Chapter 207: Ego

Chapter 207: Ego

“[Divine Eye], [Under Divine Flag], [Wrath of the Righteous], [Daemon’s Bane]” Uriel intoned as she bathed her and her allies in buffs.

“Shouldn’t have done that.” Atazza growled.

“You...” one of the Silver Maidens began, but Atazza swiftly cut her off.

“Killing them isn’t the problem, it’s finding them.” Atazza growled.

“Somehow, I don’t think it will matter. They aren’t here for all of you; they are here for me,” Uriel said as she scanned the surroundings and saw all those with demonic ether signatures staring right at her.

“There you are...” Atazza said, and in a flash, he had hurled a javelin right at one of the civilians. The javelin punched clean through the man’s chest, and his body crumpled to the ground. From his shadow emerged a Succubus with pinkish skin and small curved horns.

The moment the Succubus emerged Yael let out a shot of divine energy from his Light Spear. The Light Spears were rather crude weapons developed to give the Cherubim a fighting chance against the foes of Heaven. The Cherubim were too small to serve well in melee unless they were facing simple humans or dwarves. Against the more powerful races they stood little chance in a direct clash. So Light Spears were designed to let the Cherubim fire bolts of divine energy at a distance.

The bolts were reasonably effective, but against targets with high defense, they were practically useless. A mere platoon of veterans from the Wrath Ring would eat a Cherubim Company alive. This weakness was so well known that some of the more callous members of High Heaven have started calling the Light Spear, Torch Lights. Deriding the weapons as something that can only shine a vaguely threatening beam of light.

However, in skilled hands, it was far from an ineffective weapon.

Yael’s first short was dodged as the Succubus ducked to the right, but Yael’s next shot slammed right into her face, and then another followed into her chest right where her heart was. Flaming blood spewed from her wounds, and she crumpled to the ground. A moment later, the body crumbled to ash as she succumbed to her wounds.

Uriel glanced at Yael, and the happy and overly energetic Cherubim was gone. Now, he had the eyes of a vigilant soldier as he scanned the surroundings.

“Not bad,” Atazza said as he glanced at the surrounding tents. Uriel could see figures hiding in the shadows. The innocents had long since fled. The only ones who remained were those possessed by demons.

“Archangel we should leave.” one of her guards said as she lifted off the ground.

“No, this is a perfect chance to clean out this camp. We fight on.” Uriel replied as she summoned her staff. The top ignited with golden flame, forming a curved fiery blade.

“As you command.” her guards replied as they took up defensive positions.

Uriel hefted her staff and then the demons swarmed them. These were not soldiers, just infiltrators. The Searing Hells must have quite a bounty on her head, it was to be expected of course, but regardless demons wanted her head was nothing knew.

“[Divine Lance]” Uriel shot a gold blade right at a pouncing demon, the blade struck the demon with enough force to send it flying into a nearby tent.

She glanced at the Naga and saw Atazza smash an attacking demon into red mist with sheer brute strength. Another demon pounced ontop of Atazza, latching onto his wide back. The Demon tried to stab down into his neck but the blade just bounced off his scales, spewing sparks.

“Worm.” Atazza growled as he grabbed the demon with one hand and slammed her into the ground, splattering her across the mud.

Yael was firing his Light Spear for dear life and to his credit he was quite good at it. His shots mostly struck home and the amount of dying demons lying around from his shots was slowly growing.

“[Honour Guard].” Uriel intoned and a group of six golden swords appeared around her. When a demon got too close, one of the swords shot out and skewered it.

These demons were chaff, they were just swayed by the promise of power and prestige. But they were fools. With the strength they have now, the best they could hope for was to become one of Lord Mammon’s court jesters if they succeeded. The Demon Prince of Lust would use them until he tired of them and then they would be discarded. Better they end here rather that face the tortures that await them.

Uriel cut down another charging demon when she sensed a commotion, she turned to see a squad of Cherubim charging out of mass of destroyed tents, their Light Spears firing at every demon in sight.

In just a few moments Uriel found herself behind a bristling wall of spears. The small bodies of the Cherubim were in front of her, shielding her from any harm. Then she saw more Light Spear bolts in the distance, word must have gotten out and it seems every Cherubim in the area was now converging on this location.

The battle went on rather uneventfully for a few more minutes but it was soon over. Just a hand full left to clean up. She watched Yael take down another fleeing demon and the fallen demon was soon blasted by half a dozen shots from the other Cherubim.

Root and stem, the Inquisitors called it. Leave no weed alive in Heaven’s garden.

“Fear not, salvation is coming good priest.” Uriel said gently.

Is that so angel?

Uriel shifted her gaze and saw that hive soldier from before... smiling at her...

Then it spoke.

“You will save these wretched creatures?” the beast said as it slowly walked towards her. Its voice was deep and sounded like grating glass.

Uriel paused as she stared at the beast. Common Hive soldiers could not talk, and this one did not seem that powerful—certainly not any different from the other soldiers.

“You can talk...” Uriel said as she turned to look at the beast.

“Most of us can, we just choose not to.” the beast revealed and Uriel felt her blood run cold. Hive soldiers were supposed to be dull, rabid beasts, not intelligent creatures.

“Then why have you chosen to speak?” Uriel asked as she narrowed her eyes.

“I do not know, we understand yet we do not. We are one mind, yet seperate. Petty language cannot fully explain what we are.” the beast said as it approached. The Naga got out of the way, her Silver Maidens tensed and Tsarkov?

Tsarkov was surprised, he did not know this was possible.

“Do you have a message?” Uriel asked.

“No, none. Just felt like talking. Long have I served and yet, you speak of salvation.” the beast said and Uriel furrowed her brow. What it just said made little sense.

“What does you serving have to do with salvation?” Uriel pressed. Although she was unnerved she realised this was a golden opportunity to learn about how a Hive creature thinks. Perhaps the Great Beast’s hold on his minions is not as strong as he thinks it is.

“Everything, you think these souls can be saved? By what? The rot is deep, you cannot save them. They have no unity, without a master they will tear each other apart.” the beast said, still making little sense.

“And your kind can offer salvation?” Uriel pressed.

“My king offers purpose. To be both known and unknowable. These wretch creatures you call priests beg and mewl like children. They seek something that doesn’t exist. They are false and dead things. No power nor choice.” the beast said.

“We have a choice, we are the masters of our own fate.” one of the priests said, and at those words the beast laughed.

“You hold your own life but you control nothing. All of you live because my king allows it, you will all die when he demands it.” the beast said as it turned away.

“Are you threatening this Empire?” Uriel asked and the beast paused before turning it’s head slightly.

“You should know this well Archangel. Power is a threat to all within reach.” the beast said before ambling off, all of the terrified humans giving it a wide berth.

Take a good long look angel

You are watching the death throes of an era...