Chapter 66 - Fear of Light (Part 1)

Stravna was flying swiftly toward the Information Center when, all of a sudden, she descended onto the cobbled street, slipping into a narrow side alley where no Dominion patrols were passing.

"What do you think, Mr. Mildura?" she asked as she drew a small sphere from her suit. Within its surface shimmered the reflected image of the Marshal's face.

"You were right. Or rather, Igorus was right," said the Marshal, his tone calm but grim. "This Aodhan Magees could be an extremely dangerous individual. I'll take care of this matter from here."

"But, sir, it's my duty to uncover who he truly is. Maybe, maybe he knows something about Kaies' murder," said Stravna, her voice trembling with grief.

"What makes you think that? His death was merely a means to provoke Uanamangura, revenge for that Dominion killed eight years ago. That case has long been closed, Stravna. I'm sorry, but you need to focus on other things now. I'll deal with this "tutor" myself," the Marshal replied firmly.

"As you command, Mr. Mildura," said Stravna, disconnecting the sphere and ending the transmission.

Meanwhile, somewhere high above the kingdom of Tamasi, Aodhan sat on a balcony, smoking a cigar as he watched the kingdom shimmer and ripple over the waves of passing time. He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a soft cloud of smoke. He sat there, watching. Watching. Watching...

An hour later...

Tarnael stood before the Cherub, who was now surrounded by a massive army of fifty thousand angelic soldiers, far more organized and fearsome than those who had fought earlier. Beside him lay Igorus, exhausted and barely conscious, sprawled on the ground next to the unconscious Kaela.

The sky was blanketed by the wings of the heavenly host, sunlight dimmed by the sea that covered the heavens and by the countless feathers drifting down like a delicate rain. Soldiers mounted on pegasi hovered above, archers, lancers, shield-bearers clad in radiant armor, swordsmen and warhammer bearers, and even aerial catapults floating in formation. Behind them stood thousands of Lapisar angels, staffs glowing as they prepared to annihilate a single target: Thranatis.

"This... this is the largest army I've ever seen," murmured Igorus, awestruck by the spectacle above.

Tarnael opened his left palm and brought it close to his lips. A small portal shimmered into existence in his hand.

"Kill him," he commanded.

The entire army surged forward toward Thranatis, their battle cries thundering through the ruined earth beneath their wings. Streams of Lapis energy poured from their feathers, bathing the heavens in divine light as they descended upon the Cherub.

"I know I'm going to enjoy this," said Thranatis with a smirk. He clapped his hands together, then thrust his right arm forward. Torrents of water erupted toward the angelic army.

Thousands of Lapisars raised their staffs, channeling radiant barriers of Lapis energy to repel the flood.

"Is that all you've got?" Thranatis taunted as he unleashed a surge twenty times greater than before, an oceanic deluge that seemed to make even the skies tremble.

The Lapisars struggled, their staffs cracking one by one under the immense strain of holding back the divine current. The angelic soldiers pressed onward, now only a few meters away from Thranatis.

"I have a surprise for you as well," said Thranatis. From the raging water, thousands of sharp spears materialized and shot toward the angelic ranks from every direction.

The spears pierced through armor with horrifying precision, cutting soldiers in half upon impact. Pegasi fell from the skies, and the air was filled with screams.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

"HHHAAAAAAA!!!'

Cries of agony echoed across the battlefield as the angels, despite their suffering, pressed forward through the rain of watery blades. The spears slaughtered without end, streaking through the sky like a storm of liquid death.

Archers loosed volleys of arrows toward Thranatis, hoping to strike him down amid the chaos. Rivers of blood cascaded from the sky, painting the battlefield below, a crimson waterfall born from sin. Thousands of arrows streaked through the heavens like divine judgment aimed at one being.

"HAAAH!" Thranatis extended both hands, manipulating the blood of the fallen soldiers into a vast crimson tide that surged up to intercept the arrows.

Hundreds of angels managed to evade the watery spears and closed in on him, but Thranatis beat his wings with impossible speed, using them as blades that shredded any who dared approach. The movement was so swift that his enemies couldn't even comprehend how they died, their bodies torn apart within the blur of his feathers.

The arrows finally broke through the sea of blood, soaring straight toward him.

"Hmph," Thranatis grunted, ceasing his control over the blood. He darted aside, evading the storm of arrows, and with a single sweep of his wings cleaved through the angels in his path.

The arrows crashed into the ground, tearing it apart and scattering the mangled bodies of the fallen.

"Lapis Arts: Two Wings! Lapis Arts: One Wing! Lapis Arts... Lapis Arts! "shouted the soldiers as they activated their techniques, their power enhanced by the Lapisars supporting them.

