Chapter 77 - Forced Into A Corner

While still being held in place, forced to guard against the powerful strike of the muscle-bound man, Radueriel was on the receiving end of flashing pierces. It was even more perplexing how the thin rapier wielded by the dark-haired, icy-eyed woman continued to inflict damage on his body.

She's level thirty–I can see that clearly! There's no tricks like with the man, so how–?! Radueriel questioned.

The angel inspected the rapier as it passed by his gaze, deciphering its origin: "The Silver Line".

Upon finding its name, he was able to figure out its true nature–the ability to bypass the defense of its target.

What? Something like that…?! The angel thought in a furry.

Just as he mustered up his strength, fueled by the rage of being helplessly attacked, he exuded a golden radiance, forcing the man above him back as a pulse of divinity propelled outward like a shock wave.

However, in turn, another slash of the massive greatsword came at him, prompting him to turn around and attempt to guard against it, only to have his toned forearms slashed mercilessly.

"Hghk…!" Radueriel winced.

The residual force from the massive, powerful slash had produced a wind capable of knocking the angel back, causing his soles to slide through the asphalt as steam exuded from his lacerated forearms.

"So this is the strength of an "angel"? It's not as impressive as I had imagined," Dae-Seong coaxed him with his stoic words.

"You worthless, mud-crawling maggot…! I am the Destroying Angel, Radueriel–! Don't get full of yourself because you've managed to draw a bit of blood from me–!" The angel shouted out, looking up words the sky, "Father! Release one of my seals!"

They all came to a stop as the sea of ever-present clouds hanging above swirled around a golden light that seemed to respond to the angel's call.

"--"

Something was heard, though not understood to the humans–only to the angel, who smiled in glee as the bindings placed on his wrists shattered, crumbling onto the ground.

["Destroying Angel, Radueriel" | Level 80]

Dae-Seong, Ma-Ri, and Korain regrouped, facing the angel together who laughed at the unsealed power he presented, cracking his knuckles and his neck in glee.

"Hey, hey…Isn't this completely unfair?!" Korain asked.

"Stay focused," Ma-Ri told him calmly, "Nothing's changed–our objective is still the same: defeat the enemy in front of us."

"It's as she says–keep pushing forward," Dae-Seong added.

Despite their words, it looked bleak: the half-unsealed power of the divinity shook the landscape, exuding a powerful mass of a radiant aura that shook the street with each laugh leaving the angel's lips.

As both sides pushed forward at the same time, the three executives of Gangcheori clashed with the angel, who grinned while combating them solo.

The angel moved nimbly, using minimal movement to evade their attacks, even managing to avoid the pointy-tip of Ma-Ri's flashing rapier, as each missed piercing sent a condensed, sharp air pressure past the angel.

"...Let's thin the herd!" Radueriel smiled.

It was clear that Korain was the weak link of the three–the angel knew that clearly as he used his blinding, casually hypersonic speed to push past the other two, bringing himself directly before Korain.

"It won't be that easy!" Korain yelled out.

As the boisterous man enhanced his sword with sharp, spiraling winds, carving up the debris-lathered asphalt in its path upward, the angel swiftly spun his body around it, countering with a roundhouse kick that slammed against the man's nose.

The impact resulted in the sound barrier being shattered, flinging Korain back at a viscous speed.

"Was that…?!"

"That was yer' move, wasn't it?!" Yeong-Un finished his thought.

He nodded, gulping, "...He copied it? Or does he already know?"

Things once again were looking unsteady as the angel now only had to worry about two opponents at once, turning back to the vice-leader and the leader himself with a smile, flexing his muscles with an ominous laugh.

"You were so full of yourselves just a minute ago, what happened to that bravado? What was that about the strength of an angel being "unimpressive"? I'd like to hear those words leave your lips again!" Radueriel's playful words shifted into complete anger with those last few as he stomped down, causing a spider web of cracks to run along the street.

The two ignored the words of the angel as the silver-haired man casually adjusted his glasses.

"Ma-Ri," Dae-Seong said calmly, "Let's do "that", yes?"

"Alright," the black-haired girl, a full head shorter than the leader nodded.

In unison, the two began to walk, though Dae-Seong ran straight for the angel, Ma-Ri took an alternate path, using her flashy speed to begin vanishing from spot-to-spot.

