The Angel of Death

Velvet ran down the halls. This was completely idiotic, but she didn’t care. If Edea was really here then she couldn’t let her go. Not after everything she’s done. She turned a corner, seeing a line of corpses leading into the auditorium. Entering, she saw her immediately.

Crinis’s black tendrils were penetrating a soldier, holding him high in the air, sucking out his life force. She was facing away, but as she finished with her victim, she turned around. Her frayed white dress was stained with blood and her eyes locked right onto Velvet, an evil smile spreading across her face.

“Velvet…” Her words dripped with sadistic glee.

“Edea!”

“To think you survived. I must say, while it pains me to see you alive and well, I can’t help but revel in the chance to kill you once more.”

Drawing her rapier, Velvet entered a fighting stance.

“Still so serious. Come on, at least humor me a bit.”

“What’s there to say? You’re nothing but a monster. How many people have you killed even just today?”

“Don’t tell me you’re bent out of shape over these fools. Is the ever so righteous Velvet going to start defending slavers?”

“I would never defend the Republic, but you don’t kill for justice, you kill for sport.”

“What’s the difference? Their crime was weakness, and since I am powerful, I have the right to be judge, jury, and executioner.”

“Very well. If that is how you see things then I will deliver justice onto you!”

Velvet launched herself forward at lightning speed, slashing into Edea, but Edea perfectly parried the attack with her broadsword and countered, sending a short-range spell right into Velvet’s side. However, the spell didn’t connect and was blocked by a translucent barrier. Before Edea could attack again, Velvet jumped away to safety.

“That speed, and such a frivolous use of Aegis. It seems that ring is more than just for show.”

Velvet only responded with a scowl.

Edea smirked. “Very good. Beating you at your full power will be much more satisfying.”

On guard, Velvet waited for her sister to make a move. The two were now on opposite ends of the auditorium.

Edea squatted down and jumped high, floating in the air as she casted dozens of magical projectiles, sending them all hurtling in Velvet’s direction. Floating now too, Velvet dodged them all, weaving through even the smallest gaps. Not letting up on her assault, Edea sent even more spells careening, but Velvet dodged all of them and was now flying towards her. Not backing down, Edea drew her sword and flew to intercept her. Velvet threw up her hand, sending her own powerful spells towards Edea, but Edea casted more spells of her own. Their spells collided, blowing up midair and cancelling each other out. However, the explosion obscured Edea’s vision, and before she realized it, Velvet had appeared next to her, slashing fast. Jumping back, Edea managed to escape with Velvet’s blade only barely making contact, just cutting her dress and scratching her body.

Edea cursed, but her smile returned once she made it to safety. “I don’t know what sorry sucker you got to make a covenant with you, but at least you’re more fun now.”

A silent scowl was Velvet’s only response.

“Still, a single medium is so limiting. Allow me to show you once and for all the superiority of Crinis.” She raised her hands, light gathering around them, charging up a spell. Her hands glowed brighter and brighter as she summoned the mana of her countless victims, putting it all into one spell.

Velvet felt sick to her stomach as she realized what was happening. In a contest of raw power, she stood absolutely no chance, but she was cornered. There wasn’t any time to escape and attacking now would just get her obliterated by that spell. Holding fast with Aegis was her only option.

“Get ready, Velvet! You’re about to feel the full extent of my power!” A massive magic beam, bigger than even Edea herself, erupted from her hands, fueled by the life force of hundreds.

Just as the beam was about to make contact, Velvet summoned Aegis, protecting herself as she disappeared into the beam.

The beam was blindingly bright and it completely destroyed all in its path, tearing through the auditorium walls.

After ten seconds, the spell ended, revealing a still standing Velvet covered by a translucent barrier, but almost immediately, she cancelled Aegis and collapsed to the floor.

A few slow claps rang out as Edea approached her sister. “Impressive, you managed to survive. Still, it looks like this is the end.” Stopping next to Velvet, she squatted down and grabbed her hair, raising up her head. “See, the only difference between you and me is strength. I am powerful and you are weak, and all your high ideals are just a rationalization of that.” Drawing her sword, Edea placed the tip under Velvet’s eye.

“You don’t understand anything at all… You never did… That’s why…” Barely able to talk, she still choked out the words,“ That’s why Father never liked you…”

“You bitch!” She rammed the tip of her blade into Velvet’s eye, shattering the glass. “He died like a dog and so will you!” A loud crack followed her slamming down her foot on Velvet’s leg, shattering the joint and severing it from her body.

A few moans escaped as Velvet tried her best to endure the pain.

Edea picked up her sister by the collar and summoned Crinis’s tentacles, readying them to tear her apart.

But just then a loud slam rang out through the room. Edea looked over, seeing that the auditorium door had burst open, and hunched over, barely standing was…

“Impossible…!” Edea’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. He had a different face, but his expression, his mana, it was just like him. She could feel it. There was no mistake. It WAS him.

Her eyes locked onto him, she threw Velvet aside and started walking.

As she approached, each step was slow, powerful, inspiring dread.

Without warning, he drew a pistol, but before he could fire, she effortlessly knocked it out of his hands with Crinis.

Defenseless and weak, he was once again at her mercy. Edea grabbed him with her black tentacles, forcing him to kneel. Right in his face, she demanded, “Who. Are. You.”

No response.

Her fist hit his stomach like sledgehammer. “Who!? Are!? You!?”

After moaning in pain and coughing up some blood, he responded, “Felix…”

“Felix, you say? Very interesting.” Edea pressed her sword against his cheek and carefully cut down, barely drawing blood. “You seem to be a living human.”

“What did you think I was?”

“Oh, it’s not what I think you are, it’s what I know you are.” Using Crinis’s tentacles, she threw him into the room before running up and grabbing him by the collar. “Tell me everything right now! I know it’s you!”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Shut up! I know it’s you, Gwehrtain!”

“Gwehrtain?” Confusion covered his face.

“I don’t know how you did it. Reincarnation, soul implantation, it doesn’t matter. I know it’s you, though!” Clenching his collar like a vice, she brought him even closer. “You can fool everyone else, but not me!”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

With a frustrated yell, she threw him across the room. He landed like a ragdoll. After taking a step forward, something caught her eye. A glimmering, reflective object. On closer inspection, it was a metal ring, and it looked almost like a…

“A grenade pin!?” Edea looked around and then over her shoulder only to see that a live grenade had been clipped to her back. As fast as she could, she grabbed and chucked it, but she was too late. For a split second, she realized the gravity of her mistake as the grenade exploded, sending her flying, hitting a wall and losing consciousness.