Bloodstained Blade-Chapter 187 - Burn

As much as both of them wanted to rush straight toward the glowing avatar for a quick second strike, that was impossible, and while the Ebon Blade understood that reality, its wielder at least understood it. While its magic had disrupted the beam that had almost sliced them in two, waves of magic still separated them from their target.

Shimmering shards of ice pelted the area where Geral had been a moment before, shredding wood and chipping stone. That was followed by a storm of those fairy lights that the elvish witch had once unleashed. The avatar they faced seemed to have an almost unlimited breadth of abilities to draw on, and the way that they used them was clearly done to show off.

-96 Life Force.

“Still adding new tricks to your repertoire?” the avatar boomed defiantly. It was less concerned by the man’s words than his identity, but beyond the fact that he was related to Nuella, he had not given that away.

The blade's ability had disrupted that spell, or perhaps that school of magic, because it was no longer in evidence, but many nasty new powers had taken its place. Or perhaps they are simply seeking to see if I can damage any of their other abilities, and using less important ones? The blade considered as they moved.

The sheer variety of attacks, both in type and in effect, was stunning, making it difficult for the weapon to think. Perhaps I should cut it off from magic entirely, it thought as it tried to use Severed Thread to cut their enemy off from the source of its power entirely, but the power did not function at this range.

We have to get closer, it urged its wilder, but that was easier said than done. Even moving almost faster than the eye could follow, or using Bolt to vanish and reappear, the openings were few and far between. For nearly a minute, for every three feet closer they got, they were forced to retreat two steps as fire and lightning flashed repeatedly through their path.

-282 Life Force.

“Even with your tricks, a sword is only useful when you can manage to close the gap with your foe!” the avatar shouted.

The barrage of energy lit up the night and would have been enough to annihilate a good-sized army. Still, Geral wasn’t deterred by that show of force or the booming taunts that came from the man safely behind his shields. The taunts weren’t aimed at Geral, though; they were aimed at the blade, and the blade couldn’t have cared less. If it had ever been proud, that time was at an end. It had grown content in the hands of its current wielder, and it listened only to try to better understand the current state of things.

I could try to throw you and kill him from— Geral started to suggest.

Absolutely not, the blade interrupted. Such an action would ensure that you die and I’m taken. It would be better to flee and—

We cannot run away! Geral shouted back. My family sleeps right over there. We must slay him and quickly.

The idea that anyone was still sleeping while they fought their own private armageddon was a little optimistic, but the blade said nothing. Instead, it said, Then we must force him on the defensive and use the distraction to close for the kill.

Geral didn’t disagree. He only asked what needed to be done, and as the blade quickly explained, they pivoted to the opposite side of the pass that had become their battleground. Most of the foliage had burned away, and the trees had been blasted apart already, from where its wielder had been knocked back toward the far cliff. Now they sought the near one, though, that had already partially collapsed.

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-441 Life Force.

The divine avatar had been tossing around the primal forces of creation without much care, but a few minutes ago, he’d very nearly been caught in an avalanche of his own making. Now the blade tried to force the avatar to cause the earth to move a second time. The only problem was that Geral was forced to dance across a shifting surface of unstable boulders and treacherous gravel.

He managed well enough for half a minute, but when the wall gave way a second time and moved toward their opponent like a wave, the blade used Bolt to step lightly around their opponent. They then struck from the opposite side, and the exact moment he was forced to defend against the rushing wall of granite.

“You think that this is enough to bury me?” he roared. “My lord was there when the mountains rose. He could bring down mountains with a whim. He could—”

Waves of concentric, tectonic force surrounded the man, smashing everything that came close enough to hurt him, reducing the sand and dust that sprayed across his boots. It was more meatgrinder than magic, the sword decided as it studied the fluctuating patterns of destruction. Those motions were fast and terrible but as regular as the waves coming ashore, and the blade moved deftly between them after getting their measure.

Though its wielder was inches from dismemberment at any given moment, he somehow managed to thread the needle and inside the avatar’s guard. His enemy was nearly as surprised as he was.

In a moment, Geral had reached the avatar’s still cracked shield, and he thrust the Ebon Blade through that gap as well. That was when the weapon was finally close enough to sever the avatar’s connection with their god. In a second, all of the dazzling spells faded away, and the light left his eyes as the sword split his heart in two.

-259 Life Force.

+62 Life Force.

“No… That’s impossible,” he whispered as the light left his eyes and the weapon took his soul. “My Lord… where have you taken…” He was a shockingly formidable opponent, and the blade likely wouldn’t have been able to defeat him without its stolen demonic gifts. As true as it was, that still didn’t tempt the blade to see what gifts its remaining demon souls might have on offer.

+1 Greater Soul(Divine).

“I can’t believe we won,” Geral gasped as the weapon explained that the man they've battled was likely the incarnation of a god, though it didn't know exactly which one. Looking down at the crumpled corpse, he caught his breath. “That was a god, in the flesh? Not a mage? You’re sure about that?”

The blade didn’t answer. Instead, it studied the weave of the world as the instant seemed to hold its breath. Its wielder was hopelessly naive to think this was over. The mere fact that it had struck down a divine avatar meant things had just begun. Lucian and it had been forced to travel for weeks to work their way off the radar of such powers, and now that they knew exactly where the blade was, well, it would not end well for anyone.

The weapon was not afraid for itself, though. It knew it could endure anything. Its wielder, though, would be less fortunate. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Whatever divinity we just defeated will surely have other ways to strike, the blade warned finally. It would question that soul in detail soon, but for now, it wanted to remain undistracted.

"Other ways to strike?” Geral asked. “Will they send more avatars, or monstrosities like that metal dragon?”

The heavens began to glow in that moment, and the blade did not need to tell Geral what was going to happen next, though a pang of dread he must have felt ran through it. “No!” he shouted, charging back toward his home.

The Ebon Blade was certain the right move was to get as far away from the village as possible at that moment, but it didn’t try to stop him. It didn’t even lie to him and explain that they were the target, because it wouldn’t have mattered.

Even as Geral surged towards his village in a trail of lightning, the clouds opened up, and the sky rained fire. It fell like a deluge, and even as Geral reached the outside of the palisade that sheltered his home, he was burning.

-1,384 Life Force.

Reforged limited the damage to him, and the blade’s enhanced regeneration allowed him to heal almost as fast as he burned. The blade could feel the agony echoing through the man, but it did not slow him as he rushed toward his home, crying his wife’s name with burning lungs. “Simone!”

The word was heartrending, but it was also lost amidst the roar of the world ending. For at least one valley, the apocalypse had come, and there was nothing that either of them could do to stop it.