A Heavenly Incursion (2)

I burst forth, not wanting to surrender the initiative. Every angel had a weakness, just like any other being. An angel's weakness was its heart, a divine gem that gave it its power. It was located in the middle of its chest, where it was most protected and hardest to reach.

I aimed for that center, launching myself at break-neck speeds with crystal spikes in hand. I was going to kill it the same way I killed the rest of the angels, by tearing through and crushing their hearts.

Fireballs shot themselves from the magic circles that started appearing in the air around it, exploding as the they slammed against the abomination. Fires spread throughout its skin as smoke from the explosions billowed around it. They weren't going to do anything. Angels were immune to normal flames, but that should distract it long enough to open itself up for my attack.

My plan worked and I struck its chest, slicing away at its flesh with the crystal spikes I had conjured. I tore through its body, searching frantically for its heart. But as I burrowed deeper and deeper, a harrowing realization dawned on me.

This thing did not have a heart.

I felt something wrap around me before I was flung away, flying through the air before plowing through the ground and slamming against the city wall.

I quickly stood back up. The monster stood in the distance, a shadow against the ever-expanding breach.

No heart. No permanent damage. No apparent weaknesses. This wasn't just a fallen angel; this was something else entirely.

I contemplated flickering around it, teleporting too fast for it to follow. But my instincts were telling me otherwise. So far, I had been the only one attacking while it remained on the defensive.

In fact, it wasn't defending at all, not unless I was melting its insides. Was it taunting me? Showing me that I could do nothing?

I frowned. If it was here to kill me, then why didn't it go and try!? I'd welcome it!

I burst forth from the foot of the walls, surging forth like a magic missile brimming with energy. I slammed against the abomination with enough force to shatter mountains, the ensuing shockwave causing a powerful quake that swept through the land.

I tore through its entire chest, leaving a gaping hole where its torso once was. I quickly stopped and turned around before grabbing hold of its head and flinging it against the mountainside. It was a distance away, but I wasn't going to take any chances. The abomination landed on some rocks before tumbling down uncontrollably. It was defenseless, disoriented, and a massive target. This was my chance.

I unleashed a barrage of magic, burying it under a relentless assault of magical attacks. Lances of lightning, shards of unmatched sharpness, torrents of molten heat, beams of pure magical energy, all of it slammed against what remained of the abomination. The world around me erupted in color as powerful spells burst forth from my palms and every magic circle that floated around me. I conjured more, unleashing every spell that I knew could harm an angel even for just a little bit.

Thousands of years. It had been thousands of years since I last slew an angel. It took a bit of getting used to, but I grew powerful. I learned their weaknesses. I learned how to kill them quickly and efficiently. I wasn't going to fail now.

It screamed. It wailed. It melted like a candle thrown into a fire. It was about to disappear. I was about to win.

Seeing my victory draw near, I roared. I began to conjure the same unstable ball of energy that I was about to use to destroy this world. As soon as it was bigger than my palms, I pushed.

A massive beam of energy shot out, similar to the same beam that foolish Gilford used against me in the past. But this one was more powerful, most important of all, it didn't miss.

The beam surged forth. In a bright flash of light that illuminated even the dark storm clouds above, the abomination and the mountains behind it exploded.

I thought I had won. With that attack, the abomination should have been vaporized, reduced to nothingness.

But my keen senses told me otherwise. I quickly spun around as I heard the closing shimmers of a portal, but I was too late.

Sharp claws stabbed me through the chest, penetrating through my protection spell, and emerging on the other side. I grunted and sputtered blood as I found myself staring directly at the abomination's eyes. It leaned over me with that same smile, seemingly mocking me.

It lifted me up into the air and laughed, waving me around like some sort of trophy.

It had regenerated, its skin covering the holes that still boiled with my magic.

It had bested me. It withstood my magical might and stabbed me as if my protection spell and my body were nothing.

Angels had the decency to behead you, but this one relished in my defeat.

"You," It spoke in a gnarled, deep voice, "You... are... nothing... protector."

Its claws pushed deeper, skewering me further. But despite the pain, the helplessness, I did not give in. I wasn't going to entertain it with my misery.

"You... you gave us... our greatest... blessing," It started to say. Whatever it wanted to say, I wasn't listening. It was surely meaning to taunt me with lies, a way to get inside my head.

"You... listen... I hear... your thoughts..."

Of course it did.

"You... helped... us... you.. destroyed... the old... gods... and now..." It started laughing hysterically, though with much difficulty, "We... will... come..."

"Who will come?" I asked, sensing that the abomination was serious.

"We... will... come... and you... will die..." It started looking around, as if sensing something. With my body impaled, my senses were halved. I couldn't use my keen senses, if I did, the pain I was already feeling would triple.

"You... will... die... and you... will... nourish me... nourish... us." Its mouth opened wide, wider than it should. Its skin stretched and ripped as it opened its mouth, revealing lines of rotten, jagged teeth.

As it pulled me closer, I realized that I was about to die.

Death. I had wanted it for so long. If the monster in front of me was about to eat me to nourish itself for some grander, evil purpose, then it shouldn't bother me. It wouldn't matter, to me at least.

I would be dead, and finally, free.

However, that would mean I would let a greater evil triumph, if this abomination was to be believed. It would be against everything I had sacrificed, everything I had fought for.

I couldn't. I wouldn't. I shouldn't let it happen. This world betrayed me, yes. But I wasn't about to betray myself.

I placed my hands on its giant claws and glared, "I killed the highest powers in this world. I'm not going down easy, you malformed piece of sh-"

A diamond lance pierced through its skull and out its mouth. The abomination screamed, surprised at the sudden attack. Taking the opportunity, I quickly pushed myself away and fell down, expecting to land on muddy ground.

To my surprise, I landed on the arms of Frank. He put me down and began casting a healing spell on my wounds, stopping my bleeding. My surprise didn't end there.

Hundreds of sentinels revealed themselves from the darkness, glowing with the beauty of their diamond bodies. The abomination snarled as it realized it was surrounded. My sentinels weren't as strong as me, never would be.

But they could hurt it still.