It was a brief conversation of telepathically-tuned minds: their thoughts were shared together in a brief, yet powerful connection, and as such, they could easily share their words with each other despite the vast distance that lied between the both of them...
Apollyon's nature as an ethereal entity allowed her to establish a mental connection with Whitlea's mind: of course however, due to the angel's ability for telepathy, and the vast psychic might that Whitlea possessed, it wasn't difficult for them to establish such a communicative line despite being incredibly distant from each other's location...
"Whitlea... I require your assistance for a moment..."
"What is it then, Apollyon? Did something unexpected happen?"
"That's correct... There's a particularly powerful enemy I need to deal with... However, I believe this task might turn the battlefield into a desolate wasteland afterwards..."
"Ah... So you want me to...?"
"Precisely. I want you to open a gateway to that realm you used to capture and torture that gluttonous parasite... The same place where you were once... You know..."
"... I see, don't worry, I'll help you with this matter then..."
"There's one problem however... How will you be able determine the location of where you'll open the gateway? You're too faraway, and I don't think even our temporary mental connection will be enough for you to determine the accuracy..."
"Not need to worry... I've managed to get a hang of this weaker me's body, and I'm slowly beginning to regain more of my original powers. With the level of ability I've managed to restore, I strongly believe I can do that easily..."
"I see... That is certainly impressive..."
"The moment you need me to bring forth the gateway, call for my name immediately, and I'll do so at once..."
"I understand... Thank you in advance for this assistance you'll be providing..."
"Ahaha... No need to worry, we both have the same goals after all. Just... Don't fail, alright?"
...
...
Could this even be called a battlefield anymore?
The walls of their mighty fortress had fallen, and now there were hundreds of those steel-bodied monsters that were pouring in like a vast, swarm of unstoppable pests- what was even more terrifying however, was the fact that each of these soulless automatons required the efforts of 15 or more men just to deal with one of them, and there were entire formations of these metal beasts that were tearing through their ranks without mercy...
"Hold the line! Don't relent to these beasts!"
"They've broken through one of our shield formations! Send more men to that breached area!"
"Arghh! It's no use, there are too many of them! It's hopeless, we have to retreat right n-"
SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!
Even without the long-range weapons of those constructs that managed to get within their vicinity, their strength and endurance were absolutely no joke either- they were all invulnerable to most of their swords and spears, and only the imperial knights had the strength to so much as leave dents on their metal armor, though by now, such notable warriors have already been reduced by a great number ever since the walls suddenly came crashing down...
[Magick Missile.]
[Lightning Chain.]
[Blazing Hellfire.]
Then there were the mages who fearlessly took part in the battle, flying high up into the sky with various levitation spells as they unleashed their arcane might upon the metal beasts: in truth, they were the only ones among the imperial ranks who were able to do any significant damages upon the monsters, as their potent magicks were the only form of attacks that could outright disable and destroy their horrible, unliving enemies.
Of course, however, despite possessing no sentience of their own, the machines had a sufficient intelligence within their internal processing systems, an ability that allowed them to determine the greatest threat to them in this battlefield, as well as to calculate the most efficient method in dealing with such dangers.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The automata from the farthest areas aimed their ranged weapons, powerful cannons that were mounted onto their wrists, and as they did so, they immediately concentrated fire upon the foolish mages who chose to reveal their locations so brazenly by taking to the skies: eventually, due to the sheer volume of attacks that were accurately hitting them from far away, the durable arcane force fields that each of the mages possessed would eventually relent and be reduced to shattered fragments, allowing the cannon shots to tear apart the vulnerable, fleshy bodies of the adepts with ease.
It was a hopeless battle that seemed to be more of a slaughter than anything else, with the imperial forces rapidly losing their numbers as the constructs continued to kill multitudes upon multitudes of human soldiers in the blink of an eye: in fact, it seemed that Fort Vellios was truly about to be lost to the automaton army that was swarming at them from every direction...
Fortunately for them however, the long-awaited assistance that was supposed to have come would finally arrive after such a long time of waiting...
________________________________________
"... Damn it... Philo and the others are dead... I-I'm the only one left over here...!"
It had only been a few minutes since the walls fell, and yet the Neugomian soldiers stationed in Vellios had already been reduced to shadow of what they once were, as there were only a handful of them left who had chosen to fight until the end and make their stand: it was pointless to flee anyway, as they were quite literally surrounded from every direction by those soulless machines of steel, and the only thing they could do left was to fight hopelessly against these monsters who could easily snuff out their lives with one swipe from their mechanical limbs.
"N-no... S-stay away... Stay away from me! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!!!"
As he stood up the ground where the piled-up corpses of his comrades lied, Flavius immediately realized the horrible truth that had befallen him: the screams and battlecries of his allies have gone silent, as he was the only one left among all of the imperials in Vellios, with those brutal constructs were now making their way towards him in a slow, yet dreadful manner, and the moment they would get close to him, he knew that they would promptly begin ripping him into pieces, just like what happened to the rest of his friends who perished before him...
