I, Necromancer Chapter 36 (Patreon)

In reality, having the group of young wannabe heroes fight, lose and die was a big risk and gamble.

Death can leave stains upon someone's Soul. It can make them weaker, can cripple them, due to how traumatizing it can be, especially when one holds immense regrets and negative emotions in their last moments.

Back when I was with Fleurdelys and our army of Devils, the only reason they could happily throw suicidal attacks is because they knew I would bring them back, so Death wasn't final for them. Hence, no negative thoughts, no stain, no damaged Soul.

There wasn't even a hint of doubt in them, just absolute trust in me, which always warms my heart when thinking about it.

But this two-hundred group of idiots? They had no reason to trust me, held a lot of resentment and hate and whatnot towards me, and a lot more.

So, their first Deaths should have left a massive scar on their very being… And then Asia smiled at them and they became zealots.

And I may have thrown fuel onto the fire because I saw the opportunity to actually make these bastards somewhat useful.

Alas, that backfired. Kinda. Why?

Yah noticed- Or Michael tattled to her, the bastard. Either way, she isn't amused.

So I just smiled, wide and completely innocent – I'm not – while Yah stared at me, foot tapping the ground patiently.

Her gaze was intense, but it didn't make me twitch one bit. Why would it? Being stared at by a two meters tall beauty had basically become my biggest kink since Fleurdelys.

"You are having dirty thoughts." I twitch. Yah's lips twitch faintly in turn, then spread into a faint grin, "Heh, you're so easy to read."

"I'm not. You're just using Divine Bullshit to cheat." She pokes my nose, but does not correct me, a soft and lovely laugh leaving her full lips, causing her wonderful curves to jostle quite a bit. "How are you feeling?"

I ask, focusing on her Soul. It wasn't as radiant as always, which glowed with a radiance that could put the Sun to shame. Now it was more dim, as she was still recovering from having sealed the Dimensional Gap the same way she did with Trihexa, just far more taxing.

Plus, considering how fast she did it, she must have used a gargantuan amount of Faith. She had already used quite a bit to be reborn after I healed a portion of her Soul, so after this use… She must be quite low.

"I've finished all I had to do faster than I expected." The dazzling woman drawls out, reaching forward to adjust my collar and tie in a gentle, caring way, "So I spent some time analyzing and studying our future opponents."

I perk up at that, raising an amused brow when her fingers brush through my hair. Her gaze narrows lightly, "Are you taking care of yourself? Your appearance is never so… Disheveled."

Ah, she noticed. "I guess I just miss the others sometimes." I shrug. It was ironic, how I started all of this thinking it would be a dark and lonely path, and yet… "I've focused more on my experiments so to ignore that."

Her gaze turns to the rest of the room, where some of my Grafted Monstrosities lay quietly. Masses of flesh and bones resembling spiders, but with a colossal spine-shaped cannon rising out of their backs.

Artillery weapons, basically. Some shoot explosive Necrotic Bombs, other instead are for more close range, spewing Necrotic Acid in massive jets.

Alas, the flying version of this is taking a while to come out. The recoil is usually the problem, but also the size of the cannon. I don't really need to make it because I already have other types of flying artillery units, but this is still fun to do.

Yah hums softly, "Are you trying to create something specific?" She asks, analyzing the Grafted Monstrosities with a hint of wonder in her eyes despite their quite horrid appearance, "It seems like you were trying to make one thing, but then changed it into another at the last second. Am I correct?"

I stretch my back, feeling it pop pleasantly while, inwardly, thinking that I should really rest a bit. I was staying awake to carefully watch my Soul be ground down through Yi Xuan's Soul Refining Method, and the first process of it seems to be nearing completion.

I don't feel much stronger, but that is likely because my Soul isn't in tip-top shape and still being burned. Once I achieve the breakthrough and devour some Souls to recover, I should see my gains very easily.

"You are correct." I raise a hand, letting deep baleful green sparks dance across my fingertips, "I've been trying to create an Undead that can use Necrotic Lightning, but aside from me and my strongest Undead, Mugen, I cannot seem to find success."

Yah's head turns towards my hand, eyes glowing as she inspects the crackling Necrotic Magic, "I've seen the flames and acid. What is the difference between each of these Necrotic powers of yours?"

I wave at her to follow me towards the Grafted Monstrosities. Mainly, towards one that had a large belly glowing with a vile deep green liquid, "Necrotic Acid isn't something I can personally use, but create. I make it from a mix of gastric acid from a vulture monster Ddraig and Albion killed during our first trip in No Man's Land."

"It's specialty is physical corrosion, and I mixed it with Albion's poison to give it even more devastating qualities, while also making it sticky and linger in place for hours on end." I don't have the Grafted Monstrosity show it off because the stench of it is quite… Nauseating and vile, even for me who lingers around decaying corpses.

