Loud roars and excited laughs echoed in the air outside the second Therris Tower, the figures of Jiahn, Ko'rai, Ahmed, Kim Eun, and Hwang Ji-yong all dodging the attacks of a large black dragon and his summoner. Ko'rai laughed with excitement as he matched every blow from the Black Dragon, each strike causing his veins to burst with energy via his technique, Reshinun, Dragon's Hand.
The Black Dragon dodged Ko'rai's next attack before swiping his tail at him, aiming to crush his body. Before the midnight black, scaly tail could reach Ko'rai, Ahmed appeared at his side and parried the tail to knock it back. Ko'rai smirked and fell back, allowing Ahmed to take the lead.
"Yeesh! This had been going on forever! It's almost like the day isn't turning at all!" Jiahn exclaimed, grunting as she dodged the Dragon Summoner's attack then caught her breath.
Kim Eun glanced up at the sky for a moment, noticing the sun stood still at its zenith in the sky, unmoving. She let out a frustrated scoff, dusting herself off and focusing her attention on the two goes ahead. "First, I get put in detention, now I'm fighting for my life with some losers I could care less about."
Hwang Ji-yong flipped her long black hair behind her then adjusted her puffy arm sleeves upon her arms, her light brown eyes glowing with slight anticipation. "I dunno, Kimmy...this is starting to get pretty fun now we actually have a challenge."
The Dragon Summoner laughed with slight amusement, looking at the three girls the shifted her attention to the two guys. Her black armor light reflected the sunlight, the nature green symbol upon her pauldron glowing brightly with energy.
"You five are an interesting bunch...yet your fates will become the same as your predecessors. Three of your mates who challenged us in the past were killed by my Black Dragon and me, Lady Heather of Therris Royal Guard!" The Dragon Summoner boasted, her Black Dragon roaring powerfully behind her.
Ko'rai whistled with amusement at the dragon's roar, his own veins pumping with draconic adrenaline and a drive for battle. He clenched his left hand into a fist, giving Heather a thrilled smirk. "Is that so? You managed to kill three previous Class 12-A Students?"
"We are only just beginning. The last graduates thought they were prepared for what was all to come, and fell by my hand and my dragon's! The only option for you is to just die!" Heather laughed, charging toward Ko'rai at high speeds with a thrust of her ethereal green spear.
Ko'rai chuckled lightly and dodged her first thrust then deflected her second, his eyes tracking Heather's hands to see how she would attack next. He continued to guard her attacks then managed to push her weapon down, causing the blade to stick to the ground. He charged forward with a Dragon Lariat, but Heather's Black Dragon knocked him away with a heavy tail swipe.
Ko'rai grunted softly as he rolled backwards along the ground before recovering onto one knee, striking his fist against the ground to stop himself from skidding backwards. He spit out a bit of blood from his mouth, holding his stomach as he felt one of his ribs were cracked. He let out a soft chuckle, blue draconic flames barely visible escaping the corners of his mouth.
"Ko'rai!" Jiahn called out, rushing to his aid while Kim Eun and Ji-yong stood behind. She kneeled beside him and placed her hand upon his back. "You alright?"
"Yeah...it's nothing to tribal people like me. We battle like dragons and go all out when needed, that was nothing but a jab for me," Ko'rai reassured, standing up onto his feet and let out a soft chuckle.
Heather let out a pleased hum as Ko'rai stood up on his feet, her lips curling into a grin as she giggled with slight excitement. "That was just a warning shot!~ I know how you Alreanites get, and if I just break you down first, the rest falls like dominos!"
Ko'rai chuckled softly and placed his hand upon his nape, tilting his head and cracking his neck. He took off his jacket, exposing his toned and muscular build his dragon tattoos glowing brightly and pulsing ethereal blue energy. "Heavenly Father, who art in Heaven...send me Genesis's guidance, the Sovereign Mother's wisdom!"
Ahmed chuckled softly and crossed his arms, watching Ko'rai with high interest, his robes starting to flow with the winds Ko'rai's energy began to generate. "You've got Ko'rai praying for wisdom and power? Oh yeah, now we're getting serious! In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth...Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness hovered over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.."
Jiahn grunted softly as she shielded herself from the high pressures of energy Ko'rai and Ahmed released, witnessing the surging colors of blue and gray spiralling in front of her. "Nngh..! So, this is the power of an Alrean and Sorien. The Tribes of Eyica are surely something fearsome.."
Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong stood on the sidelines, watching Ko'rai and Ahmed closely, noticing their Holy Fire burning from their chest and watched the fires grow and engulf their bodies. Their Spirit Energies continues to rise, the flames dispersing off their bodies to reveal their Awakened Forms.
Ko'rai's hair became longer, the base color of his hair being red and ending in gradients of blue and white, resembling the heat levels of a fire. His tattoos had a divine white glow to them, white glasslike energy particles flowing from his arms. He opened his eyes, both of them glowing a divine gold hue, his mouth curling into a toothy grin.
Ahmed's eyes shone a void gray color, his arm slightly held up with his butterfly sitting upon his finger, a Sorien Graywing. His robes changed into a gray cloak reaching down to his legs, a scarf made from his gray shadow energy forming over his mouth.
Heather's eyes sparkled as she looked at the two highest ranking B Rank Heroes in front of her, her heart beating faster with thrill seeking excitement. She licked her tongue and twirled her spear around in a circle before getting into her stance. "Now this is a battle worth waiting for! Now come on! Show me everything you've got!"
Ko'rai chuckled lightly, his body becoming a blur as he appeared in front of Heather at his top speeds, catching her off guard with a Dragon Crush to her face. Sending her flying backwards, Ahmed teleported behind Heather and sent her crashing to the ground with a chop to the back of her neck.
Heather recovered in the air and landed on her feet, leaping backwards to her dragon then pat his neck. Her Black Dragon opened his mouth, bright green energy forming inside his mouth as he charged up his Gaia Beam. With a powerful roar, the Black Dragon unleashed his Gaia Beam toward Ko'rai and Ahmed.
"Heh, this is going to be too easy!" Ko'rai laughed, thrusting his hand forward and unleased his Dragon Crush once more, stopping the Gaia Beam with one hand. "Reshinun! Boost Times 10!"
Heather watched as Ko'rai unleashed his stored energy, gaining another boost of power on top of his constantly growing power via the Holy Spirit. 'The Alreanites were always the type to go all out...but he hasn't given the command to go all out yet. Is he still holding back..? And his friend...'
Heather's gaze shifted to Ahmed, watching him hover in the air behind Ko'rai, not understanding his role in the duo just yet. 'He is a strange one...I can't even read his energy anymore. That verse he recited might have something to do with it...of course these two are equipped with God's Sword..'
Heather shrugged her shoulders then cracked a devious smirk, dashing into battle and thrusted her spear rapidly. Ko'rai swiftly began parrying each thrust then countered with a flurry of strikes of his own. Heather surgically evaded each attack then countered with a heavy knee to Ko'rai's stomach and knocked him back.
She twirled her spear then held it with both hands, pointing it at Ko'rai as he flew backwards, the blade of her spear glowing brightly. She let out a roar as she fired a Gaia Beam from her spear, the beam tearing a trench into the ground to reach Ko'rai.
Ahmed landed in front of Ko'rai, clapping his hands together then separated them, forming a void in front of him to absorb the beam. He took a step back from recoil, his void becoming a white hole after absorbing the beam. "Let there be Light!"
Suddenly, Ahmed's void unleashed a powerful beam of holy energy, the beam heading toward Heather at an alarming pace. Her Black Dragon quickly flew in front of Heather, quick firing a Gaia Beam to clash with Ahmed's Holy Blast. The beams collided, causing a shockwave around the area then a large explosion.
Heather laughed and covered her face with her arm, sticking her spear into the ground to resist the high winds. "Wooo!!! This is bringing back to the good ol' days back when I first fought Queen IllIlI! Now this is a battle!"
"At this rate, they will end up destroying the tower before we get to activate it..!" Jiahn grunted softly, shielding herself from the dust and debris flying around.
Suddenly, a Checkered White butterfly began to gracefully flutter into Jiahn's view the butterfly catching her attention immediately. The Checkered White butterfly began to flutter toward the tower, subtly leading her toward it. Jiahn glance around the battlefield, noticing everyone distracted so she decided to slip away.
Jiahn ran after the butterfly, wondering where it was taking her as she neared the tower. She entered inside the dark tower, the only light inside being from the sunlight peering through the cracks of the rusted metal walls. She began to follow the butterfly up the flight of spiral stairs, looking up as she went on.
"Where are you taking me? My friends are fighting a Spirit of a Therris Royal Guard, and I'm here playing Song-Wa the Traveller with you," Jiahn began, continuing to walk up the stairs to the top then looked around to see the balcony. "Wow this tower is pretty high up.."
