Divine Apostasy Book 7 - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Last Breath activated and the world froze. The three Aspects on the lake would reach his friends in less than twenty seconds. Even if Sift reached them, he stood no chance against the three handpicked warriors from the Infernal Realm. Ruwen needed to get there as soon as possible.

Plague and Pestilence exerted their power over massive areas, and if Ruwen left immediately and didn’t neutralize them, their magic might still kill everyone before he could get back to them. From a strategic perspective, leaving enemies alive to attack from behind was a terrible decision.

It pained Ruwen to stay, but he needed to at least try and stop the threat they posed, before leaving to help Sift and the rest of the Masters.

Hanging over Ruwen’s thoughts, like the burning avalanche approaching him now, was the fact he had allowed this situation to occur. He owned this mistake, and whatever happened today would land squarely on his shoulders.

Ruwen pushed the fear, anxiety, and guilt into the third meditation. He still had time to act and save everyone.

Releasing Last Breath, Ruwen did three things almost simultaneously. From his Inventory, he launched a Crazor Crystal Bliz had given him at his left hand. Bliz had adapted the Crazors, critical to the victory for New Eiru, into mining tools and given Ruwen seven carefully shaped variations.

The crystal labeled “One” had a short beam only three inches long, but it would, if powered correctly, slice through terium like snow. Each successive crystal grew less powerful but had a longer beam. Ruwen would start with Crazor Crystal “Three.”

Next Ruwen activated Glow and the ability, now with five points, turned Ruwen into a walking sun. The Crazor reached his left palm, and as he gripped it, a dense red beam four feet long, appeared.

Hoping to end this quickly, Ruwen angled his Void Band at Pestilence and launched five Hardened Instability Rods with enough Energy to send them several miles. The rods had barely left his Void Band when he fired five more angled at Plague. Ruwen recalled the description for the items which Stone Carver Valora had used to aid the speed of Naktos’ tunneling effort under New Eiru.

Description: A one foot silver rod with a terium alloy tip. After impact and penetration, Instability Sigil detonates weakening the surrounding structures and creating an ideal environment for tunneling.

Ruwen released Last Breath and booming explosions immediately engulfed the rooftop caused by the rods tearing through the air and striking the two Aspects almost instantly.

The rods struck Pestilence and Plague, the force of the impact detonating the Instability Glyphs. The explosions catapulted the two Aspects off the roof, throwing them hundreds of feet and into the city. Hope flared in Ruwen that the speed of his attack had ended this fight quickly.

A hoarse, phlegmy cough reached Ruwen’s Diamond Fortified ears.

“I keep trying to tell you,” Plague said from somewhere down below. “We prepared for you.”

Overlord leaped onto the roof from the courtyard. Their Aspects generate a shield now.

Ruwen cursed. Of course Lalquinrial would have made improvements to the Aspects after seeing how Ruwen wrecked them in the Infernal Realm. A shield made perfect sense as well, since a lot of the damage he inflicted came from his fists and Steps. They all knew how dangerous letting him get near them was, so they made shields capable of stopping his attacks.

The sky darkened, and Ruwen glanced at the avalanche, thinking it had arrived ahead of schedule, but it remained thirty seconds away. Instead, millions of tiny flying scorpions fell out of the sky. At the same time, tens of thousands of rats appeared, covering the city streets.

Ruwen’s nose itched, and he noticed flecks of some white substance floating in the air. His log contained a repeating message which had started a second ago.

You have resisted Greater Blight!

Pestilence and Plague had begun their attack, and if any of this magic reached the beach, it would kill them all. Ruwen jumped down into the courtyard, and using Stone Echo and Survey located the two Aspects. As he sprinted toward them, he checked on the state of the others.

Whiskers had almost reached the group of Bamboo Viper Masters who were currently leaving the forest and returning to the beach. Ruwen turned the cats head toward the lake.

Sift stood on the beach, his stance relaxed and ready for the coming fight. The words scrolling across his armor had gained speed, briefly turning the armor all black, giving the armor a flickering effect that hurt to look at.

