Though they were struggling to believe what they were seeing, neither Gabriel nor Raphael were interested in wagering their life to find the truth.
āHave you forgotten the Code of Chivalry?ā Keāer asked Gabriel with a sneer.
The Messenger of Deathās face reddened. āIt was you three who were planning to interrupt the duel. We heard everything you were saying.ā
āAnd what of it,ā Lin Guoguo responded. āWe arenāt knights. Weāre ladies.ā
The sentence caused both the Angels to almost gag.
Mika watched them both with devilish red eyes. āIf you have a death wish, then try to get past us.ā
Bang! The strange sound drew all five pair of eyes towards the source.
The two mechas, pressed tightly together, finally separated with a snap. One melted in to a beam of blue light and raced towards them. The second, tumbled inelegantly towards the ground.
āGo!ā Gabriel and Raphael retreated, heading to ground. They knew it was Thor who sped towards them.
Thor hung mangled but triumphant in the sky. Itās former dazzling glory had paled as the damage to itās surface was clear. The entire top half was largely unrecognizable. Itās internal components whirred and ground, revealed through deep gashes in Thorās armor. Irregular jolts of electricity added a dramatic undercurrent to how poorly it looked.
However, the battle damage only increased itās imposing presence. Now more than ever it looked the grizzled veteran. A gash of white lightning shimmered against itās chest, with another on itās back. Itās two mechanical eyes were as bright as when it appeared.
In the distance, the sound of the Angel of War impacting the ground wafted towards them. The angelic mecha looked much worse for wear, having suffered at least twice the damage than itās opponent; half of itās wings were missing, and itās two arms were irreparably broken. It was lacking even stumps. The only thing that had saved the mecha from absolute obliteration was the faint golden light that still issued faintly from around it. It had managed to stabilize just enough before making landfall so as to avoid disintegration.
āZeusā¦ thank you.ā Michaelās growling voice rang through the air. Judging just by tone alone, it was impossible to tell if the Archangel had severed any further injury.
āNone are needed,ā Lan Jue responded indifferently. āBut be warned, this matter will be settled sooner or later with my visit to the Pontiffās Castle.ā
Michael was silent for a moment, but eventually called to his comrades. āGabriel, convey my orders; all ships involved in the blockade are to stand down. This time, Iāve lost ā and I keep my word.ā
āAs you command.ā Gabriel nodded his head respectfully.
A twinkling caught their attention as a blue light arrived from the horizon. A dazzling azure ship arrived at battlefield, making directly for Lan Jue and his three charges. Raphael and Gabriel watched it approach with both shame and anger. Uriel, too, had been bested.
The four distant figures melted in to one. A moment later, the single dot of light also faded in to darkness.
Tsss! The hissing sound of depressurization arose as the Angel of Warās chest plate gradually spread open. The damaged cockpit was revealed.
Michael sat strapped to the chair, a shade of his former glory. His grim, resolute faƧade was gone, replaced with a blackened mask. A charred husk of an angel.
āMichael!ā Gabriel hastened to his side, struggling to extricate him from the mecha. Raphael moved to his side. A pale white light emanated from his hands, their healing glow extending to cover Michaelās broken body.
Under the Angel of Healingās power Michael found the strength to pull himself from the wreckage. The movement caused the slag that was his mecha to shift, grinding painfully as it crumbled to the floor.
Michaelās face had been burned away, now a black mask of charred skin and gristle. If he was even capable of expression, it was impossible to see what it would be. But one could guess that it wouldnāt be a smile.
āMichael, are you alright?ā 1 Gabriel supported his commander by the arm. He keenly felt the sizzling heat that radiated from him. His own hands felt numb just by touching him.
Michael shook his head. āWe were wrong. Our assumptions were false. Zeus is far more powerful than heās let on. Or heās become much stronger in the three years since his disappearance. Still, he didnāt leave our battle without a scratch. Heās likely just as hurt as I am. The fact he got awayā¦ the future for us looks dark indeed.ā
Gabrielās eyes shone with anger and violent intent. āThen we-ā
Michaelās smile was dour, bitter. He shook his head again, cutting Gabriel off. āNothing we can do. Do you think heāll give us another chance like this? His codename wasnāt just given for his power. Heās got the scheming heart of the ancient god as well. I know for a fact he didnāt know our plans when he came before the Moonfiend Empress. And yet the moment he knew it was us, heād made his plans ā to employ his Ascension, confuse and divide us to produce his opening. The Ascension was the strongest he let slip, during his time in the public eye three years ago, so using it at the onset would make us drop our guard ā lull us in to a false sense of superiority. And make me match him with the Adventus.ā
āIt was unexpected heād possess a second Discipline. A speed that outstripped even Adventus. By the time I knew what was happening Iād already expended too much power. He knew I would fall back on the Angel of War. Counted on it. I donāt have the reaction time and control of a younger man. The gravity nova would prevent him from out-maneuvering meā¦ but Thorās strength was superior. My guess, Thorās core gem is S-ranked. Thatās the only way he could have commanded power like that. Hell, he could obliterate a battleship and not blink an eye.ā
Raphael interjected. āLetās get to the Castle first, and deliver our report to His Majesty. Zeus is tied to the Avenue. This will likely put us under pressure from Skyfire. Our hunt for the Succubus will have to be secondary.ā
Ī¶
āBoss!ā Lin Guoguo exclaimed, supporting Lan Jue. His face was as pale and thin as tinsel.
Lan Jue lifted his head. He looked at Guoguo, then the three others. A strained smile spread across his face. āAll accountedā¦ all is well.ā
1. Seriously? No wonder you guys lost, with those powers of perception.