Ahead, Jiahn noticed a binocular stand at the edge of the balcony and curiously began to approach it. Looking into it, she could see the other towers and the battles taking place. Across the way, she could see Sang So-Yi looking through the binoculars as well, noticing she was looking in her direction.
"So-Yi..!" Jiahn gasped, looking up from the binoculars and ran toward the rails of the balcony and waved her hand in the hair. "Sang So-Yi!"
Sang So-Yi watched as Jiahn waved at her through the binoculars, noticing the Checkered White butterfly fluttering next to Jiahn then smiled. She stood up straight then grabbed her phone from her pocket to call Jiahn.
Jiahn immediately felt a buzz in her jacket pocket, reaching inside to grab her phone then accepted the call. "Yeoboseyo, Sang So-Yi! I can't believe we all aren't in a group after all that planning.."
"I know, but I managed to get Pyo Yu-Ni on my group and a few others who could help us against Kan Ha-Rin. What about your group?" So-Yi asked, sitting down against the wall and looking down at the Old General's Orb in her hand.
"I've got Ko'rai and Ahmed, but I'm also stuck with Kim Eun and one of her henchwomen, Hwang Ji-yong... Aiiishh, I would much rather take one of the Cancer Kingdom transfers..." Jiahn sighed, leaning back against the wall and looking down from the balcony to see the battle against Heather still going on. "I've got my hands full over here at the moment.."
"I could see. I can also see that He reached you. I'm talking about Ascea," So-Yi said, looking through the rails of the balcony toward Jiahn's tower.
Jiahn rose a brow then looked around, her eyes catching sight of the Checkered White butterfly fluttering above her. Suddenly, a second butterfly appeared from behind the Checkered White, my Sovereign Butterfly.
Jiahn gasped as she noticed me appear before her as Ascea, my body a light blue silhouette and my ethereal robes falling gracefully upon the floor. Immediately, she fell onto her knees as if her Spirit knee exactly who I was. She began to feel an overwhelming rush of emotion, joy, peace, and a loving presence she'd never known before.
"My sheep, you've heard my call before I even spoke. Young Jiahn..." I said with a smile and a light hum, kneeling down in front of her and placing my hand upon her shoulder. "My Father sent me here...not only to help you and Sang So-Yi, but to give your Professor, my Spiritual Wife her first true push with Class 12-A.."
Jiahn couldn't help but to softly weep in my presence, the peaceful presence she felt calming her in a way she hasn't been calm before. "Lord...you gave me a butterfly..? But why..?"
"I haven't come to save those who call themselves holy and righteous and say they have it all figured out, but those who are sick, weary, and tired. It's time you all start leaning on me, on faith, and not on your own efforts.." I replied gently, giving Jiahn a warm smile as she looked up at me.
Jiahn returned my smile with her own then began to wipe her tears, taking a few moments to catch her breath then glanced around the tower. "Why are we here? Ms. Winters told us to meet here and we were suddenly met with a cloaked woman and this..."
"The day shall not pass before revelation has arrived, and revelation has yet arrived to the eyes of Class 12-A. Everyone has to do their part for the truth to appear..." I answered, standing up on my feet then helped Jiahn up before leading her toward the edge of the balcony.
Jiahn looked down at the ground from the balcony of the tower, watching her group fight against Heather as best as they could. She watched as Ko'rai and Ahmed held off Heather and the Black Dragon while Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong could barely make action and linger behind.
"Class 12-A, they are all still my children. My Father's children...and it does pain my father to see the adopted children of Abraham fight so inwardly instead of loving each other as He has commanded of thine," I said, leaning against the rail of the balcony and watched the battle commense on ground.
"My Apostles, you know...the Direct Descendants of Yesha's, they aren't all in St. Goken to help...I have yet to gather my twelve, but I can call upon those to lead my Father's kin back to Him," I said, looking over at Jiahn then placed my hand upon her back, gifting her a Stigmata and the Holy Fire.
Jiahn closed her eyes as she felt a warm, yet cool and chilling sensation crawl around her body, the Holy Fire emitting gently from her chest. Memories of what all she had endured had flooded her mind, the memories of her being hunted by Code Reds causing her heart to thump heavily against her chest.
"He saw all your pain, all of your struggle and attempts to stand straight with your self-efforts. You see your works were not significant enough to bring you the peace you wished to know about...I am that Peace and I am also the Sword that will cut down all false teachings of the world," I said, turning my attention back down to the batte below.