Smoke, wind, flame, steel, marble, blades, countless elements born of their arts cascaded toward Thranatis like an avalanche of celestial might.

He halted midair, gazing at the approaching onslaught.

"Still... not enough," he whispered, inhaling deeply before releasing a colossal surge of water, an ocean vast enough to rival the very sea that blanketed the sky.

"What!?" Tarnael's eyes widened in disbelief.

"He's capable of releasing that much water... without even using a quarter of his power? He's a monster," Igorus muttered, equally stunned.

The roaring ocean swallowed every technique the angels unleashed, crushing their attacks and sweeping them away. Those caught in its flood screamed as they were engulfed, helpless against the wrath of the watery abyss.

The sea began to fall from above, a divine flood descending upon the earth.

"No!" cried Igorus as the torrent plummeted.

"Lapis Arts: Two Wings — Shift of Resolve!" Tarnael invoked, and a massive portal opened beneath the falling water, vast enough to absorb the entire deluge, redirecting it upward, back toward the great sea that covered the heavens.

"Impressive, Aegnid," said Thranatis as he watched Tarnael's act, before soaring toward the angelic army.

"A-Are you alright?" asked Igorus.

"I have no other choice... I'll have to summon them," replied Tarnael.

"Them?" Igorus asked, confused.

"Lapis Arts: Two Wings — The Cursed Children."

Across the scorched battlefield, enormous gates began to rise from the ground, towering structures carved with ancient runes and made from primordial wood, etched with symbols so old they seemed alive.

"HAAAAHHHH!!!" roared the angelic soldiers as they charged at Thranatis, spears raised, others diving down astride their pegasi.

"HMMMPF!!" Thranatis exerted his power, thrusting both arms forward and clenching his hands as though he were manipulating invisible threads.

"W-What the—?!" gasped an angel as his own arm twisted against his will, driving his sword straight into his throat.

All across the sky, angels turned their weapons upon themselves and each other, slaughtering comrades, slaying their mounts, tearing through the ranks. Chaos consumed the front lines of the heavenly army as Thranatis glided through the falling corpses like a shadow of death, their blood raining down upon his wings. The crimson deluge soaked the ancient gates, causing their runes to pulse and glow.

Thranatis paused midair, his expression darkening as he noticed the gates begin to creak open, heavy footsteps echoing from within, deep, thunderous, earth-shaking.

"What... are those?" asked Igorus, his eyes wide.

"The Nephilim," Tarnael answered grimly. "The bastards born of gods and mortals."

"The Nephilim... I've heard stories, but I never thought I'd see them with my own eyes," said Igorus in awe.

Beside him, Kaela stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open, consciousness slowly returning.

"Kaela... she's awake," said Tarnael, glancing toward his sister as she struggled to rise, her body weak but her will unbroken.

Igorus looked too but said nothing.

"W-Where am I? What's happening?" she murmured, clutching her head.

"It's... a little hard to explain," replied Tarnael just as the gates fully opened.

From within emerged colossal warriors, each towering over twenty-five meters tall, clad in ancient armor. Their helmets were shaped like rhinoceros heads, a single horn jutting from the top. They carried massive, primitive hammers and bore grotesque faces, damned sinners cast out from both heaven and hell. Their nails were rotted, flesh hanging loose from their bodies, hair matted and filthy, the embodiment of decay and wrath.

"Hohoh... I think I might actually enjoy this," Thranatis said with a grin as he descended from the sky, landing before the ravenous Nephilim like a predator daring the titans to strike.

"Rhaaaaahhhh..." the Nephilim groaned, drool spilling from their gaping maws.

Thranatis raised both his hands, and the blood within one of the giants' veins began to twist and churn.

"Great, so he can manipulate water and control the blood of his enemies. That's beyond cursed," muttered Igorus, while Tarnael and Kaela turned to watch.

"Haaahh!" Thranatis forced one of the Nephilim to strike itself in the face.

The giant's own fist smashed into its skull, its nose breaking under the force, though the blow did little more than stagger it.

"You're a tough bastard," Thranatis said, exhilarated.

"Nephilim, kill him!" Tarnael commanded.

The Nephilim charged, their thunderous steps shaking the ground. Thranatis took to the sky, launching torrents of water down upon them. The giants lifted their hammers over their heads, shielding themselves from the crushing force. The pressure was so immense that their legs sank into the earth, yet something began to stir within their bodies, something trying to break free.

"Hm?" Thranatis narrowed his eyes. From the torn flesh of the Nephilim sprouted wings, half-feathered, half-rotten, monstrous appendages born of corruption and rage. The Nephilim flapped their new wings, lifting themselves into the air, resisting the current, ready to fight the Cherub in the skies.

