Chapter 56 - Wrath of a God

"Fernia Relica: Second Reveal — The Final Visions," said Igorus, stretching both his hands forward as energy surged around him, clearly preparing a devastating technique.

Hundreds of blazing orbs began to form in the air, circling him like fiery planets caught in his gravity. Then, all at once, they launched toward the kingdom, raining destruction upon it. The orbs tore through homes and streets, setting everything ablaze. Angels, children, and women screamed as they were swallowed by fire; others were crushed beneath the falling ruins of the city. Those who survived tried desperately to fly toward the royal palace, seeking hope, and salvation.

The sky itself burned red, the falling spheres like the wrath of a volcano, as if Mount Vesuvius had grown weary of Pompeii's arrogance.

"We've arrived," said Aldes, carrying Atbara in his arms.

"There he is... Igorus," muttered Atbara, watching the general relentlessly bombard the kingdom below.

The two landed atop the defensive wall beside him, overlooking the inferno.

"Ah, you two," Igorus said flatly, his tone void of emotion. "The queen told me you'd be present for this operation."

"You could've at least waited for us to coordinate a plan before attacking," Atbara remarked sharply. "We need a strategy to extract the Spheres of Alitus."

"That's your job," Igorus replied without turning to look.

"What do you mean by that?" Atbara asked, frowning.

"You're the only one with the right ability for this task," said Igorus. "Aldes and I will act as distractions. Surely, even you could have figured that out? Or is that too much to expect?"

"Atbara's still exhausted," Aldes interjected, trying to defuse the tension. "I think he can—"

"I'm fine now," Atbara interrupted firmly. "Your flight helped me recover most of my magic. I'll handle it, General. But here's a suggestion" he smirked faintly, "the world doesn't revolve around you."

He extended his hand, and a massive tree stem erupted from the ground before him. Stepping inside it, his body dissolved into shimmering light until he vanished completely, gone from sight and sense.

Igorus turned his head slightly, one cold eye glancing to the side in reaction, but his expression remained unreadable.

"I know it was my idea," Igorus said after a pause, "but are we certain Atbara won't be detected? You know him better than I do."

"Completely certain," Aldes assured. "He travels through the forest roots, shifting into a parallel dimension. Detecting his presence is practically impossible."

Igorus looked out over the burning kingdom, a sea of molten ruin littered with skeletal remains. In his vision, the dead still writhed within the lava, crying out his name over and over again.

Igorus... Igorus... Igorus...

"Very well, then," he said, drawing his sword from his belt. The flames reflected along the blade's edge like liquid fire.

"Let's give these false gods a taste of hell."

And with that, the vision of lava faded from his sight.

The three of them leapt from the tower together. When they struck the ground, the impact alone sent tremors rippling through the earth, a shockwave announcing that the true battle had just begun.

"Evacuate all women and children!" Tarnael ordered, his voice echoing like thunder across the burning kingdom.

"Should we kill everyone, General Igorus?" Aldes asked with a devilish grin. "Even the helpless?"

"Yes," Igorus replied in a tone utterly devoid of emotion.

"Yaaaay!"

Aldes shot into the sky, his wings igniting as he dove through the city. Every building that crossed his path was reduced to dust and flame. Screams and wails filled the air, the scent of burning flesh and blood clinging to him like perfume. To Aldes, it was pure ecstasy, as though he were celebrating the grandest festival of his life.

"Typical demon," muttered Igorus as he walked slowly down the ruined streets. A small squad of angelic soldiers confronted him.

"Stop right there! Or else—"

Igorus burned them alive before the soldier could finish his sentence. Aldes continued his rampage, cutting down anyone in his path, man, woman, or child, laughing like a maniac with every strike.

Above the chaos, Kaela soared through the smoke-filled sky until she spotted Tarnael, standing motionless atop the roof of an abandoned house.

"They've cornered us here," she said as she landed beside him, her boots cracking the scorched tiles beneath.

Tarnael's face didn't move, no anger, no fear, no emotion at all. His eyes remained fixed on the sight of angels fleeing in terror from Igorus' flames.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you helping them?" Kaela demanded furiously.

"I'm waiting for someone," Tarnael answered calmly.

"Someone? Who?" she pressed, but Tarnael didn't respond. He only watched in silence as his kingdom burned beneath the divine inferno.

Near the royal palace, a massive underground gate opened, a secret evacuation passage.

