Devourer

Chapter 199: Blades of Nemesis

Arias jumped off the motorised construct with his fellows as they readied their weapons. He had come along way from dragging Junie through the fall of Tralis. He was now an Elite Soldier but as to how much being Elite mattered when stacked up to ancient powers, it seems he would soon find out. They could hear the sounds of battle as they landed on the stones. Their artifice armour slammed into the ground, cracking the rocks. By now, Arias had gotten used to moving in this armour, but its power still shocked him at times.

“Alright we move on foot, those black cloaked bastards are tearing up the capital. Let’s give them the Imperial welcome.” his captain said and with a resounding cheer they moved towards the combat zone.

Arias ran along with his squad as he hefted his shield and sword. Arias was a defender, and it was his job to tie down the enemy.

He could see civilians hiding in houses, and some were streaming past him away from the fighting. He looked up and saw an Angel clash with a pair of cloaked figured in the air. It looks like the Angel was having a hard time and on closer inspection, this one only had four wings as compared to the six wings that was on the more powerful Angels.

Arias activated the zoom function in his helmet, and he saw that this Angel, clad in plain armour, was in grave danger. He caught a glimpse of her face, filled with fear and panic. Then, another black-cloaked figure shot at the Angel from behind.

The Angel managed to prevent being skewered but one of her opponents managed to land a bad hit. The strike sent the Angel careening towards the ground and right towards Arias and his squad.

“Incoming, prepare for defence.” his captain barked, and a disciplined slew of confirmations echoed out.

The Angel hit a nearby roof at a sharp angle and the roof tiles shattered on impact. The sharp shards shot down into the street like daggers and hit a few civilians. Arias briefly had time to register this young man falling to the ground with roof tile wedged in his back before his attention snapped back to the Angel. She tumbled over another roof before colliding into a chimney. The chimney shattered from the impact raining more debris, this time solid bricks onto the streets below. The Angel then rolled off the roof landing hard on the stones below.

Arias shot forward fully utilising the magical machinery in his armour to propel himself onward. He saw the cloaked figures descend upon the fallen Angel and on instinct he raised his right hand.

He pointed the wrist-mounted spell cannon as he sent a mental command for his shoulder-mounted to light spell cannons to take aim.

“Dragon’s Teeth.” Arias murmurred under his breath before firing the magical ammunition.

The wrist-mounted cannon spat a spray of searing hot pellets of molten metal that was accompanied by a roar of enchanted fire. Even the Syndicate would need to be wary of these shots. Arias only had four shots total on his wrist cannon but they packed a punch.

Two of the cloaked figures were forced to dodge the strike but one managed to zip along the roof tops to avoid the shot completely.

Arias then commanded the twin cannons on his shoulders to fire. The cannons sprayed the roofs with a volley of low yield shots. The cloaked figure managed to dodge the shots but it gave Arias enough time to reach the fallen Angel. Just barely enough time. His shield met the black dagger right above the Angel’s fallen body. Arias heard the screaming of tearing metal as he bashed his shield forward and followed up with a slash of his enchanted sword. The figure backed off and Arias got a brief glimpse of the white mask under the black hood leering at him.

Arias grimaced as he saw the warning pop out on his Heads Up Display, showing that his shield was severely damaged. The Single Shot Cannon and Spell Array were destroyed, and almost all enchantments were out of operation. He was now effectively holding a sheet of brittle mithril. Whatever that dagger was it sundered and fried almost all of the ether circuits in the shield. Why the Syndicate needed a weapon that could do something like that Arias had no idea.

The black-cloaked figure blurred, and Arias just barely managed to parry the next strike. Again, he saw the warning pop out as his sword reported damage. Then, a barrage of Focii Beams shot out from behind him. Then he saw Hive soldiers burst out of the ground around him. The other two Syndicate assassins turned into black blurs as the Hive soldiers were slaughtered in droves.

Then his opponent flashed forward again. Arias realised too late that he shouldn’t use his shield but he moved on instinct. He just barely managed to pull back his hand as the dagger tore through what’s left of his shield. Arias just barely parried the follow up attack with this sword. This time the dagger snapped his sword as the black metal went right through the weakened sword.

Now Arias dumped his shield and grabbed his broken sword with both hands. In just three strikes the Syndicate Assasin has left him with nothing but half a sword to work with. Arias instantly commanded his shoulder-mounted cannons to fire to buy him some space.

