When Ben regained consciousness, he felt the tickle of bubbles on his lips. He was back under the water where Zachariel and Raziel had dropped him. It felt like he was lying on a cloud, suspended and weightless.
He emerged from the water, his body tingling with a renewed sense of energy. He felt…pure, like he could run for days and vaporize a million demons. The voices and dark, murderous urges that had plagued him before were gone.
And now, thanks to the Creator, Ben knew what needed to be done.
“Ben!” Zachariel’s eyes widened as he noticed him emerge from the Pool of Eden. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.” Ben glanced at him and smiled. “I feel good.”
Zachariel sighed in relief as he clasped Ben’s hand and pulled him the rest of the way out. Their eyes met. The image of their battle and the angel’s blade a mere inch from his face flashed into his mind. Though it had healed thanks to the pool, the spot where Zachariel had run him through with his blade stung.
The angel frowned, as if he knew what he was thinking. His eyes lowered.
“Ben,” the angel began, “about before, I…wanted to apologize.”
“Don’t. I…” Ben frowned, “I killed a lot of people, didn’t I?”
“You weren’t in control.” Zachariel placed a reassuring hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself for it.”
“Kind of hard not to, so believe me, I understand,” Ben said, avoiding the angel’s gaze. “Even more so, I agree.”
Zachariel frowned. “Regardless of what you think, you’re just a victim in all of this. You don’t deserve death.”
“They didn’t either.”
The angel opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped. Silence filled the crisp air until another voice sounded from behind them.
“I see you've woken up. Better late than never.”
Ben looked past the angel to the source of the voice. Raziel was sitting on a rock, gazing outward toward the storm clouds that were forming in the far distance. Without his cloak, his armor was exposed, its surface riddled with chips, cracks, and breaks. He looked like he had gone through an oversized paper shredder and lived to tell about it.
“Raziel!” he said, amazed. “You’re alive?”
“Yes.” Raziel waved his hand dismissively. “I appreciate the concern.”
“I never got the chance to thank you for giving me and Ari the chance to get out of the city.” Ben smiled and gave him a pat on the arm. “We wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”
“For all the good it did,” Raziel said callously. “The people of that city are gone. You were successfully corrupted and nearly died as a result, and Ariana is the demon’s prisoner…if she isn’t dead, that is.”
“She’s not dead,” Ben insisted.
“How do you know?” Zachariel asked, uncrossing his arms and taking a step forward, his eyes filled with a mix of curiosity and urgency.
“Remember how you told me about the Creator, back in Riverglade?”
The angel nodded as Raziel’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, uh…when I was under, I met him. He said he had some information for me to pass onto you.”
“You met the Creator?” Raziel asked, his brows furrowed in disbelief.
“Yeah.” Ben nodded and faced Zachariel. “He wants us to attack the fortress and says that there's something inside it that keeps the demons coming back.”
“Typical that he would leave the dirty work to angels, even with that infinite power of his,” Raziel sneered.
“That’s…actually a good point,” Ben said. “Why doesn’t he just blow them from existence?”
“We’ll never know that now,” Raziel scoffed. “Considering you missed the chance to ask him yourself.”
“His focus is on his people,” Zachariel corrected him. “He entrusted this task to us. For everyone’s sake, we must see it through.”
“I suppose.” Raziel sighed and rolled his eyes. “Anyway, you mentioned Ariana was alive. Is she in the fortress as well?”
“Yeah, he said he was sending this little bird to help her.”
Raziel arched an eyebrow. “A bird?”
“Yeah. I call him Eren, Ari calls him Birdy, but the Creator said he had a different name.” Ben scratched his head. “What was it? Caramel? Arrow...something?”
“Aromiel?” Zachariel asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Ben nodded. “Why? Know him?”
Zachariel touched his chin in deep thought. “He’s the highest among the Host’s creatures. I’ve never seen him in person, but the legends say he sits at the foot of the Creator himself, doing his good work and singing praises, but above all, he is a guardian. So, if the Creator sent him to save Ariana…” He eyed Ben. “Then he will not fail.”