Was this the end...? Flavius thought to himself, his body shivering in cold sweat as he despaired over the tragedy he was in- there was no escaping his death today, and it would only be a few more moments before he drew his final breathe and be reduced to a useless corpse lying dead on the ground.
Of course, it wouldn't take long before the hopelessness of his situation had finally gotten to him, as his mind inevitably became fully engulfed by his ever-growing despair...
"... I-I give up..." he uttered somberly as he fell onto his knees and looked to the ground in complete defeat: there was no point in putting up a fight anymore, as it would only be delaying the inevitable. "... If any of you have mercy... At least make it quick..."
He closed his eyes lightly as he lost all will to strive for his survival, his body motionless as he waited for the brutal murder that was to be done to him- he awaited anxiously for such a cruel fate, as his breath steadily grew more anxious with every passing second.
Suddenly however...
FLASH!
"...?"
"It took us a while to arrive here, Imperial... We apologize for this delay, your empire has lost so much of your own warriors this day..."
What happened next was not his merciless death, but something else entirely: an arcane-borne portal formed nearby him, and the long-awaited arrival of their temporary allies had finally come: the Southern Barbarians of the Nifaruscan Continent, with their black-skinned warriors with ritualistic tattoos marked all over their endowed, half-naked, bodies, as well as one of their mightiest figures who served the will of one of their 3 tribes, Priestess Mal'Usthura, the greatest fire magician among the Tikonglomeran Tribes and the most loyal devotee of one of their 3 great deities...
Seeing this, the dread and despair that built up within the remaining Neugomian soldier's heart instantly faded away into dust, and all of it had instantly been replaced with a faint sensation of hope...
"Great Shaman... Thank you for your arrival..." the soldier then stood up to approach her and knelt before her in utter desperation. "... Our forces have been nearly annihilated, so if I may be allowed to compel you..."
"Assist us with this battle, we can't afford to let these monsters march into Athenia and wreak havoc..."
"... Very well then, that is the reason why we came here afterall..." a proud, confident smirk formed on the old woman's face as crimson flames began forming all throughout her body. "Warriors of Tikonglomera, you have come from each of the 3 tribes who have warred against each other for millenia, but now, there stands a greater threat before us, and that is the reason why I've gathered you all here today!"
"Rip apart these metal behemoths who stand against us! Show them your mettle, and tear through these demons with your great strength!"
...
...
Who were these people who had appeared out of nowhere?
She initially thought that they'd already been cornered and defeated, and that there was no longer any sort of way for them to fight back, but now, the entire thing had reached a complete reversal: at the brink of annihilation, the Neugomians somehow managed to summon new reinforcements into the battlefield, and these recent forces of theirs were now currently unleashing chaos about the army of steel she sent to finish off the trapped imperial forces.
"Those new guys are cutting through the metal constructs like they're nothing..."
"Since when did the Empire have such strong warriors? And why the hell are they appearing now, of all times?"
"They're even summoning those massive fires out of nowhere... It's probably one of their damn magicks again..."
Among these concerned voices who spoke of their opinions to the saintess, one of them would be more noticeable to her than the others, as his voice and tone clearly stood above from the rest of his fellow knights due to his status as Adelaide's right-hand man.
"...What do we do about these bastards, Saintess? If we let them be, the entire army of constructs our savior entrusted to us will get annihilated..."
"... Wait for a moment, Malfor..."
As Adelaide said this to her most trusted bodyguard, a gentle, yet authoritative voice was currently speaking to her mind, an entity whose identity was already far too familiar to her inner thoughts- the powerful angel who used her body as its anchor to reality, a fragment of one of her Lord's most powerful servants, yet despite only being a portion of the real being, its presence was one that gave off a powerful presence whenever it chose to speak to her directly.
"The imperials have... Sided with heretics being led... By an abomination of flame and destruction..." the voice uttered ethereally. "Send me out, Adelaide... The one before you who is controlling those raging fires... She is not someone your forces can handle..."
This was getting even more stranger by the minute: based on what the angel stated, these figures who just recently descended into the battlefield were strong, so much so that the one who was leading them possessed a threat that even the angel had acknowledged...
"... Is that flame-wielder really that powerful?" Adelaide asked a bit nervously.
"Indeed... She is... This battle will be your loss... If you do not send me out... To do battle with that magick-bound witch..."
"..."
For a moment though, the saintess would feel a bit of hesitation as she came close to giving in to the angel's advice, as the possible toll it would take on her body by fighting such a dangerous enemy made her feel a bit of fear... What if her body became too strained amidst the battle? Or what if she could no longer handle the angel's power coursing within her very blood? Would her body eventually reach a state of constant decay and disrepair afterwards, so much so that no amount of healing or recovery would work?