"If you truly love me, you will keep my Commandments...to love the Father, your God, with all your heart, mind, body, and soul in everything that you do. To love thy neighbor as the Father loves. Your battle will never end at flesh and blood, but the very Spirits you're fighting now," I continued then got off the balcony and held my hand out toward Jiahn.
Jiahn looked over at me, noticing my hand held out toward her then stared down at it for a moment. She lifted her gaze once again to meet mine, my words causing her Spirit to awaken. "My Lord..."
"The Demons, the Daemons, the Nephilims, they all want to keep you away from the glory of God, to keep you in His left eye with Ragnarok. You should never want to be watched with the Eye of Judgement, you should always be in His Right Eye with Genesis," I said, keeping my hand offered to her for her to take.
Jiahn took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, knowing she was making the most important decision of her life. Deep down, she had always believed, she had always believed in Yuvah, in Yesha, in Ascea, and now she was given the chance to have my Spirit at the throne of her heart. She took my hand, a bright light flashing at the balcony of the tower and catching Sang So-Yi's attention.
Heather continued to evade Ko'rai and Ahmed's attacks, chuckling with glee as she leaped backwards and tapped the body of her Black Dragon. "Heh~ Seems like we've got to step it up once again! Black Dragon, Beast Shift!"
The Black Dragon roared powerfully, his body glowing a deep green color and shifting into a Ji halberd with black wood and a nature green blade, a black flag waving off the polearm of the weapon. Heather grabbed her spear from the air, black and green aura forming around her body with black lightning crackling around her body.
"Yes...this is the power that went toe to toe with Queen IllIlI! The Onyx Wood Ji! Who dares to stand against the power that could take down even the Goddesses under Genesis?!" Heather boasted, aiming her spear at Ko'rai and the others before firing off a volley of nether energy blasts toward them.
Ko'rai and the others began evading the energy blasts as best as they could, each bolt of nether energy carrying the threat of corrupting them from even the inside. Heather dashed toward Ko'rai thrusting her spear forward and catching him upon his right arm, the blade going through his flesh and bone.
Ko'rai roared in pain, growling lowly and baring his sharp teeth. He ripped his arm away from the blade, taking a few cautious steps back and glanced down at his arm. "What the heck...I didn't even sense her coming. Is she augmented by that weapon?"
"She's a lot stronger now for sure...her and her Black Dragon do have a symbiotic relationship. The fact she tagged you in the arm...she's still toying with us," Ahmed said, looking at Ko'rai's injured arm then glanced back at Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong. "You two! When will you start pulling your weight around here? You talk big and bold, yet you can never had it to it!"
"Mwo?! What do you expect us to do again her, dumbass?! She's clearly stronger than all of us combined! She's hardly broken a sweat!" Kim Eun argued, scoffing at Ahmed's accusation and turned away from him with defiance.
"You're getting on our case, but where is Jiahn? She disappeared in the midst of the chaos, so who here is the real issue? You're fighting for your lives without a clear goal, who's the more brainless meat sack here?" Hwang fired back, adding to Kim Eun's statement with a shrug and huff.
"What?" Ahmed asked, his flesh heating up with a hint of annoyance at Hwang's retort. "Jiahn is still here! She's a Shopkeeper and a Valkyria with near military grade experience, she's clearly stepping back to scope the tower."
"What?" Heather asked in shock, looking over at the tower and grunted softly as she felt an overwhelming presence of Strength and Courage from the balcony. "I completely forgot about guarding the tower..."
"And how would you even know where she is?" Kim Eun scoffed, looking over at Ahmed with high amounts of doubt.
"Because...a sheep never forgets another sheep of their flock. And I know my Lord's presence, the same presence that hovered the waters before creation," Ahmed answered, looking over at the tower and noticing a bright light at the balcony.
The light began to dim down, everyone's eyes rising to the balcony of the tower to see Jiahn standing at the balcony in her Holy Form, her hair now a beautiful rose gold and the Holy Fire burning powerfully from her chest. Jiahn stood at the balcony with her hands in her pocket, her once Checkered White butterfly now replaced with a droid similar to Ir-Wol's.
"Ji-MAN, are you ready for your first test? Your first actual combat test outside of the shop with Ascea on our side?" Jiahn asked, looking up at her V.O.I.D System blessed to her by me directly.
Ji-MAN was a small droid with beautiful long golden hair, sun yellow eyes, and fitted in a cute scientific attire. Her wings were the wings of the Checkered White butterfly, digital white particles floating from her fluttering wings gracefully. "Affirmative. Ji-MAN reporting for duty..."