“Alright, so Aromiel saves Ari. We pick her up, destroy whatever’s in the fortress, and go back to Riverglade? So you guys can have your life back?” Ben asked hopefully.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Ben, but those days are long gone.” Zachariel sighed wistfully. “The only thing we can do now is destroy that fortress and save those who still live.”
“Indeed,” a voice from the shadows said. “It’s best not to waste any more time.”
Ben spun to face the owner of the voice. It belonged to a tall angel, with blonde hair and a pair of blue, glowing wings. He had his arms crossed, like he was ready for any kind of fight that could be thrown at him. The angel’s intense, piercing gaze bore into him with an unsettling intensity.
Ben paled. This was the one that had punched him from the sky when he was in his Colossus form.
“Michael.” Zachariel nodded. “Any news?”
“Yes,” Michael said, his eyes downcast. “My scouts have located the fortress, but…”
Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “But what, brother?”
“It is heavily defended.” The Archangel inhaled sharply. “I don’t see how we take it without great cost.”
Ben watched as the angel’s eyes collectively widened. Raziel’s intense gaze met the Archangel’s.
“But that is not for us to worry about. For us, the Creator declared the destruction of that fortress his top priority. He will lend us some help from those deployed to Earth.”
Against his better judgment, Ben interjected. “Can I help somehow?”
All three angels spun to look at him. They turned back and conversed in another language. Zachariel glanced over at him one more time and sighed in irritation. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Raziel interrupted him.
“Ben is obviously clear of his demon corruption. Personally, I don't see what the big issue is.”
“He brings up a point, Zachariel.” Another angel that had just arrived said. “The boy seems to have more control over himself.”
“Gabriel,” Zachariel said, greeting him with a handshake. He then eyed the new arrival before glancing back at Ben. “You think so?”
“I don’t see why not,” Gabriel replied, turning to the blue-winged angel once more. “What say you, brother?”
“If the boy really has control of it, then have him summon his Nephilim armor.” Michael's eyes narrowed, scanning Ben from head to toe, as if he were sizing up a potential adversary. “That would be the fastest way to test Gabriel's and Raziel's hypothesis.”
“Whoa, whoa, I didn’t mean like that,” Ben protested. “I thought it was dangerous to use my abilities.” Last time he summoned the shell, Aka Manah had transformed him into a rampaging giant. Considering that it got Ariana captured and a few villages obliterated, he wasn't exactly keen on trying it again.
“The corruption is gone.” Raziel rose from his perch on the rock and approached Ben, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don't be afraid to embrace your power.”
Ben looked over at the three angels. Michael nodded his head in approval. Gabriel gave him a thumbs up, and Zachariel hesitated for a moment, before nodding his head as well.
Raziel returned the nod and focused on Ben. “Alright. Now summon the armor.”
Ben closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He tried to imagine the armor forming around his body, but when he opened them, all that was there was a ring of smoke. He grunted in frustration.
“It’s not working.”
“That’s because you’re still afraid.” Raziel eyed him.
“What do you mean?”
“To someone who hasn’t mastered it, the armor typically forms to either anger or protectiveness,” Raziel explained. “I noticed that when you summoned it against me, you did so to protect Ariana. But your anger, added to the demon's corruption, made you unpredictably violent. But now, even with its influence gone, you’re still letting the infection get to your head.”
“Okay.” Ben narrowed his eyes. “So, what do I do about it?”
Raziel pulled his blade and pinned him against the wall. Gabriel and Zachariel attempted to jump in and stop him, but Michael held both of his arms up as he beckoned for them not to interfere.
“What are you doing?” Zachariel asked.
“Just wait,” Michael said, eying Raziel carefully.
Raziel pressed the blade closer to Ben’s neck, enough to make blood drip down the dark steel. “Form your shell. Now”
Ben closed his eyes, desperately trying to call forth the ethereal armor. For a second, he felt like he was back in the husk of the Demon Colossus, trampling and burning the innocents.
