Chapter 100: H.E.R.O. Program VS The Church of New Light: Part Two

A small creek was hitting the side of Raging Stones armor. After being blown away by the fiery bird spell of the Dawn Keeper, Raging Stone smashed into the precious water delivery system. "This needs to end now!" Raging Stone adamantly thought as he momentarily lay on the ground.

After attacking the Hero, the Dawn keeper landed on the ground next to Exarch Stefanos who remained kneeled with his head down in unbroken prayer. 

The angelically winged creature quickly cast another spell, it got on its hands and feet opening its mouth, light condensed into a miniature ball of light that resembled the eye of an active volcano. 

The Dawn keeper launched the blazing red sphere towards Raging Stone who quickly rolled backwards and getting on his feet. The giant luminous bear, which was the Light acolyte tied to Exarch Stefanos also got on all fours and also exposed its massive teeth as it absorbed the light surrounding it and shot a beam of yellow plasma much faster than the spell of the Dawn Keeper.

The beam of yellow plasma pierced through the blazing red sphere which formed into a spiraling red line that wrapped around the red plasma beam. 

Using all his strength Raging Stoned used all his strength to puncture the ground with his arms. Aside from his genetically engineered and bio-mechanically enhanced body a mysterious flowed out from him resembling something like Will.

His arms tightened under his armor as he lifted a giant chunk of the ground tens of thousands of tons over. The scale of power Raging Stone portrayed was incredibly shocking. The Light Acolyte was almost stunned from the display of strength "This strength was he holding back?" the bear formed from light quietly contemplated as he observed his enemy.

The size of the ground lifted casted a dreadful shadow not only on the Dawn keeper and Light Acolyte but also Exarch Stefanos. Before the enormous piece of land buried them the condensed beam of white and red light was like a small needle hitting a giant stone. 

With a thunderous explosion the mixed spells hit the piece of land as it was flipping over. The powerful beam created a crack and the explosion that followed permeated the entire thing causing it to explode, casting a hailstorm of ground and stone. 

The Dawn keeper was forced to protect Exarch Stefanos who remained fixed in his praying position. Raging Stone used this to his advantage to attack hidden behind the maelstrom of dirt and stone.

 Everything had occurred incredibly fast, from the moment the birds made of flames exploded into Raging Stone sending him crashing, to him flipping over a small city block. 

As enormous stones rained down upon the surrounding forest. on the far-right side of the battle between Raging Stone and the Exarch Stefanos, a colossal floating eye was engaged in battle with Hot Pyro and Elissa. 

It grew a giant tentacle to pick up and carry its Exarch. The holy man remained hunched over in ceaseless prayer. Guarding its Exarch from the debris of the explosion it was forced to retreat.

It moved quickly gaining distance from the area. Unfortunately for it, Hot Pyro relentlessly pursued it in the air.

On the ground Elissa, too, gave chase, maintaining a vigilant watch for falling stones, which she swiftly reduced to fragments with her formidable whip.

Elissa's thoughts raced, her strategy clear: "The Exarch if I can incapacitate him, it should render the creature powerless." She pressed on.

However, as she drew nearer to the massive floating eye, it pivoted toward her, gracefully evading the searing stream of flames unleashed by Hot Pyro. The forest ignited in large swathes as the fiery inferno spread.

From the pupil of the giant eye, dozens of smaller eyes burst forth like a swarm of relentless flies. In a swift transformation, the eye morphed into a colossal falcon composed of radiant light and flew into the sky with astonishing speed. 

It descended with razor-sharp talons aimed squarely at Hot Pyro. In response, Hot Pyro began spinning, creating a vortex of flames that generated a powerful updraft, sending the giant bird spiraling off course.

Before the falcon could regain its composure, Hot Pyro hurtled toward its body like a blazing meteor, intent on piercing right through it. 

However, the bird swiftly transformed back into the enormous eye. It seized Hot Pyro with one of its tentacles before he could smash into it, redirecting him higher into the sky. 

Helpless to stop himself, Hot Pyro could only watch as a massive beam of condensed light exploded from the center of the eye and surged toward him. 

Unable to do much else Hot Pyro unleashed a pillar of lames with both hands to meet the condensed beam of light. Causing an explosion that briefly extinguished the flames enveloping his body.

The colossal eye, having delivered its powerful attack, transformed once more into the giant falcon and ascended skyward, closing in on Hot Pyro with unrelenting determination.

Elissa strained to keep track of the frenetic clash above. They had transformed into swirling orbs of yellow and red, locked in fierce combat, each radiating an intensity that seemed perfectly balanced.

Down on the ground, a swarm of miniature eyes floated toward her, unleashing tiny beams of condensed light. Yet, she danced and weaved effortlessly, sidestepping the onslaught and systematically dispatching each eye in turn.

On the opposite side of Hot Pyro and Elissa, right after the giant chunk of land had exploded. The colossal turtle of light remained steadfast, leveraging the storm of stones as its weapon against Al and Bee Max. 

It conjured a colossal shell of light to shield itself from the hurtling debris. Unlike Bee Max, who had armor, Al had to focus on evading the stone projectiles. The giant turtle seized the opportunity, summoning a massive, spiked shell made of condensed light onto the ground. 

Bee Max had his own genetic enhancements he had two pairs of insect wings. He took to the air, evading the ground attacks while also dodging the falling debris.

It was evident - the Light Acolyte aimed to eliminate Al first. Al sprinted across the shifting ground, but his movement was constrained. Unable to move out of the way a shard of flying stone tore through the air, piercing his head.