Jiahn shifted her foot, her body becoming a white silhouette before warping in front of Heather with a powerful kick. Heather barely blocked the kick, grunting softly as she slid backwards then gasped, ducking under Jiahn's tornado kick. She grunted heavily as powerful winds rushed over her head.
She stood up straight and went on the offensive, thrusting her spear rapidly at Jiahn's body, but Jiahn began phasing through each of her attacks before countering with a light infused right hook. Heather groaned heavily as she was sent flying into the entangled enclosure behind her that blocked the area around the tower.
Ko'rai and the others stood in awe of Jiahn's enhanced prowess, each of them feeling the Holy Spirit working within her. A sensation of hope filled the area, the peace filling reaching the hectic chaos of the wilderness.
"Jiahn, be sure to not get to lax with this power. Tracking your stamina, your flesh can hold out on this power for five minutes before you need a recharge. You're still a new Ascean, so you need to train your body into handling this form," Ji-MAN alerted, looking at Jiahn with a cautious gaze.
Jiahn looked at her hand, watching the holy white energy flow upwards and break off into glasslike particles. "Five minutes in this form? That's it?"
"It's human limitations...your efforts alone will not suffice. If you want to last longer in the Spirit, lean on me and I will carry you through the burning fires and the rushing waves," I said, standing behind Jiahn with my hands in the pockets of my robes.
Jiahn looked behind herself to see me, her eyes slightly widening that I was still here. "You're still here?"
"I never left. After all, you've still got works to do. Your group. You will never beat Heather divided. She's Alrean, so she's prone to going all out and currently she's in her All Out Mode," I said, looking back at Ko'rai and the others then walked over to Ko'rai.
Suddenly, Ko'rai felt warm, yet chilling sensation brush across his arm, a divine light glowing upon his arm and healing his injury. The others watched in awe as Ko'rai healed instantaneously, everyone looking behind him and noticing me standing behind him with his arm in my hands.
"What? Why are you all looking at me?" Ko'rai asked, looking at Ahmed and noticed him pointing at something behind him. Slowly, he began to turn around then gasped and backed away with a mix of shock and terror. "Oh shi— What the heck..?"
I chuckled at their reactions, my gaze shifting between the five of them before focusing on Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong. I cleared my throat softly then closed my eyes. "Be not afraid, as I am not here to harm. Not even here to condemn, but to guide you."
"My Lord...you...you're here. How? Did the trumpets blow?" Ko'rai asked, glancing up at the sky to see if any cracks were present.
"No, you may relax. The end of days is not yet amongst you, yet it is still near. The proof is in front of you..." I said then walked toward Jiahn and stood behind her, using my Sovereign Butterfly to block Heather's Gaia Beam before the others knew it was coming. "Now, those with clear ears...here me now. I will tell you a story that should plant seeds of unity within...keep your eyes on me. I will keep you safe."
Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong gulped lightly, their bravado wavering slightly as they noticed Heather behind me charging up another Gaia Beam to breath through my defenses. They did their best to keep their eyes on me just as the others did, but Heather's roars began grabbing their attentions.
"This is the story of the Anointed Voyagers. There are a group of voyagers, five within the group, and they have no Kingdom nor family beyond themselves. They were exiles and outcasts, seen as lowly dirt for their misfortunes," I began, continuing to block each of Heather's Gaia Beams with my Sovereign Butterfly.
"Though they were broken, they were still united by two things, their love for one another and their love for God. They had their differences, each of them carrying a different stigma that led them into being outcasts. However one day, along their travels they reach a distant kingdom to find refuge and preached the word of God, their testimonies, to the people..."
"Hearing their testimonies, they were accepted into their Kingdom. Their Home. Because of all of what they endured, and sticking together like a perfect branch on an uncuttable vine, their endurances were rewarded by God Himself," I finished, looking at each of the students before me and noticed Kim Eun hand raised.
"These Voyagers...they were rewarded by God? How and based on what merits?" She asked, lowering her hand and holding her arms.
I smiled at her question and chuckled softly, tapping my chin gently with feigning a thoughtful expression. "Merits? What merits would they be held upon? Ahh yes...My Commandments. To love your neighbor as I have and to love The Father, your God, with all thine heart, mind, and soul. Yet, that wasn't it..."