The three Aspects had slowed their horses to a walk as they evaluated Sift. War’s scratched and dented plate armor had the color of dried blood making it look black. A tilted crown sat atop his helmet, and he lifted his massive two-handed broadsword and pointed it directly at Sift.

Despair filled Ruwen. Sift had no chance against the combined might of three Aspects, and Ruwen had briefly held War’s broadsword, the Infernal Blade of Mayhem, and knew its capabilities. The sword had two abilities that Sift now faced, and Ruwen remembered them well.

Effect (Passive): Dominion of War – Anyone but the Aspect of War holding this blade takes 200 damage per second of Fire damage. Stacks 5 times.

Effect (Active): Ray of Slaughter – Generate a 5 second beam of Chaos doing 300 damage per second and ignoring 50% Armor Class.

Effect (Active): Skipping Razor – Launch the Infernal Blade of Mayhem at an enemy for 250 Slashing damage per attack. Blade will circle target five times before returning to the Aspect of War.

In a moment one of those effects would trigger and Sift would battle for his life.

Ruwen stopped. Rats pooled around his bare feet, trying to bite through his Diamond Fortified skin and failing. The light coming from his body repelled most of the creatures, and only the most determined risked attacking him. He dropped his arm, and the Crazor Sword sliced into the granite.

Ruwen couldn’t let Sift die. He reached for his core.

Don’t, Overlord said, placing a hand on Ruwen’s shoulder, and stepping in front of him.

He’s going to die.

Blapy was clear. Using your spirit will permanently scar you, in which case, Sift dies anyway.

But he won’t die today!

Not just Sift. Hamma, Rami, your parents, everything and everyone. You know Lalquinrial’s plans. Who can stop him?

“It’s my fault!” Ruwen screamed out loud.

Whiskers stood not far from the Bamboo Viper Masters, who all stood in combat stances, and, in front of them, Sift. The cat relayed to Ruwen in real time the disaster unfolding on the beach. He should have left Pestilence and Plague and went to help immediately. Maybe he could have made it in time.

Just one more mistake Ruwen had made. He turned toward the lake and jumped with all his strength. Pestilence and Plague had likely only meant to distract and delay him, and he’d fell for it. He had thought it would take longer for the three Aspects to reach the beach, but he had misjudged.

Ruwen cleared the fortress wall as the burning avalanche struck the city. The five points he’d added to Dash doubled his top speed and he ran as fast as his Diamond legs would move. In a blink, he’d reached the lake. He channeled fifty Energy into Harden and turned off Glow, leaving the Crazor in his palm.

Harden froze the water in a fifteen-foot radius and Ruwen ran directly at the Aspects from behind. Survey calculated he would arrive in thirty-seven seconds.

But it was already too late. Through Whiskers’ eyes, Ruwen watched as War triggered Ray of Slaughter. From the tip of the Infernal Blade of Mayhem, a beam of Chaos erupted, striking Sift in the chest. The beam would do three hundred damage a second for five seconds and ignore fifty percent of any armor. Ruwen didn’t know if Sift had that many Health points.

Whiskers looked away as seeing pure Chaos created intense discomfort, and from his position behind the Aspects, Ruwen couldn’t see what happened.

The Health bar under Sift’s portrait in Ruwen’s party display dropped, and Ruwen gladly accepted the intense pain and damage Bodyguard funneled to him.

“It’s my fault,” Ruwen whispered. “It’s all my fault.”

When the odd shadows disappeared, Whiskers looked at the beach, and Ruwen saw to his amazement, that all the Masters remained alive. The cat turned its head toward the lake.

Sift stood just as before, although he rubbed his chest vigorously now.

Joy diluted Ruwen’s despair.

Sift gave a long whistle, and then spoke to War. “Wow, that doesn’t feel good. It almost makes me regret my choices. Wait, I never regret those.”

“He’s a sifter,” Drought said. “I see the streams.”

Sift gave a small bow. “It is what I do.”

