Chapter 17 [Battle with other Apostles of god (part 2)]

Chapter 17 [Battle with other Apostles of god (part 2)]

It was at the designated rendezvous point, an expansive open field, that Saintess Akarya and her group converged, eagerly awaiting Ryker and Rudhir's arrival to facilitate their return to the Elven Islands via teleportation. As they reached the location, Ananya and the others exhaled collective sighs of relief, grateful for the brief respite from their arduous journey. However, their momentary tranquility was short-lived, as a sudden development threatened to disrupt the serenity of the scene.

Without warning, the group of 10 instinctively darted their eyes toward the left, their hands reflexively gripping their weapons. Emerging from the left was a group of 5 humanoid figures, each hailing from a distinct race. Aether Valeria, the golden-haired human, stood alongside a demon with crimson red hair, a beastman from the Wolf Beastman Clan, a Jotun with blue skin and white hair, and a mysterious lady with rainbow-colored hair and eyes.

As the two groups' eyes met, a flash of surprise illuminated Aether's face. Meanwhile, Akarya closed her eyes, and a flurry of images and memories cascaded through her mind. When she opened her eyes, a look of astonishment was etched upon her face.

Aether's surprise stemmed from his past life, where he had devoured countless fantasy novels featuring a race known for their enchanting beauty, mastery of magic, and harmony with nature - the Elves. He had encountered various fantastical races in this world, from dragons to fairies, but the Elves remained an enigma, a myth... until now. Though their faces were obscured by masks, their pointed ears and mesmerizing appearance left Aether awestruck.

Little did he know that these Elves were the most extraordinary, surpassing the mundane limitations of their legendary counterparts. They transcended the conventional confines of High Elves, with their stifling traditions and pretentious arrogance, Sun Elves, with their vapid beauty and self-absorption, empty pride and Moon Elves, with their esoteric mysticism and magic-bound dogma. No, they were an evolutionary leap forward, a paradigm shift in Elven evolution, embodying the essence of innovation, creativity, and unbridled potential. They were the pioneers of a new era.

"I am Aether Valeria, that human you have captured is part of my group. Please return him to us, and we will be on our way." Spoke Aether, not giving any obvious hint of knowing their race.

"I am Aether Valeria, and the human you've captured is under my protection," Aether declared, his voice firm but measured, deliberately concealing his knowledge of their true nature. Gaara, the golden-haired Elf, stepped forward with an air of haughty confidence, his eyes flashing with indignation. "Your friend was caught spying on us during our combat, and when confronted, he fled and even dared to attack our revered Saintess with a poisoned dagger. He will face our judgment for his transgressions."

Aether's expression darkened, his offer rebuffed by the Elves' unwavering resolve. He turned to Akarya, the group leader, resplendent in her exquisite attire, and spoke with a hint of warning, "Humans must be judged by their own kind. Return my ally, or face the consequences."

Akarya's gaze narrowed, her voice dripping with disdain as she interrupted Ananya's impending protest. "Or else, what? This human dared to assault me with an S-rank poison dagger, a weapon capable of felling even the most formidable S-rank powerhouses. You expect me to release him after such a brazen attempt on my life?" Her tone was laced with arrogance and pride, her eyes flashing with defiance. "I think not. Do your worst, but he will not be freed."

The air was electric with tension as both parties assumed battle stances, their intentions clear. Akarya's voice rang out, her command absolute. "Ananya, Gaia, Seraphine, Raphaeline, Aos - form a protective barrier around our captive, Damien. We will handle these... interlopers." Ananya swiftly conjured a formidable formation, encasing the designated individuals within a shimmering shield of protection. The stage was set for a clash of epic proportions.

In a flash of ferocity, Leo, the Apostle of the Beast God, launched the initial assault. Akarya, with her bow at the ready, unleashed a singular arrow into the sky, which suddenly fragmented into a swarm of dozens, each arrow radiating a mesmerizing purple aura as they descended towards the earth with unerring precision. The Apostle, leveraging his incredible speed and power, managed to evade some of the arrows, but two found their mark, disintegrating into particles upon impact. The ground beneath him gave way, and his body felt the crushing weight of intensified gravity.

"These arrows wield the power of gravity magic! Avoid them at all costs!" Leo bellowed, as another arrow, this time shimmering with a different hue, materialized mere millimeters from his face. In a split second, Emma appeared, her Warhammer flashing in the light as she shattered the arrow, before charging forward with unbridled ferocity.

Unbeknownst to the combatants, Akarya had tapped into the elemental power of gravity by donning the Arcane Scaled Fists Gauntlet, allowing her to copy Aos' affinity when their hands touched. This ancient artifact granted her the ability to mimic the elements, unleashing a maelstrom of gravitational force upon the battlefield.

As the chaos unfolded, the Apostle of the Dragon Goddess, Blaze, summoned a tapestry of dozens of magic circles, her hand weaving an intricate pattern before slamming it downward. From the circles erupted a cascade of molten magma rocks, plummeting towards Gaara with unrelenting fury. Yet, before the inferno could engulf him, a phalanx of over 50 golden shields materialized, intercepting the magma rocks in a spectacular display of defensive prowess, as a colossal explosion rocked the earth.