... Regardless however, her faith would immediately shake off such doubts, as she immediately realized how detrimental it would be for all of them if she chose to dwell in her own self-worries: if their new enemies were indeed that powerful, then it was absolutely necessary for her to do everything she could to deal with them, even if it would cost her severely afterwards...
"... Will Malfor and the others be able to handle their warriors, at the very least? They seem to be incredibly powerful..."
"They can... They shall... And they will..." Apollyon spoke again. "Have faith... Just like you always have..."
Adelaide had a close relationship with all the warriors of the knights templar after all: they had always served faithfully to protect her ever since she first earned this grand title, and she had grown rather fond of Malfor especially- in fact, their relationship had reached the point where she could easily converse with him about various sensitive and personal matters...
"Do not worry... About them... They are strong by themselves... They will not perish... To such loathsome heretics... So easily..."
"... I just don't want to see them suffer needlessly... Dead, most especially..."
"Come then... If your conviction still waivers... Then let us... Make a prayer... Through simple words..."
The saintess slowly closed her eyes, as Apollyon then continued her ethereal conversation with her host...
"Trust in the Lord... With all your heart... And lean not... On your own understanding..."
"In all your ways submit to him..." Adelaide spoke back, this time aloud, as she knew exactly what the angel was speaking of. "... And he will set your path straight..."
"... There we go... Your fears have been... Lifted a bit for now, I presume? Now let's... Switch places for a moment..."
"...Very well then..."
An emanating, light of gold descended upon Adelaide's body, and her transformation into the powerful being immediately proceeded to start- it wouldn't be long before the battlefield would meet the fury of an angelic being whose power could shake the entire world itself, despite being a mere fragment of its original self...
"... W-what's happening all of a sudden, saintess?"
"Oh... I haven't told any of you yet, hm? It's a blessing from our Lord..." Adelaide said with a smile. "Just... Try not to be too surprised, alright? And..."
"As soon as I finish transforming, I'll deal with that mage who's casting those enormous flames, while you and the others will charge forth and deal with the other enemies."
Though he was confused for a moment, Malfor would nevertheless pay heed to her command: her words have always been trustworthy, and there was no way he was going to doubt them, especially now of all times.
"I understand then... But... What will you be transforming into though?"
"Hahaha.... You'll see. I promise you though, it's going to be a bit... Out of this world~"
________________________________________
There was a reason why the Tikonglomeran peipele remained divided into 3 tribes, even after the thousands of years' worth of existence that their families have managed to live through: due to the difference of the gods which they fervently worshipped, factions sprung out from their early years of existence, causing small rifts within their unity which eventually grew into entire borders separated by different customs and values over time...
Primarily, the Southern Barbarians venerated a triumvirate of almighty deities- the first was Devana, the deity who held dominion over all life and the very foundations of the earth; the second was Narayane, the deity who embodied the very concept of water and ruled all the lakes and rivers of Nifarusca with an unchallenged authority; and lastly, there was Agni, the deity of fire and brimstone, the most violent and bloodlusted among these mighty gods, though surprisingly, the lord of fire was also the most cunning out of all of these 3 powerful beings...
Once, the 3 tribes had never thought of uniting their forces under one cause and banner, as they never had the chance of laying witness to an enemy that could unravel and disassemble the very nature of their world and life- now however, things had changed, and a great many of their mightiest warriors, all of whom were temporarily under the command of Agni's high priestess, Mal'Usthura, the strongest of the 3 gods' disciples, had now been sent right at the very center of the battlefield, ready to bring destruction upon the demons whose existence greatly threatened the natural order and continued existence of the world...
"Your steel bodies mean nothing in the face of my all-consuming flames."
Massive, twisting pillars of arcane flame emerged from the aura of fire that engulfed her unburning body, burning the metal automatons of their enemy into fine ash that could no longer put up a fight against them, and although there were thousands more of these soulless, unrelenting creatures, they were nothing more than iron-encased fodder for the priestess' flames to torch and burn.
"Do not relent, warriors of Tikonglomera! Fight until the last enemy has fallen before us!"
Truthfully though, Mal'Usthura had been expecting more of a fight from these supposedly powerful enemies of theirs- had they perhaps grown complacent due to their victories, that they began to think that these mere fodder would be enough to finish their battles? Or is this already the best they could do when it came to waging war? Perhaps the empire became weak after all its years of an uncontested reign throughout Xathra?
Regardless of what the true reason for their weakness was however, the old shaman couldn't care either way- these were enemies that threatened the very stability of the world, and they couldn't afford to be careless right now just because these demons were unable to put up a fight right now...
Instantaneously, however, an unexpected scenery would suddenly appear before the priestess' very eyes...
"You... You are the apostle of a false god whose role is similar to that of mine... And because of that... I must destroy you..."
"... Who are you?"
A winged, feminine being adorned in sleek, metal battle armor, then descended from the sky and appeared in front of the priestess, as the winged woman's silver eyes stared back at the shaman's surprised gaze with a visible fury that Mal'Usthura was completely unable to understand... Who even was this woman, and why did she hold such an intense anger for her?
