Receiving the news about the impending emergency, Sword God Sestavinus and her followers—the first angel Kelvin and assistant instructors had promptly split the task, and went through their preparation to face the demons.
However, before they could have finished their preparation, Demon King's army appeared, blasting their way through the ceiling of sword god's martial hall, spearheaded by Fiend King Ordo and Kyubel.
«They're... directly challenging the sword god by destroying her martial hall. What has dawned on them...»
Great angel Murai was dumbfounded by the sudden scenario as he saw the wreckage of ceiling scatter on the floor of the martial hall. Everything had happened before they could even begin their preparation.
The trainee angels were just as befuddled, speechless. After all, among the 255 pillars of gods, no would come to argue if they'd said Divine Arena held the bigger power.
It wasn't just the higher god Sestavinus. They'd seven more gods of armaments, each a master in their own arts. Plus, there were tens of thousands of disciples alone.
But all of this was a matter to ponder later. They'd a bigger emergency—
«Grrgh, my foot...»
«*Cought* *Cough* save me...»
The training hall had to have at least 1000 angels learning sword arts when the explosion took place, thus, when the ceiling was blasted away and its debris fell, it captured many angels, pressing against them.Assistant Instructor Murai promptly regained his bearing, realising their current predicament, and began with his commands.
«Help out the injured!! Toss away your training swords, and pick up actual weapons!»
«Yes, sir!! Raise your voice if you need help in removing the rubble!»
Senior disciple was quick to take action, and with a few angels in tow, they engaged in saving the injured.
The beings called angels would be born when their parents were given spirit stone or spirit crystal. They'd a lifespan extending beyond several tens of thousands of years, while also learning martial arts skill, offensive or recovery magic.
They're not gods, but they're also the beings infinitely close to the existence called god, thus garnering reverence from the masses. First Angel's caliber though went well beyond that, their strength rivaling higher gods, and beside them, their individual stats alone surpasses 10,000 threshold.
Hence, a much of angels were sufficient in putting aside the rubble to make their way out, thus Murai focused on the one who couldn't/
«Oh dear, now where's the Sword God»? I really so, so much wanted to play with her~»
As an air of tension descended on everyone, Kyubel scanned the surroundings with a theatrical tone. Behind him stood 700 demons and archdemons, each one bursting with a veil of mana, a sign of buffs. Murai promptly took notice of it. —If they started 1 vs 1 in their current state, their role would be nothing more than lamb on chopping board.
«Enough with your games! What has brought you here!?»
Murai growled at the two Fiend Kings, demons leaders, Ordo and Kyubel. Meanwhile, Kurena's expressions were paper white as she glanced at the injured angels. But she barely held herself to fetch heaven's grace from her magic bag, passing it to the nearby injured angel, and then shot a glare at Kyubel, enraged.
"Yeah! Do you think you owe this place, trash it whenever you want?!"
Kurena wasn't the one well-versed in probing or psychological warfare like Allen, though what she had was her superior battle sense, and immediately drew her sacred artifact Ascalon. Murai, beside her, felt the burst of animosity from Kurena, but his expression wore a different look; his brows crumpled in crease for a moment. They'd to stall the demons until they could gather everyone.
Lupto and Kelvin had already gone to request other gods of armaments support. And Sword God had been meeting with God of War to share the details. On the other hand, angels were far from the united force as of now, having been subjected to sudden attack, while still carrying their training weapon.
They needed to buy every second they could—but Kurena’s aggressive posture was clearly riling the demon army, and a fight could break out at any moment.
«Hmm? Oh dear, so you're here, Kurena-kun. But I didn't see your friends around today, are they not here~?»
"You’re not getting anything from me! And less about me, why'd you come, trashing this place. Answer!"
Kurena's voice bore a threatening outlook, much like a lion noticing its territory being breached. Murai shared the same sentiment, his gaze locked on Kyubel.
«What is in your gourd this time!? A scene of chaos and blood everywhere?!»
He hollered, hoping to bring some time by extending their argument.
«Aww, you hurt my feelings. I just want to play with Sesta-chan and Kelvin-chan, but hmm... I didn't see them. Have they gotten cold feet and escaped?»
"They're not cowards like you! They're not hiding anywhere!!"
But much to Murai's dismay, Kyubel’s mocking tone never wavered, and the true purpose of the Demon King's army remained unclear. Still, every second they could stall was worth it. The angels present were just now getting into battle formation.
However the unease around him remain. Theirs enemy’s power vastly outclassed theirs. Lupto and Kelvin harbored stats greater than their, but even they would require a few moment to cross through 300 km distance that Divine Arena stretches about.
Kyubel kept trading barbs with the furious Krena and the composed Murai, but the tension snapped when Ordor—who had been silently seething—finally lost his patience.
"Enough with this pointless chatter! You’d rather wait until their reinforcements arrive? If the Sword God refuses to show, we’ll just slaughter every last angel here! You lot! Show them the results of Director Shinonom’s research! Do that, and the Great Demon King himself will reward you handsomely!"
"UWOOOOOOOOOH!!!"
"Kyubel! You’re in this too!"
"Ughhh, fine, fine. So much shouting... it's too hot for this~"
A burst of excitement spread amidst the demons as supreme Commander Ordo rallied the horde with a roar. Then he drew his greatsword, a blade that seemed to bleed darkness itself—and stepped forward.