War didn’t respond, instead he triggered Skipping Razor, and the great broadsword launched itself at Sift. Ruwen’s stomach twisted in worry. The sword would circle Sift five times, doing two hundred fifty damage with each pass, and Ruwen could do nothing about it.

Sift didn’t react as the sword approached, the spinning blade traveling so fast it blurred. Casually, he reached up and snatched the blade from the air, and Ruwen gasped. He should have guessed Sift might do that, since he didn’t know Dominion of War would burn him for two hundred damage per second and stack five times.

Again, pain washed over Ruwen from his connection to Sift.

It’s hot! Ruwen screamed in Chat.

Hot like fire, Sift replied.

Sift held the giant sword for a few seconds, his hand glowing white with soul energy. He stabbed the sword into the beach, and a moment later the sword flew back to War’s outstretched hand.

“Oh, that’s burnt!” Sift said. “I have sword that does that. Want to see? My best friend gave it to me. Although, all things considered, I should reevaluate the best friend part.”

Sift spoke to Ruwen in Chat. How long do I need to stall these guys?

Twenty seconds, Ruwen replied.

You are so slow.

Sift touched his waist and the Ink Lord Wrap parted giving him access to his Bamboo Viper Master’s belt. He removed the Heavy Short Sword of the Comet from the dimensional storage there.

“We are wasting time,” Poison said.

The three horses stepped forward.

“Wait,” Sift yelled. “It gets better.”

The Aspects continued forward.

“Okay, I guess I’ll just show you,” Sift told them.

Sift applied pressure from opposite sides of the hilt and the sword split and rotated apart. He held the Honed Short Sword of the Rising Star in his left hand and the Honed Short Sword of the Falling Star in the right.

“Still not impressed?” Sift asked as the Aspects approached. He held up Rising Star. “I call this one Flyer.” He held up Falling Star. “And this one Pointer. I bet you wonder why.”

The Aspects evidently didn’t as they continued forward.

Ruwen would reach them in twelve seconds, and he prayed Sift could stall a little longer.

“Fine,” Sift told the Aspects. “Tough crowd. I’ll give you the light show then.”

The Ink Lord Wrap turned white as soul energy surrounded Sift and enveloped both swords. He floated off the beach and threw the now white Honed Short Sword of the Rising Star into the sky.

“Your paltry soul will not save you,” War said.

Ten seconds and they would have a chance.

The three Aspects prepared to attack Sift together.

Six seconds away.

The ice under Ruwen’s feet turned black, and dozens of decaying hands grabbed his feet and legs. The sudden and unexpected attack stopped his legs, but his immense momentum carried his body forward. Diamond reflexes and one hundred ninety four levels in Tumbling, stopped him from slamming into the hardened ice, but it still threw him off target, and he slid across the ice, away from Sift.

Plague’s feverish laughter reached Ruwen. She had cast her attack from somewhere far above him. He had paid the price for leaving enemies at his back, and now Sift faced three Aspects by himself.

Sift had miraculously handled War’s initial attacks, but now he faced their combined might, and moments after that, their physical assault. Sift’s Gold body, strengthened by his soul, might survive a few attacks, but nothing extended.

In short, Ruwen knew, as he flipped himself to his feet and angled back toward the fight, he would never reach Sift in time. He would instead, witness the death of his best friend.

Desperate to stop the inevitable, Ruwen gave up the element of surprise, and launched a barrage of thirty Hardened Instability Rods at the three Aspects.

Still eight seconds away, Ruwen’s stomach clenched, as the rods disappeared in a yellow fog, dissolving in whatever awful mist Pestilence had summoned. More laughter came from above him and he looked up to see Pestilence and Plague riding their horses through the air high above.

Terrible magic gathered around the three Aspects and then it arced toward Sift, who stood calmly on the beach, his white sword Pointer in his right hand.

Ruwen’s heart stopped in dread.

The water roiled and exploded upward in front of the Aspects as a giant tortoise intercepted the Aspect’s attack before crashing down on top of them.