?” he replied with a smile,
Gosto raised his axes that were now devoid of the aspect power, leaving only the light-based power of the true Luminian path itself. Marcel blitzed forward even as Gosto roared, swinging his axes,
“Boop” Marcel said playfully as his corrosive fingers caught the blade, turning it to ash and leaving a petrified Gosto staring at him,
“Now, how would you like to rule in hell?” Marcel asked as Gosto screamed,
Turning and shrieking as ashy figures made of rock began to form, sharp clawed and coming for him. He turned and ran right into a set of sharp claws that went right true his heart, ripping the organ out of his body and into the bloody fists of the wolfman who stared at him with deep blue eyes,
“checkmate” the wolfman growled,
“Wolfman..” archbishop Gosto coughed out as he died,
Throwing the body of the archbishop off his bloody hybrid hand, Romulus grumbled,
“Wolfman?, really?”
Marcel put his hands on his waist as his realm dissipated, Tomasa landing with one foot on his staff before sitting comfortably on the standing bo,
“it’s a really catchy name” Tomasa offered as Romulus shot him a stink eye,
“Checkmate?, of all the things to use to end a fight, checkmate?” Marcel said raising an eyebrow,
“Well we really didn’t have a speech to use now did we?” Romulus complained,
“Oui?, I’m sorry I don’t speak French” Marcel replied,
“We, not oui you retard” Romulus bit back,
“Well, someone’s in an angry mood” Tomasa teased,
“he’s just jealous he didn’t get to show his romantic werewolf lair to the archbishop, bless his soul” Marcel said as he made the sign of the cross, the rest following suit,
“it’s called the beastkin lair, not werewolf lair” Romulus groaned,
“Potato potato” Tomasa replied,
“I give up” Romulus said, stomping away as the terrified members of the order of alpha and omega stared at the crumpled body of their archbishop,
“Aww, don’t be like that wolfy” Tomasa said,
“Beastkin!” Romulus shouted as Marcel laughed, driving the bishops deeper into terror,
*********************
Yemi rune brawler took a deep breath, his bare chest glowing with green runes as he took his stance, runic script rings hummed around his hands as his eyes glowed green and he blasted forwards, into the runic script barrier placed around the entrance to the citadel of light zone.
Fist clenched, he roared as he summoned his rune of force, the power vibrating as he poured aura into it along with his authority and brought it down on the wall, watching it crack; the bishops behind the barrier spitting blood as they crashed to their knees.
Yemi frowned, flipping backwards as a man decked out in silver steel armor crashed into the barrier, effectively shattering it as the bishops fell to the ground in agony, Fern steel champion breaking through, leading the way for his squad to rampage into the zone, laying cover fire for the two silver rankers who began making their way to the citadel,
“This make no sense, how are these bishops peak bronze rankers and early silver rankers, they’re crumbling like paper” Yemi growled as five bishops entered his runic circle of awareness, his fists flashing as he took them out, actually holding back his punches,
“something’s wrong with them, it is not our place to question that, they serve this being willingly” Fern replied, his deep voice echoing around as he slammed bishops and priests with reckless abandon,
“It reeks of treachery” Yemi observed,
A flare went up from the direction of the temple, a large wolf howling at the sky,
“Seems our brothers have taken down one archbishop, two left” Fern said,
“it’ll be a cold day in hell before one of you heretics managed to take one of us down” a feminine harsh voice said as Yemi went on guard,
Fern stretched his hand out as a large Warhammer manifested, humming with aura and the power of his steel armor mantle. Up above them floated a dark-skinned woman with golden eyes, two blades in her hands that hummed and seemed to phase in and out of reality, around her were ascenders in hoods, bishops by the feel of their power, early silver rank, but Yemi could feel the same fragile nature from them.
Fern stepped forward,
“Archbishop Otilia of the holy order of the mirage blades I presume?” he asked,
“I am death to you” she replied and flicked her hand, the bishops flashing down towards them,
A loud scream broke through the air, a cry as deadly as that of the banshees. It ripped into the bishops who screamed before they could throw up their realms or whatever defences they could muster. One by one their heads exploded like melons, the ones still with Otilia safe as the archbishop threw up her realm of shadows and light, defending against the attack.
The attack harmed only the enemies, sparing members of squads’ rune brawler and steel champion respectively, Yemi turning to see his sister-warrior walking towards them, her squad of ten ascenders behind her, eliminating the enemies left alive.
Yemi frowned at her, aware of the tendencies of Amiya sound screamer to go overboard, out of the ten of them; she had been the hardest to bond with, always carrying a deep anger within, ready to be unleashed. The titan had beaten restraint into her with brutal efficiency and for a while it held, but now it came back with even more force, attempting to let loose on both their foes and innocent civilians, only Tomasa strictly warning her not to incur the wrath of the titan blade held her at bay.