"My identity is not your concern. You should be worried more of the battle that's to come." the silver-haired angel quickly gave her reply. "Whitlea, do it now... Open an entrance to that prison realm of yours..."
"...!"
In unison with what the angel uttered, a dark, ethereal construct of swirling energies spilled forth behind the priestess, as the angel then immediately proceeded to kick her into its shadow-bound embrace within the blink of a human eye: the angel would then follow suit and enter the gateway as well, and almost immediately, a vast, empty space of darkness, one that resembled an endless void of nothingness that stretched endlessly into every direction, would immediately be the new environment they both found themselves in...
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"Y-you winged bastard...! Where the hell did you just take me?!"
"Your doom, false-god worshipper..." Apollyon answered coldly as she shot a glare of raw, unfiltered hate and scorn to her confused foe. "Make peace with the putrid deities you worship, for only one of us may come out alive after this..."
Out of nowhere, a radiant, golden sword, whose silver blade was bathed in the intensity of crimson fires, would then manifest on the angel's right hand, as she then raised her weapon into the air for the strike she was about to deliver.
"And I shall make sure that it will be me."
________________________________________
"Cut them down quickly! End them with only a few strikes, and don't leave them any time to recover!"
Their orders have already been set, a command that'd been recently given to them by Adelaide herself: support the remaining constructs and annihilate their newly-appeared enemies to the best of their ability...
Although it was a task that proved to be incredibly difficult, it was the duty of Malfor and his comrades to see to it that their orders were fulfilled no matter what- even though the enemies they were facing right now looked like complete monsters, each of the saintess' knights chose to press on and continue their fight without ever relenting for even a moment...
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Their enemies didn't even seem to be human at all: each of the sword-wielding, dark-skinned warriors were twice the height of normal men, with their bodies toned with impressive muscles and multiple scars of battle, though most importantly, their brutal, ground-shattering strength whenever they swung their blades, as well as the strange tattoos on their bodies... Those ritual-esque markings that made even Malfor feel a bit a bit of unease whenever he looked at them...
Fortunately for the templar knights however, their enemies, despite possessing such impressive physical features, were still ultimately human beings who have been enhanced with various physical magicks, and as such, their swords remained more than capable of slicing through their toned bodies with ease, though despite that, the physical prowess of these newly arrived enemy warriors was still something that Malfor and his comrades couldn't afford to ignore.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"... They're rather cumbersome to defeat, wouldn't you agree, Casimir?"
"Easy for you to say! One hit from those brutes, and I don't think even our armor can hold up!"
Remarkably, the only casualties they've sustained right now were the multitudes of automatons that were brought down by their fearsome enemies, though thankfully, all of the 50 knights managed to stay relatively uninjured: all they had to do was to was to keep fighting, and their enemies would eventually be defeated and drowned out by their superior numbers and strength, and with the main threat currently being dealt with by the saintess herself who took on the form of an angel, the only main task they had at hand was to vanquish all of these monsters that the Neugomians somehow managed to bring amidst their nearing defeat...
Minutes into the battlefield however, a terrible force of disaster would suddenly descend before him, an enemy far more powerful than the ones they were currently dealing with, a man that had the aura and strength of an unsurpassed demigod of war whom none could ever hope to beat...
...
...
THUUUDDD!!!
"ARRGHHHH!!!"
"AHHHH!!!"
From the skies above, a tall figure landed upon the ground like a meteorite, making the earth tremble as his feet slammed upon its surface: without delay however, the mighty barbarian would immediately swing his massive sword, sending 2 of Malfor's men hurtling away like mere bothersome flies who were meant to be smacked...
"Are those 2 still alive?" Malfor asked, shocked by what had just transpired before him.
"S-Shit... I'm not sure... But... W-Who the hell is that damn brute anyway...?"
"... I don't know Casimir, though he definitely looks like trouble..."
Like all the other dark-skinned tribesmen, the one who descended from the sky was an enemy who held a great strength and stature, however, there were many things that differentiated him from his kin: he was taller than all of them, perhaps 3 times larger than the average man, and the muscles of his body were far more toned than the rest of his comrades: furthermore, the markings of war on his skin, the way they were painted on his body roused an even greater sense of fear within the hearts of the templar knights, a sensational fury that was even managing to drive Malfor into a state of near-hesitation, as it gave the feeling that the warrior had already experienced countless decades of battling and engaging in numerous, near-death experiences.
"You... Xathran... You look... Strong..." the tall warrior spoke, his words seemingly directed towards Malfor as he was pointing the tip of his massive blade towards him. "You must be... The enemy leader... Are you not?"
His eyes would widen a bit as he heard what the giant had uttered: indeed, due to Adelaide being busy with another matter entirely, Malfor was technically indeed the one in command of their forces.. The question was, how did this man know of this fact, as it wasn't something that one could easily just figure out.
"You must be surprised... As a warrior... I can tell the strength of others... From even the farthest distances... And you happen to be the strongest among your brethren..."