“I-I can’t,” he said, opening his eyes to push the images from his mind. “I don’t want anyone else to get—”
Raziel released him from his iron-clad grip, sending him falling against the ground. His firm hand gripped his shoulder, a breath burned against his ear.
“Did you forget, Ben? What happened to her because of you?”
Ben froze. Images of Ariana’s burnt wrist, her destroyed village, and everything else burned into his mind. Ben’s eyes flashed as he felt his body heat up, like two sticks being rubbed together to create a fire.
“Right now, she is probably in chains, at the mercy of the demons,” Raziel taunted. “She’s where she is now, because of you. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can save her.”
Ben’s eyebrows furrowed. Raziel had a point. Ariana was trapped in the demon fortress, and now he could make things right by saving her. He owed it to both her and Zachariel.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
“Before, you were chained by the infection, by fear. Now, you have control. It’s your power, Ben,” Raziel hissed. “Now, fight.”
The smoke that now billowed from his body ignited and gave way to flame. It erupted from him with a thunderous roar, forcing Raziel to stumble backward, as the rest of his armor emerged, forming an imposing eighteen-foot humanoid figure. Blue chunks of his new Nephilim Shell covered his body as white light erupted from the cracks.
Raziel smirked as he sheathed his blade. “Finally.”
Ben’s mouth gaped as the cut in his neck healed. His new armor didn't feel sinister or demonic like the last one. If anything, it felt righteous.
When he looked back up, Raziel had already formed his own armor and summoned a sword and shield to go with it. Zachariel, Michael, and Gabriel had drawn their weapons as well.
“Been a while since we had a full-scale battle. I’ve been itching for some action ever since I was assigned to the archive.” The silver-haired angel said, cracking a wide grin. “What about you, brother? Feeling up to the task?”
“I’d prefer not.” Zachariel said, stretching and rotating his sword arm as he looked at Michael. “But if it must be done...”
“It is,” Michael said, nodding. “We must take this fortress by any means necessary.”
“Well, I know you guys are angels and everything…” Ben faced them. “But there are only five of us. How are we going to take out all of those demons?”
“Oh, right.” Gabriel smiled and turned to his fellow archangel. “You said we were getting help, correct?”
Michael nodded and dug his blade into the ground, whispering an incantation of some sort. Ben arched an eyebrow and leaned over to Raziel. “What is he doing?”
Before anyone could answer, Michael tore the blade from the ground and pointed it skyward. Blue and yellow lightning cracked through the clouds, illuminating the entire sky and transforming the three angels into warriors clad in battle armor. The lightning etched intricate symbols and shimmering veins of multi-colored light onto the plates, infusing them with a breathtaking, indescribable energy.
The Archangel slung the blade back down and screamed, “Come! Heaven’s Legion!”
As the dark clouds parted, brilliant rays of light pierced through the gaps. Soon, they disappeared altogether, revealing hundreds upon hundreds of winged figures, all armed with blazing swords and shining plates of armor, ready to tear the enemy asunder.
Ben blinked in absolute awe, unable to process the incredible sight before him. He felt that now, with the corruption gone, and an angel army at their side, that nothing could stand in their way as they saved Ariana and what remained of New Eden.
Because now, the Calvary had arrived.
----------------------------------------
Zachariel looked onward and sighed with relief as Michael finally summoned Heaven's Legion. He was glad, because he did not feel up to fighting the demons with only four comrades. Even if it was two of his fellow angels and two Soraphim, one of whom was a rebellious and utterly insane rogue, and the other being a young, ignorant and confused boy. Even with two archangels at his back, he still felt no less dubious about the oncoming fight.
As Michael raised his blade, Zachariel readied his sword and spread his wings, preparing for takeoff. The command was given, and they all tore into the sky, soaring like bolts of lightning into the dark clouds.
He looked behind him to see that Raziel and Ben had formed a pair of burning ethereal wings on their respective armors. Michael led the legion, his wings a mere glowing blur as they cut across the churning clouds.
Soon, they were free of the storm that obscured their vision, and the fortress was in view. It was a gray stone castle with a sinister, twisted architecture to it. Sharp, evil spires erupted from the top and sides of the fortress, and like the Sky City, it was housed on a chunk of jagged rock and stone, suspended far above the ground. A multitude of smaller masses orbited the main one, creating a debris field that would have to maneuver through if they hoped to reach their target.
