Chapter 9 - I Couldn't Protect Her, Might as Well Avenge Her

Synergist, Asher Guren

Arriving on scene, Stella and Tetsurou are already battled ridden.

"What took you so long?" Stella asked.

"Sorry, I got caught up by something."

In the distance the capital is getting overrun by Houkai Beasts to which Will and the Other non-key wielders are dealing with them. Our mission is to either delay, which is nigh impossible or kill the 2nd Angel in front of us, or neutralizing her by extracting the Core of Reason on her chest, which is also impossible considering that it's her lifeline.

The Second Angel looked down upon us, Tetsurou already had Cocytus primed on his hand, forming two Ice Shields. Stella with her Star of Eden. I drew out my Vulcan.

"Another pest had come, it doesn't matter. My lord orders the elimination of all the irregulars"

"Let's bring down that annoying Angel down!" I ordered and fused Vulcan together, forming the claymore sword with superheated blade. "Stella!"

"Roger!" Stella pointed the Eden at her and strengthen the gravity by 100 on Angel. Unable to take the burden, the Angel crashed on the ground.

Tetsu and I pounced on the Angel, she blocked both of us with shields.

The reason we lost the last time was because we didn't have enough information on her, but now, it's not a problem anymore.

Just as numbers won't work well with the Key of Domination, the 2nd angel, aside from controlling a person's mind, she can produce an unlimited number of weapons as long as she knows how its composition are.

It's the reason we lost last time, because we all came at her with modern weapons and ended up turning the tables at us with our own weapons.

But now, that doesn't matter!

The Divine Keys is impossible for an Angel to produce, hence the three of us are the only ones fighting her.

Dozens of Swords appeared mid-air, all trained in on us, the moment it launched, Tetsurou defended us with a skill.

"Icicle Prison!"

The three of us covered in a dome of ice, the swords pierced through the whole dome. We'd be defenseless against these.

"Zeroth Power: Activate! Black Hole!"

The ice dome vanished, I looked up and saw a giant black hole above the 2nd Angel sucking everything along with her.

Stella's using the Zeroth Power of the Star of Eden.

"Tetsu!!"

"Yeah!"

He already knew, with even with the keys, unless we use Zeroth Ability of them, we can't defeat the Angel.

"Key of Frost, Zeroth Power Activate! Cursed Pillar of Lamentation!"

The Key of Frost bracers released a powerful gust of cold wind directed at the ground raising into a pillar entrapping the Angel inside struggling to break free. Using the chance, I've activated Vulcan's Zeroth Power.

"ROAR WITH ME VULCAN!!!!" I screamed with all my might!

[Ambient Houkai Energy Detected. Initiate ambient charging… energy reserves now at… 100%... charging into overdrive reserves… 150%... 200%... 250%... 300%... 350%... 400%... 450%... 500%... Power Limits Removed. Key of Destruction is Ready.]

A year ago, I lost everything… I haven't regained them all nor do I want them back; I've gained something more precious thanks to losing everything.

If I can protect this world that Cecilia treasures, then I'll gladly offer my life to protect it.

Vulcan's blade reformed into its Zeroth Form, The Claymore grew a larger blade, the barrels of the gun form pointed down on my direction, the superheated plasma blade transformed into soul steel and was much more powerful.

It started burning my clothes and the ground around me.

"This is for Cecilia!!"

One slash, with all my strength left, I released a powerful slash with Vulcan. With a loud boom a violent squall spread out throwing anyone off, the ground split, fires erupted from the ground, the clouds up in the sky sliced apart, as if I've cleaved the world in half. The 2nd Angel unable to escape in time from the Ice Pillar was obliterated along with the rest of the field.

One powerful strike, that was all I managed, I collapsed on the ground. Out of power, Vulcan clattered on the ground back into gun form.

Tetsu managed to protect Stella from the blast, but both were unconscious, I can't feel anything… my head kept throbbing, my vision was hazy.

"To think that a mere human managed to push me this far…!"

Impossible… The Second Angel was still alive!?

I looked over the direction of the voice, the Second Angel was wounded, blood, golden, Ichor dripped from her wounds, for the first time, I could see anger in her face.

"I didn't imagine that I would experience such emotions, you're the first to make me angry!"

I… I can't fall here…

I struggled to get up, my whole body felt like lead, I can't even steady my breathing, the Houkai infection must've spread on my body once again.

Even trying to stand took everything out of me, my legs were wobbly, still I faced the Second Angel. Alone, and unarmed.

With the Houkai Infection spread on me, even using Void Archives will kill me instantly.

"You're still standing despite the infection… impressive for a human"

I shook my head to focus my vision, I looked over the Angel and raised my fist, even without a weapon, I can still punch her.

Even if the strike didn't kill her, surely the strike from Vulcan did weaken her, I can do this!

I dashed and deliver a straight punch at her, she did a sidestep and punched my solar plexus, before I could go flying by the force of her punch, she grabbed my feet and smashed me to the ground a couple of times Hulk Style.

My back and face hurts on that slam, I feel like I've been runover by a train, I couldn't move my body.

