"Arghhh!!!" Abbot Hank' pained screams were echoing on the battlefield of the half-burned church, the fire devouring his wings of fingers unextinguishable, the steam created by the rain touching the flames forming a boiling cloud surrounding the mad priest. Glenn grinned, not giving another thought to the new arrival who joined the fray and instead shooting a few more Carbon Blades at the Abbot. Once again, they barely scratched him, but even if what Glenn was inflicting on him was the equivalent of a single point of damage, the young man was sure that if he shot enough of those the priest would eventually die.
'Persistence is the key to winning after all!' He thought as he shot another flurry of blades. Abbot Hank roared in pain, dispersing the flames with a wave of darkness, shaking them away. He waved his hand dismissively toward Glenn's attacks, making them disappear with the sheer power of his movements.
"Giselle!" Sahro shouted happily, before lunging with his electrical speed once again, aiming to pierce the Abbot's book encased in his chest. A flash of blue lightning shot through the night, stopping dead in its track in front of Hank, the Abbot exuding an evil aura of darkness. The priest had grabbed Sahro's curved sword with his bare hand, his expression filled with hatred. Hank's face was half burned, the flesh squirming to try and recover from the damage it took. His unholy wings were twitching, each flinch making him lose a few fingers.
"You...Dare!" He hissed through his teeth, clenching his teeth as he twisted Sahro's blade out of his hand and broke it in half. The Black Heir's expression changed as he witnessed his favorite weapon shatter in metal shards gleaming under the barely noticeable moonlight. He didn't have much time to contemplate it anymore as Hank caught his throat in a steel grip, squeezing the life out of him. The Black Heir formed his Aura into a shapeless, sharp form as he tried to cut through the priest's arm, failing remarkably so as his Aura was dispersed upon contact. Sahro began to see stars spinning around Abbot Hank's enraged face when suddenly something did manage to cut through the arm. A flame that couldn't be extinguished by the coldest water, shaped into a greatsword that seemed to have been forged in the deepest fires of Hell.
Giselle took a long puff out of her smoldering cigar, grinning as she kicked away the Abbot from Sahro. The latter coughed heavily, freed from the deadly grip.
"...Ya' got stronger since the last time I saw ya, didn't ya?" The leader of the Black Heir asked, offering her hand to Sahro. The young man grabbed it with a grateful smile, a smile that faded away when he noticed her eyes focused on the stump of his left shoulder.
"...Yes and no, I suppose," Sahro said wryly, biting down on his lower lip as Giselle stared silently. The powerful woman's nose creased until she shook her head, refocusing her attention on the main threat at hand.
"I'll have a small discussion with ya'r friend after we're done with all this," She mumbled, her words throwing a chill down Sahro's spine. Thankfully, he wasn't the recipient of the cold bloodlust he felt from his leader.
Glenn, completely unaware of the ongoing discussion, was busy trying to do something he never attempted before.
'...I'm not sure that's the greatest idea you had—'
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!" The young man cut off Diamanes, struggling to combine the Carbon Blade with Nitrogen. He had never thought of combining the different powers Diamanes held, since he never had that many in the first place. But now that he had a few more choices, how could he not try it?
"I'm sure a Nitrogen Blade would be enough to break through this bastard's impervious skin!" Glenn spat, beads of sweat pearling down his forehead as he carefully controlled his Mana. It wasn't like combining his spells with Diamanes', where it was relatively easy in comparison, no, this felt like he was blending stuff in a spot that was never prepared for such a process. His left arm bulged with protruding purple veins, a few popping open, splurging blood all over him. It didn't make a difference with how he looked currently, but it certainly didn't feel great to have his veins exploding under the brunt of the effort.
'Hey, you might succeed!' Diamanes cheered him from inside his host's mind, making the latter's smile curl upward.
"There's no might," He huffed out, his eyes flashing with a purple glint as he glanced at Abbot Hank, the priest holding his cut-off arm with a shocked expression.
"....Only success!" Glenn shouted as the Nitrogen Blade flew off his hand, much larger than its Carbon counterpart. It ripped through the ground while freezing it, creating an ice rift in its wake. Abbot Hank's eyes widened at the sight and he hurriedly wrapped his wings over him to protect himself while casting a wall of darkness. The attack went through the wall effortlessly like a hot knife in butter, before touching the fingers-wings.