Then Arias heard a scream he glanced behind him and saw his squad mate being impaled from behind by another Syndicate Assasin. His squad tried to react but in flash, the Assasin was gone and disappeared into the shadows.

More Hive soldiers were emerging but there was still plenty of time for the Assasins to take Arias’s head off. His opponent tried to attack again but this time his captain came forward to meet his strike. Being a Warden his captain fared far better, though his great sword was being destroyed, he knew how to mitigate it with precise parries.

But they wouldn’t give him any breathing room. The proximity alarm went off inside his helmet and he looked up to see a black shape. Arias instinctively swung his sword and his sword shattered the moment they clashed. He tried to raise his wrist mounted cannon but there was was a flash of black metal and he saw his right arm come right off.

Arias instantly felt the rush of potions and stimulants flood his body to help block out the pain and slow blood loss. Moving according his training he swung a punch with left hand and he got a kick in the chest for his efforts. Alarms blared in his helmet as he felt himself go careening into a wall.

Warning heavy damage

Combat ineffective

Warning heavy damage

Combat ineffective

Warning heavy damage

Combat ineffective

Arias glanced at his vitals display, half his ribs were broken and his right lung had collapsed. He was still able to fight for a short time thanks to the stimulants and Arias activated the emergency healing serum in his suit. It healed his ribs and lung but his arm would need a dedicated healer.

He roared as he rose his feet, his armour creaking under all the damage but it was just functional enough to move. Arias strode out of the building his body heavy and his mind blurred from all the adrenaline and stimulants.

It was absolute chaos outside, two more of his squad had fallen. His captain had lost his sword and was not fighting with one he picked off a fallen comrade. Arias glanced at the fallen sword of another of his comrades and he willed his body to move. He snatched up the sword with his one remaining hand.

Arias’s mind was a haze, he could barely think but his body knew what to do. He shot towards one of the Syndicate Assasins that was duelling a hive soldier and tried to impale the Assasin from behind. The Assasin cut down the Hive Soldier and with an almost carefree annoyance his dagger flashed, taking Arais’s remaining arm and the dagger gouged a deep gash across his chest sending him toppling backwards into the cobblestones.

Arias blinked as his vision started to dim. The alarms going off in his helmet had stopped making sense and his vision faded to black…

??,`°.???.?.???.°`,??

Cecilia approached the fallen soldier as Mother Justina and Sister Junie desperately tried to heal him. He was alive but barely, missing both his arms and with chest cavity cleaved open it was wonder he was still alive.

Cecilia sighed as she watched Sister Junie crying a river as she casted the Healing Spells. Cecilia just walked over and casted her own healing spell.

[Anchor of the Mortal Coil] Cecilia said. The soldiers wounds and injuries stitched together instantly and his missing limbs reformed, good as new.

The Soldier opened his eyes and Junie practically tried to strangle him in a hug as she bawled like a baby.

“DON’T EVER DO THAT TO ME AGAIN!” Junie shrieked as she sobbed into his neck.

“Saaryy.” the soldier slurred. Must be stimulants.

“Quite the mess we have here.” Ordias said as he walked up next to her.

“Indeed, the Angels were saved at least. Casualties?” Cecilia asked as she turned to Montis.

“A few dozen of ours, hundreds for the Hive.” Montis replied with a grimace.

“All things considered it could have been much worse.” Ordias said.

Cecilia then felt a wave of heat above her. She glanced up and saw a white Phoenix descend upon her before transforming into a humanoid form. Her friend had added that humanoid trick to all the Phoenixes and he has made all of them stronger. Now the Phoenixs were mostly white and purple, with only Azatherine being Gold.

“We lost track of them Empress.” the phoenix said.

“Mesoia, have your sisters remain on patrol. The day might not be over yet.” Cecilia ordered. Mesoia nodded before jumping into the air and transforming back into her original form.

Cecilia glanced back over at Montis and saw him holding a shattered sword.

“This one belonged to him.” Montis said as he gestured to the soldier who was slowly getting tear shower from Junie.

“He fought well.” a voice sounded out and Cecilia turned to see a grizzled-looking soldier sitting on the rubble of a collapsed wall. He was drinking out of a water skin, with his left hand. His right arm was lying next to him on the ground and his stump was tied up with a tourniquet.