"Not bad. Wait—what?!" Thranatis' eyes widened as one of the giants hurled its hammer at him with devastating force.

The hammer shot through the air like a meteor, aimed straight for his chest. Thranatis twisted aside just in time, the weapon barely missing him, but its trajectory continued, hurtling toward the angelic army behind.

"EVADE IT!"

"MOVE!"

"AAAAHHHH!!"

The angels screamed as the massive weapon tore through the air toward them.

"Tch!" Tarnael quickly opened a portal, redirecting the hammer's path away from the battlefield.

"That was close," Kaela exhaled, her tone tense.

"Will these Nephilim really be able to defeat that... Cherub?" Igorus wondered aloud, his eyes following the titans as they pursued Thranatis through the stormed skies.

One Nephilim reached out to grab Thranatis like an insect, but the Cherub darted away. Another swung its hammer, he dodged again, but two more came at him from behind, their strikes connecting squarely with his back.

"Khhhhaaaahhhkkk! ... I was just kidding," Thranatis growled, catching both massive hammers midair. With an unholy grin, he clenched his fists, shattering the iron weapons into dozens of fragments.

In an instant, he appeared before the Nephilim who had struck him and kicked its helmeted head with such force that it caved in completely, sending the giant staggering backward from the sheer impact.

"I knew you were ugly, but not this ugly," Thranatis sneered, then launched himself forward again, wings spreading wide, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

But another Nephil appeared before him, and—

"I'm done playing games," said Thranatis, driving his arms clean through the creature's stomach. Blood and organs poured out as his wings loomed forward.

Thranatis was struck from behind by another Nephil's massive fist, sending him crashing into the ground and leaving a crater in his wake. The other Nephilim dove from the sky, stomping down with furious strength, shaking the earth beneath them as if trying to crush an insect.

Thranatis burst upward, wings unfurled, only to be seized midair by a giant hand. The Nephil clenched its fist tightly, blood gushing between its fingers, giving the illusion that Thranatis had been crushed to death.

"Did he... kill him?" Kaela asked, almost hopefully.

All eyes were fixed on the scene. Tarnael's face hardened with frustration.

"No," said Igorus, his tone grim.

"What?" Kaela gasped.

"Tch," Tarnael muttered, as suddenly Thranatis shot free from the Nephil's grasp, severing its fingers to escape. The blood that spilled was not his, it was the titan's. The Nephil roared in agony.

Thranatis extended his hand toward the bleeding titan, and the blood that floated upward began to harden, taking the shape of a massive blade. In an instant, he swung the crimson weapon, slicing clean through the Nephil's neck. The headless body collapsed to the ground, while dozens of others hovered above, glaring down with unbridled rage.

"What are you waiting for? Come, meet your death!" shouted Thranatis, beckoning them.

"RHHAAAAHHHH!!" roared the Nephilim as they charged him.

"No! Don't!" yelled Tarnael.

Thranatis smirked, a devilish grin spreading across his face. He raised his right hand, and the Nephilim froze, every muscle locked, paralyzed midair.

"Looks like I'm mastering my abilities more by the minute. Now then..."

He soared forward, cutting through the frozen giants one by one, slicing their bodies into dozens of pieces. Blood and viscera rained down upon the corpses of the fallen angels below.

Tarnael watched in disbelief as his trump card, the Nephilim, were annihilated with terrifying ease. The Cherub had slaughtered them all, showing the vast and hopeless difference in power between himself and these abominations of war.

"That was a decent warm-up," Thranatis said coldly. "Now, I think I'll get rid of the Aegnid that annoys me the most."

He turned his gaze to Tarnael, his eyes glowing with malevolence.

"Haah!?" Tarnael flinched as Thranatis beat his wings, launching straight toward him.

"No!!" Igorus shouted, powerless to intervene.

Tarnael barely had time to react as the blood-forged sword stopped just inches from his face, but it struck something else instead.

"What!?" Thranatis hissed.

Kaela stood between them, blocking the blade with her sword held horizontally above her head, the steel serving as her only shield.

"Kaela..." Tarnael whispered in shock.

"Another insect..." Thranatis growled, pressing harder against her blade.

"Go! Now! Take Igorus and run!" Kaela shouted as she held back the Cherub's strength.

Thranatis kicked her aside with brutal force.

"Nhahk!" Kaela cried as she tumbled through the air, flaring her wings to steady herself.

"It seems you don't know your place," Thranatis said, thrusting his arm toward her and momentarily paralyzing her midair.

"Khhhk! Damn it!" she choked as her body froze under his control.

But suddenly, a portal opened near Thranatis' right arm.