"These Voyagers, they had unshakable faith in me, Yesha and Yuvah, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not the Sovereign Mother or Sovereign Father, but the Trinity. Though Genesis and Ragnarok are extensions of Yuvah, they are not part of the Main Trinity," I continued, looking back at Kim Eun and the others with a smile and noticed Ahmed's hand raised.
"You spoke about these Voyagers as if they walked on this Earth. Who are these Voyagers if this isn't just a story," Ahmed asked curiously, lowering his hand and listening closely for my answer.
"The Kingdom these Voyagers went to is named Exozdia. The Voyagers were Saint Meishi, Saint Nova, Saint Goken, and Saint Gethsemane, each of them originating from the land of Utalia. They were Eyican, Uthean, Arcanian, and Gentenian respectively," I answered, seeing the revelation on each of their faces and nodded, giving them a gentle yet firm expression.
"These four... especially Gethsemane, traversed the whole Earth for a home and found their home at the heart of Creation, Exzodia. They helped make her what the Motherland is today, the City of Exzodia and the Kingdom of Exzodia, Yuvah's Holy Land. That is why we must do our part...in keeping it holy and pure," I finished, blocking the last Gaia Beam before my butterfly fluttered back to me while Heather rested.
"Keep the Holy City pure? Ha! You lost that a long time ago, Ascea! Now, the City of Exzodia and Kingdom are a desolate land, her body trampled upon by the marches of Daemons from Lament! All those years ago...you still failed to even protect Utalia," Heather mocked with a heinous laugh, firing another Gaia Beam toward me and the students.
"I failed?" I asked, turning around and holding my hand out, blocking the Gaia Beam with a single palm and scoffed lightly. "It wasn't I who failed, but the weakness of flesh that failed. The human limit could not keep up with my Father's divine plan, but you shall see first hand that plan.."
"Oh boy! Now we're getting the Spirit to battle against? I can feel my skin crawling with excitement, I can barely contain myself!" Heather laughed, launching herself forward and dashed toward me with a wide slash of her spear.
The blade of her spear phased through my body, her weapon unable to strike my being. I lowered my hand then closed my eyes, vanishing from the area then a flash of light shone brightly, Jiahn's fist crashing against Heather's face and sending her flying backwards.
Jiahn dashed forward and let out a battle cry as she landed a powerful lariat across Heather's throat, knocking her further back before warping above her. Heather quickly recovered onto her feet, looking up and gasping as she noticed Jiahn coming down with another lariat from the air. She grunted as she leaped backwards to dodge the lariat, huffing lightly and getting into her stance once again.
Jiahn walked forward with her hands in her pockets, smirking at Heather and tilting her head upward with confidence. "Did you really think attacking Ascea was a bright idea? Seriously, do you Spirits ever think before you act?"
Heather began to grow even more annoyed by Jiahn's presence, aiming her spear at her then began firing bolts of nether energy directly at her. "You're just a lowly human! What could you truly ever do to me?!"
Suddenly, a force of powerful winds began to blow from behind Jiahn, the winds knocking away the bolts of nether energy into the air. Jiahn glanced behind herself to see Kim Eun protecting her, the act in itself surprising Jiahn into speechlessness.
"Mwo?! Don't just stand there, idiot! Charge while I have you covered!" Kim Eun yelled out, continuing to launch bursts of wind to defend Jiahn by striking the air.
Jiahn smiled at Kim Eun then turned around, her eyes widening as she noticed Heather in front of her with a powerful Dragon Crush against Jiahn's chest. Jiahn groaned as she was knocked away, her body rolling backwards against the ground and recovering onto one knee. She looked up to see Heather had shifted her spear into Onyx Wood Gauntlets.
"Even if you all do manage to take me down...I'm taking at least one of you with me!" Heather roared, black lightning surging from her gauntlets then she held one of her hands out toward Jiahn and the others.
The mouth of her draconic gauntlets opened, an orb of black and green energy forming inside the mouth before unleashing its Gaia Beam Ł. The destructive beam shifted between colors of green, violet, and black and left behind destruction in its wake, forcing all five students to evade the attack.
You must work together if you want to defeat Heather...
Work together and with my child, Ascea...
Lean on Him...
And not on your own understanding...
The five students heard the soft whispers of Genesis's voice, a wave of peace through the trialing fires and brimstone washing over them. Behind the five students, I remained behind them, watchful and silent, yet offering them my energy through Jiahn via Nexus Link between Ji-MAN and my Sovereign Butterfly.