The moment she locked eyes with Otilia, Yemi saw a demon rear its head in the eyes of Amiya, he also saw recognition in the eyes of archbishop Otilia,
“Do my eyes deceive me, or am I staring at lost sister Amiya, daughter and whore of the late archbishop Otello?” Otilia laughed,
Yemi knew next to nothing of the story of Amiya, same as the brothers and sisters of the titan guard, choosing to abandon they dark pasts and focus and raising their order. He had however heard snippets from the ascenders of clan titan blade, the storm bringers to be exact about the banshee of the wilderness as she was formerly called, an ascender who tracked down kidnappers and thieves who attacked small strongholds far away from the gaze of the sects to react to quickly.
Turning their dwellings to a pile of gore so horrific, the storm bringers were called in at the behest of the sects and schools around the area. She had been eventually caught by the vice sect leader of the storm bringers, Julius who at the behest of the titan had sought her out.
A member of the group who venerated the titan, Julius had crushed her rage the only way an experienced ascender of his status could do before dragging her back to the citadel of endurance. Whatever dark and sordid past Amiya had, Yemi had no idea it was tied to Lumia of all places, it showed how deep the decay ran in the theocracy,
“Three days straight” Amiya said as she trembled,
“Used like a rag, discarded like a piece of dirty clothing for the bishops of your order, made me watch as you killed my family, defiled me right in front of my junior brother and then you killed him” she whispered,
Yemi stared wide eyed, anger rushing through his body as she spoke, Fern gripping his hammer tighter, his armor glowing with his rage. Archbishop Otilia tsked,
“Really dear, that was how long ago?” she asked,
“Besides, you seemed to enjoy every momen- “was all she said as Yemi and Fern dived out the way as Amiya screamed,
Activating her wail of the banshee, the scream attack ripping every building around in a cyclone of power uncaring about friend or foe in its path. Archbishop Otilia blazed with power,
“Smite!” she shouted, invoking her authority,
The waves of power separated, clearing the way for the archbishop to shoot towards Amiya who watched her calmly, Otilia realizing too late the plan as Yemi and Fern appeared in her front, both of them slamming her with fist and hammer respectively, sending her broken body flailing through the air. The broken form of archbishop Otilia turned to wisps of light as Amiya felt a blade pierce her chest,
“Caught you my little whore” Otilia said as she dragged her tongue down the cheek of a shocked Amiya, tasting her skin in a perverse show of power,
The first sign of her being played was the cold form of Amiya who was unresponsive, the body solidifying to steel, locking her in place. Eyes wide, she realized this Amiya was a decoy,
“Burn in hell bitch” Amiya said as she appeared next to Otilia and let out a whistle filled with her sonic ability,
Archbishop Otilia had no chance before her head exploded off her shoulders, her body tumbling to the ground as the silver melted to liquid and crawled back to Fern,
“Well, that was anti-climactic” Fern said,
The body of archbishop Otilia began to vibrate as a large book appeared next to her, the power suffusing her body before dropping to the ground. Her body rose to the air as a head made of light placed itself on the bloody stump of her neck, the face of archbishop Otilia staring back at them with a maniacal grin,
Yemi turned to Fern with an accusing look,
“You just had to jinx it, didn’t you?” he said as Fern shrugged helplessly,
“By the power of great Rieus, by the power of his great angel Akriel, I have been revived!” she screamed,
Yemi winced,
“This is going to be a hassle to deal with” he muttered,
“Look on the bright side, she just used the trump card lord titan blade told us about” Fern said,
“You shall die by- “was all the revived archbishop Otilia said before a spear pierced her chest, right where her heart would be situated, blowing out the entire cavity open,
Mouth open wide like a gaping fish, Otilia turned and watched as a hail of spear made out of intent ripped her body to shreds, ending her existence, bathing Yemi, Fern and Amiya in gore.
Wutan appeared over them,
“Sup?” he asked,
Amiya growled,
“Oh no” Yemi whispered,
“Amiya, she’s gone, she’s dead” Fern said softly,
Amiya glanced at him, tears in her eyes as she nodded and screamed at the gory body of the archbishop, wiping away all traces of her existence. Crying softly, she spoke,
“Thank you” she murmured,
“we’re family now” Yemi said firmly as she nodded,
“hello?, saviour here, no thanks?” Wutan asked,
“thank you for bathing us in gore?, of course!, Amiya dear, if you would?” Fern said sweetly as Wutan’s eyes widened, flying as fast as he could,
“Thank you!” Amiya shouted at the retreating Wutan who screamed, Yemi and Fern laughing.