Light vs Dark (2)

"I wonder how they're doing."

Back in the academy, the Headmaster was currently lounging in his office, staring out the window with a wistful look on his face. He recalled Vincent's expression upon accepting the mission, and frowned.

"I hope he won't have to use that spell… The last time he used it he was in the hospital for months…"

Lightfall. It was the most powerful spell in Vincent's arsenal, a spell so strong it was what gave him the title of "Lightbearer". The Headmaster remembered Vincent's younger days when he had first discovered that spell. He had already been an amazing anti-Dark Mage assault unit before it, but after that spell, it had become a massacre.

221. That was the amount of confirmed kills on Dark Mages Vincent had during the Dark War using Lightfall. That spell was one of the few ways one could contact beings from other worlds.

In Vincent's case, he had contacted angels. Each time he used a spell, he summoned a different angel that could possess him and temporarily grant him insane amounts of strength, of course with some hefty drawbacks. Luckily, it didn't matter whether or not Vincent could control the angel, as the beings of light naturally had a hatred towards beings of darkness.

One time, after summoning a particularly powerful angel, Vincent had gone into a coma for two months, and developed amnesia for another 8 months even after he awakened.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," The Headmaster sighed. "I pray for your team's success, Vincent."

******

"Seriously, what are you?" Vincent, or the angel possessing him, tilted his head at Gunther. 

[I am called the Deathrider. You are some sort of angel, I presume?] Gunther responded calmly. Vincent nodded and bowed.

"Correct. I am Ariel." He stood back up and smirked at Gunther. "Now, I shall eradicate you!"

Vincent, or technically Ariel, rushed towards Gunther, immediately covering the distance between them, the ground cracking where he once stood. He swung a light-covered fist at Gunther, who caught it, surprised to actually feel pain from the light.

[Hmm.]

Before he could counterattack, Ariel suddenly melted into a puddle of bright light that fell on Gunther, forcing him to dodge backwards, yet the puddle gave chase, turning into sharp blades of light that flew into the air.

Gunther swung his greatsword, cleaving the light blades into two, only for the split halves to twist and encircle him, before stabbing at him from all directions. Gunther leaped high into the air, surprised to see a foot covered in light coming down on his head.

"Hahaha!" Ariel laughed as Gunther twisted mid-air to dodge the falling kick, which released a blast of light that continued downwards and exploded on the ground. Gunther quickly grabbed the angel's ankle, and swung him towards the ground.

Ariel landed hard, creating a large crater. He pulled himself out as he watched Gunther land, sticking his greatsword into the ground. He stepped towards the angel before putting both fists up in a boxing stance.

"Hand to hand?" Ariel raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

[Weapons are ineffective against you.] Gunther replied calmly. 

"Good for me!" Ariel chuckled, snapping his fingers as light blades appeared out of nowhere, piercing the Deathrider all over. However, the shadow creature didn't react at all. Before Ariel could question it, a heavy blow struck the side of his face, sending him flying as a few teeth were knocked out.

Gunther immediately followed the angel as the Gunther that was pierced by the light blades melted into a cape that quickly rejoined its owner's shoulders.

"That hurt!"

Before Gunther could catch up to him, Ariel punched the ground, causing cracks to appear in the earth and spread, light spilling out of each one. Gunther deftly dodged each crack and lunged at Ariel, burying his gauntlet into the angel's gut, following up with a right hook across his face.

Ariel stepped back and covered his face, only for Gunther to throw his cape which wrapped around his head and arms, obscuring his vision. Gunther quickly formed shadow spikes on his knuckles and relentlessly pummeled his enemy's exposed areas.

The angel screamed in pain, both from his body being pierced by Gunther's punches as well as the cape melting his skin. 

"ENOUGH!"

The area suddenly exploded as a pillar of light fell from the sky, engulfing Ariel and Gunther. The shadow creature jumped out of the pillar's range as his cape melted. Freed, Ariel basked in the light as all his injuries healed and his energy grew stronger.

"Time to finish this-!"

Ariel's eyes widened as a tree trunk swung into his face, knocking him out of the pillar of light and into a wall of stone, making a Vincent-sized hole in it. Gunther dropped the tree he uprooted on the ground as he casually walked towards the hole in the stone.

[You are weak for an angel.]

Stopping in front of the stone wall, Gunther reached in and pulled out Ariel, holding him by the collar. He had some bruises on his face, and glared at Gunther in rage. 

"Screw you!" He stuck his hand in the air, trying to summon another pillar of light, but nothing happened. 

Ariel looked down at his hand in shock as his light began to flicker and fade.

[Your vessel's body has reached his limits. You're finished.]

"No, no! Damn you!"

Ariel cursed Gunther as the light disappeared, leaving a battered and exhausted Vincent that struggled to keep his eyes open. Gunther dropped the man on the ground and looked down on him. 

[A pitiful last ditch attempt. Summon a stronger angel next time.]

For the last time that day, Gunther turned around and walked away, pulling his greatsword out of the ground and creating a new cape of shadow.

[I was unable to get even a little serious. How boring.]

The Deathriders mutters stabbed into Vincent's heart. He lay there in despair as he had truly run out of options in that fight. That was his strongest spell, yet it had been nothing to Gunther. He had been defeated by boxing and a tree, of all things…

However, Vincent supposed the silver lining was that Ariel had seemed to be young and inexperienced compared to the angels he had summoned in the past, meaning that the fight could have gone a lot better.

'I still remember the archangel that put me in a coma.' He thought of a day long in the past. 'At least Ariel's repercussions don't seem too big, and it was only a half-possession too.'

"But my students…" 

Vincent grit his teeth as his eyes began to shut themselves, ignoring his efforts to stay conscious.

"No…"

Unable to fight the exhaustion, Vincent blacked out, all alone on the floor of the destroyed quarry.