Heather chuckled coldly, her serpentine eyes scanning the battlefield for her first target before charging toward Kim Eun at high speeds. She laughed maniacally as she rushed her with vicious strikes, Kim Eun grunting heavily as she did all she could to protect herself from Heather's onslaught.
Ko'rai charged toward Kim Eun's aid, shoulder tackling Heather away from her then leaped forward with a Dragon Crush. Heather met him halfway with a Dragon Crush of her own, the collision cancelling out both attacks and repelling one another away. Heather charged ahead for another attack, her fist aimed for the core of Ko'rai's body, but her fist rippled through his body like a void.
"Nice try, Black Dragon!" Ko'rai laughed, countering with a Roaring Fist, striking Heather's body and releasing a burst of roaring winds to knock her backwards.
Heather slid backwards and grunted softly, shaking her head to recollect herself then looked around for Ahmed since she knew only he had the ability to manifest voids. Suddenly, a void opened behind her, a hand reaching out and pulling Heather into it.
Another void opened in the air, spitting Heather out then Ahemd appeared above her from a second void and sent her crashing to the ground with a double axe handle. As she fell, Ji-yong charged forward at high speeds, landing a sturdy blow against Heather's stomach, sending her flying backwards into the tower.
Heather groaned as her back crashed against a statue against the metal wall, her body falling onto the floor. She coughed lightly and looked up, her blurry vision slowly becoming more clear as she recovered. Looking behind her, her eyes widened as she noticed the statue was looking down at her, its eyes glowing a light blue.
"What...what is that..?" Heather asked in slight fear, hurrying to her feet and gulped lightly then noticed two other statues guarding the stairs.
〘Battle Room: Choir Triad II〙
▸ Battle Room Type: Genesis/Holy
▸ Current Angels: Powers, Virtues, Dominions
▸ Room Rank: EX-S
▸ Master: Nox
〘Battle Room Description: The Angels govern this arena, Dominions, Virtues, and Powers. All enemies beware of the 2nd Triad, none who go against the Kingdom of God shall outlive His judgement.〙
"Choir Triad II, a Battle Room I haven't manifested since I battled against the Descendant of Ryoma Miyazaki, Leonidas Yascea," I said, appearing behind Heather and leaned against the Dominion Angel Statue.
Heather's breath became caught in her throat as she looked at me, noticing it was just me and her at the moment while Jiahn and the others took the moment to recover. "You...it's because of you why Therris went to ruins! You took it all away from us, we were doing works in YOUR name!"
"My name? Works in my name...You believe King Gideon was following my path when he slaughtered all who followed Queen Astrid because she rejected him? Uthea was ruled under Saint Nova's teachings, the teachings to love one another, a teaching that came from one of God's Commandments," I said, keeping my position against the statue then tilted my head slightly.
"You would still have had everything had you not strayed away from the Truth. King Gideon thought he had it all figured out, you all were led astray and you still sit here with an unrepentant heart and blame me. If you were to run off a cliff and die, is it my fault that you ran off or was it your own free will that led you there?" I asked, getting off the statue and walked toward Heather.
"Cut the shit already! If you truly are who you said you were, why did you not just stop it?! The Therrisians were massacred and you were not there to stop it!" Heather accused, pointing a hateful finger toward me.
I stared at Heather, seeing the grief and regret hidden within her eyes, but her heart was fully influenced by Terminus. "I have the power to stop all things, through me your pain could've ended. I wanted you to finally open your eyes to the human error, to the weakness of flesh. You saw it first hand, you experienced that weakness first hand."
"The Old General experienced it and repented...why? Because he found me and forgave himself while coming to me for forgiveness. So what's stopping you from coming back to the flock..?" I asked, staring at Heather then placed my hand upon her shoulder gently.
Heather held her head lower, my question echoing in her head, the memories of the Old World flashing in her mind. Her works of iniquity played in her head, her body heating up with anger as she smacked my hand away. Immediately, the three angel statues readied themselves to defend me, but I rose my hand to keep them on standby.
"What's stopping me..? You are. You were never there for the fall! You were never there for the Therrisians! You were never there for me even in my moments when I questioned why I follow King Gideon and you still never answered!" Heather yelled, her voice echoing through the tower.
"How do you expect me to worship and pray to a God that won't speak back to me?! Why should I worship you?!" Heather asked ferociously, her hands reaching out and managing to grab my robes.
I stared down at Heather as she began breaking down in front of me, her core exposed in the middle of her chest. I placed my hand upon the back of her head, gently rubbing her hair and summoning more of my Sovereign Butterflies to rest upon her grieving body.