I struggled back to my feet, I kept telling myself don't give up.

This may be the perfect timing for the demigod-ish power of my genes to go boom and beat the shit out of her, but that didn't happen.

Then again, when did I ever rely on that, I have one trait that separates me from the others, that's my stupidity for never backing down from a fight.

"You're still getting up?" disbelief was already written from the Angel's face. A normal person might have already died from that, but I'm not like the others.

I got back up and took another stance, raggedly breathing, I couldn't even keep my vision in a focus.

"Haa… I… I can do this all day…"

I threw another punch at her, she countered with a right hook, I kept throwing out punches, even if it's pathetic, even if it's ugly, I'm gonna kill this Angel even if I have to beat her to death for it.

Each punch packed with my everything, but each time, I'm the one getting beaten by her.

I gotta say, my innate talent to piss everyone off had rubbed on the Angel. Anger crossed her face, in annoyance, she grabbed my collar and started beating my face.

"Why won't you go down!?"

"I told you… I can do this all day! I'm not giving up until I die"

Anger flared in her eyes and summoned a sword in her free hand, then swung it down on me.

"Then die!"

She stopped before she could even kill me, as dozens of rockets were raining at our direction.

"Sorry, looks like you're gonna come with us" I glared at her one last time.

This is our final shot, if we can't defeat her, we're gonna take her with us. With explosion from Missiles

Rocheforte Capital Airspace

A VTOL Jet flew above the capital, and the field, just below, the destruction that Vulcan had inflicted upon the ecosystem was fierce, the forests were on fire, the mountain that covers the capital was split in half, a large crevice open upon the ground below, scorching heat seared the air.

[In 15 seconds, you will be right above the target. Madam. Please don't miss the chance.]

Standing upon the ramp of the jet, the young girl with long silver hair glinting upon the moonlight, looked below the Angel, Rasiel and the other Key Wielders, she was wearing the newly reformed and customized Hallow Armor, glinting in silver and white, with blue seam lines, the Armor was drawing power from the Divine Key, the Key of Radiance.

She held in her hand a large lance no longer than 6 feet, despite the weight, she seemed to have no problem carrying it.

[10 seconds until you're above the target]

Bella was on her communicator, in the distance, 15 missiles came in at the Angel but was blocked by her summoned shields.

[5… 4… 3… 2… 1…]

The girl touched her headgear and a pull up shade covered her eyes, then she jumped off the ground.

Falling upon the ground at a fast rate, Rasiel noticed her arrival, a large lance came flying at her direction.

I was spotted?!

She blocked the lance with the Key of Radiance, the girl kept on falling upon the Angel.

"Foolish. Mere humans can never hurt a disciple of god!"

In the falling velocity of the girl, she's finally at striking distance and at the range of her target the Angel, missing would be a miracle by now.

She pulled back her arm holding the lance and took a Zeus position, then threw the Key of Radiance at the Angel.

"Pierce through! Rhongomiant!"

The moment the lance was released, Rasiel created a large shield wrapped in Houkai energy. The lance glowed in silver light and transformed into a 7-meter large lance and pierced, not only through the angel itself, but also Rasiel herself at her heart. No one can survive a stab through the heart, even if it's an Angel.

"How… How… Impossible…" Rasiel questioned it, but no answer came to her.

The fact that the Key of Radiance pierced through her easily was questionable, however with the help of the Hallow Armor, which gave her partial access upon the Core of Illumination inside the Key of Radiance, in a way, the girl became a Quasi-Angel thanks to the armor which allowed her to fully access the Key's full capabilities.

The girl straighten herself preparing to land, the jet boosters at her hips, back and soles helped her slow down her descent speed and landed gracefully. She flipped her hair, even with the simple action have highlighted her elegance and beauty.

She then pressed on the communicator on her hear. "Target Neutralized, Bella. Mission Accomplished"

[Understood Miss Cecilia, we'll be sending the medic unit for the wounded]

"Thanks"

She walked over Asher and held him in her arms. "When will you learn how to back off from a fight?"

Asher simply smiled at her "About… never? I guess."

"Fufufu" She giggled "You never change, do you?"

"Yeah, never backing off was my best trait, I mean come on, isn't that the reason you fell for me?"

"You're getting full of yourself there, Ash"

"How's the suit?" Despite the reunion the two is experiencing, Asher is a synergist at heart, He remodeled the Hallow Armor for one reason and one reason only, it was for Cecilia to use it.

"Well… it's a bit hard to control the flying function, also I wish it'd be more… protected"

The Hallow Armor was in fact composed of a chest plate a arm protectors greaves and leg armors, however it was sleeveless therefore there was no shoulder armor, also part of the reason she wanted more protection was not an issue of safety but the exposure of her upper chest above her neck and shoulders were mostly expose and makes her somewhat embarrassing.

"Who cares… about details," Asher gently brushed Cecilia's hair "I'll try and work on that next, anyway, Welcome back, Cecilia"

Cecilia smiled at Asher and set his head down on her lap, on a side note, her legs were also exposed which Asher felt the soft and tender legs of Cecilia.

"I kinda miss this"