"What!?" he snarled as the portal sliced clean through it. Blood poured like a waterfall from the wound, freeing Kaela from his grasp.

Tarnael stood below, his hands extended.

"You again..." Thranatis hissed, before glowing chains of pure Lapis materialized, wrapping tightly around his body.

"Marshal Arnkhael," Kaela said in relief, as the warrior descended from the sky.

"Apologies for the delay," Arnkhael said calmly. "It's not easy to fly with so many soldiers blocking the sky."

Another figure landed beside him.

"Lapis Arts: Two Wings — Strike of the Martyr!" shouted Marshal Ovidius as his hammers ignited with Lapis energy. He swung them, striking Thranatis square in the face.

Blood dripped from the Cherub's nose, but his expression didn't waver. He turned toward Ovidius with a look of pure hatred.

"HAHHHH!!" Kaela screamed, charging at Thranatis once more.

He moved instantly, biting down on her blade to stop it mid-swing.

"What!?" Kaela gasped.

"Nhnhhhkkk!!" Thranatis strained, shattering the Lapis chains that held him. The blast of energy forced everyone back.

He grabbed Kaela by the throat, holding her up effortlessly, his gaze dissecting her every feature.

"Ah—ahhhk—L-let... me go..." Kaela gasped, struggling to breathe.

"Heheheh... I'll make use of you another way," Thranatis said coldly, as his severed arm reattached itself from his blood manipulation. He ripped off the girl's armor, leaving her body totally vulnerable for any of his vile intentions.

"N-NOO!!" Kaela screamed in despair at what Thranatis intended to do to her.

"Hehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Thranatis began to move his fingers toward her private place, but—

A radiant angelic figure appeared behind Kaela, brighter than all others. It shone like a small sun, full of hope and pride, above the fallen wings of angels — above this cursed wasteland born of their defeat.

"Hmm!? KHAAAHHKK!" Thranatis was struck with such force that he was hurled backward dozens of meters, while Kaela collapsed to the ground, shaken and broken.

"W-Who is that?" asked Igorus, startled by the presence of this new warrior who had joined the battle.

"He's here. He finally came," said Kaela, her voice now calm, soothed by the aura of this arrival.

"He finally came," added Tarnael.

"Who came?" Igorus asked, confused.

"The High Marshal... our strongest warrior: Meleagel," said Tarnael, as the shining figure of Meleagel illuminated a large part of the battlefield.

Meleagel was tall, his short, slightly curly hair glinting in shades of golden orange. He descended upon the earth, surveying the macabre state of the field. His armor was grand, a gothic masterpiece of gold, with a smooth dark fabric beneath it and a crimson cloak embroidered with fine patterns and sigils of gold. His wings were red, the feathers darkening as they reached their tips. In his hand he held a simple silver sword, its point dripping with blood, the testament of a complete angel, a warrior baptized by divine power. All the smoke around was swept aside by the sheer presence of Thranatis' wings, the latter seemingly unharmed.

"That colour of your hair... You resemble Iz'Raman quite a lot. I suppose you're the strongest Aegnid among them," said Thranatis, flying toward Meleagel with blinding speed, stopping right in front of his face.

"Aegnid? I believe that's an old term for describing angels. Seems time has rotted your mind, Cherub," replied Meleagel, deliberately provoking him.

"I see..." muttered Thranatis, before punching Meleagel with such might that a deadly shockwave erupted, pushing everyone present hundreds of meters away.

But through the smoke, Meleagel stood firm, blocking Thranatis' fist with nothing but his left hand.

"You've played around long enough," said Meleagel, drawing his sword from his belt. With the speed of light, he slashed Thranatis' body into dozens of fragments.

"What!? How is that possible!? How can he be this strong?" exclaimed Igorus, shocked by Meleagel's power.

"I never thought Meleagel would come to this battlefield. All my hopes were in you. I didn't expect his arrival. He keeps himself distant from us because of his overwhelming power. He's the last angel who carries the blood of our ancestors in his veins. Only he can defeat Thranatis. But..." Tarnael's words faltered.

"But what?" asked Igorus.

"He can only defeat him in his current state. If Thranatis finds a way to remove those bindings... it'll be too late for this world," Tarnael said gravely.

The fragments of Thranatis' body began to merge again, regenerating in mere seconds until he stood whole, as if nothing had happened.

"Interesting. But now you'll understand why an Aegnid will never reach the level of a true god," said Thranatis, as the ocean above the heavens grew more violent and dark.

"That may be true," Meleagel replied calmly," but who said I'll be fighting alone?

Kaela, along with the two remaining marshals, the generals, and the rest of the angelic army, began to surround the Cherub from all sides...