"... So what if I am then? What exactly are you planning?"
"Nothing much... Let me make a fair proposal..."
The warrior then screamed into the air with his deep voice, uttering a powerful command whose singular word came from his vast, unknown language that only he and his kin knew- instantaneously, the other warriors on his side halted their clashing with Malfor's army in an instant, and so did both the knights and the constructs cease their actions as well.
"A fair, singular combat... Whoever claims victory shall win the battle... And force the loser's army to surrender unconditionally..." a terrible, battle-hungry grin formed on his face as he said this. What do you say... Xathran?"
Despite the serious front he was showing on his face, it was currently a baffling moment of weakness for Malfor, as his body seemed to greatly relent in considering the man's offer-for some reason, there was a strong belief within his heart that he would be defeated the moment he chose to cross swords with this powerful monster, and it had immediately taken a great hold of his rationality.
He then began to consider weighing the options: should he choose to accept, they would be locked in a duel where Malfor himself was uncertain of victory, and if he failed and perished, his comrades, as well as the entire army that had been entrusted to them by their saviour, would all be annihilated and brought to ruin, and if he refused, there was the risk of death that came due to the appearance of this monster within their vicinity, and Malfor wasn't sure if he and Casimir would even be able to survive against this bastard...
"..."
"... What will your choice be... Xathran? I cannot wait all day... For your answer..."
What was he going to do... What was he even supposed to say, and how was he supposed to respond to the threat that was right in front of him? Sweat trickled from his face as more, precious seconds continued to pass... If he didn't choose to answer as soon as possible, then this beast would most likely continue on with his rampage, and he was certain that he was going to be the first casualty the moment this disaster were to proceed...
And yet... Despite all of that...
"... Hm, alright... I accept..."
"Really now... How brave..." the tall warrior commended, not out of mockery, but admiration for Malfor's seemingly foolish decision. "Prepare yourself then... This shall be a battle to the death..."
His unwillingness to step and down and suffer defeat overrode his crippling sense of fear- even if there was a great chance of him meeting his end after this, he was still going to risk it all in order to ensure their victory, as he knew to himself that this giant was a threat that needed to be taken care of at once, and what better way would there be other than to duel with its might in a direct, uninterrupted confrontation?
It would have seemed foolish to the eyes of most indeed, but the greater minds would quickly realize that he had no other choice in this matter- Malfor decided to proceed with this not out of a sense of pride or a newly-rooted insanity, but because it was the most suitable course of action he could afford to take.
'Be strong, and be courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.'
It was a collection of words that came from a rare manuscript that was no longer commonplace, and he could also remember reading them from the book that the saintess would often read in her prayers: that verse had always managed to stay firmly within his memories, but now that Malfor was beginning to realize just how important those words truly meant to him, an enlightenment unlike never before had suddenly reached his very mind.
The very God he worshipped and revered ever since Malfor was but a mere child... His Lord had always been there for him, and he had never thrown him away or abandoned him, even in his lowest and darkest moments- it was because of his prayers to such a divine being that he managed to survive his cruel life at an old, decrepit orphanage that cared not for the children who lived in it, and it was for this reason he had chosen to dedicate the rest of his life to serving Him.
Now though, if he asked Him for the deliverance he needed in order to survive, would he provide it to him as always? While he was ultimately uncertain, Malfor still had faith that he would definitely be given the guidance he needed to persevere through this situation.
And so, before their duel would begin in earnest...
"Before we begin... May I make a short prayer?"
"... Fine." the giant stated firmly as he stabbed his sword into the ground and crossed his arms. "I shall wait until you finish... Make haste with your little prayer..."
"I see....Thank you..."
Malfor then clasped his hands together, as he looked up to the skies and began his brief words before the upcoming battle...
...
"... The Lord is my light and my salvation... Whom shall I fear?"
"...The Lord is the stronghold of my life... Of whom shall I be afraid?"
"... When the wicked advance against me to devour me... And when my enemies surround to seize victory against me..."
"... It is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall."
"Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear..."
"Though war break out against me, even then..."
"I will be confident."
...
And it was done... It had taken him only a few moments to utter those words as he closed his eyes in deep thought: suddenly however, as he eventually opened his eyes, a brilliant light would suddenly radiate from his blade, and it was a blessing he had received after the short prayer he made to the God he had always revered...
"I presume you're done... With your prayer... Let us proceed with... Our duel then..." the tall warrior, seeing that Malfor had finally finished what he was doing, would then pull out the sword he had stuck into the ground. "Come, let us fight each other until only one of us remains..."
At last, it was finally time for their long-awaited death combat to begin: though it had taken him a moment, the battle-hungry warrior could finally engage in combat with this enemy warrior he saw as worthy to face him, and an emotion of excitement took hold of his face as he anticipated for that very exciting moment.