"Necrotic Flames instead are weaker in the physical corrosion part, but affect both magic and body. They corrode everything, defile the land the more they linger, and empower the Undead I create while within it." I pat the Artillery Undead with a grin, "I've created several variations of it, like Necrotic Plasma and Napalm, and created a mixture that basically detonates like a Nuclear Bomb, just with far worse lasting effects on the land."

Yah hums and cups her chin, her eyes narrowing in interest, "Does creating these explosive Undead take much time?" My eyes widen at her question, before I shake my head and just decide to answer.

"Not really. With my current reserves and the Sephiroth Graal, I can just hand-wave tens of thousands of them into being with ease. Why do you ask?" Because it clearly is not curiosity, and merely interest towards a possibly useful weapon.

Yah beckons me to follow her into the more spacious area of my test room, and one of her wrists flicks, creating a vast projection of golden light on the floor.

The projection showed a gargantuan forest that filled the room and likely would stretch beyond, but my eyes focused on what stood in the middle. A tree of immense size, devouring the land and the skies both, swallowing the room even when scaled down as a projection.

"This-" Yah starts, waving to the immense tree, "-is one of the Trihexa-level beings."

I blink, "A tree?" That's… Kinda weird, but I guess we did fight that whole ass forest with the Chinese Faction that was a Satan-Class being, so I shouldn't be surprised.

"I've dubbed it 'Terra's Wrath', and this forest is the biggest Domain among all the Trihexa-level beings… And among the most dangerous too." My eyebrows rise to my hairline, and Yah keeps explaining, "It is overflowing with nutrients. Super-charged nutrients that are addictive to any that smell them, and a single taste is enough to enthrall anyone."

"Terra's Wrath has subjugated hundreds of millions if not billions of monsters… And because of the food the forest provides, there are around a million or more Heavenly Dragon Class beings within it."

My heart drops to my stomach, and my jaw goes slack, "Holy shit…" I couldn't help but curse aloud, because that is a catastrophic line-up. Though I catch the severe frown on Yah's face, "There's more, isn't there?"

She nods, and her fingers point to the area closest to the gargantuan tree, "I've divined the presence of ten Transcendent Class beings around the tree. While not as strong as my dear Michael, even he would struggle against all ten."

Transcendent Class, the level where Sirzechs and Ajuka are at, together with the strongest in the world and Michael himself. It stands above even the likes of Ddraig and Albion, though their current selves are close to stepping within this level.

Still… Each of these powerful beings stepped out of a Transcendent Class Gate, and their presence caused the one in the Dimensional Gap to tear open.

My eyes take in the forest, the tree, then goes in overdrive. "I might actually be able to handle this being myself." Yah startles at my confident words, her eyes flashing in surprise. I grin, "My power is a direct counter to this being. I defile the land I walk on, ruin it so that it cannot expand anymore, then rain pure annihilation upon it from a distance and in battle."

Yah worries at her lower lip, "It will be dangerous."

My grin grows feral, "I have Mugen. He and my army alone will be more than enough." I take in the scope of the forest, my eyes twinkling with another target, "Plus, the ruckus might attract that bastard so I can get even."

Bahamut. He has the speed to wonder and come check out what the noise is, like during my battle with the Arch-Lich. And once he does… He'll never leave alive, and will become another of my Undead Minions.

"Do you have any information on anyone else?"

Yah nods, and she flicks her wrist once more. This time, the projection reveals a vast flat land filled with featureless titans. Millions upon millions of them, roughly shaped but immense in size. And far behind them was one that reached the very heavens, sculpting them with his hands.

"The Architect. All it does is create these golems by shaping mud with its hands. Each of them, somehow, holds immense power. From Satan Class to Heavenly Dragon Class in variety." Magnificent, another gargantuan army. But one that I cannot bring back to life to refill my ranks. This one will require a far more careful touch.

Another flick of the wrist, and another projection. This one was a colossal ocean, much to my shock. Fleurdelys will love this for sure… "Garganta. I couldn't gaze upon it directly, as it felt me even in its sleep, but I estimate its size to be tens of thousands of kilometers." Fucking hell…

Then another projection, this one of a molten, devastated land, with a small man in the middle. At least it looked like a man, sharpening a sun-like blade with a molten rock. "Surtr. I believe this being to be a Surtr from another Reality." Nice, because just when the current one decided to ignore his Fate, we actually got another one dropped on our lap.

Another projection, and this one showed- "The hell? A kingdom?" It was a kingdom. Palaces, buildings, arenas, and a massive civilization. Horned and tailed beings, some form of… Demons? Though they don't look like they are getting along.

I quickly look through the massive kingdom and see the social caste, and put two and two together. Three layers to the kingdom, the slums being the third, the second layer being more well off, and the final one being the rich and the King.

Though, it isn't rich… It is strength. Each Demon in the first layer is massive, muscular, confident. While those in the third are thin, tearing at each other for scraps. It is… Weird. A kingdom of might makes right and social standing. How peculiar.

