2.19 Run for the Hills!
- Location
- Earth
1,000 EXP spent
961 remain
[] Run for your life!
Your magic surges in response to the threat, but you have no time to examine it. Instead, you grab your friend's hand and call out to Lu: "Let's run!"
She hesitates, but something makes her relent; maybe it was the mind-numbing terror she sees coursing through you in your eyes. Or your face. Or in the fact you are shaking. "Very well."
Shadows fizzle over your face as you turn to run; steady volleys of magic rain both up and down, sometimes passing by each other and sometimes clashing. All colours of the rainbow and more blossom in the night, humid air filled with screams and, quickly, the scent of charred flesh and gore.
Hellbeasts and other winged units swing themselves into the air, but Heaven's elite mercilessly butchers twenty times their own number before any can reach the glowing clusters of Fey.
Any that make it perish under Gabriel's aura as she enters the battle herself, burning within holy light.
The three of you run, much like many of the soldiers around you do; everyone converges on the gates even while spellfire rains down amidst them, tearing dozens apart with each impact. An errant thought and intent are picked up by Paoras, who squeezes your hand.
PI AR RO AN D COSOXHN_EUCLNHLDA!RR UG ME !!
Your defensive aura snaps into place immediately, making you feel a little bit safer.
(Paradox Charge: +7875 Base Boost, +1633 dice = 9,508 Total Boost
Weapon boosted, Damage Barrier applied.)
Then you feel it. For no discernible reason, you can feel something coming for you from right behind, where you know you can not see it. The choir-like song of angelic magic accompanies it and you manage to turn around, finding a decorated War Angel barreling right for you, too fast for you to react to in any other way.
(Blade of the Night: Attack negated
Riposte!
Cost of the Crown: Lucifer Health: 39,600 + 52,255 = 91,855
Blood Soaked Cross: Lailah is aligned with False Heaven; all her Abilities are sealed
Blood Soaked Cross: +5000 Base Damage, +1306 dice, +2500 Rage = 8,806 Total Damage
War Angel Lailah: +2500 Base Resilience, +744 dice, -10000 Cut Throat = 8,756 Extra Damage
17,562 Total End Damage
Blood Soaked Cross (x3): 52,686 Final End Damage
Lailah Health: 40,000 - 52,686 = -12,686)
But Lu is there, catching the charging Angel's attack and pushing it off-track. In the same instance however, you see her cross and her magic lashing out against the decorated woman; the other Angel's wings fall silent and two protective magical layers around her fizzle out moments before the cross tears out her jugular; upon impact with the woman, the magic surrounding Lu roars and lashes out, giving the strike an extending edge that tears her head right off.
A moment passes quietly as you look at the beheaded Angel who was about to impale you on her burning blade. Then a black-feathered wing ushers you forward again. "First Host," Lu tells you with a glance up. "They brought the very elite and then some, probably with more Archangels in reserve. Get moving."
(199 enemies in reach.
Determined Soldier: ApT increased by 66)
So you move with Paoras in tow, partly carrying her with your somewhat enhanced speed, bounding over puddles of dead Demons and the like at almost every step. Angels are fighting near the ground now, uncaring for the allied spellfire that can not harm them in the first place. Lu mutters as she keeps an eye on those nearby to find other attackers. "This doesn't make sense, they need longer to muster that many," she notes. "Maybe that was their own attack force and we just managed to hit them before they could hit us."
You pay her no mind and summon Stardust Striker to you; this one may not have seen much use, but it soothes your disarrayed magic; it soothes you a little bit, too. Your knuckles are white as you hold it, even though your innate magic speeds you up a lot.
Fighting goes on all around you, Angels cutting through dozens of bodies without any trouble. All of them carry flaming swords and some are clad in an actual shroud of fire, dancing around the attackers turned defender while tornadoes, rockslides, firestorms, and other elemental barrages rain from the sky. You can taste the mana in the air, a mix between actinic, red, and green. You did not even know something could taste red or green, or how you know this is the taste.
You shudder under the many sensations and press on, but the light soon catches up with you. Turning your head, you find no one else but Gabriel in pursuit; she dances around Angel Slayers and kills them in passing, not even slowing down and with her eyes set on you. Lu sees her too, but she stays her hand.
It is too far, even with the boosted speed your magic grants you at its current intensity. You want to run faster, ever faster, but you rein in your terror and slow down, pushing Paoras behind you to protect her. Lu turns around as well, awaiting the Archangel while your allies all around scream in agony upon being set ablaze by her light.
When she lands, burning blade lowered, you find that she is... small, for an Angel. At least a head shorter than Lu, who is already not a tall Angel at three metres. Not that her size belies her power; you can not even bring yourself to speak.
Her eyes rest on your winged friend for a moment, then waver to you, then to Paoras peeking out from behind your back. Her brows crease and you almost imagine her arm twitching, but she does not attack. Yet.