The Nitrogen Blade exploded upon contact, a crimson veil of blood splurging as it successfully cut through the fingers. Glenn grinned at the sight, before feeling his legs give up under him. He let himself fall on his knees, heaving one breath after another. He wasn't suffering from Mana exhaustion yet, but another spell and he would certainly end up comatose for a few hours at least.
'Well, there doesn't seem to be a need to christen this attack, is there now?' Diamanes asked sarcastically, Glenn mentally adding 'Nitrogen Blade' to his ever-growing list of spells. An attack that could probably cut through most things, but too bad it took so long to prepare.
'I'll have to experiment with combining the different powers I took more, I feel like I could create some truly powerful stuff out of them...' The young man thought, even though the fight wasn't over yet. Abbot Hank was stumbling on his feet, holding his cut-off wings with a distressed expression. Ice was infiltrating every pore of his body, making him ever-slower, every finger making his disgusting wings fall one after the other.
"No, it's not—" Abbot Hank coughed black blood, wiping it off his mouth thoughtlessly, "—It's not over!"
He grunted and ripped off the useless wings, a wave of darkness coming out of the wounds in his back and swallowing the remains. His bloodshot eyes bulged as he roared at the sky, before falling on his knee. A burning sword had pierced through it, forcing him on the ground. Giselle puffed out a cloud of smoke, the scent of tobacco heavy around her.
"It's done, Abbot," She mocked, before pulling her flaming sword and raising it above her head.
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"Die!" She shouted as she cleanly decapitated the mad priest. His eyes were still widely opened, his mouth agape with shock. Dark blood leaked out of the wound before being burned away by Giselle's flames, the Abbot's inhuman body catching fire as well, the flames crackling as they devoured inch by inch the unholy flesh. Abbot Hank's head blinked, before grinning madly, even though it was entirely cut off from the rest of his body.
"Cough, do—do you think it's over?" The head struggled to say, his voice forcing a frown out of Giselle.
"The Repentir's branch is nothing! We'll crush you and your filthy people alongside the whole city—"
Crunch!
Giselle grimaced as she made sure to crush Abbot Hank's head under her foot, using her heel to reduce the disgusting head into an even worse pulp. Finally, she heaved out a breadth of relief, patting Sahro on the shoulder kindly, the Black Heir staring wide-eyedly at the bloody scene.
"Well, that's one thing done, ain't it?" She chuckled before heading toward the wrapped bundles of captured Black Heirs, checking over their conditions and untying them. Glenn filled his lungs with air before forcing himself on his feet as he wiped off the rain, sweat, and blood on his forehead.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect to level the whole church in such a manner," he muttered, smiling as a section of wall still standing fell backward, collapsing into stones and ashes. Glenn dusted himself off, before stumbling as best he could towards Sahro, who was sitting on the ground holding his shoulder, staring off into the distance. Glenn dropped beside his friend, before giving him a friendly slap in the back.
"Sorry for that, for once I'm not the one that began the whole mess," Glenn chuckled, sighing tiredly. Sahro replied by shaking his head as he brushed his hair back, his eyes closed.
"What—What the hell happened here?!?" Maron's voice suddenly broke through the rain, reaching their ears. The two traded a gaze before sighing and forcing themselves up, heading to meet the merchant. Some explanations were probably needed—
"Where are you two heading off?" A threatening voice made them stop dead in their tracks, a cold chill shaking them to the bone. Giselle threw her consumed cigar on the ground, crushing it under her hell the same way she did for the Abbot's head, before passing her arms around both young men's shoulders. She smiled with a barely hidden threat, her eyes forming crescent slits.
"...I think you both have a few things to say to me, don't you?"
'...I might die here.' Glenn thought, feeling Giselle's grip tightening over his shoulder.
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'This is going to be fun,' Diamanes remarked from within Glenn's mind. The latter's lips flinched as he forced an amicable smile at the two people angrily glaring at him.
Glenn, Sahro, Giselle, and Maron were sitting around a round table, the two young men on one side, the merchant, and the Black Heirs' leader on the other. The Twilight Inn, which had been previously filled with laughs, drunks, and different travelers, was now practically silent, a tense atmosphere replacing the previous joyful one. There were Black Heirs posted in every corner of the inn, most of the travelers hiding in their rooms or waiting outside.
Milena was anxiously cleaning a glass, a tensed forceful smile on her face as she endured the stares of the Black Heirs sitting at the counter.