The scene turned grim, a horrifying spray of brain matter erupting from the front of Al's face. "NNOOOOOO!!!" Bee Max's anguished cry reverberated through the chaos. 

Fueled by a blinding rage, he streaked toward the turtle of light, his needle-like blade homed in on its target. 

A resounding bang echoed as a colossal shield of light intercepted Bee Max's stinger. Undeterred, he began a frenzied flurry of wing beats, the rapid vibrations generating a numbing humming sound. 

As the vibrations reached his blade it pierced through the shell, shattering it like fragile glass. 

In that moment, Bee Max etched himself into the turtle's consciousness. "Of the three, I had to face him," it inwardly sighed, recognizing the threat he posed.

The turtle swiftly conjured a hundred more shells in response, but Bee Max remained undaunted. Fueled by a seething rage at the devastation the Light Acolyte had wrought, he began a relentless assault, systematically piercing through each shell.

Meanwhile, Al lay in wait on the ground, biding his time for the opportune moment to strike. His Stubborn Will had spurred his healing, though he remained still, observing, waiting.

Meanwhile bee max was a seething mix of determination and fury as he relentlessly shattered shell after shell.

Cornered and forced into a defensive stance, the turtle retracted its limbs and head, then launched itself at Bee Max with explosive velocity. Caught off guard, Bee Max was rammed through multiple trees, a string of deafening impacts echoing through the battleground.

Seizing the opportunity presented Al moved with a plan already in mind. The Exarch, deep in prayer, was vulnerable. However, the vigilant turtle detected Al's advance. Unconcerned with the reason Al still drew breath, its sole objective was to stop him. No matter, what he had to protect its Exarch.

It conjured a shell in a desperate bid to intercept Al. To the turtle's astonishment, Al shattered it with his scimitar, charged with the spell of his Stubborn Will's Flash Denial. 

Before it could muster another defense, Al seized the moment, surprising the creature once more. He shot the tip of his longsword like a bullet from a handgun, aimed unerringly at the Exarch's chest. The projectile pierced the holy man's heart.

Witnessing Al's ruthless and decisive action, Bee Max was momentarily taken aback by the extremes to which Al would go.

The giant turtle, which was the Light Acolyte of the Exarch let out a piercing and mournful, cry that tore through the heavens, met by echoes of a falcon's shriek and a bear's thunderous roar. 

The turtle fixated its gaze on the deceptive and calculating Al, a deep-seated hatred emanating from its luminous form. It dissolved into a radiant mist, resembling a river of golden light that flowed into Al's crimson leather wristband.

"You killed him!" Bee Max's accusation reverberated in the aftermath. Al met the accusation with a cold truth. "He was trying to kill me, and he would have succeeded."

Bee Max remained silent, but the Sprite Node of Bee Max interjected with a serious tone. "This doesn't bode well for our nations. We will discuss this in the future." Al listened to the voice of A.R.M.", though the implications were not entirely clear to him. His response was unwavering. 

"Sure." Al's voice held firm, "Just like the God Leafs!" he quietly thought.

"Go and help the others, and please, no more killing," A.R.M.'s voice implored through the Sprite Node. With a shared sense of purpose, Al and Bee Max moved in search of Raging Stone. 

When they found him, Raging Stone's once-imposing armor was now a tattered remnant, charred and battered. Even his stony helmet had been reduced to fragments, revealing the face of a young, red-haired man. 

Four more Dawn-Keepers had descended upon him, accompanied by the Light Acolyte of Exarch Stefanos, whose prayers were now punctuated with weeping.

Bee Max surged forward with blinding speed, his stinger piercing a Dawn-Keeper before it could even react. The heavenly forces turned their attention toward Al and Bee Max, granting Raging Stone a precious moment to retreat. Struggling to rise, he urged, "We have to get away before we become overwhelmed."

"I will have the Sprite Nodes buy you some time," A.R.M. declared through one of the Sprite Nodes. The two Sprite Nodes transformed into a cloud of razor-sharp shuriken, creating a chaotic distraction that kept the Light Acolyte and the four Dawn-Keepers occupied. Destruction followed in their wake as they dismantled as many of them as they could.

Bee Max wasted no time, swiftly hoisting Raging Stone onto his back as the three of them fled. 

The trio sprinted toward the area where two luminous streaks of light were locked in a relentless battle.

Upon arrival, they discovered Elissa locked in combat with three Dawn Keepers and a legion of miniature eyeballs crafted from light. Her movements were a mesmerizing unbroken flow of motion, a flawless weave and dodge through every attack. 

In the midst of her movements, her whip lashed out, shattering multiple eyeballs and wounding a Dawn Keeper in two erratic arcs. When a Dawn Keeper lunged at her, she invoked her spell External Touch, creating a reflexive clone that took her place.

With the reinforcements, the tide of the battle quickly shifted. Bee Max dispatched a Dawn Keeper, his stinger penetrating its core. Al turned his attention to the miniature eyes, systematically dismantling them. Elissa, now with the breathing room to focus, finished off the remaining Dawn Keepers.

"We need to alert Hot Pyro; it's time to leave!" Raging Stone's urgent declaration drew their attention to the sky, where they could still see Hot Pyro locked in a fierce struggle with the giant bird of light. 

As they watched yellow cloud composed of dozens, if not hundreds, of Dawn Keepers swarmed the small red light that was Hot Pyro, before it burst with a radiating blinding brilliance. 

Before they could witness the outcome, a segment of the swarm broke away and advanced in their direction.

There was no choice but to run, leaving behind Hot Pyro to face the uncertain onslaught alone.