"My name is Behanzin... The Sand Terror of the Tribe of Agni... And the strongest among my kin who have come... To bring destruction upon your army..." the giant warrior spoke proudly as he put one of his hands on his chest. "Before our duel... I would like to hear your name as well... It is courtesy for fellow warriors... To say their names to each other... Before battle after all..."
"... Tell me first, giant. Do you have a God you believe in?"
"... What kind of a question... Even is that?" the tall warrior answered as he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Of course I do... Why are you asking... Such a question?"
"Then, tell me once more, if you may..." Malfor continued as he readied his blade.
"...?"
"Does he stand with you right now like mine does?"
SWOOOOSHHH!!!
Malfor made a gigantic leap into the air with a great burst of strength from his legs: with his sword in hand, he quickly swung for the giant's neck, and he instantly managed to close the distance between them in only a few milliseconds.
"!!!!"
SLAAASSHHH!!!!
It was too fast for the tall warrior to react to immediately, and with but a single stroke from the power-armored knight's blade, the giant's head quickly departed from hiz neck and flew high into the air, sending forth a fountain of blood that came spurting out of the exposed flesh on his bleeding neck...
THUD...
All remained silent from the magnificent show of strength he displayed, and at first, there were a few who refused to believe that it actually happened; however, after the deceased warrior's head made a loud thud as it fell onto the ground, it quickly became apparent that what had transpired just now was no mere illusion.
"Without your guidance, I never would have been able to cut down that monster..." Malfor muttered quietly to himself, and as he witnessed the bewildered crowds of his silenced enemies who were now dropping their weapons one by one, he simply looked up to the skies and folded his hands together once more as a sign of prayer.
"Thank you, and... Amen..."
________________________________________
"ARGGHHHH!!!!!"
Screams of anguish echoed throughout the dark void, as the two-fold blows that Apollyon swiftly made on her target easily tore through the soft tenderness of her flesh: the silver blade easily cleaved through both of her arms in mere seconds, as the scorching fires that enveloped its metal edge left agonizing burns upon her quivering skin afterwards...
"I-Impossible! How does your fire manage to burn the likes of me?!"
"Simple. You are impure, and the very essence of your soul makes me want to vomit. With my eyes I can see the sins concealed deeply within your soul... The atrocities you commited, and the innocent lives you snuffed out... All for the sake of satisfying your own desires. Most importantly however..." Apollyon mentioned with a cold tone of voice. "You are the disciple of a demon... One that was even brave enough to mask itself as a venerated god whose identity belongs to the past... How exceedingly pathetic, to wear the skin of someone and to pretend as if you are truly them..."
"Y-YOU!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!" Mal'Usthura shouted back in rage, maddened by the great disrespect that had been thrown at her. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE GREAT AGNI WITH YOUR INSOLENCE!"
"Insolence? How dare you, scum, to designate the truth as mere 'insolence'? Not only is your soul twisted, but your mind appears to be backwards as well."
"YOU BITCH! MARK MY WORDS, I SHALL SEE TO IT THAT YOU BURN UNTIL NOT EVEN ASHES REMAIN OF YOUR MISERABLE BODY!"
"Hmph. Bring it on then. Show me the full extent of your might, and I'll make sure to completely dismantle it afterwards."
[Maximum Hellfire.]
[Firestorm Tornado.]
[Fire of the Destruction God.]
Despite the loss of her arms, Mal'Usthura could still utilize her arcane might through only her thoughts, and immediately afterwards, the entire dimension they were trapped in, quickly became a nightmarish realm after the priestess finished casting all her spells- raging blue flames, combusting formations that were far more powerful than normal fires, quickly engulfed every space and corner of the dark dimension, leaving not even a single area of its void structure untouched by its scorching embrace.
It was an attack that would have been enough to reduce an entire country into a smoldering pile of ashes, and terrifyingly enough, Ma'lusthura could definitely unleash an even greater level of destruction if her god had permitted her: even so however, this much power should have been enough to instantly burn Apollyon until nothing was left for her, and the priestess was definitely certain that this would be the most likely outcome...
... However, contrary to what she expected...
"Is this all you can afford with that disgusting magick of yours, heathen?"
SLAASSHHH!!!!
Apollyon simply swung her blade sidewards, and all the ever-growing flames quickly ceased to exist... Not even 3 seconds have passed since she first summoned them, and yet the angel managed to completely render them useless without much of an effort...
"Bring out your 'god'. Call forth his name. Perhaps he is asleep, or daydreaming?"
SLASH!!!
"!!!!"
Apollyon sent another cleaving strike, this time to one of the priestess' legs, and like the rest of her slices, it would instantly cut through her skin and bone and leave cruel burns upon her exposed flesh: the pain of such a brutal attack would of course leave the shaman in a terrible pain, causing her to scream at the top of her very lungs with a shrill cry that echoed throughout the void of nothingness.
"Call him. Now. Or do you also need to wake him up while you're at it?"
SLASH!!!
"ARRGGHHHHH!!!!!!!"