"...So, care to explain what just happened?" Monsieur Maron broke the silence as he clasped his hands together in front of him, his brows creased.
Glenn moistened his lips, tilting his head hesitantly, before pointing toward Giselle.
"It's her fault."
The woman sneered at the audacity, before shaking her head.
"We've been plannin' an assault on the church of the Twilight Gate for the past month, but we never expected to fin' an Abbot-level priest to be fought. I had to hurriedly scurry over to finish off that tainted piece of garbage," Giselle explained with her palms facing upward, shrugging. Glenn smacked his lips with understanding and nodded.
"On my side, I was simply taking a stroll when I noticed the Church catching fire. I couldn't just stand and watch," Glenn grinned, leaning on his chair comfortably. Sahro snorted, sipping from his cold beer.
"I was enjoying what I think was a well-deserved rest when I heard the commotion. I hurriedly came out of the Inn with a few other customers and saw Glenn fighting the hell out of another priest. Of course, I had to join the fray," He said with a helpless expression, before slamming his beer back on the table.
Maron rubbed both sides of his head tiredly, grunting painfully.
"...So you're telling me Glenn and Sahro coincidentally joined your fight, Lady...?" He trailed off, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. Giselle smiled and lifted her chin proudly as she took a thick cigar out of her pockets and lit it up with a magic flame.
"Of course, we didn't get presented. I'm Giselle Pyr, Matriarch of the Pyr House and Chieftain of the Black Heirs. And you are...?" She grinned while holding her hand out. Maron snorted and shook the hand firmly, his eyes shining with a golden hue.
"...Jules Maron, CEO of the Maron Company, son of Andre Maron. And the current employer of these two," he hurriedly added after crossing his arms. Giselle nodded slowly, before taking a long puff out of her cigar.
"Nice to meet you, Maron. I won't apologize for profiting from your employees' strength, after all, one is my family and the other my ally," She gestured at Glenn, who couldn't help but confirm it under Maron's questioning gaze. The merchant rubbed his chin, before raising his hand upward, gesturing at Milena.
"Can I get a few more drinks for me and my friends here," He asked, smiling gently. Milena clenched her teeth and hurriedly prepared a few more pints and brought them to the table.
'What was that about the 'Pyr House'? Is Giselle part of some noble Black Heir family? It's not surprising, but I never thought there would be this kind of system in place among the Black Heirs...' Glenn thought curiously. He had never heard of the lady's last name, but it sure sounded cooler than just Giselle. Not like the woman needed it, she was already the the most badass person he knew. Giselle grabbed the beer and sniffed it suspiciously, frowning when she saw Sahro drink from it without a shred of hesitation.
"...What's this strange mixture? This looks like some' contaminated water, but has a much stronger scent..."
Sahro waved dismissively, shooting her a thumbs-up.
"This is the humans' version of our sukr, it's safe to drink as long as you consume it in moderation," He explained before finishing his beer like a thirsty man in the desert. Glenn didn't touch his, much more interested in what was going to happen. If there was one thing he never thought of, it was what would happen if Maron and Giselle met each other. They were each so far from each other in terms of culture and worlds, so their encounter certainly would bring some interesting things.
"Hmf, if ya' say so..." Giselle tasted the beer, her nose creasing at the taste. She slammed the pint back on the table, crossing her arms with a serious expression.
"Enough dilly-dallying. I have business with these two, and I'm sorry, but ya can't be part of it, merchant," Giselle smacked her lips, before taking another puff of her cigar, which seemed to suit her taste much more than the beer. A strange glint shone in Maron's eyes as he stood up with a nod, the corner of his lips slightly raised in a polite smile.
"...Of course. I'll be trusting you won't keep these two for too long, then. We're going back inside King's Rise tomorrow. Anyway, it was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Pyr," He politely bowed his head, before heading off to the Inn to get to his room. Glenn followed him walking off, before turning back toward Giselle.
"So, what's this secret business about?" He asked nonchalantly, fiddling with his beer but not drinking it. Giselle puffed out a cloud of smoke on the table, before sighing loudly.
"That ol' bastard..." She muttered through her teeth as she rubbed her forehead. Glenn's ears perked up and he instantly stopped fiddling, entirely concentrated on the Black Heir's leader's words.
"Redan, he was taken," Giselle heaved out as she bit down on her lower lip, "...by those Thorn's Church bastard."
"They took him inside King's Rise."
End of Book 2, Paradox Pt.1