Chapter 9: Heavenly Intervention

(3rd Person POV)

Alex had read books and listened lectures about angels and religious figures when he was young and alive, but he could hardly believe this encounter. Face to face with an actual angel and by the looks of it she's looking to be an enemy.

"I am Sauriel, the Arbiter of Order and enforcer of the Seraphim Council, and I have descended from the heavens to eradicate you and rid this world of your darkness."

Alex narrowed his eyes and stood straight. Of course an angel would want to kill me, given his status. Not that he would feel intimidated.

"So far this is the first time I've been forced to fight an angel." he mumbled, then spoke. "I've got nothing with you angel. Leave now!"

"Dark Harbinger. You are in no position to make demands of me. I am here to smite you in the Creator's name..." she responded in disdain then she readies her sword in a stance. Alex knew what was coming so he readies his own.

"...and smite you I shall!" Sauriel declares before she charges at him.

"Get in line!!!" Alex responds as he brings his weapon up to block.

As two blades collided, the impact caused a shockwave. Alex kept his footing and leaned forward as he skidded through the dirt until stopped.

The angel and the reaper locked in a blade struggling as both of them pushed their weapons against each other. The strength of an angel is no joke, luckily he is able to hold his own with his inhuman strength. But if he has to stand a chance, he'll have to use his abilities.

Taking Sauriel's focus on pushing her sword to his advantage, Alex conjures a demon claw in his left arm. Sauriel notices this and flies away before he could hit her. Taking this chance, he reloads his chamber and shoots two red shots at the angel, who blocks the shots. Then she summons spectral spears made of light and launches them at Alex.

"Shit!"

He rolled to the side to avoid getting hit by the light spears. Recovering his senses, he saw the angel summoning more light spears and launching them, prompting Alex to sprint to avoid them while firing back, which she dodged or deflected.

With a plan in mind, he stopped his tracks and fired an dark red orb-like projectile from his rifle. The angel blocks it with her sword but it explodes when coming in contact with her blade. Sauriel cleared her sights and Alex already teleported behind her, holding his already scythe form ready for a strike. But before his blade could touch her, he fails to notice a lone light spear hovering above him as it stabs his back, dragging him down and crashing to the ground.

Alex grunts as he pushes himself off the ground while the light spear sticks through his back and stomach. Alex gritted his teeth as he could feel pain.

'Shit! It hurts! The wound feels like it's burning, my body feels hot. It must've come from the magic from the light spear.' he thinks.

But Alex couldn't afford distractions now as he is fighting for his life. Sauriel charges once more at Alex then he blocks her attack with his scythe and pushes her off. Then he charges at the angel to clash blades in a deadly duel with her, trading blows and parries, all while twirling his scythe as a windup before striking.

'He was able to keep up with ancient beings in combat, his strength as a revenant with a dark power is not to be underestimated.' Sauriel notes mentally.

Alex twirls his scythe behind before he goes for a slash while she counters with a slash of her own from the opposite direction. When the two blades hit, the force pushes them from each other, gaining distance.

Alex pants a bit while Sauriel remains poised.

"I must admit Dark Harbinger. I'm a little impressed you lasted this long for a novice." Sauriel says before raising her sword again.

"But I will not entertain this fight any longer."

Sauriel dashed towards Alex, which almost caught him off guard as he raised his scythe to block, but even that's in vain when she swipes his weapon away, leaving him wide open.

"RAAAGH!!!" Sauriel lunges forward and impales her sword through his chest, causing Alex to cough out blood.

"Death may have denied you. But I shall rectify this."

Alex struggles as he stands on his feet using the sword impaled to his chest as a crutch. He could feel that same heat from the sword as it's spreading throughout his body. Heartbeat ringing in his ears, his limbs threatening to go limp as he holds on, then something in him begins to take over and Alex knew what was coming. Desperate, he has to let go of control as the Cursed Rage takes him.

Surrounded himself with red and black eldritch aura. He releases a shockwave, causing the angel to back away after pulling out her sword. In the moment of distraction, the berserk Alex lunges on Sauriel which she leans back to avoid the claw attack as he passes over before the angel looks over to see his state.

Black and red shadows cover all exposed skin, claws protrude from each of his fingers, black shadows his face save for his red glowing eyes and slit-opened mouth with sharp teeth that expresses a frown.

"Awaken to your bestiality, have you?" Sauriel mumbled.

Alex roars in anger with a distorted voice and he leaps towards the angel. Sauriel flies off to the side but Alex chases after her, trying to claw attack her ferociously as she dodges and parries him.

"I have seen demons more ferocious than you, Dark Harbinger." Sauriel taunts. She pushes him off and raises her sword for an overhead slash, but that proved to be a mistake. Alex catches the blade with his left hand, which leaves the angel shocked in disbelief. Alex then pulls the sword to get her closer and manages to claw across her torso, a few red orbs explode from her and absorbed by the berserk reaper.

"YOU DARE STRIKE ME?!!!" Sauriel screeched bedridden with fury. She summoned a light spear to hit and drag Alex back to the ground, which afterwards recovered and roared back.

Groaning from pain, Sauriel summoned more volley of light spears and launched them at Alex, who had no choice but to use his arms to shield himself. The pelting of the swords has eaten away at his defenses until it proved too much. Several had managed to slip through, piercing the berserk reaper's exposed flesh and embedding itself into his arms, legs and torso. Alex weakened and forced himself on one knee, he could feel the burning pain as it's holy magic.

