Alpha Instinct-Chapter 55: “Golden Eyes, Cruel Light.”

The two Neumonds present, visibly nervous, were not there for negotiation.

They knew who they were dealing with—and the knowledge only increased the tension. They gripped their swords, the steel reflecting the faint moonlight.

Blades ready to attack.

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Leonard froze. A wave of sensations washed over him: anxiety, fear, but, above all, a repressed fury. His "cup," as he thought of it, was dangerously full, about to overflow.

His eyes, then, fixed on the swords he held. Smiling and Absolution.

A bitter, almost insane smile appeared on his lips. He stood there, still, lost in a private reverie, his mind oblivious to the imminent danger.

Meanwhile, Mikaela’s predatory smile faded, replaced by a neutral, almost apathetic expression—the "blank stare" that preceded the storm.

Slowly, she closed her eyes. She brought her heels together. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if in prayer.

"Oh, shit... Here she comes..." One of the Neumonds murmured, his voice laden with a restrained dread.

A yellowish-white light began to emanate from Mikaela, growing in intensity.

Gusts of wind, born from nowhere, whipped around, raising dust and dry leaves.

Each piece of her armor, previously silver and gleaming, now shone with a dazzling, stellar brilliance.

"Too late," said the spies in unison, their voices strained.

Nearby people, who had previously been watching the scene with curiosity, began to run, seeking shelter, as if they sensed the arrival of a destructive force.

Mikaela raised her right arm, her hand open towards the sky.

Her gaze, previously fixed on the ground, was now lost in some distant, unattainable point.

A single word, laden with power, escaped her lips: "Kalendor!"

There was a deafening roar. A blinding white flash. A lightning bolt. Pure, concentrated energy descended from the sky and struck Mikaela’s outstretched hand.

The light, intense and pure, was blinding. Everyone instinctively covered their eyes.

Everyone except Leonard. He remained motionless, the smile still on his lips, his gaze fixed on his swords, oblivious to the turmoil around him.

When the light subsided, revealing the transformed scene, an imposing two-handed sword materialized in Mikaela’s hand. Intricate and shining religious symbols adorned the blade and hilt. A weapon of undeniable power. An artifact.

Mikaela opened her eyes. An intense and feverish golden glow emanated from them, replacing her previous serenity.

Her voice, now laden with a judgmental coldness, cut through the silence.

"How many sins have you committed today?" She said in a tone of satisfaction.

It wasn’t a question. It was an accusation. A prelude to punishment. She wanted to judge them right there, deliver them to divine justice, and make them pay for their transgressions.

The two Neumonds, previously intimidated, now composed themselves.

As they looked at Mikaela, they saw the grace of a paladin presenting herself in battle. Amidst the mist generated by the light rain, Mikaela stood out. Flowing golden hair, stormy and intense amber eyes, and fair skin contrasting with the silver and ornate armor. Slender and strong body, the saint exuded a mixture of austere beauty, unwavering determination, and a magnetic grace.

Definitely, the light of hope amidst the darkness.

The spies’ initial surprise dissipated, replaced by a grim determination. The sanctity of death loomed before them.

So, they quickly prepared for the fight. The fear of the legendary Inquisitor gave way to the need to survive.

When they activated their ELEVs, Mikaela felt the latent energy in them. Two distinct but considerable power peaks.

"Two gold levels," she assessed, almost with disdain. "But not to me..." she thought.

The first spy advanced; the two-handed sword traced the air in a deadly descending arc. Mikaela, with Kalendor in hand, easily blocked the attack from above. The clash of the blades echoed like thunder. The force of the impact, however, barely shook her.

She smiled. "Do you think you can ignore Kalendor’s judgment?" Mikaela had a dark smile on her face.

Her malicious inquisitor personality was her calling card. Everyone who knew her was aware of this transformation.

With a quick, almost imperceptible movement, Mikaela spun the sword. An upward cut, the sacred blade, drew a luminous arc.

The spy was caught off guard. He was still recovering from the deflection of his first attack. He tried to retreat, but it was too late.

Kalendor found its target. The blade of the sword struck his groin, cutting him deeply through armor and flesh. Almost splitting him in half.

The body fell, lacerated, to the side while still shaking, muscle spasms from a still-intact brain. A fatal wound that silenced everyone around them.

"May the slaughtered lamb purify the sins of this earth..." She whispered, looking at the fallen Neumond. Even in the face of such brutality, Mikaela was condescending in her judgments.

But the victory of this duel came at a price. The second Neumond, taking advantage of the brief opening in Mikaela’s defense, attacked with fury for having lost his friend.

Specialized in distance, his arrow, imbued with the golden energy of his ELEV, found a blind spot in the paladin’s vision, piercing her right flank from behind.

A cry of pain, muffled, escaped Mikaela’s lips. She staggered, her hand instinctively pressing on the wound, blood flowing between her fingers.

The golden light in her eyes flickered, threatening to extinguish. Kalendor, too heavy, almost slipped from her hand.

"Leonard...!" The name escaped Mikaela’s lips, a cry muffled by pain, by surprise, by the growing realization of what was happening.

Deep in his soul, somewhere beyond pain and rage, Leonard heard. Not the physical sound, but the vibration of his name, a call that resonated within his being. Like a hand pulling him from the depths of a dark and endless ocean.

But the rescue was incomplete…

The body responded, but the soul... the soul remained distant, shrouded in an unfamiliar coldness.

His eyes, now an icy blue, swept the scene. No longer with the confusion or sadness of before. There was a new clarity in them, a sharp precision, as if he were seeing the world through a different lens. Everything was different.

Mikaela, even wounded, felt the change. Leonard’s ELEV activation, a subtle tremor in the air, a change in pressure. And then, perplexity.

Her ability, honed by years of training and the very essence of her class, failed.

"Why?... Why can’t I see his strength?" She whispered, the words a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Her hand, previously pressing on the wound, now trembled slightly. The physical pain, for a moment was forgotten.

Leonard disappeared. There was no blur, no trace of movement. He simply vanished, as if reality itself had swallowed him.

"Oh, my God... battle aura?" Mikaela’s voice, now a thread of a voice, expressed a disbelief that bordered on terror. The implications, the possibilities, were too vast, too terrifying.

Everything she knew, everything that was recorded in the reports, in the Church’s archives... everything was wrong.

"May the Light have mercy on the world..." she prayed.