Then I notice something missing, and turn to look at Yah, "Where's the big bad?" Her gaze is serious, and she waves her hand.

At all the people living in the Kingdom. "It's them. All of them." My eyes widen, "They are but one Soul, fractured into millions more. The Original Demon likely wanted to become… Perfect. Greater. So he divided himself, somehow, and created a whole race from his Soul, so to learn all manners of arts, crafts, battle techniques, magics- Everything."

Her finger points towards one of the arenas, where two Demons were doing their best to kill each other, "When a Demon kills another, they devour that Soul fragment, devour the other's power and knowledge and everything. Currently, the strongest lives in the Palace, and he stands far above all others."

And if they all fuse back together, they might become a Trihexa-level being, or worse. Worse, they all seem to be sane too, which is dangerous... Good thing that handling Souls is my business.

"How many of these guys are there again?"

"There were eleven. Ten, now that you've slain the turtle." Right, ten.. I sigh and brush a hand through my hair, my mind going in overdrive once more.

I think about the original series, about how Rizevim had changed Trihexa to create armies of Plate Mail monsters. If I could do the same, and then revert the change from a distance then…

The dangerous part about Trihexa is its inability to die. Even if its Soul is annihilated, it'll just appear back, Soul and all. Even if vaporized, it comes back. It must be killed over and over until its reserves run out, which would take centuries, but…

"We might not need to take care of the Gate in the Dimensional Gap, actually…" I muse aloud, drawing Yah's gaze to me. I give her a grin, "I can modify Trihexa with the Graal, and we could drop it in the Dimensional Gap."

It'll tear at the machines, at the Void Beings, while also getting tired out itself.

Yah's eyes sparkle, because we had already agreed to use it to take out some of the other beings on its level. The Architect looks like the second best target, together with Terra's Wrath.

"It would weaken the Seals, so we'd have much less time."

"Then we do it when we are prepared, and we can move onto some of the other Trihexa-level beings. First, the Beast Tide." I stretch again, a smile on my face, feeling much better now. Goals and targets ahead always motivate me quite a bit.

Though, I then remember our previous conversation, "Oh right, Necrotic Lightning." I snap my fingers, conjuring the defiled green sparks once more, "These are basically the strongest offense for Necrotic Magic. Massively potent against the physical and magical, while also leaving behind a curse- Well, more like Necrotic Poison. Very nasty thing."

Because it rots magic and the body, and because magic is inside the body, well… It isn't a pretty sight when a body rots from the inside out, because then it may explode. My Undead Priests still create some rather volatile Undead, in fact. Big part of my army.

"I presume your grafted creatures cannot handle the strain of such power?"

I nod and drop my hand with a sigh, "I can guess it is fair, since I am grafting with subpar body parts. I could easily create something that can handle it through the Sephiroth Graal, but I'd rather not use it as a crutch. Plus, creating and failing is quite a wonderful process."

A wide, elated smile spreads across Yah's face, so dazzling that my heart nearly skips a beat. Gods, she is really beautiful, "That it is. Once this is all over, I cannot wait to go back on working on Sacred Gears."

I chuckle softly, and a gentle silence fell over us. Yet, God starts shuffling in place, her hands working at her hair, fingers running through the golden locks, her eyes flicking towards me over and over as a blush takes over her cheeks.

I blink, tilt my head, then smile and offer her my arm, "Would you like to take a look around?"

The smile that blooms on her face nearly blinds. Or it might be that large Halo of hers. Either way… She's so damn cute.

Her arm wraps around mine, and I go to lead the way, before I feel her pause. Her gaze lingers on my Grafted Monstrosities, before she turns a cute smile my way, "Actually… Could we stay here and workshop more ideas for your creations?"

Yeap, this woman is very, very dangerous.

I like it.

~XXX~

Augusta could almost taste it. Her time was coming. Everything was slowly falling into place and she was watching it happen, biding her time to strike the nail with a gargantuan hammer.

Her Sacred Gear lay across her long legs, one of her palms traveling along its uneven surface of countless spoils of victory. Her gaze flicked down to the most recent, glowing a dull sky-blue among all the other rust-colored parts of weapons or monster tusks and whatnot.

The more she used Ea, the Sword of Kings, the more she understood its power. Through victory, she claimed the power of her enemies, but a far lesser form of it.

From the Frost Giants, she earned a resistance to cold Magics and powers in general. She hadn't noticed during the battle due to how those beasts merely sapped away heat, instead of cooling the air.

But this was just the first step of her Sacred Gear, a step she had been stuck on for years now. Once she achieved her Balance Breaker, she knew that the power of all these spoils will be enormously enhanced.

Her thoughts halted at that, her gaze flicking to the many spoils she gained thanks to her training with Hunter, due to felling so many forms of hers. The same ones, in the same order, always.