"Hurry! Everyone inside!" the soldiers shouted to the frightened masses. Women, children, and elders, like a swarm of panicked bees, rushed into the tunnel, their wings flickering desperately in the firelight. More and more soldiers flooded the streets to defend what remained of the holy kingdom.

"Tch! No more women or children left," Aldes sneered as he landed beside Igorus. "Guess I won't get to enjoy those cries anymore."

"You really are a demon," Igorus replied coldly.

Within moments, they were surrounded on all sides, hundreds of angelic soldiers in the air, hundreds more on the ground.

"I didn't know there were this many of them," Aldes said, smirking as he cracked his knuckles.

The angels charged, wings blazing with divine light. Tarnael and Kaela watched the battle unfold from their rooftop vantage point.

"I've had enough of your detachment," Kaela snapped. "I'm going down there to help!"

But before she could take off, something caught her attention.

"Wait... wasn't there a third one?" she asked.

"He's here," Tarnael murmured under his breath.

"Soldiers!" Kaela shouted, her voice fierce with command. "Head to the royal palace's laboratory chamber, now! MOVE!"

A large battalion of soldiers immediately took flight toward the lab.

"They're after the spheres," Tarnael said quietly, his fist tightening so hard that droplets of blood began to run down his knuckles.

"You mean the Spheres of Alitus? How the hell do they even know about them?!" Kaela shouted. "There's supposed to be a barrier protecting this place! How did those three get in without being detected?!"

"There are no more Visionaries," Tarnael said flatly.

"What? What did you just say?" Kaela turned to him, disbelief and horror in her eyes.

"They've probably been killed... by Igorus Friola," Tarnael continued. "Without the Visionaries, the barrier weakens."

"And why are there no Visionaries left, Tarnael? What did you do to them? Where are they?" Kaela screamed, grabbing him by his robe, shaking him violently. Tarnael simply looked at her, expressionless, eyes empty, cold, unreadable.

"I thought they might've entered the same way that red-haired demon girl did eight years ago," he said. "But no."

Kaela's eyes widened. "You... You're the reason our kingdom and our people are falling apart! You bastard!"

"What are you talking about? What demon?" Tarnael asked, genuinely confused.

"What? You seriously don't remember her?" Kaela shouted, her voice cracking with disbelief. "The red-haired demon girl! Damn it, Tarnael! Everything's getting worse by the second, I can't believe this!"

She turned away, trembling in shock, while behind them the sky glowed brighter, the flames of Igorus Friola drawing closer to the heart of the kingdom.

"And it's only going to get worse," a voice whispered near the two of them.

"Hm? Who's there, and where are you?" asked Kaela in alarm.

In that instant, a sword pierced through Kaela's back and out her chest.

"Kaela!!"

She coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Atbara appeared before Tarnael's eyes.

"It's you... The one who assisted in killing Oriel. You just had to make an entrance in the worst possible way, Atbara..." snarled Tarnael, furious.

"It was the easiest option. I thought you were smarter than that, sending those soldiers to their deaths," said Atbara with a smirk.

"That wasn't my plan. It was merely a hypothesis I decided to exploit," Tarnael replied coldly.

Atbara had set a trap near the entrance to the laboratory chamber, giant carnivorous plants lying invisible, waiting.

"It's been a while since those plants had a decent meal," said Atbara, implying that all the soldiers had been nothing more than a feast.

"You're not here for the spheres, are you?" asked Tarnael.

"That's one of the reasons," Atbara replied, removing his hat as his eyes began to glow a deeper blue than before. "But the other reason... is that it's been far too long since I've tasted the scent of death."

"An Akrasan vampire? I never thought one of your kind would serve as the guardian of the forest," said Tarnael.

Atbara kicked Kaela's body aside, sending her out of view. He expected an outburst, a flicker of rage or emotion, but Tarnael remained eerily calm, not showing even the faintest sign of empathy.

"You're not even angry that I treated your sister this way?" asked Atbara.

"Not at all. I wouldn't be angry even if that pathetic strike had actually harmed her," Tarnael answered, his tone perfectly steady.

"What?" gasped Atbara, as Kaela suddenly appeared before him with unimaginable speed. Her white wings flared open, and her sword was already pressed against his throat before he could even react.

"Don't mistake me for just anyone, you filthy mortal," said Kaela, her voice carrying a nearly demonic tone, thick with terrifying hatred.

In that moment, Atbara realized that hatred was not an unfamiliar concept to angels,
it was one of their most powerful weapons...