Angel Monarch-Chapter 593: Checkmate

In a Realm far away from Earth, a robed person sighed. The gigantic, intertwining ropes shook as They stood up from a simple wooden plank. They dismissed Their marionettist cross and glanced up at the hanging Angel.

They reached out and placed a gentle hand on the female Angel’s naked chest. Translucent strings pierced her skin, enveloping her heart and spreading into every single cell of her body.

It tried entering even into her wings made of light, but the robed figure grimaced and sighed, quickly abandoning the idea.

The strings began digging deeper, into the poor woman’s very soul. The Angel’s body convulsed a few times, her eyes and mouth struggling to open, yet she couldn’t, as if something invisible sewed them closed.

Eventually, all the struggling left her body. The Angel’s eyes fluttered open, staring down into the robed figure’s own.

They pulled Their hand away from the Puppet’s chest and held a newly made marionettist cross between Their fingers.

"It’s nearly time," They whispered, Their voice echoing through Realm’s empty space.

With Their empty hand, the robed figure dismissed the bright Angel. She fell into the infinite darkness below, while the figure kneeled back down on Their wooden plank.

Their eyes turned glassy while Their hand holding the marionettist cross reached above the darkness. The ethereal strings stayed connected to the Angel as she fell into a different Realm far away from the robed figure’s home...

...

Back on Earth, a strange ripple moved across reality. The powerful members of Sera’s group glanced around confused.

They were all fighting against Wukong at the edge of Earth’s atmosphere, so they weren’t aware of Sera’s current situation.

However, upon feeling the ripple through reality, they abandoned the battle against Wukong and quickly returned to the Colosseum. As for the Monkey, he waved as they left, a wide grin stretching across his face.

The smile only waned when he noticed Amaterasu’s cold, hateful gaze... That one hurt him, but he couldn’t blame anyone except himself...

With slumped shoulders, he went after the people who once called him friend. He obviously had many regrets, but the chance at freedom outweighed his sorrow.

At the Colosseum, Nick, Jo and everyone else defending them watched what happened inside the arena grounds with shock and confusion.

A second ago, Sera had laid on the ground, dead, while Henry had tried turning back time.

In the next moment, a bright light erupted, and suddenly Sera was standing next to her daughter, glancing around with bewildered eyes. Bea also awoke while Faith appeared from the Angel’s shadow.

Vicky wanted to hug her mothers in relief and joy, but currently her concerned white eyes were focused on Henry. He took heavy breaths while kneeling on the ground and gazing up at Victor.

The gentleman leaned on his cane, which at some point reappeared in his palm. He glanced over the gathered people, his smile widening into a grin.

"What did you do?!" asked Henry, while Vicky helped him climb to his feet.

Victor just chuckled, his hands tapping on the cane’s crystalline raven skull. He slowly reached up and adjusted his golden monocle. After a second of silence, he finally spoke...

"I disrupted your spirituality, also known as your soul. Instead of moving back in time, and forced you to jump timelines. That was my plan all along, and you kindly delivered everything I desired on a golden platter!"

A cold shiver shook everyone’s bodies. They weren’t certain what had changed, but the truth of Victor’s words couldn’t be denied. This reality felt different from the previous.

It was a nigh imperceptible change, like a food you’ve eaten thousands of times suddenly tasted different after taking a bite. It wasn’t worse, but the difference was noticeable.

They all looked troubled while imagining what might’ve changed, but soon everyone’s attention landed back on Victor’s chuckling form.

"Oh, no need to worry. The change isn’t obvious, but it’s quite relevant to my plans..."

Victor sighed, his glowing dark eyes meeting Sera’s reflective golden-green gaze.

"What do you want?" asked Sera, her face annoyed, hiding the curiosity grasping at her heart.

The gentleman smirked and raised his arms while spinning around once. His cloak of feathers billowed in the gentle breeze flowing across the arena grounds.

"Isn’t it obvious? I want what everyone else who fought in your tournament... control over Earth’s Realm!"

His words, while only confused everyone else, caused Sera’s eyes to widen... All the pieces of the puzzle finally fell in their place, creating a clear picture of Victor’s plan...

She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Only a tiny piece was missing all along, and in hindsight, Sera felt stupid for not realizing sooner...

Victor’s smirk turned into a gentle smile as he tilted his head, awaiting the Angel’s next words.