Did Scaith predict this? Had this all been part of his plan? Her lips twitch, and her gaze flicks across the Music Inn to find the Necromancer sitting by himself by the counter, enjoying Phrolova's violin music like all others.

Feeling her gaze, he turned and their eyes met. His peculiar pupils glinted, and a warm smile spread across his face, one she returned. He had really changed a lot from the first time they had met. Back then he hadn't looked so… Free.

Her gaze then flicks to the main table, where everyone was gathered and sharing strategies on how to handle the rest of the. The biggest group, the Greeks, were led by the Spirit Inheritor of Achilles.

Blonde, tall, handsome, but lacking the sheer confidence and arrogance the original had. It clearly dulled his blade, especially since he lacked the invincibility the original Achilles had.

Then there were the Ten Swords, led by Lu Fan and the sweet Li Lu, who had fought side by side with her until they had nearly died.

Then there were the Norse and the Hindu, one led by a towering son half-mortal son of Thor, and the other led by a fanatic follower of Indra… Well, previous fanatic. Now he was a zealot of Asia.

Weird how that worked.

"Our main problem are the numbers. There are too many, and even if we take turns, we won't be able to kill enough to stop them from overwhelming us." Achilles speaks, pointing at the map on the table showing the end of the canyon, where their supposed final stand shall happen, "Once we slay enough, their corpses will pile up into a mountain. That'll create issues of their own."

The son of Thor rumbled out a deep hum, "And we cannot fall back, because that would give them more space. More will flow out, and they can bury our formation with numbers."

Li Lu did not speak, simply shyly shuffling in place, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there- Only to perk up as a tall figure steps up right beside her, "That is because your plans are massively flawed." Augusta speaks, joining the strategy meeting with arms crossed and confidence radiating out of her.

That, of course, instantly draws quite a bit of ire towards her, "And you have a better plan?" Achilles nearly spat, but it came out more as impotent grumble. After all, everyone knew that the only ones that did not die during the battle were her and Li Lu.

"Yes, because I actually pay attention." She jerks her head towards the doors, confusing the large group around the table, "If we were supposed to set up at the end of the Canyon, then the turtle would have already flown us there. Instead, it is flying and keeping pace with the Frost Giants in the canyon."

Her information made everyone still, eyes widening in shock, "You can easily check yourself by going on its head and looking down." She shrugged, uncaring to prove her point further, and instead withdrew a knife and tossed it on the map, cutting off the canyon map, "Ambushes. Hit and run tactics. We tear down their numbers as they cross the canyon."

"Physical fighters drop in, go all out, fall back when tired. Those better with ranged attacks stand at the top of the canyon walls and rain death down." Her smile widens, turning into a feral grin, "Plus, we have help we can enlist." She nods towards a group in the back of the Greek Faction side, and to another group, much larger, behind the Chinese Faction side, "The childen of Hephaestus and the Forging Sect. We didn't call upon their help before, and we lost. Now we want to win, so let us use everything we can. Let's fight dirty."

Looks are shared, nervously at first, before Achilles speaks once more, "Can we, actually?" Augusta snorts and turns towards Scaith.

"Ask the boss." Her lips quirk into a smile, "So? Can we fight dirty and the way I said?" Scaith swirled his drink, relaxed smile on his face.

Before raising it towards her, "Honor is for fools. Glory is eternal. Fighting fair with monsters? Please. Fight dirty." He took a slow sip, his gaze flicking across all present calmly, "Honor will come from victories as long as you live. Glory? What greater glory is there than saving the world itself."

His words stirred the two-hundred strong group, making them stand straighter than before, "Kill monsters, have their bodies be forged into weapons or tools you can use in the future. Don't just be strong, be smart too. Use anything to achieve victory."

Augusta nodded, feeling reinvigorated and eager to fight once more. She felt stronger, better, and sharper than before. The tension of the previous fight had pushed her farther than any training could ever do, and she longed for more.

Then she paused, and thought back on his words. He never wasted them, or said words he didn't fully mean. Slowly, she turned her head towards him, and caught his faint knowing smirk. "And what if we want to request some of those Grafted Monsters from you?"

The Inn went quiet, and everyone took sharp intake of air that ended just as fast as they started. All minds went back to the beast that took them hours to kill, that tore them apart like it was nothing.

"I did say 'anything', no?" Augusta grinned, and felt a faint warmth on her cheeks at the clear pride and approval in his eyes. She could feel the words he was conveying through that intense gaze alone.

'Thank God someone like you is here.'

"What are the… Limits to what we can request?" Achilles asks, growing the balls to speak towards the dangerously powerful Necromancer. Plus, with Antares always flanking his side, it made it hard for anyone to approach the man.

The woman did not restrain her power, nor her disdain for everyone besides Augusta and Li Lu.

"Nothing as strong as the Grafted Monstrosity that kicked your asses not too long ago." Scaith spoke, relaxed and calm, smiling softly as Phrolova finished her play and came skipping over to sit beside him, with Antares and Hecate moving to provide her with drinks and snacks. "Nothing that will fight for you. Only support."