Zachariel looked closer. On each of the floating chunks stood a Wicked Giant, each preparing a flaming meteor. By the time he had opened his mouth to warn his comrades, a good dozen of them were vaporized into light and dust.
“Take cover!” screamed Michael as he ducked behind a large rock, the Legion following suit. Plumes of searing flame and rock soared past them, decimating those who hadn’t yet made it to shelter. Gabriel took refuge next to him.
“We’ve got to do something about those giants!” He pressed his back against the rock. “I—”
The barrage stopped. Zachariel exchanged looks with Gabriel before daring to peek out from behind cover. His eyes widened. Ben had formed a massive shield of azure, solidified fire, and was rallying the angels behind him as he pressed forward, closer to the Wicked Giants that guarded the fortress.
Zachariel’s eyes widened. The incredible sight in front of him stood in sharp contrast to the horrors he had witnessed before.
Instead of fighting them, Ben was now leading them.
The Wicked Giants roared in defiance. Their meteors bounced off the shield harmlessly as he finally broke their defenses. The angels spread out and tore the giants asunder, finally clearing the path forward.
Gabriel cheered next to him as they broke cover and darted toward the fortress. They landed on another of the floating rocks, seeing the slain, shadowy bodies of the Wicked Giants slowly dissipate into smoke. Now that they were out of the way, they could finally begin their assault.
Raziel landed next to them, his cold-steel blade covered in demon dust. Ben followed behind him, his Nephilim armor shining, powerful, and righteous.
“So, what’s next?” Ben asked. “We go after that thing the Creator was talking about?”
“Don’t be stupid, Ben,” Raziel said. “I’m not letting you anywhere near that fortress. I’ll be the one to destroy it. Besides…” His brows furrowed. “I’ve got a score to settle.”
“Come on, man!” Ben’s armor flared with blue fire. “What about Ariana?”
The second the words had escaped Ben’s mouth, they all heard a shrieking noise and looked forward to the source. There, a six-winged eagle was fleeing from a group of pursuing demons, with a terrified blonde girl clutching desperately to its neck.
Zachariel smiled, knowing that Ariana had been saved by Aromiel. The bird had done its job, but they still needed to eliminate the demons behind her.
“Aromiel!” he shouted. “Dive!”
Aromiel complied and pulled all six of his wings in, diving below them. He, Raziel, Ben, and Gabriel tore through and killed most with a few swings of a blade and a whirlwind of orange and blue flame.
After the demons had either passed or been shredded into dust, the eagle swung around and landed on the rock with them. Ariana laid her head against its neck, her hair a tangled mess. She looked like she was mere seconds from vomiting. The moment she saw him, however, she sat up, her eyes widening.
“Dad!” Ariana let out a joyful scream as he tightly wrapped his arms around her. “Y-you’re alive!”
“I’m alive?” Zachariel gripped tighter, then pulled back to look at her. He brushed a loose curl behind her ear. “I’m happy just to see you, Ari! More than you’ll ever know.”
Behind them, Raziel let out a weary sigh. “This is very touching and all, but we need to get a move on. I have a demon to kill.”
“You mean Aka Manah?” Ariana asked.
“Who else?” His scarlet eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“Be careful. He has something that looks like B—” Ariana froze, her mouth gaped open as her eyes trailed behind Zachariel. He paused, then turned to see what his daughter was looking at. Ben was there, staring back at her. Both of their eyes welled up with tears, slowly brimming with emotion. Ben released his armor, and they embraced.
“Ari,” Ben rasped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”
“I thought I lost you.” Ariana said as her eyes azure glistened. Their eyes met once more, their faces inched closer to one another, as if for a kiss. Raziel interrupted it by clearing his throat.
“Again, very touching. But seeing as we’re in the middle of a battle, we can’t afford to waste more time.” His gaze turned to Ariana. “You were in the fortress. Did you see Aka Manah?”