"So, Tyr didn’t obey your orders, I assume," she said after another bout of laughter.

"Correct... I tried giving him everything he desired and even tortured him, yet... he didn’t write the Contract I wanted. Such a shame, forcing me onto this complicated path..."

He shook his head once, feigning sorrow, then a grin appeared on his face as his gaze met Sera’s once again...

"So, Ms. Seraphine... Now that you know my plan, tell me... Will you surrender, or you would rather watch your daughter and her fiancé perish?"

As he spoke, suddenly both Henry and Vicky fell to their knees. Their bodies grew dark feathers while gradually shrinking until only two black ravens remained in their place. Both Ravens flew and landed on each of Victor’s shoulders.

Sera growled and grasped her swords, which she’d dropped on the floor. Bea and Faith did the same, even though they knew how the fight against Victor would end.

The gentleman, undisturbed by the Angel’s threatening presence, reached up and scratched Vicky’s chin. The raven chirped with annoyance and leaned away, meaning her daughter’s mind was still present inside the bird’s body.

"Don’t worry, Ms. Seraphine. Your daughter and her fiancé are perfectly fine. This was just another difference I forced into existence while changing timelines... Now, I ask you again. Surrender and I promise no harm will come to any of you!"

Sera ground her teeth, millions of thoughts moving through her mind. Within the fraction of a moment she created a thousand plans for victory, then abandoned them all.

Behind her, both Bea and Faith glanced at the Angel with concern, awaiting her next action...

She cursed under her breath. The curved blades trembled in her hand, clearly conflicted about the right choice.

With this move, Victor forced Sera into a corner. She would’ve sacrificed everything to avoid becoming a slave again, but... sacrificing her own daughter? One of the people she loved more than anything... Was she truly so horrible?

However, surrendering here was even worse than accepting Victor’s feather. With the feather, he could transform her into a raven anytime he desired, but he couldn’t command her in human form. If she surrendered, though... she couldn’t refuse his orders...

She would turn into a slave without freewill. Much worse than being under Harold’s influence...

The tremble in her hands increased. She hyperventilated, the weight of the decision crushing her shoulders. Tears streamed down her face as the emotional and logical sides of her brain fought for control.

Bea couldn’t watch her suffer anymore. She placed her empty right hand on Sera’s shoulder, causing her puffy red eyes to glance towards her girlfriend.

The World Tree gently shook her head. The hand on her shoulder gently moved along Sera’s arm until it reached Sera’s trembling sword. She held her lover’s wrist for a few moments, then grasped her sword’s handle.

Sera’s hold got tighter as she tried pulling it away, but upon glancing into Bea’s sad eyes she released the weapon. A moment later, the other sword clattered to the ground too, just as the Angel fell to her knees, shoulders slumped, expression void of emotion...

Her hollow eyes glanced up at Victor, or more like the raven sitting on his shoulder. It might’ve been an illusion, but it seemed the raven was also crying.

With shaky lips, Sera tried saying the words, but only a broken, whimpering noise could be heard.

The gentleman didn’t smile. In fact, a deep frown stretched across his face. He might’ve appeared cruel during their fight, but seeing Sera’s pride crumble didn’t cause him any satisfaction. It only left a bitter distaste in his mouth.

Eventually, Sera gathered her strength and opened her mouth to surrender...

"I... Seraphine... sur—"

Before she could’ve finished the sentence, reality crumbled a few meters away. Through a portal made of light, a bright, Angelic figure stepped through.

A feminine figure, her entire body glowing bright, except for her pale, perfect face. Both her long hair and wings were made of pure light, while her glowing white eyes glanced around the platform, in search of something, or rather... someone...

Everyone stared at the bright Angel in shock. This event was something even Victor didn’t account for.

Sera’s mind, still consumed by the melancholy of her defeat, could barely react as the woman of light’s glowing eyes met hers. Recognition ignited within their bright depths. She stepped forward and grasped the Angel’s neck, then without fanfare tossed her through the portal.

She moved so fast that even Victor only realized what had happened when the Anglic woman stepped through the shrinking portal.

However, before it fully closed, Bea glanced at Faith, and they both nodded in understanding. The Shadow and the World Tree both dissolved in darkness, then teleported after Sera, in an attempt to save her...