Chapter Thirteen: Attack of the Angels Part 2

The Angel screamed.

The chorus of voices echoed its pure, divine rage toward the mortals who dared defy it.

Morgana poured more power into her barrier, sweat beading on her forehead as the shield flickered under the relentless assault. Merlin’s eyes darted frantically as he analyzed the creature with multiple scanning spells.

“Arthur!” Merlin shouted. “This is not part of the dungeon! It’s a breach monster!”

Arthur turned, visibly shocked.

“Makes no difference,” Zero said coldly, sword already raised. “We kill it.”

The Angel-class entity attacked again in a frenzy, its elongated claws and spinning blade-rings hammering against Morgana’s barrier with overwhelming force. Cracks spiderwebbed across the green shield.

Arthur and Zero charged in together.

Their blades clashed against the Watcher’s defenses in a storm of steel and divine light. The Angel blocked and parried their attacks with the same furious intensity, its giant eye burning with hatred. Every collision sent shockwaves through the corrupted shrine grounds.

Lancelot held the line at the front, shield planted like an unbreakable wall, while Morgana focused entirely on keeping the barrier alive.

The battle had become a desperate, high-stakes dance between human will and something far closer to a god’s wrath.

Zero’s instincts screamed louder than ever.

This thing was not supposed to be here.

And he was going to send it back. Arthur checked his Codex after being repelled once more. His magic was fully charged.

“Step back, Zero,” he said firmly. “I’m going to attack with something dangerous.”

Zero stepped sideways without hesitation, watching closely.

A brilliant burst of magical energy erupted around Arthur. His bastard sword glowed with intense golden light as he raised it high.

“Crashing Smite!”

A massive beam of holy light gathered at the tip of his blade. Arthur dashed forward with incredible speed and brought the sword down in a devastating strike.

The Angel tried to parry, but the holy energy smashed straight through its defenses. The blade connected with the entity’s body, carving a deep, glowing wound. Light bled from the creature like molten gold.

The Watcher roared in agony and immediately turned its full fury on Arthur, abandoning its assault on Morgana.

Lancelot reacted instantly, hurling his massive tower shield across the battlefield. Arthur caught it mid-air and braced himself, using the shield to weather the storm of claws and spinning blades that came raining down on him.

Zero, however, had been waiting for this moment.

Darkness swirled around his blade — not light, not holy energy, but something deeper, more primal. No announcement. No flashy activation phrase.

Just pure speed and the will of someone born for combat.

He dashed forward in a silver blur.

His sword pierced straight through the Angel’s defenses and sank deep into its body. The darkness around the blade exploded violently inside the creature.

The Watcher writhed and contorted in mid-air, the chorus turning into a deafening, broken scream. Cracks of darkness spread across its form like fractures in reality.

Then, with a final, ear-splitting cry, the Angel-class entity exploded.

A hail of falling steel and shattered divine fragments rained down across the courtyard as the Watcher disintegrated completely.

Silence fell over the corrupted shrine grounds.

The team stood breathing heavily, staring at the spot where the monstrous entity had been.

Arthur lowered his shield, looking at Zero with a mixture of respect and astonishment.

“…Impressive,” he said quietly.

Zero simply stared at the falling debris, his sword still dripping with remnants of divine energy.

"Perhaps you could have used that at the start of our battle?" Merlin asked

"Didn't know I could do that" said Zero

"Odd, you seemed to know how to use it, normally Delvers need to speak a quick phrase for their attacks, as the codex holds back the magical power until needed" said Arthur, Lancelot grunted, whatever the case, Zero seemed to know what he was doing at least that is what they are thinking, knowing that his memories are almost nothing except for what he thinks he knows or at least doesn't. 

They pushed deeper into the temple proper.

The scene inside was even worse than the courtyard.

Bodies of Delvers were discarded in grotesque heaps — arms, legs, and heads arranged with deliberate, almost artistic precision. Blood painted the ancient wooden floors and walls in dark patterns. The once-sacred space had been turned into a chamber of horrors.

And at the center of it all, sitting atop a makeshift throne made from stacked Gozen Zabuton (cushions) placed upon the corpses of fallen Delvers, was a Sidhe.

It was a male this time — tall, elegant, and coldly beautiful, with long flowing hair and sharp, elongated ears. He held a long, thin blade across his lap.

The desecration of Fushimi Inari Taisha was complete and vile.

“So you killed a little angel, did you?” the Sidhe said, his voice smooth and mocking. “Pathetic, really. Humans… it’s a wonder you never fell to us before.”

He stood gracefully, twirling his blade once.

His gaze locked onto Zero.

“Fatebreaker.”

The word hit Zero like a hammer. A sharp ringing pain exploded in his head. He gripped the side of his skull, teeth clenched.

The Sidhe smiled.

“Memories elude you, pity. I would have loved to fight you at your very best and absolute peak. Alas, my mission is more one of delay.”

He looked around at the carnage with mild satisfaction.

“Gralia’kal, Rank 4 of the Fae Legions.”

Arthur raised his bastard sword, golden armor gleaming.

“Another one,” he growled. “Merlin, Morgana — stay back. Lancelot, with me.”

Zero slowly lowered his hand from his head, breathing through the pain. His gray eyes burned as he stared at the Sidhe.

Gralia’kal’s smile widened, clearly enjoying the reaction.

“Come then, little Fatebreaker. Let us dance.” The pain in Zero’s head slowly subsided as he gripped his sword tighter.

“Another maggot to pile with the corpses,” he uttered coldly.

Gralia’kal appeared in a haze of blinding speed, his thin blade flashing down in a lethal arc.

CLANG!

Zero blocked the strike dead-on. The force was immense — the floor beneath them cracked and splintered from the impact.

Gralia’kal grimaced, clearly feeling the overwhelming strength behind Zero’s guard.

With a powerful shove, Zero pushed the Sidhe back several yards, forcing him to skid across the bloodstained floor.

Gralia’kal laughed, a light, almost delighted sound.

“My, my, my. You seem to have not lost an ounce of strength. My mistress told me you beat back a full-fledged Daemon even in a frenzy state. That is remarkable… and kind of terrifying. Daemons in our ranks never frenzy unless fighting an enemy they can’t kill. How curious.”

He tapped his thin blade against his leg casually.

“You talk too much,” Zero replied.

He dashed forward like a silver comet. Their blades met in a furious clash, sending a brilliant shower of sparks into the air.

The two warriors traded blows at blinding speed — steel ringing against steel in a deadly dance. Gralia’kal was elegant and precise, while Zero fought with raw, overwhelming power and instinct.

Arthur watched closely, ready to jump in, while the rest of the Artemis Unit held their positions.

Gralia’kal parried another heavy strike and leapt back, still smiling.

“You really are quite the monster, Fatebreaker.”

Zero didn’t reply. He simply advanced again, sword raised.

The battle inside the desecrated Fushimi Inari Taisha was only just beginning.