Radueriel held his smile while glancing around, "Are you that desperate? A little bit of haste won't throw me off."

Dae-Seong didn't give him the satisfaction of responding, only dashing towards him silently as he spun around, pivoting off his left foot and completely shifting the angle at which he attacked.

"...Grand Volatile Slasher…"

The invocation was whispered from the man's lips mid-slash, though the angel barely had time to hone in on the quietly spoken words as the decorated greatsword coming towards him bubbled up with a unique heat.

What's that–? Radueriel questioned.

Though he raised a single arm, manifesting a divine shield in the path of the incoming blade–the angel, for some reason, regretted taking that course of action.

The moment the edge of the greatsword clashed against the protective barrier, the air momentarily hissed before rapidly compressing then expanding into a massive explosion of electrically-charged, purple energy.

It was large enough to fill most of the width of the street, resulting in a cloud of smoke swirling before dissipating, revealing the golden-brown angel being flung back, bouncing a few times before finally crashing into the asphalt.

Slowly, Radueriel hazily returned to his feet, coughing as he looked down at his body, which was covered in burn marks, bleeding from multiple, heavy scratches now as he coughed out.

"What is this–?" The angel questioned.

Before the divine being could figure out what the overflowing pain was surging throughout his body, he was forced to engage in battle with Dae-Seong, who approached at a rapid speed.

He's fast…! Radueriel thought.

The angel shrouded his forearms in intertwined, radiant armor, blocking each of the massive swings of the silver-haired man's greatsword. Each impact resulted in a massive air pressure releasing, burning and shattering the land behind the angel though he blocked each incoming strike.

"Grgh…!" Radueriel gritted his teeth, spinning around and swiping his hand.

The swipe of the angel's hand manifested a plethora of divine weapons into the air, shooting each and every one of them towards Dae-Seong as they came from every angle, descending rapidly.

Dae-Seong looked up without worry, stomping down as the strength of his step shook the street, "God Lacerator."

The casually spoken invocation was accompanied by a massive swing of the decorated pillar of sharpened steel, resulting in a colossal slash of meshed light and darkness that repelled the rain of golden weapons.

This human…! His strength makes no sense–! Radueriel thought, witnessing the aftermath of the massive slash result in a powerful release of wind.

As they clashed again, the silver-haired human managed to match the angel's sheer speed and nimbleness, hopping from car-to-car in a flash and sprinting alongside the sides of one of the highrise skyscrapers.

Along its height, Radueriel summoned his divine armory again, unleashing a rain of the iridescent weapons like a storm of arrows upon Dae-Seong.

The man responded only by rushing forth, wielding his greatsword as if it were weightless; slashing it rapidly to deflect each of the weapons before knocking the angel back down to the street with an unexpected kick.

How can a human like this exist–?! This is merely the beginning of Father's game–so how does somebody like this already exist?! Radueriel thought, crashing down before immediately picking himself up.

Mustering his angelic might, he felt an unstable force spiral in his gut, causing his power to lash out against him.

"Ghk…! What's going on?!" Radueriel winced.

Dae-Seong stood a good dozen meters away, adjusting his glasses as he firmly planted his greatsword against the ground.

It was just then when the wincing angel, being inflicted with harmful, purple strands of electricity, looked forward that he saw something peculiar: a dark, almost unseen scaling of mystical energy running along the surface of the silver-haired man's blade.

"Thanks to my "Evolution", angel, my attacks have taken on the trait of "Anti-Holy", or more accurately, "Unholy", correct?" Dae-Seong spoke to him.

"...Unholy?!" Radueriel gasped out, realizing what the odd sensation was overtaking his body.

It was like an infection; constantly attacking the angel's body whenever he exuded any form of divinity–creating an instability in his reservoir of strength.

That's our opening. Go, Ma-Ri, Dae-Seong thought, adjusting his glasses.

Before the angel could properly recover, suddenly lines of platinum light manifested all around him.

From every angle, surrounding him as if ensnaring him in a cage, the angel looked around to find the lights' iridescent nature shining close by him.

But, it wasn't quite what he had thought.

Suddenly, slashes and pierces pelted against his body, hitting him rapidly, all at once as he was left helpless, being repeatedly struck by the unseen attacks.

What is this–?! I can't see it! The light–what is this light?! Radueriel questioned.