"Why does a child coddle and stick close to their mother? When a young boy is growing into a man, why does he look up to his father? Protection, guidance, undying love, mercy, and the desire to have that relationship with you. Before you were even born, God knew you...so why should you not want to know the One who giveth you life?" I asked in a soft tone, gently placing my hands on hers to release her grip on me.
I crouched down below her and looked up at her, so she could look into my eyes. "God speaks all the time. Through humans, His prophets, through the Holy Spirit, through me, through my butterflies...He is always talking, but it is your ears that are closed. He wants you to worship Him because He is the only truth. The only God that can truly keep you safe.."
"Heather...For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Yesha took on every temptation, every sin, every battle and won...Yuvah emptied Himself so He could relate to us. And now, if you accept Ascea...He will be with you at all times, at your heart..." I said, giving her a warm smile.
Heather stared down at me, my face shining like a ray of light and that same light caused her core to glow brightly and awaken into a flame. She fell to her knees, the only thing she could do was cry. Though she was a Spirit, she felt genuine regret, sadness, and pain all at once, yet I remained at her side through it all.
I held Heather in my arms, my Sovereign Butterflies absorbing all of her grief and self-condemnations then began to glow a divine silver color. The room slowly began to fill with Iridescent Aura shifting between shades of emerald, jasper, and ruby, each of the Angel statues singing their praises as Heather had found repentance.
Suddenly, a sharp, rigid vine shot from underground to strike Heather's core, but I quickly warped the two of us away from the vine. Crawling from under the soils of the tower, Drevas emerged to the surface like a drill, his wings spreading out wide and releasing a powerful shockwave around the area.
Heather grunted softly as she shielded her face from the high winds, looking up to see Drevas then gasped softly as she immediately recognized the essence. "K-King Gideon..?"
"Pretentious fool...I raised you up like a Queen in Therris and this is how you repay me? You too shall fall like your mentor," Drevas said with a menacing glare, his eyes shining a corrupt red hue.
Jiahn and the others rushed into the tower after sensing immense spiritual energy, the five students looking in the air to see Drevas and froze in surprise. Drevas glanced over at the students, his gaze taking interested on Jiahn then he flew toward her without hesitation.
Jiahn immediately phased through the attack with a pulse of her energy, Drevas going through Jiahn's body and redirecting his attack toward Kim Eun and Hwang Ji-yong. Ko'rai rushed in front of Drevas, blocking his kick with his forearm then grunted softly and chuckled with grit.
"A Principality Angel? Oh, now I'm starting to see why Ms. Luciel and Sa Nu Rim are our professors!" Ko'rai roared, striking Drevas's chest and sending him flying backwards and beginning the true battle.
Ko'rai charged forth with his Dragon Rush, his body moving around Drevas like a blur with rapid strikes, but Drevas guarded against each attack with his wings. Ruffling his feathers, he stuck them up and sharpened them into blades to try to counter against Ko'rai's next attack.
Ko'rai noticed his bladed feathers then feinted his next attack, his entire being swapping with Ahmed via a void and catching Drevas by surprise with his Void Drive. Ahmed's arm rippled through Drevas's bladed feathers unharmed, his fist connecting cleanly against his jaw.
"Let's go! Let us capitalize off this now!" Ko'rai roared then began to bellow as he began generating more power, his Alrean Crest glowing brightly upon his right shoulder.
Ko'rai let out a powerful roar as his white and red draconic energy surged around the room and resonated with my Iridescent Energy. Ethereal blue flames flared off his body, his pupils becoming sharp and vertical as he tapped into his Reshinun Form.
"Reshinun! Go All Out!" Ko'rai bellowed, getting into his stance and stomping down upon his dominant foot then the flames around his body began to form into a Coatyl with blue flames spilling from her fluffy wings.
Drevas's body instinctively retreated from the heat Ko'rai's body released, his oak wood skin starting to sweat and moisturize from the humidity. 'What is this power...?'
Ji-MAN began analyzing Ko'rai and Drevas and created a cute white butterfly like UI in front of Jiahn with Ko'rai's current attributes in front of her. "Eonni! The data is off the charts combined with his Azure Coatyl, but it's not enough to actually defeat that fallen angel!"
Even with Ko'rai's Reshinun Form card played, there was nothing else the group had stored under their belt. Now, the target was no longer the now redeemed Heather but the true enemy of Battle Zone 1, Drevas.