Once Iâd confirmed the death of the
collector
I moved, well, not really moved, since my entire being had already merged with the atmosphere, what moved was my intent instead.
One moment I was staring down on beaten, devastated lands, the next, my eyes were on the one the reports had tagged
The Choir.
I wouldâve gone after the
Walker,
since itâs energy signature was closer, but I could feel Malachi already bounding toward the creature in mad glee.
So, the next one to receive punishment would be this... thing...
Looking at the hollowed cavities decorating the creatureâs body, its slitted face that was currently looking up, my excitement, eagerness, to face something this bizarre, couldnât be stoked anymore..
Iâd already felt it during the transformation, but truly, I could feel nothing in this state.
Even my "rage" right now, was more a mindset than an emotion.
I shook the thought away, just in time for the creature to speak...
"The king.... The king awaits..." the chorus of mismatched voices at any given time wouldâve been uncomfortable, evident from the way the air surrounding the creature threatened to come undone just from the sound of its speaking, but...
"
Silence
..."
"Erlkkk..." the wind choked the creature, sealing its ability to speak.
Yet that did little to deter the abominable thing.....
A haunting melody, one that sounded like something composed from the foulest pits of hell, to lure the souls of the damned into a fiery damnation, rang out of the hollowed out cavities marring the body of the
Choir...
For the first time ever, I could feel my form destabilizing, it was a minor tweaking, but it was there.
A structural abnormality as if the sound was unraveling something unseen by the naked eyes...
I looked on indifferently as the sound picked up volume, a tonal shift occurring around us, the place had suddenly become dead silent as if all sounds had been drained from the atmosphere.
The raging winds quieted.
The pelting rain turned into a background noise.
The churning lighting within the blackened skies slowly vanished.
All that remained, all I could hear, was that haunting, destabilizing melody, that threatened to unravel everything...
For the first time since assuming the
VOID-TEMPEST FORM
, I actually felt something, but.
"Interesting powers, little ant."
My thunderous voice echoed, the sounds returning at once, the raging winds, the furious clouds, the pelting rain, all sounds that had disappeared, returned at the sound of my voice...
SCREEEEEEEECCCCCCCCHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
A haunting screech ripped out the throat or whatever vocals the creature had, as its slitted face started pouring out putrid black blood, the cavities marring its body, shrieking and bleeding simultaneously....
"Unfortunately, it matters not!"
RRRRUUUMMMMBLEEEE!!!!!!!
"Before me, all attempts at resistance..."
A dark-golden lightning bolt condensed within the dark clouds, its size growing until it looked like a massive skyscraper....
"Are futile."
"The king... the king will... will make you pay... collapse... collapse.. ALL SHALL FALL!!"
"Indeed. You. Shall. Fall."
At sound of my command, the massive lightning bolt fell from the heavens, its descent like that of a furious god...
Boo..BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!
If the mission had been to save a city, then I wouldâve failed spectacularly, because the moment that attack landed, half the city was obliterated.
Not destroyed.
Not damaged.
OBLITERATED.
Gone.
Not a rubble to be found, just ashes and dust that drifted away with the wind..
And where that half had stood, a gaping crater, the depths of which I couldnât begin to calculate, had appeared like a wound torn into the earth.
I looked on, cold, emotionless.
Waiting.
Waiting for anything to move.
But alas, the creature seemed weaker than the last one, as its form had been completely vaporized with nothing left to remake of itself...
My attention finally moved from the massive crater, locking unto the one to have started all this..
The moment I had him in my sights, the dark clouds vanished, the raging winds sealing the city remained, but the cloud and the suns in the sky, vanished...
.......
"Youâre here, finally!" The man that had been standing with his eyes closed, finally opened them, a manic smile on his face, as he looked at the person that had just appeared before him...
Dante!
.......
The moment I heard the creatureâs words, my focus settled on it.
It looked normal, just like in the briefings, it looked complete.
No malformed limbs or depraved extensions, if youâd seen him on a random encounter youâd believe he was just any regular middle aged man.
But his presence, his presence made all the difference.
I had felt it within my
void-tempest form
, but I was too one-lined emotionally to care, but now, with my emotions slowly returning after dispelling the form, I could feel it clearly.
This thing.. IT WAS STRONG!
"You know? I was quite excited when I heard of you filth." My voice came out low, emotionless, side effects of my
void-tempest
transformation.
"Finally, a worthy foe, something that can finally hit back. I was excited." My voice dropped, tone freezing.
"But then, you had to go and touch her."
A beat of silence passed between us and then, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA..... yes, yes I did, and so what? This king is free to do whatever he pleases, and you.." he pointed at me, grinning wildly, "you have dared challenged my dominion, I shall bathe in the tears of the sky when I rip your head from your neck!"
"I see."
ROOOOOOARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!
Elira
appeared within my outstretched arm, form vibrating in sheer fury..
A smile graced my face as I felt her rage.
"I couldâve ended this easily with a few strikes." I took a step toward the creature, "but I have decided to make your death, agonizingly slow, and painful," another step.
"You will watch as I break you." Then another.
"You will watch as I make you suffer." Then another.
"You shall beg for a mercy I shall never grant." I finally stood five meters before the creature.
"And when youâre finally broken, I shall devour your being as an appeasement offering for all you have done."
The creature smiled, a predatory grin, it wasnât afraid,it wasnât shaken, not yet..
"Hahahahahahhaa... come! Our fight will be GLORIOUS!"
"No. It will not."
I took a stance,
Eliraâs
form shifting, as her shaft elongated, the axe blade growing longer..
"It shall be hell on earth."
"PURGATORY SERIES"
The world stilled, the winds quietened, the rain stopped.
And then, a whisper,
"Hellish Forge."
A beat passed.
Then the world,
BURNED!
********
A/N: damn, short Chapter and such a cliff too? Well luckily thereâs another one on the way(damn it).
2/3
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Thanks for reading..