Augusta hums at the word picked. Support, that could imply many things. "So things like shields, artillery, healing, buffing?" Again, Scaith tosses her an approving smile and quick nod.

"Correct."

Augusta nodded sharply, "Ten shields, five buffers, five artillery, please." She straightened her back and flashed the others an intense gaze, "Get ready, we are going to battle the Frost Giants once more."

Achilles sputters, but the son of Thor instead grins and rises in full, towering over everyone in the room, "Hoh? Without any traps or waiting for the support created by the Necromancer?"

Augusta nods sharply. "That is exactly why. We'll go down, go all out, kill as many as we can and buy time for the Forging Sect and children of Hephaestus to create a quick fortress ten kilometers down. It'll take the Frost Giants two hours to reach it, roughly. Enough for us to rest."

Her gaze hardens and flicks to each person present, "Rinse and repeat until we quite literally cannot even think. Understood?" Her authoritarian tone made everyone stand straight despite themselves. Then she thought about it, and smirked further, "Plus, we can have Lady Asia stay at each fortress to heal us personally. She can even see you all show how strong and mighty you are."

That, of course, instantly made the hot blood of every men start to flow, and their roars of excitement and zealous adoration shook the Inn.

Augusta held back a chuckle as she watched the group basically march out of the Inn, eager to throw themselves back into the fray despite it having traumatized and killed them not too long ago.

Scaith joined them, watching them with a lazy smile as they marched towards the head of Xuanwu, where they would drop down into the canyon below.

Then someone spoke, "May I join you all?" A cool voice cut through the loud roars, and everyone turned towards the nun that usually stuck by Asia's side, Vladilena. "My Sacred Gear has devised countless countermeasures against the Frost Giants I wish to employ and test. It may assist us in giving the Forging Sect and others more time for their work."

Augusta blinked in faint surprise, but she couldn't read through the young woman before her. She was clearly confident, but also not afraid one bit.

"Are you sure? It may be dangerous."

Vladilena nods without care and walks forward, the two-hundred strong group parting to allow her to step through and advance to the tip of Xuanwu's head, "I've seen the death and screams the danger created. It doesn't scare me. 'Tis but mine duty towards God."

And then she vanished.

Augusta's eyes widened in shock as she realized the nun had just dropped down instantly, and rushed to the edge to peer down with all the others.

Vladilena flew down, closing her eyes and cupping her hands in prayer. And her prayer was cast far and wide, heard across the canyon and high in Heaven.

"Psalm eleven, verse six…"

Her body bloomed like a radiant crimson star, and a blazing meteor fell upon the lands below.

"Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest."

The meteor landed far ahead of the Frost Giants with a great boom, heat washing forth like tidal waves, melting the sides of the canyon despite the distance.

And from the heat emerged a titan of molten metal, glowing with a white-hot radiance spilling out from the seams separating the metal plates.

"Max Machina deployed / Status; Operational / Enemy Status…" A mechanical, emotionless voice boomed out of a massive helmet gleaming with scarlet, murderous light, "Still living / Proceeding with Exterminatus of all similar life-forms."

The main chest-plate opened like a window, revealing a core of molten hot flames akin to a dazzling Sun.

"May thee become ashes / In the name of the Most High."

A beam shot forth. No charge-up, no build-up, just pure heat in a straight line, slamming into the Frost Giants and carving into them like a hot knife through butter.

It carved into the earth then up into the skies, the left-over energy carved into the molten trench exploding skyward as rivers of molten death that rained down upon the Frost Giants that had survived the beam that carved through most of their kind.

The molten slag was rapidly cooled down and hardened, then destroyed as the Frost Giants roared and charged forward once more.

The machine stirred, chest-plate slamming shut and steaming profusely. "Unknown Life-form absorbs heat / 1 Celsius every second / Heat generated from Mana requires three seconds / Creating further countermeasures / Deploying Napalm Missile Barrage."

The metal titan bent forward, shoulder plates opening together with the ones all over the back- And then hellfire rained down. Hundreds upon hundreds of missiles flew in the air within moments, and rained down fiery death within the next three seconds.

Sound was drowned by constant explosions, cold air battled against scorching hot air as napalm rained down constantly, setting the Frost Giants on fire and melting them into puddles faster than they could snuff them out by devouring the heat.

Augusta watched it all with wide eyes, before narrowing them and turning to the rest, "Let's go. She can't keep this up for long." With that, she jumped down, entering the blazing hot canyon without fear and with a hint of trepidation.

As she landed, she turned towards the titan of white-hot steel, "Vladilena!" She calls out, loud and sharp, making the scarlet visor tilt down towards her, "Don't use too much Magic! Only do so if necessary, and support us!"