The angel used his stasis as an opportunity to raise her left palm above her head and summoned a larger spectral sword made of light.

"Now back with you dark dweller. TO THE ABYSS!!!" Sauriel declares as she launches the sword of light to deal the killing blow.

As for the feral reaper, his glowing red eyes narrowed and his red mouth widened into a grit, showing no fear of the impending death coming straight for him. But it never came.

Something came between the reaper and the spectral sword, but a bright light prevented sight. When the light died down, another angel with silver long hair, robes of white and gold color scheme and four grey wings came to view, blocking the light sword intended to end the reaper with a beige colored scythe with angelic designs and glowing runes before the light sword dissipated.

Sauriel glanced at the angel of death and her expression turned sour.

"Azrael." she grimaced.

Azrael's white eyes gave the look of disappointment, but not enough to distract him from what he really came here to do.

The feral reaper violently rips the light spears from his body. Lost all sense of reason, he charges against the angel of death. Azrael simply raised his palm at him and a glyph made of light formed and expanded into a shield to block him. Alex hits the glyph, levin sparks emitted from the impact as he tries to dig his claws through. Then Azrael changed his hand gesture then more glyphs formed at Alex's feet and hands, restraining him in mid-air.

Alex roars as he tries to remove himself from the spectral bonds, then Azrael hovers his palm over his face as they make eye contact.

A moment later the enraged reaper slowly feels calmness as his limbs go limp. The blackness from his skin began to retreat, releasing its dark grip. The beastly face of black and red unravels itself, revealing Alex who's barely conscious. He basically forced him to relinquish his Cursed Rage, turning him back to normal.

Once it's done, Azrael dispels the glyph and gently puts the nearly unconscious Alex to the ground telekinetically.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING THIS BROTHER?!!!" Sauriel demanded angrily.

Certain that the boy is incapacitated for a short while, Azrael turns to the angel of order.

"I would ask the same of you, you went against the Council's wishes. And by the order of the Council. You shall not further this endeavor."

Sauriel only growled, she was willing to do whatever it takes to see her duty through, but she's not stupid to cross blades with the angel of death, for his wisdom and strategy is not to be underestimated.

"This boy is not the one responsible for this dark plague, but one of our own."

"What proof do you have?! The logical problem lies within this boy. Even if the boy is not the cause, he still poses a threat."

"Be that as it may. The law still prohibits us from disturbing earthly affairs, which you seem to violate. Return to them at once so Council will determine your penance, their orders are absolute."

The tension between two angels has been anything but pleasant, all the while Alex regained consciousness as he struggled to get up. Sauriel only growled and glared at the reaper.

"This isn't over, Dark Harbinger." She snarled before she flew to the sky and disappeared into the light.

While Azrael remained with the boy, who seemed to suffer the after effects of the Cursed Rage.

"Greetings Alex Crowe." Azrael says in a soft, gentle tone.

After recovering from whiplash, the revenant glared. "Who are you?"

"I am Azrael. Your rage is powerful, but it has equal drawbacks. I recommend that you do not use it, lest your soul is consumed."

Alex became silent yet a little annoyed that he was lectured on how he used his powers.

"Who was she? And what did she want from me." Alex asked.

"Sauriel, the Arbiter of Order. She claims that you are responsible for the dark plague."

"Dark Plague?"

"You noticed it within this city? The dark substance of magic that seeks to infect, feeding on the negative emotions of every living thing and plunge them into darkness. No sight, no sound, no touch. Only darkness."

This peaked Alex's interest. "And Sauriel thinks I had something to do with it?"

"She believes it so, but I believe you are innocent. The one responsible was our fallen brother....Valus."

"Valus?"

"He was once our Scribe, keeper of the archive. Long ago when we learned of the dark plague, we sought his counsel. Despite the lack of details, he was too confident of the counsel he gave us so a squad was sent to investigate. However that mission cost too much, and Valus learned that he had given the wrong information. Bedridden with guilt, sought to right this wrong, but as the council decrees, we cast him out of heaven and to the earth in hopes he would be reconditioned and only by then would we welcome him back once more. But Valus only saw it as abandonment and ostracization, so he turned to the darkness and claimed him as their champion."

Alex crosses his arms with eyes closed as he is in deep thought. He had once read up about a similar plague in the history books back when he was human.

"He said he's humanity's solitude. That he can end their pain and suffering." Alex says.

"If those were his words, then it firms his intentions true. He truly seeks to blanket the humans with darkness with delusions to bring them salvation from their suffering." Azrael confirms.

Then Alex shot up a glare. "You say this Valus is a fallen angel, and the cause of all this mess. This is your problem, deal with it yourselves."

"It is not simple. There are laws that forbid us to mix ourselves with human affairs. This rule was established since the corruption of man."

"Why me, you seem to be breaking that rule."

"You are not human, even if you started as one. That is why it must be you."

Alex became puzzled by this.

"As angels, we are to leave the humans undisturbed, but there was no rule that forbids us to give blessings. Which is why I must request you."

Azrael looked at the reaper with his white glowing eyes.

"I beseech you Alex Crowe. Stop Valus and put an end to the Dark Plague."