“Do you require medical attention?” Cecilia asked as she approached the old soldier. Judging from his looks, it seems he is one of the Wardens sent to train these unblooded super soldiers.

“You are in the presence of the Empress, you will obey decorum.” Ordias said as he approached his eyes narrowed at the fact that the soldier was sitting down when speaking to a standing Cecilia.

“It is fine, please remain seated. He gave an arm to for my Empire, he deserves the rest.” Cecilia said with a wave of her hand. It was the duty of Ordias and Montis to maintain the discipline of their soldiers, but it was Cecilia’s job to care for her citizens. It seems that the old Captain knew this as well.

“No no, your grace. The General is right, my apologies I’m rather exhausted.” the Captain said as he stood up one shaky legs.

“Name and Rank Soldier.” Ordias said as he gazed coldly at the Captain.

“Captain Alandros, Scarlet Spear 1st Company, 2nd Platoon, 1st Squad. I would salute you Grand General but I am missing my right arm at the moment.” Alandros said as he snapped to attention.

“At ease Captain, you may have a seat.” Ordias said and Alandros nodded before taking weary seat on the rubble.

“It seems we sent you inadequate equipment.” Cecilia said as she noted the state this squad was in.

“For the foes they faced, I doubt we could have come up with sufficiently capable arms and armour. Those were not simple Syndicate Soldiers.” Ordias said as he glanced at the wounded angel being tended to by her fellow angels.

“Indeed.” another feminine voice said and Cecilia turned to see a six-winged angel in silver armour.

“Greetings Silver Maiden.” Cecilia said and the Angel nodded in response.

“Greetings to you as well Empress Cecilia. I am Executor Aruian. If I may I would like to thank you and your soldiers for defending my kin.” Aruian said as she approached. Executor was a high-ranking Serpahim, chances are this one has been fighting since before Cecilia’s house was even founded.

“Think nothing of it, I will not tolerate rogues running rampant through my Empire.” Cecilia replied with a scowl.

“I fear these are more than simple rogues. The Syndicate are organised like any army, there are those who are weaker and those who are stronger, far stronger. We just fought Syndicate Elites, these ones answer only to Nemesis herself. Although Persephone often has some at her disposal.” Aruian said as she glanced at one of the Briars standing guard.

“The fact that those creatures overcame them so easily is… heartening to see from an ally.” Aruian said her face impassive.

“These soldiers in particular are only sent out to kill dangerous targets. In the case of me and my kin, they only send them to fight the Silver Maidens, the Golden Guard and the Archangels themselves.

However, these should be the lower rungs of that unit.” Aruian added.

“How can you tell?” Cecilia asked.

“You have survivors to treat.” Aruian replied bluntly.

“And I mean the extreme lower band, the ones typically used by Persephone. If Nemesis’s personal units take the field, I assure you we will be up to our knees in gore.” Aruian said darkly.

“So Persephone is in the city.” Ordias muttered with a grimace.

“Yes, the Nemsis’s deranged right hand is sitting somewhere in your capital.” Aruian said with a slight sigh.

“We must reconvene soon, the attacks will continue and I may need to request the presence of additional reinforcements. Either that or we have to reduce the scope of our operations in the city.” Aruian said.

“I will leave it to your best judgement. But as you can see from this, an insurgency from the Syndicate will be difficult to fully address. There are only so many of these creatures and the others that are capable of facing them would inflict severe collateral damage.” Cecilia said as she gestured to one of the Briars.

“Indeed, these creatures are certainly impressive. Powerful things… I have never seen their like.” Aruian said as she examined the Briar, ether practically radiated off it as its twin ether cores burned in its body.

“I am afraid I know little of them. Only that they are some of my dear friend’s best, as far as I know,” Cecilia said, and she saw Aruian turn her head slightly at those words.

“As far as you know? I would think the Great Beast would keep you in the loop.” Aruian said a hint of the usual Seraphim arrogance shining through.

Cecilia was no fool, she wouldn’t take the bait. She didn’t mind humbling herself if it humbled Heaven itself.

“I cannot fully comprehend some of the things my dear friend knows. Such is our limitations as humanoids. But in truth I see no reason to understand the full scope, afterall all I can do is trust that he has my best intentions in mind.” Cecilia said sweetly and Aruian paused for a moment before turning away.

“Well it seems you are in good hands.” Aruian said as she glanced at the Briars.

I pray we never have to find out what other wonders the Great Beast has in store…

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