The titan didn't move, but the scarlet visor flashed, "Acknowledged / Shifting to Support Protocol / Expect Napalm Barrage every five minutes." The barrage of missiles halted, and the titan shiften, straightening itself and taking a large step back.

Grinning, Augusta turned as the rest of the two-hundred strong warriors landed and filled the canyon, either the inside or on the walls, "Alright you bastard! You can only take a damn break after you kill a hundred of these fuckers?! You hear me!?"

"Yes ma'am!" Ah, being in control always pleased her greatly.

"Uwah, big sister is quite the slave driver…" Augusta paused, then turned to Li Lu. The adorable but powerful odachi-wielding girl was crouched down and drawing circles into the ground without a care in the world.

Until a kick in the butt sent her flying towards the fray, "You join the too, you lazy brat!"

"Aaaah- Why is everyone in this damn place a sliver driver?! I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!" Her odachi is drawn and brought down, sending forth a gargantuan crescent moon that rumbled across the canyon with ease, "I wanna go hooooomee!"

Up above on the floating turtle, the teacher of the bratty Chinese girl could only sigh and palm her face.

Beside them, Michael's gaze turned towards the horizon, his brows creasing in a heavy frown, eyes starting to smolder with disgust and fury.

But a light touch against his forearm stopped him from acting, so he draws in a long and calming breath.

Yah smiled, gentle and serene, and acted as if she didn't sense the foul presence in the distance.

…

A whole week flew by just like that, one with constant battles and slaughter, with very few long breaks in-between.

And yet, the two-hundred strong army of heroes did not complain and kept fighting. Kept bleeding. Kept roaring and swinging their weapons and killing ceaselessly without stop.

The canyon shuddered and rumbled, kilometers upon kilometers of destruction and death having been scattered across its length.

Augusta released a sharp breath, sweat dripping down her disheveled form together with dirt, dust and ashes, but her eyes gleamed sharply despite the slight bags beneath them.

Before her, the Frost Giants kept marching, roaring, attacking, and dying beneath their blades.

"Augusta!" A roar took her out of her reverie, a massive figure crashing down into the earth not too far from her. Red hair and a full beard, and a figure of bulging muscles and crackling lightning, "I can see the fuckin' rear and the Boss! We're nearly done!" The son of Thor roared, eyes wide and made, overflowing with a battle-lust that even this long battle did not sate one bit.

Augusta returned the feral grin, "Fantastic! Take your group and attack the bastards from the rear! Me and Achilles' group will keep 'em here!" The Demigod barked out a loud laugh before shooting skyward, greatsword in hand and eager for more cold blood.

"Ten Swords, no need to hold back anymore!" Her head turned back towards the titan of molten metal, now boasting two immense forward-facing cannons over its shoulders, "Vladilena! The Boss is straight ahead! Put a hole through the fucker!"

Heat washed forth as the Max Machina giant rose tall, the two forward-facing cannons rising and fusing into a much bigger one above the titan's head, "Acknowledged / Target sighted / Removing vile heathen from sight."

A white-hot beam screamed forth, carving past countless other Frost Giants before striking its target and flying past, exploding in a dazzling conflagration far beyond the horizon.

Augusta instantly felt the different as the temperature sharply rose and stopped falling. The boss of the Frost Giant could devour heat far faster than even a thousand smaller ones put together, and in a far vaster area, and now that horrible feeling of having her heat sapped constantly finally vanished.

All warriors felt the change, paused for a moment… Then fell upon the rest of the Frost Giants like a pack of starved wolves.

Up above, Scaith watched the immense wandering Gate slam shut before turning to Yah, "How is it?" He asks as Yah keeps her eyes closed and focused, a smile slowly spreading across her fics.

"It works. Space-Time fluctuations have gone down by a massive margin. A new Gate now appears every five seconds instead of every two, and that difference will surge even more the more Special Gates we deal with."

This showed that their plan worked, and it would grow in potency and effectiveness as they took out more Gates, leading to the Beast Tide growing less numerous and weaker as time went on.

"Then best to chart our path towards our next target… After we take care of the interloper, of course." Scaith sat at the edge of the turtle's head and peered down, dropping his chin on his open palm, "Lu Bu, stand ready to intervene."

Down below, the last Frost Giant was felled, and the two-hundred strong group of heroes was cheering, jumping in joy, or confirming their kills while recovering.

Augusta lowered her great blade, her grin so wide it nearly started to hurt. They had won, and they had done it incredibly well because she led this original pack of fools, and forced a hint of camaraderie among them.

Now, each divided faction worked with all the others without glares or muttered insults, and instead trusted their backs to one another.

Augusta was proud… But Li Lu remained as lazy as ever, despite likely being the strongest among all of them, even stronger than her current self.

Turning to find the girl, Augusta's lips parted- "Mhm, it was a decent display, I say." She stilled. That was not her voice. Nor did she recognize it. Too deep, too… Malevolent.