“Yeah, he’s in a giant throne room in the center.” Ariana nodded. “Also, I saw something else. Close to it is another one where a bunch of demons came out of this weird circle thingy. They die, and they come back out of it.”
“They’re respawning?” Zachariel asked. “So they more or less have an infinite army?”
“Not for long,” Raziel declared as he summoned his ethereal armor once more. “You and I will—”
From the direction of the fortress, a thunderous cry of anger echoed through the air. Zachariel glanced over, seeing a large red Nephilim Shell with a plethora of demons behind it. As he focused, he realized it was Ben in the armor. Confused, he looked over at the Ben who was in Ariana’s embrace.
This is him all right, Zachariel confirmed, but then…?
The dark Ben in the red armor rammed directly into the rock they were on, shattering it to pieces. They fell for a moment before regaining their aerial stability. He and Gabriel darted from under the falling debris, Aromiel following them with Ariana on his back. Ben tried to form his armor mid-air but was grabbed and slammed into another nearby floating chunk.
Zachariel looked at Ariana, who regained her posture and set her sights on the two clashing Soraphim. She leaned forward and ordered Aromiel to intervene. “Come on, Birdy! We've got to help Ben!”
He moved to assist them but found himself swarmed by a ragtag group of raging demons. By the time Raziel had joined him, the battling red and blue armors were already far away.
“Zachariel…” Raziel said. “We need to take out Aka Manah. If we don't stop him and destroy whatever is regenerating the demons, these armies will keep coming.”
The angel looked around. The rest of Heaven's legion was locked in fierce battle. There were the angels fighting against the demons and imps, and Michael and Gabriel were preoccupied with a second group of Wicked Giants that attacked his regiment. They couldn't rely on them for help.
“Alright.” Zachariel gripped the leather handle of his blade, knowing full well that he was in for the fight of his life. “Let’s go find Aka Manah.”
----------------------------------------
The fact that Ben had met his evil twin was pretty bad in Ariana’s book. She wasn’t sure exactly what it was, or how Aka Manah had gotten ahold of it, but to her, it was a manifestation of his darkest self. The one she had feared would take him over for good.
Solidifying her grip on Birdy’s neck, Ariana beckoned him closer to the two dueling Bens. The dark one from the throne room appeared to have no trouble in trouncing his counterpart, flinging him across the field of flying rocks and debris.
As they fought, a bunch of demons tried to jump the good Ben and distract him, but Birdy dived in and grabbed them, flinging them up as Ariana slashed them with Omega. One of them foresaw it and positioned itself to ambush her from above.
Watch out, girl! the voice in her said, demon above you!
Ariana patted Birdy's head and told him to do a barrel roll. The demon instead ended up in the bird’s claws, before he turned back upright and smashed the demon against a floating rock.
“Good job!” she told Birdy. “Now let's go help Ben!”
They sped over to the fight. The wind whipped violently as Ariana and Birdy flew ever closer. Both Bens were smashing the other against a rock, boulder, or whatever object they could find. The blows from his darker self were significantly more vicious and powerful.
Ariana and Birdy had finally closed in on the scene, only to find the two parties locked in a stalemate. The evil one slowly turned his head, his white hair flickering in the wind as he grinned insidiously at her, the same smile he had when he first killed Alexis back in Riverglade.
Ariana froze as Birdy tucked his wings in and narrowly avoided a jet of red and black flame. She shook her head, inhaled sharply, and directed the six-winged eagle in for another dive bomb.
Ben’s evil twin eyed her and jumped out of the way, causing her and Birdy to have to grind to a halt, nearly falling over the edge. The giant bird’s talons dug into the rock. The sudden jolt caused Ariana to slip down his feathery back and nearly fall to her demise, her right hand barely grabbing his wing at the last possible second. Her feet dangled; her arm felt like it was being torn from her socket as she desperately held on for dear life.
Birdy leaned over and picked her up by her torn shirt with his beak, placing her back on the safety of the small floating landmass. When she looked back up at the battle, her eyes widened.
