"So...you're sure this will work?" I asked Gabriel suspiciously. "Because...I feel like it probably shouldn't based on everything I've heard about Paths so far." From what I could tell, paths were a deeply personal and unique thing that made it possible for Ascendants to climb to a higher level after becoming a Master. That last bit was conjecture, of course, but it lined up with the obscure 'something else' Zeke had mentioned needing to advance to D-rank.

"Not at all." He said bluntly. "I wouldn't even suggest trying it if we weren't both about to die and in possession of these." He held up a hand with a pair of glowing rings on it. "I took the opportunity afforded by our comrades distraction to approach Alistair and wish for the catalysts that I believe will allow us to pull this off."

"What did you pay him for them?" I said, picking one of the rings up to marvel at the delicate craftsmanship and the surreal glowing metal.

He gave me a flat look. "His life. I said we would save him if he gave them to me. He seemed to think it was a fair deal. Wouldn't have worked with you or Natalie, since you're friends and I planned on doing that in any case, but I find Alistair repugnant at best, and his death wouldn't be particularly sad for me."

"Huh." I said with a nod. "Makes sense. What happens in you fail to save him though?"

The big crusader just shrugged. "Well, we'll most likely all be dead, so probably not much. But that seems like a problem for future Gabriel."

I laughed and slipped a ring on. "Fair enough. Let's do this then." I turned to my mentor, who had been unusually quiet. "You capable of this Abel? Honestly I wouldn't blame you if you're not. I have no clue how I access my path most of the time. These Resonance Rings will do the job, but we have to supply the fuel. I'm honestly shocked an F-ranked candidate could make something like this."

"It's single use." Said Gabriel flatly. "They both are. They're linked to me because my Path seems to be the one best suited for this. Not that the both of you aren't going to be an important part of this."

I waved him off. "I get it, don't sweat that part. You'll be the one to finish this, I have no issues teeing up a winning shot."

That said, the rings were...weird. I wasn't sure how I felt about using them. Gabriel had warned us that the magic items could have some odd side effects for a bit. The necessary mechanism for pulling off the crusader's plan was going to make this deeply unpleasant to experience.

When Abel finally nodded, now focused on losing himself in his own Path in preparation, I decided to cut the chatter too. I stepped back as Gabriel mounted his starlight charger, bringing his lance to bare. I wanted to stack a bunch of skills and abilities on it, but I knew that wasn't going to be helpful. Not for this. I'd need every ounce of soul strength I had to use these rings. Especially given they would be breaking down even as we formed the connection.

Unfortunately, this wouldn't be a quick process, at least not based on what Gabriel said. We needed time, which meant we needed a distraction. Yvette was doing her best, but the golem wasn't up to handling Suvaya. Despite being made of magical stones like the former goddess's new body, Yvette didn't have all the overpowered Skills and the terrifying soul the moon goddess could bring to bear.

That said, the golem was doing better than I had feared she might. Her blurring form and fluid movements allowed her to at least attempt to keep up with the silver haired beast she was fighting. Satala was trying to cut in to prevent Yvette from becoming too damaged, but she was also guarding Bethy, whose Domain was hamstringing her mother enough for any of us to survive this.

For every blow that Suvaya took, Yvette took two, and they did more damage. Luckily for us, most of the teams were still in the game. A massive black flaming demon avatar joined manifested above Suvaya with a howl, and I saw Markoth standing over Nasha protectively with several other people joining hands to fuel his construct.

The turtle shell we'd used to escape Pallax came into shape around Satala and Bethy, and I spotted one of the Dew users with higher Impact channeling that one, alongside what looked like a twin to share the burden, supported by a crowd of Ascendants helping power the invocation.

Our second wind came as all the teams who hadn't been knocked flat in the first wave came together to help pin the vengeful deity while we got ready. Exhaling loudly, I closed my eyes, feeling Callie take up position next to me to protect me as I let myself drift down the connection to the ring.

It was...weird. The sensation of being two people and also one person and then suddenly three people when Abel joined was strange. This had been the plan, the Resonance Rings were unique as far as we knew, and if they hadn't been single use and basically disposable quality trash they probably would have been to expensive to wish for.

Stolen novel; please report.

The ones we'd gotten left us to do the heavy lifting, but that was fine. I felt my place in our shared head, Gabriel's head, and Abel's as well. Gabriel was the momentum, the power and the force. I was the understanding, the guiding hand that lit the way, and Abel was the determination, the unflinching force of will.

Gabriel was a brilliant fighter with a lot of momentum, but he wasn't Abel. Being invincible might be good for confidence, but Abel's personality was tough as diamond. The combination, guided by my Fatewalker instincts and the overlay, would be a winning one, if we could pull this off.