And then she felt the presence and her stomach dropped. Slowly, her pupils flicked to the left, as everyone on the battlefield stilled.

A figure stood on the tallest mound of melting Frost Giant corpses, pale gray skin and demonic, glowing green eyes, a bald head with small spiked horns peeking out of it, and a towering, muscular shame that put even the Demigod son of Thor to shame.

The foul, disgusting aura radiating from the Original Demon screamed Death, Murder, Slaughter and activated one's most primal survival instincts.

Fight or Flight.

And for all those that had spent battling upon this battlefield and had 'Fight' engraved into their very marrow… None picked 'Flight', and surged into action at the same moment despite the pure terror deep within their very Souls.

The Original Demon grinned, wide and toothy and blood-thirsty as Augusta was the fastest and closest to reach him, her large sword crashing towards his side with all the power her tired body could muster and more.

His large forearm moved faster than anyone could track, large fist smashing into the underside of Augusta's blade, sending it flying over his head. His other hand then moved, opening and reaching for her skull- Only for a speak to impale through the palm, and two boots to smash against the forearm.

Achilles grunted and wrenched his spear out, "Get this fucker!" His roar was followed by a thunderclap, and by a giant fist smashing into the Original Demon's skull.

A large body followed suit, tackling him away from Augusta and Achilles, only for a pair of giant fists to smash down on the back of Thor's son like twin meteors, hammering him deep into the earth. "Too sloppy, you insolent gnats!" The Demon roared maniacally, the earth below his feet exploding as he charges forward- Only for both of his eyes to be cut apart.

Li Lu drifted by him like a ghost, her blade silently swinging through the air, her eyes wide and unfocused as hundreds of gashes opened across the Demon's body, raining down foul black blood… Before closing just as fast. All wounds healed instantly, and his sight came back without problems.

And with a roar, the beast flipped around, giant hammer swinging to try and behead the girl that claimed his sight- But she was like a phantom, dancing on top of his outstretched arm, and spinning through the air with said detached arm.

The Demon didn't even grunt in pain, instead he simply grinned and swelled his muscles, and another arm erupted into place with a splash of black blood, "Hoh? This one is promising! Show me more, creature-!" An arrow punched through his skull, followed by an intense beam of pure white-hot immolating heat.

A beam that exploded, followed by a Sonic Boom that punched a hole through the Max Machina mecha, with the scorched Demon flying through the hole while holding Vladilena's throat in a fierce grip that had the nun choke out a weak, bloodied cough.

A crackle of orange lightning blinded the Demon before he could claim his kill, and a terrible blow freed Vladilena and smashed the monster into the side of the canyon, causing it to erupt, then surge out with a twisted, delighted laugh. "Yes! Entertain me more! Teach me more, you gnats!"

The battle resumed, but it was a losing one. Everyone knew it. Each blow that landed took the victim out of the fight, even the son of Thor could handle only a single blow before his spine was nearly powdered.

Achilles was smashed into the earth and never came out, the archers and mages were taken out by their own attacks or rocks thrown at terminal velocity.

The fighters put up a good fight, but they were tired, they got sloppy, and a single blow was more than enough.

Two-hundred fighters were swiftly dwindled to a few, and Augusta once more found herself in a similar situation. Just her and Li Lu, against impossible odds.

And yet, Augusta felt like she was close to something. Close to unraveling a know inside of her. She didn't know what it was, but she yearned to pull the string that would make the knot come loose… And yet, she saw it.

She saw Li Lu, she saw the aura emanating from her, the look in her eyes, the stance, and her Sacred Gear dispersed into sparks, "I'll leave him to you, Li Lu…" Her eyes closed, and she allowed her body to slump down into the earth.

Li Lu stirred, white robes dirty, pale hair drifting through the air, unfocused eyes flickering with a sharp light that made the grinning Original Demon pause.

The grin faded, the ugly face scrunched in a serious frown, and he stared into the pupils that had never left his form. A rhombus glowed within them, a faint white, and yet staring at it- His arm left his shoulders.

His eyes widened, and the grin returned full force- A slash turned his jaw into powder, and his tongue hung loose. His eyes widened as the small girl drifted through the air, his wounds healing within moments, "You're different from the rest… Maybe you're worth eating!"

Li Lu moved, her feet carrying across the ground soundlessly. Her odachi swung, an effortless slash, from left to right, slow and easy to follow.

The Original Demon raised his muscular arms and tensed the muscles and tendons beneath. The blade flashed by, and a thin cut was left along his flesh- Then another cut, bisecting him in the middle, and their converging path crossed right in his chest and exploded with dazzling light.

A hole was blown into his chest, staggering him back, his arms going wide, black blood flying through the air, "Good! Show me more-!" His words halted, his eyes widened, the phantom of a blade crashed down. As soft as petals, as deadly a falling star.

In Li Lu's mind there was only one thought. One focus. One desire. 'Cut.'