You faintly see other Angels fighting in other areas of the now destroyed camp, though the area around you is clear of people. Gabriel's expression is unreadable as she takes you in, a moment stretching to an eternity; Lu actually takes a sidestep to interpose herself between you and her.
Then she speaks but a single word: "Lucifer."
It is a greeting, delivered calmly but in a faintly soft voice. Yet no one could overhear the edge of steel it carries. Neither does Lu, she merely answers in kind: "Gabriel." Except that her own voice is devoid of its usual indifference, rather being devoid of emotion entirely aside from a hint of anger.
You get the faint feeling that they know each other, but do not dare interrupt. A fight might break out at any moment.
Gabriel then moves to address you instead, a hint of curiousity in her voice: "I was surprised to find this one, more so that she did not call me to battle at once. May I believe this to be your influence?" Her words do not really register, the situation too unreal to make you act properly. You try to stutter a response, but she motions for you to stop with a visible frown. "Take a deep breath, child."
It is no order, but it may as well be. You do as you are told; the scent of burned flesh wafts into your nose, but it is drowned out by a sense of wonder. You are not dead yet!
"What do you want?" Lu is visibly agitated by this point and you cringe, hoping this will not turn into a fight. The Archangel does not answer her, though. She merely shakes her head and turns back to you.
"I am glad Lucifer found someone to confide in," she tells you with a gentle smile. "And I hope this bond you forged will hold."
As she makes to raise her blade, a blur impacts her with a challenging roar.
(Chasm's Fang: +12500 Base Damage, +6147 dice, +12500 Ramming Speed, +6250 Sharp End In Enemy = 37,397 Total Damage
Archangel Gabriel: +3000 Base Resilience, +66, -10 Distracted, -10000 Anti-Darkness Brand Craft = 13,056 Total Damage Reduction
24,341 Final End Damage
Gabriel Health: 360,000 - 24,341 = 335,659)
Argus slams into the Archangel like the fist of an angry god, his blade biting deeply into her side and tearing it open while something on her wings shines brighter and repels part of his momentum.
Gabriel still reacts instantly, ignoring the wound and using her right wing's thrust to instantly turn toward the new opponent. She swings her blade for him in the same motion, paying no more attention to you... but you can clearly see Lu hesitate.
(
Block!
Attack is Unstoppable!
Defender is Indestructible!)
In the single moment her hesitation takes, Gabriel's blade meets Argus' shield, him having swung it around just in time to intercept the attack; the sword leaves burning contrails until impact and then slides off, the shock of it leaving a black gouge in the ground.
Before either of them can attack again, Lu turns to you fully and dismisses her weapon. Her wing-like arm snakes around you as she crouches, the other one taking hold of Paoras. Then she lifts off into the air. You do not care much where the journey goes as you watch Gabriel and Argus, your own weapon sliding out of your hand.
(Chasm's Fang: +12500 Base Damage, +4064 dice = 16,564 Total Damage
Archangel Gabriel: +3000 Base Resilience, +362 dice, +500 Defensive Maneuvers, +10000 Anti-Darkness Brand Craft = 13,862 Total Damage Reduction
2,702 Final End Damage
Gabriel Health: 335,659 - 2,702 = 332,957)
Argus strikes first, apparently being the faster combatant; his sword tears a much smaller gouge into Gabriel's body, this time almost entirely repelled by whatever is on her wings; she uses their thrust expertly to roll with the blow and strike back at her opponent the moment his own attack lands.
(
Block!
Attack is Unstoppable!
Defender is Indestructible!)
But despite her effort to get him with his shield out of reach, Argus brings it around imperceptibly fast, as if it had always been there. Again it slides off, and again it leaves a tear in the ground, noticeably bigger than before. Only now do you recognise the sheen of light surrounding her sword; it grows a good bit beyond the actual blade once her attack slid off, previously hidden by the raging flames.
You can see Gabriel frown, notice her magic coalesce in her hand, and hear her shout: "Blinding Light!"
And then there is Light.
(Blinding Light: Modifier roll scuttled, set to 1
1 target.
Unstoppable Force: Blind is nullified against Argus.
Flash of Light: Gabriel's Health resets to full.
Yoink!)
It does not hurt your eyes despite the brightness, colouring the approaching night bright once more even for those who can not see mana like you. You see something from Argus welling up and repelling the light that blasted at him from the Angel's hand.
More importantly however, you see Gabriel's magic spread throughout her body and knit it back together, removing all damage her opponent dealt so far. She moves forward immediately, leaving herself wide open; an invitation which Argus takes to slash at her arm.
His sword slams into the limb and pops back out, leaving not even an imprint in her skin.
You realise his mistake the same moment he does, when Gabriel's hand closes on his shield and yanks it forward. Then she slashes at him again while keeping a hold of the defensive weapon.
(
Attack negated.)