The world in front of me superimposed itself as my mind joined with his and Abel's. I saw the temple from atop a starlight charger, staring down at my enemies from my invincible perch. Pushing with my soul, I triggered my overlay, and I saw the world resolve into a series of golden arrows. As we focused, I also felt a deep upwelling of fierce violent determination, like blood welling up from a puncture, and Abel was there besides us.

We had to adjust for a second, three souls weren't meant to exist in one body. I felt my soul begin to groan under the pressure as the ring on my hand cracked and spat, coming apart violently as it threatened to drag me back into my own head. I pushed myself back down the link, despite the blood I could feel leaking from my eyes, ears and nose.

I made a mental note. Just because wishes CAN let you do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD do it. This wasn't natural. It was wrong and it was killing me. Still, it was already happening, and I shoved the damage and pain to the side, just as Abel did. Gabriel was mostly fine, thankfully, so the host body was holding up.

As one, the three of us threw back our head, roaring out in defiance. "RUBRUM GLORIA!" And we charged. The sound of starlight hooves on black stone was like thunder carrying us to victory, the lance shone with a blinding golden light, and the full weight of all three of us propelled us to glory. An Invincible spear, guided by Fate, and propelled by Blood, slammed into the formerly stone body of the goddess and sent her into a spin as we rode past.

Swinging around at the end of our charge, we saw the damage it had done, blood gushing from the hole in her shoulder as she glared at us. "Insipid children!" She hissed. "What is this abomination? You're tearing yourselves apart. To pervert the natural order in such a way is blasphemy."

We didn't bother responding. We charged. The feeling of being spurred on by the momentum of every victory, like a snowball rolling downhill and gathering speed, was intoxicating, and pushing it forward was the unbreakable will to do battle at any cost, my mentor's lust for blood and combat accelerating us. Three Paths superimposed on top of each other, and I could feel my soul about to collapse with the sheer power of it.

She was right, this was unnatural. But I didn't care. I wasn't going to let her hurt my friends, wasn't going to let her take anyone I loved from me. I'd had enough of ineffable forces snatching away people I loved without my permission. The WCP waves a hand and my dad leaves, my dad decides she should go and my mom leaves. I wasn't letting someone take away anyone else. Not Benny, not Jessie, and CERTAINLY not Callie.

The second pass slammed right into her chest, the glowing lance crashing into her sternum, lifting her off the ground and carrying her back. She howled in rage, hands going up and conjuring a giant spectral moon behind her, bringing it slamming down on our heads like a boulder.

Before it could hit though, a swarm of bats flooded the air above us, overwhelming the image and holding it back. Not just bats though. Silver bats. I glanced over at Bethy (with my own normal bloody eyes somehow) and saw her latched onto Satala, drinking from her wrist with her eyes blazing the same blood red, except this time with silver irises.

I was jarred back to the present by the impact against the wall as the lance slammed THROUGH Suvaya's chest and heart, pinning her against the black stone. She was snarling in rage, and she started to actually PULL herself down the lance an inch at a time trying to get to us.

My soul was cracked and nearing shattering, I had nothing left in me, and the damned overlay faded but the rings were still holding on, leaving me trapped in Gabriel's body. I wasn't sure what would happen to us if we got killed in here, but I doubted it'd be good. Gabriel couldn't move, having channeled too much power himself tapping into the Paths all at once, and Abel had nothing left in him.

I watched the mad face of the enraged goddess draw closer and closer to us, teeth pulled back in a rictus of hate as she reached for us with deceptively small hands, ready to crush us into pulp. And then a black staff smashed down on her head with a crack. I felt my bond with Callie manifest more strongly as I realized she'd taken my staff and was using our connection to wield it.

There was no style to it, no form or martial arts. Just rage and frustration as she hauled off like she was beating a pinata and slammed the staff down on Suvaya's skull over and over again. "Don't." Slam. "Touch." Slam. "My." Slam. "FUCKING BOYFRIEND!" That last smash included every ounce of death energy stored up in the staff since the fight with Pallax, including all the energy it had just harvested from Suvaya herself.

By the time she was done, the goddess's skull was shattered and her head was basically pulp, the E-ranked staff having completely decimated the formerly stone head. Callie was standing over her, panting as she gripped the staff and stared down at the body of the fallen goddess.

I grinned in my normal body as the ring finally shattered, catapulting me back into my body along with Abel. Callie, who had stepped into the shadows as she felt me revert through the bond, caught me and lowered me to the ground as she appeared behind me, and I smiled up at her in relief. I was still smiling as the world faded to black. It was all over.