All her life, even with her restricted, traumatized self, she had never run into something she couldn't cut on her first try. She swung her blade, and her blade cut through. It always did, it always will, it will never fail.

And now, a being stood before her that withstood her slashes, and that buried part of her, that buried monster that nearly slew her brother and smiled as she saw his lifeblood coat the arena floor, that buried being she never wanted to think about again… It surged to the surface and started taking control.

Because when it came to feelings that would stop one's ability to hold rational thoughts, only the feeling of impending Death and pure, true terror could work.

And so, Li Lu moved. And Li Lu swung her blade. And Li Lu cut.

Her blade danced, and swung, faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster-!

Until a hurricane surged into beings. Until her arms were all but blurs as they danced.

Vertical Slash. Horizontal Slash. Diagonal, downward, descending, rising, neck, head, wrists, knees, ankles, eyes, armpits, elbows- They all came effortlessly, one after another, and the majority all converged in a single spot.

And that spot erupted when a stab pierced through it, blasting a massive hole through the Original Demon's chest.

He roared, eyes wide and mad and hungry, "Good! Magnificent! More! You'll need more swords to cut me down-!" His words choked, because it seemed that Li Lu took his words into consideration.

Something peered at him over her shoulders. A dark entity, with eyes like hers. Her Qi surged, twisted, darkened and gathered. An arm, a hand, then a long odachi wielded by that dark, skeletal hand.

Li Lu's Heart Demon, born from nearly killing her brother, and from denying that part of herself. A Hearth Demon she had always ignored, but had never ignored her, and that now surfaced to protect her. Because they were one and the same, and even if she will forever deny it, they both loved one thing with their whole being.

The Sword.

"Heavenly Sword Style: Two-Fold Slash." The air exploded, and the Demon's eyes widened, his arms flying through the air while his feet sunk into the earth.

The slashes that fell upon him were heavy. Impossibly so. They shattered bone and broke skin before cutting through it like butter, weakening the struck area with a terrible blow first to make it easier to cut.

He turned around, and his eyes tracked three more swords and arms.

"Five-fold Slash." An 'X' shaped gash exploded across his chest. His eyes exploded. A hole was punched through his chest. His knees buckled as the tendons were cut.

He crushed on his knees, and his wounds healed. And he saw ten swords now.

"Ten-Fold Slash."

"Fifty-Fold Slash."

"Hundred-Fold Slash."

The Original Demon was no longer grinning. No longer laughing. No longer eager. The earth was smeared in his rotting limbs and in his black blood, and his hands… They were shaking.

He lifted them up, stared at the millions of small cuts that just refused to heal, the sharp energy lingering on them demanding more of his blood. More of his suffering. More of his life.

Because the girl before him was using his resilience to test her blade.

It vexed him. It infuriated him. He hated it.

With a mindless roar, he charged forward, fist drawn back, arm swelling with muscles and immense, devastating power- And a shadow fell over him, his pupils shrinking into dots.

He feared it.

"Thousand-Fold Slash."

He punched.

He watched his hand be carved into atoms. Then his wrist. Then his forearm, and his arm as a whole.

He stopped, and looked at the stump of his arm. He forced his powers, his healing, and watched his vile black blood flow… And keep flowing.

His arm didn't grow back.

He looked at the girl, and at the thousand-arm monstrosity staring at him over her shoulder, and he spoke. "What the fuck are you…?"

Because a monster recognized another monster, and the Original Demon knew that he awakened something that he should have left asleep.

Then he saw it. He saw the girl stumble, blood flow out of her lips and her face pale, and the horrible being over her shoulders send him one final glare before dissipating as the girl slumped and started falling.

And he moved to finish her off. To stop this monster from reaching her full potential- And his lone arm was stopped.

A small and warm hand held his trembling wrist still with laughable ease despite the immense power he was forcing through it, and he followed the small, thin arm to radiant blue eyes and a sweet, smiling face.

Another hand pushed up to his face, a finger perks up, and he tracks it as it swings left and right, "Nuh-uh! You are a big meanie, mister!" Then the finger curled, and the hand balled up into a fist and was drawn back.

Death.

The Original Demon felt it as Gabriel smiled wide, warmth covering her face… But pure, murderous hate overflowing within her eyes.

Magic exploded out of his form, "RELEASE-" A fist rammed into his guts.

And the force of the blow erased the canyon out of existence and was felt across the Underworld.

A.N. Gabriel uses 'Surprise gut-check!'

It is super-duper-effective.

When the Angel whose title is 'God is my strength' punches you, you better just keel over 'cause that hole through you ain't closing.

Either way, hope y'all enjoyed the chappy!

Augusta shows off her smorts, and Li Lu shows off how scary strong she actually is!

And I showed off one of my personally created Sacred Gears, Max Machina!

Oh, and the Trihexa-Level beings, of course!

Can't wait to show more, hope y'all are eager for it!

Until then, take care!

Toodles!