Argus barely manages to deflect her sword with his own, the blade of light now as long as her sword in addition to it. The focus he needs to spend on preventing her attack, Gabriel uses to pull the shield out of his grasp and throw it away.
"Almost there," Lu mutters, but you pay no attention to her. The cries of battle and death recede into the distance as you watch those few final moments. Gabriel is faster than before and swinging for the unbalanced General.
(Blade of Salvation: +32000 Base Damage, +159 dice, +7500 Judgement, +668 dice, +32000 Demonslayer, +32000 Blender Ongoing = 104,327 Total Damage
Blade of Salvation: +64000 Base Damage, +104 dice, +7500 Judgement, +1006 dice, +64000 Demonslayer, +128000 Blender Full Swing = 264,610 Total Damage
Blade of Salvation: +128000 Base Damage, +50 dice, +7500 Judgement, +1025 dice, +128000 Demonslayer, +384000 Unstoppable Blender = 648,575 Total Damage
1,017,512 Unified Damage
1,023,192 Final End Damage
Argus Health: 180,000 - 1,023,192 = -843,192
Ladies and Gentlemen: Gabriel)
Her first swing severs the knight's sword arm and she starts to blur while his magic is set ablaze to hurt him even more; the light around her blade keeps growing, actually producing shockwaves that tear scorched trenches into the trampled earth.
Her second swing takes off both of his legs and she becomes no more than a blur as she lines up the third; only now does a splatter of blood shoot out from the speed with which she cut him apart.
The blood has not yet hit the ground when her last strike from overhead cleaves Argus in two, including his legs which were not yet pushed away by the force. The about ten metres long lightblade hits the ground and transfers its momentum.
You blink. When your lids slide open again, there is a crater toward the distant treeline, and the enlarged blade is in the process of vanishing.
Gabriel's eyes meet yours for a moment as she readies her blade, but then she leaves your sight as there is only dirt in front of you; Lu dove into the main pit, the Archangel's light receding as she seems to turn elsewhere, and no other Angels seem to be in this area. It is mostly deserted, though. You only pass a few stragglers on the way.
You have still not digested what just happened when you are set down in front of a Hell Gate; Pazuzu offers a grim nod as he holds the line, Demons stomping through his gate as fast as they can.
Then this hits you as well; Hell Gates are only for Demons. You are no Demon, and neither is Lu. You blink at her and look around, but find no Dark Stars who could open a portal for you.
Only now do you feel into yourself again and turn to Paoras, whose fear is almost as great as your own. "What do we do?" She asks you.
Light dances up high and it is only a matter of time until she comes down here. Fairies set up to shoot into the main pit as dead Hell Beasts and other fliers fall from the sky. Gates crumble around you as even many Gate Demons make to flee through the remaining gates, Pazuzu being one of the few to stay.
You look back to the gate you can not pass, then your friends. "Paoras, go. We'll find another way."
Lu nods, but Paoras shakes her head with a scowl. "No, I'm staying! I'm going to help you this time!"
You do not have time for this, any second could be the last. "This isn't like last time, or anything we had before. You need to go back to Maya, now!"
She is scared, you can tell. So, so scared. And yet she keeps shaking her head, insisting to stay by your side. She may be more brave than you.
Then Lu picks her up by her horn, ignoring the girl's pained whimper. "You still have much and many to live for. Throwing your life away is for the hopeless and the insane," she curtly tells her, then throws her through the gate. Paoras screams all the way until she is swallowed by the magic, leaving only the two of you in the bright night.
A second passes as you try to find a Dark Star again, then Lu pulls you back as a ball of flame impacts Pazuzu and explodes, scattering what is left of him all over and over you; Paradox Charge ran out with Paoras' departure.
You freeze for a moment as you look up, finding Fairies that fill the sky right above. The walls begin to freeze, melt, and crumble. Angels are near as well.
There is no time and no way to escape. Lu knows it too, seeing how she readies her weapon again. You lost yours.
But there is a way. Only one.
"Lu!"
You jump into her arms and hold on for dear life; her wing slings around you to hold you tight and you hope, perhaps even pray to whatever god may be willing to listen as you shout your spell's name: "VOYAGE!"
You do not care where, just away from here.
As you command, space right in front of you warps until it forms what looks like a gate, big enough to encompass even your angelic friend. It then moves toward you in-between heartbeats. Lu dismisses her weapon just before it envelops the both of you, taking you to lands and times unknown.
-------------
Second Arc, "Standing Amongst Giants", is complete.
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=====
+30xp Met Gabriel
+250xp Got Within Ten Metres of Gabriel And Lived
+150xp Survived the UL-Counterraid (by Running Away)
+500xp Completed Arc 2
+250xp Without Dying
EXP gained: 1,180
Total EXP: 2,141
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(New Shop Item unlocked)
(Unlocked Level 2 Character Sheet: Archangel Gabriel)
