Chapter 718: The Archangel Part One
718. The Archangel Part One
Edithe saw the figure from a distance. It was hard to miss. It was practically glowing, wreathed by flakes of iridescent light. Eight feathered white wings protruded from its back, attached to a golden figure that resembled the vague shape of a person.
And it looked to be completely naked, but without any discernible body parts that would normally be hidden by clothing. This was unlike the [Angels] across from it that wore various kinds of armor. Or rather, they seemed to have different kinds of armor— such as helmets or breastplates or gauntlets— merged with their body.
A single golden halo floated atop the head of the golden figure. And from afar, Edithe was certain she could make out the shape of a face... somehow. It didn’t make sense to her. Her vision was not this good. And yet, she could see the crazed joy on the golden figure’s face.
Without even gleaning anything from her [Identification], Edithe knew that this was who she was searching for.
It was the Archangel.
“What’s it doing?”
Edithe asked, glancing between the Archangel and the dozens of [Angels] floating before it. She turned to face the fortress of diamonds down below.
“And what is that?”
The redhead narrowed her eyes, and Willy sighed.
“That... that is why the Spirit Plane is not paradise.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Edithe frowned at the [Will O’ Wisp]. But Druma raised a hand, silencing her.
“I apologize for interrupting you, master. But we need to be silent. And we need to stay low. We do not want to be found by those [Angels].”
“Right...”
Nodding, Edithe decided to save the questions for later and observe for now. And as she watched, the Archangel moved, raising a hand and creating a longsword out of the iridescent aura coating him.
“Hey, you ugly bastards!”
The Archangel exclaimed as its voice reverberated throughout the flatlands. Edithe couldn’t quite discern the Archangel’s gender through its voice. It sounded like it was both a male and a female at the same time.
Her mind almost couldn’t comprehend it.
The [Angels] tensed as they heard the Archangel speak. But they didn’t attack. Instead, they waited as it continued.
“I’m giving you one chance like I gave the others before I slaughtered them all— surrender, or die!”
Edithe looked on as the [Angels] exchanged hesitant glances. Then they raised their weapons, aiming back at the Archangel. One of the [Angels]— a female-presenting [Angel] with a helmet covering her face, and the highest-leveled of the gathered [Angels] at Level 198— raised a spear and spoke up.
“We will die before we submit to you, traitor!”
“I just love how zealously loyal these dumbasses are. Makes killing them all the more satisfying.”
What power... Edithe thought as she stared at the gloating Archangel. It killed all those Sacred Spirits without even taking any damage.
For a moment, the redhead couldn’t help but be in awe at the Archangel’s power. With its strength, even the swarm of Centinels would be helpless against it. However, her gaze was drawn back down to the crystalline fortress below.
But now that the [Angels] are dead... what does the Archangel want next?
And right as she asked the question in her head, she watched as the Archangel aimed down at the fortress. She blinked a few times, before she saw a flash of light.
An iridescent blast engulfed the fortress as Edithe reeled. The shockwave from the explosion nearly sent her flying, but she caught herself. Next to her, Willy, Centina, and Druma barely clung onto the mountain too.
The size of the explosion had to have rivaled what Helena Warshade was capable of with her Grand Skill— perhaps it was even larger! But the Archangel conjured it up without so much as a second thought.
The Archangel flew up away from the blooming blast of iridescent light as it laughed louder than ever.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
But the Archangel’s moment of triumph didn’t last long. Because from the explosion, something emerged. A tendril shot out and swiped up at the Archangel.
“Oh, fuck—”
The Archangel shot backwards as the tendril barely missed it. Edithe blinked a few times, trying to make out the shape of the tendril. But for some reason, she could barely discern it. Almost like it was obscured by a distortion in space.
“Hey, I freed you! You’re not supposed to attack me!”
The Archangel exclaimed as Edithe furrowed her brows. She tried to lean forward to make out what it was, watching as the tendril took more swipes at the Archangel.
The explosion slowly began to clear as the Archangel continued to fly back and swat the tendril away.
“Bad— no! You’re not supposed to attack me!”
All the while, Edithe looked on as a blurred amalgamation of light crawled out of the rubble.
“What is that...?”
She asked as she stared at it in horror. She didn’t think she would get an answer. But from the side, she got one.
“That is the corruption.”
Willy whispered as he stared at the thing that was emerging from the destroyed remains of the fortress.
“That is the cause of the end of the world.”