Chapter 174 - Bodies

"I do not really care about your individual approaches and ideologies towards combat and war, all I know is that we should do our best to work together and work our way out of this hell hole." Cosette said with her back turned from them. The other members of team Alpha who have survived the initial first few minutes of battle gathered with them in a circle. "Have you kids finished bickering already or what?" Vale Ashford said, she was from team Gamma came to their aid and of the other Slayers.

The four of them immediately got up and got into their respective stances. Parades of Angels quickly got down by themselves from up above with their scythes drawn out, ready to take any Slayer's head. "Now, show me the fruits of your training!" The Specter shouted out as she drew her short sword as well. "Strength to live and to be worthy of standing here. Strength to be called a Slayer, and the strength to kill as many Angels as I can. I sure do hope I have not gotten rusty from not fighting against Angels for many months…" Hector Incendium said to himself. "I have to fight while keeping an eye on the others, not just only the ones I know, but also all the other Slayers right here in the frontlines with me, I will fight to protect them and Niflheim." Yin thought to himself. 

When the Angels got too close for comfort, they went all in and met them in the middle of their charge.. Clangs of blades and the sound of bones and limbs being crushed and torn apart – those were the sounds of this battlefield. Whether it was human or Angel limbs, one could never really tell from the sheer chaos enveloping this war. 

[ Four months ago, right after Ares, the Seraphim of War escaped the clutches of certain death, she flew up above and was looking for Adam Rosa in order to tell him to call off the mission to find the Sword of Alacrity and just back up. ]

"Where is that cretin of a human!?" She exclaimed as she held her wounds with her hands to make them heal quicker. She knew that the Vessel would absolutely be fuming with rage if she did not manage to go back to their hive without Adam. "I wonder what really drove her to trust Adam Rosa this much. A mere human commanding the Twelve Seraphims. It is unthinkable!" Ares thought to herself. As she flew up in search for their leader, it was already too late, her eyes locked in on Adam Rosa's wound. Even with his advanced regenerative healing, that was a fatal wound. "Tch. Suits you well, Reaper. There was no knowing if when you might turn traitor and betray the Angels and the Vessel altogether, considering that is how you ended up with us in the first place." She said as she clicked her tongue with a grin. "Shit. I am going to have to explain the Vessel what happened. Although I did not know how he came to die. Whatever, it matters not, even if I were to swoop down and try to get his body and have the Vessel revive him, there would be no way of being sure of my safety. "Those Slayers down there…." She said as she pointed downwards at The Commander and the Serpent Summoner. "They are utterly dangerous if they managed to kill Adam Rosa. I am not going to try my luck out in getting his body back." 

It seemed like the Seraphim of War knew that the Vessel would be furious after knowing of her prized champion's demise, but she was still not going to risk her own life in an insane attempt to 'save' his already deceased body. 

After Ares got back to the main hive, she greeted the Vessel after walking in. "Y-Your Highness, I have returned." She was actually trembling while she knelt and acknowledged her presence. "The others…they have died. Fulgur, Umbra, and even Hai!-" She was quickly cut off by the Vessel asking her with a question. Adam Rosa?" The Vessel asked as she made her appearance known after moving out of the shadows. It was the same small Angel that the Commander saw, the one with the black lines painted all over her face. This was mankind's greatest enemy, the one who has tormented them all for eons and eons. "Eh? How unfortunate for them, then. Now, where is Adam Rosa?" She asked with a jolly and energetic voice. 

"H-He has died, your highness. Along with the other Seraphims." Ares slowly responded back. "Then why are you not carrying his remains? I could have resurrected him in less than a day, you know that, right?" The Vessel replied back with a question of her own, albeit with a slightly annoyed voice. The Seraphim of War could do nothing but keep her head bowed down as droplets of sweat started to pour down from her temple. 

"There were some fairly high ranked Slayers guarding his remains, your highness, I could not have gone down there and pick it up even if I wanted to. Adam Rosa himself told us of the existence of budding Slayers who would have the highest chances of actually being able to kill him, I believe those were the ones who he fought against." Ares said to her.

"How disappointing of you, Ares." The Vessel said as she turned around. "B-But what else was I meant to do back there?!" Ares did not notice it but she inadvertently raised her voice. This action triggered the Vessel so much that she turned back and just removed the Seraphim of War's arm by tearing it up with her bare hands. "I am going to do a whole lot more than this if you do not know your place, Seraphim." She said coldly as Ares screamed out in pain. "The next time you raise your voice against me like that, make sure you do not value your own life, I will take that instead of your arm." She said so calmly as though it was an everyday occasion for her. 

"Soon. I will get to see my beloved Thanatos…I am thrilled for it, aren't you, Ares?" She acted like a nonchalant teenager drunk in love. "O-Of course, your highness." Ares forced out a response while attempting to heal her left arm by sticking it together. "Good. When things get messy, I am going to be forced to use all the remaining Seraphims' bodies' in order to encage my true powers. But I do not see the purpose of including you in it." Whether Ares would take that as a compliment or an insult would be entirely up to her, so she stayed quiet. 

[ Present time during Operation Liberation ]

"I can sense Thanatos inside that white haired boy. Yes…there is no mistaking it…" The Vessel said as she pointed towards Yin. "That is correct, your highness, that boy is the carrier of the System you exclusively built for Thanatos millions of years ago." Ares said while she nodded. 

About an hour has passed and many bodies of both Angels and Slayers alike were now laying on the bloody floor, lifeless and defeated. Yin and the others were still standing, however. "Just how many of them are there?!" he exclaimed. "Save your energy for fighting, Yin!" Suna shouted back. "It is as though there are no end to these things…" Hector said softly. "I am sorry, I have to retreat for now, Master Gavin." Ryoko was at her limit now, she was far too wounded to be useful and thus was recalled back by the Serpent Summoner. 

Gavin then summoned nearly all of his beasts at once. "Go!" He gave them the order to help the others out. Team Gamma and Beta were both pushing through in order to reunite with Alpha. Ignis Silva and Kai Xin were battling their hearts out in the battlefield, as well as Zach. "Be safe, Yin, Suna." He said to himself. "We are coming, just stay alive for a little longer." 

Even though Zach said that, there was still no guarantee that they would even survive this onslaught by the Angels. It feels like whenever they cut one down, two more takes its place and flies down from above. 

"Damn, you really are old now, sire." Luken jokingly pointed out at the Emperor who was out of breath after brawling it out with the Angels. "Do not make fun of his majesty, Luken!" Shaheen blurted out with a tired expression as he himself was close to his limit. "It is a bit different than catching petty thieves and criminal underworld figures back in Niflheim, right, Shaheen?" Luken asked him. "You might be right about that…" The S Rank Enforcer replied back. "Hang on, I think I see Vale and the others over there!" The Commander said. "Try to counter their attacks but do not commit, let us regroup with team Alpha once more!"