As Blaze gazed into the heart of the explosion, her eyes narrowing to slits, she sensed an ominous presence hurtling towards her with supersonic velocity. Before she could react, a gleaming spear materialized, only to be replaced by the golden-haired Gaara, who appeared inches from her face. With lightning-fast reflexes, Gaara unleashed a devastating kick, which Blaze barely blocked with her mana barrier, but the sheer force sent her soaring 500 meters into the air.

As she stabilized herself mid-air, a magnificent pair of dragon wings burst forth from her back, their scales glinting like polished gemstones. With a single step, Blaze vanished, reappearing behind Gaara in a whirlwind of motion. Her hand transformed into a razor-sharp dragon claw, which came crashing down upon Gaara's body, only to be blocked by a shimmering golden shield.

"Darkness Eruption!" Blaze thundered, her elegant robe morphing into a colossal wave of darkness that descended upon the battlefield like a shroud, extinguishing Gaara's sight. Undaunted, Gaara relied on his battle instincts, dodging Blaze's flurry of attacks with ease.

"Explosion!" Gaara bellowed, as a brilliant eruption of light illuminated the darkened landscape, revealing Blaze's position. Seizing the opportunity, Gaara materialized above Blaze, his hammer flashing towards her with incredible force. Though Blaze blocked the attack with her dragon claw, the impact sent shockwaves through her body, cracking her bones and unleashing a maelstrom of electricity that sent her crashing into the earth.

Blaze teleported herself to safety, but Gaara's relentless assault continued. "Earth Rage!" he roared, as the ground trembled with cataclysmic force. Hundreds of trident-shaped rocks burst forth from the earth, homing in on Blaze's position with unerring accuracy. Blaze attempted to evade the onslaught with her "Flicker" teleportation, but Gaara's instincts tracked her movements with deadly precision, the trident-shaped rocks flashing towards her new position like a swarm of deadly projectiles.

As Blaze stumbled backward, her defenses faltering, she unleashed a final, desperate gambit. A massive implosion of light enveloped her, and when the radiance faded, a colossal dragon stood revealed. Blaze, now a towering behemoth with celestial-colored scales and deep golden eyes, exuded an aura of serene yet destructive power. With a mighty roar, she unleashed her dragon's breath, a cataclysmic wave of lightning, darkness, and fire that threatened to consume Gaara whole. The very fabric of space-time trembled as the wave passed, leaving cracks and destabilization in its wake.

"AEGIS!" Gaara declared, as a multitude of golden shields materialized, duplicating and layering upon one another to form an seemingly impenetrable bulwark. Yet, Blaze's dragon's breath proved relentless, shattering shield after shield with unstoppable fury, refusing to yield. However, the fleeting moments bought by the shields' sacrifice were all Gaara needed to set his plan in motion.

Hundreds upon hundreds of radiant chains burst forth, ensnaring Blaze with unyielding tenacity, ensuring her draconic maw remained sealed, silencing her devastating breath. The more she struggled, the tighter the chains constricted, immobilizing the mighty dragon.

Above Blaze's majestic form, five yellow portals materialized, unleashing a quintet of colossal spears, each measuring 50 meters in length. These gargantuan projectiles pinned down her wings, claws, and tail, rendering her utterly helpless. Blaze let out a deafening dragon roar, her golden eyes blazing with a fierce mixture of pain, anger, and humiliation as she realized her predicament.

Gaara stood firm, his gaze unwavering as he retorted, "Do not give me that look, woman. You initiated this battle, and now you must face the consequences." With calculated precision, Gaara concentrated a vast amount of battle aura within his hands, channeling it into a colossal, concussive beam that hurtled towards the enchained dragon with unbridled ferocity.

Blaze's expression transformed from fiery anger to utter horror as she sensed the cataclysmic concentration of aura in Gaara's hands. Her movements became frantic and desperate, but she was utterly helpless, unable to escape the impending doom. The concentrated beam of aura, a behemoth of energy, collided with Blaze's dragon form, unleashing a colossal explosion that shook the very foundations of the earth. The blast was so immense that it seemed to rival the fury of the gods.

The air trembled, the ground shook, and the skies grew dark as the beam's sheer energy threatened to obliterate Blaze's majestic form. The dragon's wings, once proud and untamed, now lay pinned, her claws, once sharp and deadly, now restrained, and her tail, once a symbol of power, now immobilized.

As the dust settled, Blaze lay defeated, her majestic dragon form dissipating as she reverted to her human shape. She was left lying motionless, her consciousness slipping away into the abyss of unconsciousness. The sheer magnitude of her defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, for she had never been vanquished so utterly, not even by the renowned Aether Valeria. The humiliation and shock of her loss were etched upon her face, a testament to the unbridled power that Gaara had unleashed upon her.

The silence that followed was deafening, punctuated only by the soft whisper of Blaze's labored breathing. Her once-proud form now lay broken and still, a poignant reminder of the devastating consequences of underestimating the unknown warrior, Gaara. The earth itself seemed to tremble with reverence, acknowledging the dawn of a new era, one in which Gaara's name would become synonymous with unyielding power and unwavering dominance.