By the 4th blow, the pitiful shaman's body had no arms or legs left, and she was now nothing more than a limbless sack of flesh who couldn't even put up a fight by this point: even so however, the cold, merciless expression on the angel's face never ceased to be, and the sight of it would forever leave a horrible trauma upon Mal'Usthura's mind for the rest of her short, remaining life.
"Call your worthless 'god'. Now. Or else your head will be next."
"!!!"
This was such an unprecedented scenario- how could her, Ma'lusthura, the great apostle of the fire god, Agni, and the strongest among the disciples of the 3 gods, fall prey to such a frail-looking, winged woman? She had spent years of her life harnessing the experiences she needed and the power she desired, and she even sacrificed thousands of her own tribesmen in order to gain the immense arcane might she currently possessed: despite this however, Ma'lusthura's very power had now proven to be meaningless, as it was now being rendered useless by the terrible, monster of a woman who was about to end her life in this incredibly dark realm she had been imprisoned in.
"Must I repeat my words? Call out your pathetic deity. Beg for him to save your life and appear before us. Is it that hard?"
"Y-you fool! You absolute imbecile!" the shaman mocked as she spat out drops of blood from her mouth. "You should have killed me when you struck me with your 1st blow! H-how arrogant of you to think that you can face the great Agni!"
"So what? Do you think I care about this so-called might of your 'deity'? Bring him out, and I shall slay him before your very eyes, witch."
Mal'Usthura didn't put much thought to it by this point, as she already realized the horrible truth of the dilemma she was trapped in: she had no choice either way, and this was the only hope she could rely on for a chance of surviving this disaster: while the old shaman was aware of her deity's cruelty and hate for failure, surely he would at least be willing to help his most dedicated follower in her direst of times?
"... You are a fool to think you can match my lord's might... I truly hope you regret your words..." the shaman muttered, as she then began chanting one of the many incantations she had rarely ever considered using. "In the name of the one who destroys... The one who burns all and leaves none spared from the fires of his wrath..."
"Oh Great Lord of Fire, I beckon you to listen to your dutiful servants pleadings, and deliver her from her suffering!"
The shaman finished her chants, and the summoning ritual had been done. It was not something she could do so carelessly, as this ritual always had the chance of rousing her god's fury instead: fortunately for her however, the terrible foe she was facing right now definitely warranted the casting of this very summoning...
"... I hear your call, my worthy apostle, and now I have answered..."
Pillars of fire rose high up as they emerged from the shaman's broken body, and from them came forth the deity who had answered his apostle's cry for help- a blue giant whose skin bathed in terrible flames as he carried his deathly trident with his right hand, would then appear before them in a fiery display of power, his body massive enough to engulf an entire castle, and his voice being loud and powerful enough for it to echo throughout the void with every word he spoke.
"Why have you summoned me, Mal'Usthura? Know that if you have summoned me for something trivial, I will lose my favor for you and cast you out as my most prized champion."
"My lord, I beseech you for deliverance!" Mal'Usthura pleaded, all while she desperately sought to resist the incredible anguish she felt from her wounds. "Strike down this woman who had dared to disrespect your name and your most dedicated priestess!"
"Hm... You do look to be in a dire predicament... Very well then, my apostle..." the god responded with a powerful, yet acknowledging tone as he turned towards the angelic being who had been tormenting the priestess. "... Before I strike you down, I would like to commend you for the power you possess... Not many mortals are capable of overpowering our chosen heralds in single combat..."
"I am no mere mortal, demon." the angel replied, the barely-concealed anger in her voice seemingly become more noticeable. "Do you not recognize who I am? Or has your brain sizzled from the arcane fires you bathe your body in?"
"... Wait... N-No... You... How is this possible...?"
"Indeed, it is impossible, for the likes of you and your revolting comrades at least." Apollyon proclaimed, raising her voice even higher as the fires of her sword seemed to grow even stronger.
"I am a fragment of Abaddon, the Angel of the Abyss, one the Creator's most powerful angels... The one responsible for keeping the fallen light-bringer's forces trapped in their gloomy domain, as punishment for the horrid betrayal that you and the others have committed..."
"Impossible! You are a mere pretender!" the deity snapped furiously as he readied his trident. "I will strike you down where you stand, you overbearing woman!"
"Pretender? Really? Isn't that quite the irony?"
"SILENCE, YOU MERE WORM!"
The trident would thrust forth in the blink of an eye, its sharp, flaming tips heading straight for the angel's body in a swiftness that far transcended that of the speed of sound: the priestess smiled in delight as she saw this, as this self-proclaimed angel who had torn away her limbs would finally meet her fiery demise at the hands of her god.
SLASH!!!!
With one stroke from Apollyon's sword however, the fires of her blade quickly engulfed the deity's flaming trident in a near-instant moment- their flames clashed in a short, yet chaotic battle, and the fires that came from the angel's sword would eventually overpower its opposition, reducing the trident into a useless, collection of ash...
"... T-this... Y-you really are..."
