Chapter 78 - A Sudden Shift

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

Though he found his answer as he looked towards the sky, finding more of the constellation-like lights forming: it was the residual flash left in the trail of the woman's attacks.

It was too fast–it in actuality moved at a different degree of speed, taking a different form–combining delayed impacts with flashing, unmatched speed.

A singular hit didn't amount to much, but dozens of the sharp-ended impacts pelted against his body, leaving dozens of shallow holes in his flesh as blood seeped onto his golden-brown skin.

"...Enough…!"

Radueriel flexed his entire body, brute forcing past the unholy element infecting his body as he forced a release of holy energy outwards, stopping the assault.

Though he managed to halt the attack, the abrasive, reckless counter resulted in him spitting up blood, bleeding out from his nose and ears before he leapt up, taking flight as he brought himself high into the sky.

"...I'm done with you, worms! I should've done this from the start–! I'll destroy it all! I'll reduce this city to ash! Your actions, your battles, your hardships–all to ash!" Radueriel proclaimed, holding one hand up towards the heavens.

An immense, dense gathering of seraphic light swirled around his extended arm as utter power exuded from the angel's form.

"Err…what're they going to do about that?" Moon asked, spectating from the window.

"...So much power…" Eunji mumbled.

"Knock that winged bastard down!" Yeong-Un continued to cheer on, yelling at the top of his lungs.

What if that attack actually lands…? I can sense it from here–something like that will erase us all! He thought in stressed silence.

The gathering of divine energy of such a degree shook the entire city below in a courage-shattering earthquake.

Yet, Dae-Seong remained calm, propping his glasses up as he walked forward alone with his blade in hand.

"Hm? Ready to struggle pathetically until your last moment?" Radueriel asked from above, bleeding from multiple orifices.

The leader of Gangcheori didn't respond, only looking upwards towards the mass of blinding, golden energy.

"...Those wings are a problem…"

Those whispered words read from Dae-Seong's lips paused the angel, who hastened the coalescence of energy, witnessing the man begin to raise his blade.

"Return to the dirt!" Radueriel yelled out, finishing the gathering of divine energy as he held a massive sphere of golden light above his palm.

Dae-Seong responded with something of his own, "...Mine is the blade that separates the Heavens from the Earth, and the Earth from Hell: Cut Away – Realm Scraper!"

Lifting that massive greatsword up, it was enveloped in an unspeakably dense energy, causing even the angel to pause as in its path, the ground rumbled with such intensity that pebbles stayed airborne as it passed.

Before Raduriel could launch his attack, Dae-Seong slashed his massive hunk of steel against the air, releasing an air pressure so potent that every window in the vicinity shattered into countless pieces, readjusting the winds, and cracking the nearby buildings.

More accurately, two slashes were forged from one, releasing as a condensed, viscous air pressure that embedded itself through the stratifications of wind, hailing towards the angel at a speed and intensity so great that the divine being was left still.

Squelch.

"Huh–?" Radueriel let out, dumbfounded and wide eyed as his ears rang with such intensity his skull felt as if it were being pounded.

Both of his elegant, angelic winds were separated from his body, cut away swiftly as his ears were filled with the roars of wind by the passing force of the human's singular slash.

"Huh?" Radueriel repeated.

Only stumps of the angel's cut-away wings were left on his shoulder blades, causing the divine being to begin plummeting downwards as he lost focus of his built-up energy.

Without first realizing what truly happened, the angel crashed into the ground. The dust from the impact settled, revealing Radueriel to be on his hands and knees, looking down in shock as blood profusely poured from his back.

"My wings…!?"

The divinely, beautifully-feathered wings had fallen on either side of the street, unattached to his back.

Radueriel screamed out at this realization as tears formed at the edge of his eyes, only looking forward when the slow, methodical steps of the one who cut away his wings approached.

"You…! You! You! You!"

Each time the angel repeated the word, he slammed his balled-up fist against the asphalt, cracking it as he picked himself up in a tearful rage.

Ma-Ri and Korain returned, intending to help the leader finish off the dewinged angel, but the silver-haired leader raised his arm, "Reserve your strength. This fight is over."

"Oh…alright then, boss," Korain said, looking over at Ma-Ri in surprise, who simply shrugged her shoulders, sheathing her rapier with complete faith in the man.

As the Angel rushed towards him in a screaming rage, Dae-Seong's expression remained unmoving as he dropped his greatsword, meeting the divine being fist-to-fist.

There was no elegance to the angel's movements, who simply relied on his heavenly strength to thrust his fists wildly, aiming to crush the silver-haired man's face with all of his anger.

Dae-Seong swayed his head masterfully, evading each strike and parrying the next ones to come, countering with a powerful slam of his knuckles against the angel's jaw, bruising it after having sent the divine being back several meters.

"When I said your strength didn't impress me, I wasn't referring to your physical power," Dae-Seong spoke while still in close-quarters combat with the angel.

"Shut up…! Shut up! Schut…up!" Radueriel's repeated words began to slur in anger.

None of the attempted blows from the angel came close to landing as Dae-Seong redirected his strength, tossing the divine being over his shoulder and flipping him with superior skill.

Dae-Seong looked down at the bloody-and-bruised angel, adjusting his glasses with a look of little pity, "I was unimpressed by the fact of those who judged humans were such petty creatures, such as yourself."

Suddenly, a laugh sprouted from the lips of the angel, who kicked up to his feet, forcing the silver-haired man to jump back.

"....I see, I see…I see! That's how it is…" Radueriel snickered.