They had created a sword with a hilt made of darkness and a blade wreathed in Phoenix fire. Xuan could see their features twisted with wrath, and she knew that just like her, they were distracting themselves from the pain they felt due to what they had just seen by targeting this final foe with all their might.
They had thrown forward the sword, and it had been caught by the talons of a massive dragon. After bathing it in Dragonfire and increasing its power by multiple levels, Drakos had thrown it forward.
As one of the most potent weapons in the history of Angaria, the Dragonfire proved its worth by making even the fire around the headquarters shrink away where it struck. As the massive edifice slow down even further, Xuan saw that one more attack was needed before the people would be ready.
By now, most of the Angarians had closed their eyes and were trying to replicate what they had seen in the Godbeasts. Each Godbeast descendant had made it so that they had laid even the veins in their bodies bare, allowing each citizen to understand exactly what they needed to. Their job was done, so turning in their direction, Eloise said, "It's our turn, now. There won't be another chance to prove our worth. Shall we?"
"Yes!"
With Skrr's shout, they all flew into the air together. Xuan had always thought that power was only that which one could wield with their body or mind… but now, as she neared the headquarters, she saw that she had been wrong. Power also came from doing what was needed, and by uniting the people and coordinating Angaria, she had done exactly that. A feeling of fulfillment that had evaded her for the longest time came to life in her mind, and with a satisfied smile, she raised her hands and called on the might of the Goddess.
Unlike Eloise's path that let her amplify the might of others, her own gave her the ability to empower whatever attack she wished. This time, she chose the simplest of spells: a wind scythe.
An immense blade made of air coalesced in front of her. Its edge was in front of the Godbeasts, too, and as they saw it, they slowly understood what she meant to do.
At the same time, the other giant-sized constructs below that had been mauled after being led by Eloise rallied to her after seeing the opportunity. As Arafell, the Big Four, the elves and the Heroes of the Order arrived beside them, she nodded in their direction appreciatively.
Each and every one of them brought forth all of their power. They placed their attacks on the scythe, and as they got closer and closer to the headquarters, she poured all of the energy in her body into her spell.
When she finally released it, she almost collapsed, but she barely managed to hold herself in the air as she watched the scythe fly.
On it were all the attacks of the descendants of the Godbeasts and the strongest defenders of Angaria.
A globe of crimson energy had been added by the Heaven-Piercing Rhinos which would explode when they reached the enemy.
The Heavenly Hawks had sent forth hundreds of their feathers, each imbued with the might to cut through a Champion.
The crocodiles sent a flood of energized icicles, the lions sent golden paws filled with explosive strength, the eagles shot forth their talons. Not talented in straightforward attacks but still not wanting to be useless, the Shapeshifter had even thrown out a massive store of explosive trinkets, and as for the Cockroaches…they had joined the scythe themselves, intending to use their indestructible bodies to break through the headquarters in the air. If the devastating spells of the rest were ignored, it almost seemed as if the war between Godbeasts and humans had begun again, as the air was filled with the glorious might of the beings who had ruled the land long before the race that cowed them rose. Altogether, there were too many to count, and she helped them all fly swiftly to their destination, content in being the one to deliver the might of the continent.
'Sister…I did well.'
Tears dripped down her cheeks when the scythe struck. It resulted in the birth of gales of wind and Energy that flew in the direction of Angaria, and for a moment, she wondered whether they would disrupt the people.
But when she turned around, she realized that no such thing would happen.
Most of the momentum of the headquarters had been whittled away by their attack, but most of its bulk still stood intact. Yet, when she saw the attack the people had formed, she saw that she had no reason to worry.
It looked like the sun if it were somehow brought down to the land. Shining with white light, it was half the size of Angaria, large enough to easily swallow the headquarters whole.
And that was exactly what it did. It didn't even move; it waited for its target to arrive, and when it did, it engulfed all of the marble-like structure in its light. Xuan could hear explosions within, and when she turned to the people, she saw most of them grinning as their outstretched hands shook with the strain. Their eyes shone even more brightly than their attack, and a few seconds later… only a small block of blackened rock struck Angaria, breaking through the land but not doing any damage.
"Victory!"
She didn't know the person who shouted this, but the cry was taken up by the rest of Angaria. It grew even louder when they all turned around to see their colossal Godking with his arm outstretched, ready to destroy the Bishop.
The joy that came with triumph almost overwhelmed Xuan… but it stopped in its tracks when she noticed that something was wrong.
'He didn't freeze because of us! And…is that Erin?'
This realization came to her as she saw the Godking move a bit when the cries reached him. It was almost… as if that movement was because he had snapped out of shock, and she knew that she was right when she recognized the woman standing in front of the Bishop.
Blinded by relief, not many saw these details. The Godking didn't give the rest a chance to notice them, either, as he closed his fist around the two women and made them disappear.
The cheers of the people continued as it seemed that he had crushed them into nothingness, but she had seen that he had only captured them.
'What the hell is going on? She… she killed Eloise! Why would he not kill the Bishop, and end it all?'
Suddenly, she heard a message in her ears that interrupted her thoughts.
"Sovereigns, to me."
With growing confusion, she headed to the center, and as soon as she arrived, she saw that she had been right.
Erin stood with her head bowed. Behind her, the Bishop was on the ground, unconscious, and in front of them, the Godking walked to and fro, his face shrouded in emotions she couldn't read.
After they all arrived, he turned to Erin and said, "All right, everyone is here. In the next minute, if you do not give me the answers I asked for…your fate will exactly be what the people thought I did to you. Go."
Raising her head, she nodded and took in a deep breath. She started speaking in a serious tone, and when she was done…a dreadful silence engulfed the center of the continent, while the blissfully ignorant people kept cheering in the background.
"I'll keep it short. Like everyone here, I wanted to do my best to help my homeland in this war. Our attacks are dangerous, both to us and our opponents, but I realized that our numbers were too few to have any considerable effect on the battle. So, I started looking for a different way to reach my goal…and I found it in an ancient scroll left behind by the founder of my sect. It spoke of a dangerous area out in the Endless Sea where those properly initiated in the mysteries of time could peel back a layer of the laws and time…and peer into the future. I thought, 'What better way to help, than to see what awaits us?' At my command, the Eternal Blossom Sect left Angaria. It was vital that no one should be aware of our objective, so we left like thieves in the night, knowing that we might be cursed, but accepting the curses all the same for the future of Angaria.
"We found the place. We used our power. We died in droves, so much so that only a handful remain…but we succeeded. We saw glimpses of two possible futures, and they are the reason behind my actions. In one, the Bishop dies. In the other, she lives. In the former, I saw myself fail, but in the latter, I saw myself use the phrase 'traveler from Earth' to stop you. That is how I knew to call you so to accomplish what I needed, even though I do not know what that means. Here is the worst part: in both, I saw destruction, and an Angaria that had sunk into the Sea. In both, I saw none of us alive. But somehow…from the images of the second future, I felt hope. Call it what you wish…but I know that that is what it was, and so, I did what I did. There are your answers. Now, I ask you…what will you do with them, oh Godking?"
Comments