"Do I really need to repeat it twice, scum?"
For the first time, an obvious look of terror and despair would form on the god's enormous face, a ridiculous scenery that left the shaman in complete shock as her eyes continued to helplessly lay witness to it all: how could the great Agni, the mighty fire deity of her own tribe, be reduced to this nervous, terror-stricken mess? It was something so greatly humiliating, that the shaman's mouth remained agape all the while as she completely refused to interrupt their conversation.
"... N-no... You can't mean... Why are you even here?! Even if you're just a fragment... You should be busy guarding the gates with your main body right now!"
"Precisely, and I am here to remove you from this world as punishment for your unwarranted escape. The Lord has given me a mission: the earth has been corrupted by the leaking malevolence of you and your demonic ilk, and it has become my duty to purify you all with the help of the appointed chosen one." the angel said as she maintained her cold expression. "... I must admit though, none of this would have happened if those humans never decided to breach into the realm I guarded using their meddlesome gateways, and until now, I am still a bit... Disappointed..."
"Even so... I will still fulfill my duty and bring order to this world, and your death will bring us one step closer to this goal."
"... T-There is no way I can dissuade you, is there?"
"Indeed, I will destroy you and your soulless apostle, and I shall not allow anything to stop this from happening..."
"Even if I give my word that I'll return to the abyss and never come back to this accursed earth?"
"No. Your destiny is to meet your end today by my hands. There is no changing that fate, not unless the Creator Himself wills it so."
"... I don't understand... I really don't understand at all..."
A confused look immediately shown from her eyes. "What could you possibly mean?"
"... You and the Creator... Why are the lives of these humans supposed to matter anyway? They're all weak, imperfect, and they all fall and sin so easily." the 'god' questioned bewailingly. "We are beings of perfection, and we deserve to be worshipped to death by these miserable sacks of flesh. The only right they have should be to slave their lives away and sacrifice themselves to us like the worthless animals they are!"
"And that is where you and the fallen light-bringer are mistaken..." Apollyon would swiftly correct. "Humans are indeed flawed and pitiful creatures... In the end however, their very bodies were modeled after the Lord's appearance himself, and to think of them as inferior would be to slander the name of the very being who created us."
"... T-that's..."
"And besides, I have learned the beauty of their species long ago... I was helped by one of them at my most desperate hour... Who could have imagined it? A human, providing aid to an angelic being whose very power and purpose is to completely destroy its enemies..." Apollyon continued, a small smile forming on her face as she spoke, though it would immediately fade away into nothingness after a short moment. "In truth, I was like you a long time ago... I once viewed them as nothing more than insects who do not deserve the love that our creator always gives them... Now however, after that human gave me the enlightenment I needed, I've finally realized my mistake..."
"... You really think of them so highly..." he uttered as he sighed in defeat, realizing how pointless it was to try and shift her opinions. "... Even if they are nothing more than flawed vermin who can never become as divine as us...?"
"They are imperfect, yes, and they are also incredibly sinful. Although, for as much as they are capable of evil, they are also just as capable of acts of kindness that not even you or I can perceive with our imagination, and I have eventually learned to appreciate this fact quite well..."
"... There's no point in convincing you otherwise... You are unbearably naive..."
A mocking grin then surfaced upon the angel's lips "Naive? I am simply more knowledgeable than you. After all, it was not me, but you and your fellow traitors who ended up imprisoned for the pride that grew too great within you all." Apollyon remarked. "How ironic, especially since you lot consider yourselves us perfect, when in reality, only our Creator truly is. Even I wouldn't call myself as free from the burden of errors and mistakes."
"Y-you...!!!"
There wasn't any point in continuing this short moment of peace anymore: the giant deity shifted his form, shedding his false identity instantly as his great, humanoid body transformed into that of a massive dragon with cyan scales, a vessel that no longer resembled the humanoid one he had always used to pretend as a god of those primitive humans...
Though it seemed to be a rather impulsive decision made out of anger, it had, in fact, only been due to one, simple reason- if his fate was to perish at the hands of this monstrously powerful angel of divinity, then he would prefer dying in combat against her might rather than succumbing helplessly to that woman's ability of destruction.
"Even if I die, I will make sure to leave a terrible scar on your body!"
Apollyon merely sighed, as her face would once more turn into a serious expression. "Ah, how the mighty have fallen... For a servant of the Lord to be reduced to this... Grand imitator who relies on the filth of magick..."
"How truly pathetic."
A brilliant light came forth and engulfed the dragon and his apostle, engulfing them completely within its radiant embrace as they would finally meet their ends in an instant.
[Die, and cease your unworthy existences.]
Both the false god and his priestess, the unfortunate Mal'Usthura, would forever be erased from reality, with not even ash or soot remaining as traces of their now inexistent bodies...
This was the power of the Angel of Destruction, an angelic being who held a power so great, that even a mere fragment of its true existence could unleash a terrible annihilation upon its very foes...