He was preparing to charge headfirst into the fray.
"This is bad—they’re coming!!"
The angels had already cleared the debris at the front line. Murai turned and shouted to the rear, where younger trainees were still scrambling to get into position.
«A-already?!»
Angels slipped a befuddled voice at the news as they had yet to prepare themselves. Ordo surged forward, his broadsword bustling with energy as he charged mana into it. It was evident the angel's fate would be sealed if Ordo reached them.
Murai burst forth with his spiritual power, coiling around him as well as his adamantite sword.
«Haaa! Sword God Style—Ultimate Technique: Star Flash!!»
Murai concentrated his strength at the core centre of his body, and with a thunderous crack underfoot, he reached for Ordo as his sword traced the trajectory at his heart.
Sword God Swordsmanship had three stages to mastery; Technique, Secret Technique, Mystic Art. Invoking skill «Concentration», Murai had gathered his spiritual aura for the strongest technique he knew—the secret art of Sword God Swordsmanship.
[A Breakdown of Sword God Swordsmanship]
Basic Proficiency: Manipulate and condense one's spiritual aura or mana inside the body, coating one's body and sword into it, allowing the user to increase their attacks might as well as grant an accuracy buff to skills. (At the level of instructor and above, the accuracy buff even allow the user to ignore the principal of casualty)
Arte: Increases user's basic skill strength. If it's the Extra Skill, their rank rises by one in order of General → King → Emperor. Divine techniques are further empowered if used with a Sword God technique.
Secret Art: Exclusive Skill. Might is comparable to Emperor class Extra Skill
Mystic Art: Exclusive Skill. Might may be equal, or surpass even Divine Technique.
※Mystic Art's might superseed the combo of Divine Technique with 'Technique'.
In the shattered space between ceiling and floor, Murai clashed with Ordo. His adamantite blade, honed to a point just under a meter for agility and precision, much like Allen's sword, drew a deadly arc, aiming for Ordo's heart straight through to his throat.
However the blade cut through empty air. Ordo was no longer in his earlier position.
«You call this an attack? Pathetic skill, pathetic strength!!»
He snorted, and made a simple gesture of swing with his broadsword. The broadsword bore a semblance to adamantite with its abyssal black outlook, though it was clear neither sword had been forged from similar ore.
The two swords clashed, and like a hot knife running across the butter, the broadsword, seeping with dark mist, tore apart the adamantite sword. The brutality of broadsword remained and next, it cleaved Murai into two, a vertical clash running across him.
—*Thuud*
«...!?»
"Murai-san!!"
It was an instant kill. Kurena's mournful shriek echoed across, but Ordo, making sure Murai to never get another chance of resurrection, performed innumerable slashes over the remains of Murai, the blade leaving behind a trail of blur at the staggering speed.
—*Thwack*
He continued until Murai's remains were mere mincemeat by the time it struck the floor, the angel's father fluttering and falling around. And yet, not satisfied with that, he trampled the remains a few more times.
«You bastaaaaaaaaaaard!! Roading Flame Slash!!»
The cruelty of Ordo, and his indifference—rather, the smile hanging on his lips despite the atrocity he committed ignited a spark of raging fury within Kurena.
She activated «Concentration» at the same time her holler escaped, filling every inch of her body with spiritual power and mana, and her Sacred Artifact Ascalon welcomed a surge of unprecedented mana.
Encapsulated within the effect of «Limit Break», Kurena's status rose by an astonishing 21000 value. Having gone through a number of job changes more than anyone among her friends, it had to be a natural outcome.
The «Roaring Flame Slash» skill was a proof of her growth, the number of sweat and efforts she had poured over these several months after stepping into the Divine Realm. Blessed with an inherent knack for the sword, her efforts were visible as she gained the «Celeste Dawn» job while guided by Sword God herself.
«Come now, what do you think such a simple attack can do?»
«Kffttt!»
A vomit of blood leaked from Kurena's mouth, her vision blurring for a moment.
Kyubel had been quietly gathering the mana in his hand while the tragedy of Murai and outburst of Kurena played before his eyes. Then, he hurled the lump of mana, almost a mana bullet in making, and it struck Kurena's flank. The sudden impactful strike almost knocked the air out of her lungs, and she momentarily feel her grasp over her concentrated spiritual aura and mana loosening.
«Reminds me again, aren't you from Allen's team? Tch, is he having any run-of-the-mill character now?!»
Kurena struggled, recovering her stance, and was in the midst of second «Concentration» attempt when Ordo followed next. The kick caught her in guts, and hurled like a cannonball, stopping at nothing until she had crashed into the wall of the martial hall on the other end.
«Very well, now kill off the bothersome angels!!»
«Haaaaaaaaaa!!»
With their supreme commander himself taking a head start, the morale between demons and archdemons churned at its peak.
«Come now, it's the time to lift the curtain on a show of massacre.»
Kyubel's lips seem apart in a grin as the martial hall crept closer to taking the shape of pandemonium.
T/N - Heya everyone, it has been a while since the update had been quite unacceptable. I hadn’t meant to, but a sudden situation messed up my schedule. A close relative went through chemo, but to no avail, and after a few months of struggle, they passed away last month. The mourning lasts for nearly two weeks here, and I just found myself back recently.
Either way, I should be maintaining a healthy schedule starting today. Presumably at a quicker pace.