Evil Ben was pummeling good Ben as savagely as possible, the chunks of his blue armor cracked beneath the blows. When it finally shattered, he grabbed him by his jet-black hair with an evil smirk. Ben’s eyebrows furrowed as he head-butted his opponent and attempted to put him in a headlock. His evil twin expected the move, twisted around, and kicked him to the ground as he summoned a hellfire blade burning with a sizzling, demonic energy. He raised it high, ready to deliver the fatal strike.
Before she could even think about it, Ariana had jumped and landed on the back of the evil Ben's armor, digging Omega into the nape. The evil twin shouted in agony as he threw Ariana from his back, raising a fist to smash her. With no avenue of escape, and no time to react, Ariana met the creature’s eyes with a defiant glare as the blade fell.
With a swift motion, the other Ben seized the wicked one's ethereal sword and mercilessly drove it through his body, pinning him to a nearby rocky outcrop. Blood spurted from the mouth, the body twitching before the shaking subsided completely, smoke rising from it.
Ben sighed with relief, then turned to embrace Ariana, his warmth spreading to her. It felt comforting, having his arms around her once more, after she thought she had lost him for good.
“Ben,” Ariana whispered as she nuzzled her head under his chin. “Don’t leave me again. Please.”
As Ben smiled and prepared to speak, the air filled with the eerie sound of twisted laughter from his evil self. The blood-red eyes were blazing, the demonic seal on his forehead slowly faded.
“No promises,” it teased wickedly, head tilting. “You were meant for this, you know. To bring suffering.”
Ariana grit her teeth and stepped forward, but Ben held her back. He exchanged a quick glance with her before facing his darker self.
“No,” Ben declared. “I’m never going to become you again.”
“I am you, fool.” The evil Ben laughed as more blood spurted from his wound and mouth. He stared him directly in the eye and he flashed him a set of bloodied teeth. “By the way, I never thanked you.”
Ben cautiously approached it, never breaking eye contact. Ariana felt the hairs on her body stand on end when it spoke.
“For what?”
The demonic seal on the evil Ben’s forehead disappeared. It smirked.
“For freeing me.”
The creature freed itself from the blade and leapt forward, causing Ben to quickly summon his blue armor defensively. In that instant, it disappeared into ash and ember, encircling him and turning his fire orange once more. After that, all traces of his evil counterpart were finally gone.
Ben collapsed to the ground, and his armor vanished like mist in the sunlight. Ariana knelt next to him and pulled him close, his bruised and bloody body safe in her arms before they met each other’s eyes. He tightened his warm grip on her.
“Ari,” he said, his voice breaking. “I’m sorry. For everything.”
She hugged him back and ran her fingers through his hair. “It's alright. I'm just glad to have you back.”
As he let go and stood up, he reached out to assist her in getting up, since her leg was still fractured. They made their way over to Birdy, who was fluttering all six of his wings in irritation, like he was eager to leave.
“Hey, buddy.” Ben patted the bird on his head. “Got room for one more?”
Birdy sounded off and readied his wings for flight. The pair climbed onto his back, and Ben wrapped his arms around her waist, so that he wouldn't fall off during flight. Ariana‘s face burned.
They took off into the sky and soared toward the frightening fortress that Aka Manah had kept her in. “Alright Ben. Let me know if you see Dad or Raziel.”
After circling the now inactive fortress a few times, Ben pointed to the deck that Ariana had escaped from not long ago. Out of the walkway came Raziel and Zachariel…only the latter was bleeding profusely from the chest.
“Girl!” Raziel shouted. “Bring that eagle down here now!”
They hurriedly complied and brought her dad onto Birdy. Ariana quickly examined him, finding he had a deep gash that had penetrated his angelic armor and ran him through completely. Her heart nearly stopped the moment she saw it.
“Birdy! Get back to the pool!” Ariana commanded, applying pressure to the wound. “Hurry!”
Ben looked at her worriedly. “Is he going to be alright?”
“I don't know.” Tears fell as they flew across the clouded sky that brimmed with the light of the setting sun. She hugged him closely as she continued to press his wound. “Please don't die