3000 Years Ago (2)

When the first whispers of rebellion reached him, he failed to comprehend that his Patron's own anointed creations would turn against him. What for? Was it not enough that they held authority second only to the supreme one himself?

Even he, a Champion of Ispios, was only equal to the High Angels in rank but nevertheless respected them as if they were still above him in status.

Dismissing the whispers was his first mistake. Divine blood was spilled as a result and now heaven itself was collapsing. He had no other choice but to maintain his guard inside these gilded halls.

And it was inside these Heavenly Halls that he would make his final stand.

Arcelius gripped his sword tight. A smoldering golden flame erupted from its blade. He then drew Forbearer near his chest and glanced at his enemies one by one.

The eyes of each High Angel blazed a golden flame. Golden magic leaked out through the crevices of their visors.

It was at this moment that Arcelius whispered his last prayer as Champion and Guard of the Heavenly Halls.

"With your strength, I cast down the shadow.

With your strength, I made the deep shallow.

With your strength, I threw down evil's might.

With your strength, I gave others light.

And with your strength, I stand before evil returned.

And with your strength, these traitors shall be burned."

At that moment Arcelius was engulfed in a bright light. It shone as hard and as bright as the sun and it blinded the High Angels for the entire moment it held. A few seconds after, the light dimmed and standing there was Arcelius whose armor and sword were now blessed by the Most High One themself.

The High Angels thundered forward, divine magic exploding in their wake. Arcelius charged in turn, meeting their weapons with Forbearer tight in hand. Their numbers surrounded him, threatening to overcome his resolve.

Lightning cackled from his being and a great force exploded outward. The High Angels' charge was blunted and they were thrown a few steps away. Arcelius then threw himself at Tertius who had been thrown back alongside Sextus.

Tertius saw this and quickly moved to recompose himself. With a bellow, he swung his axe with all his might. His axe surged in an arch towards where Arcelius' neck would be. A quick step, however, and his weapon cleaved air.

Arcelius had ducked with unmatched speed and emerged from beneath his foe's arms, delivering a punch that struck the High Angel's jaw.

Tertius staggered back and was yet again hit by another punch, this time to his left cheek. His mind rattled and his helm quivered.

The seconds felt like minutes for Tertius as Arcelius dished out a third, a fourth, then a fifth. On the fifth second, Arcelius had delivered his tenth.

His helm was nothing more than squashed metal plate oozing with divine energy. The High Angel stumbled back and with a groan, fell down.

Arcelius then weaved with speed as arrow after arrow zipped past. As if that wasn't enough, Sextus and Quartum emerged from his flanks with weapons ready. Sextus cleaved with his Glaive while Quartum thrust with his spear.

He jumped, avoiding both attacks. Midair, however, he was met by Primus and his halberd. He drew Forbearer up and parried the hit but as soon as he did, three arrows struck him from the rear.

Pain flared as the arrows pierced armor and sank under skin and flesh. With a grunt he overcame their bind and pushed the halberd off, elbowing Primus in the jaw.

Arcelius then landed onto the wrinkled carpet. A quick glance and he saw Secundus still standing over where she had stood from the beginning.

Before Secundus could fire another wave of arrows, he flung his sword at her. Forbearer's tip sheared the left side of her helm as Secundus pulled her head away from the flaming blade.

His weapon was not lost to him, however, as Forbearer appeared in his right hand preceded by a thick mist of cold golden smoke. Forbearer's handle felt cold in his grip, mixing with the heat of its smoldering blade.

This was the Chosen Champion at his best.

Sextus charged towards his back and Arcelius quickly spun around and parried hard. The two divine beings poured their strength into their weapons as they tried to overpower the other.

To the surprise of Sextus, however, Arcelius swept him from under his feet with strength that surpassed that of his arms. The High Angel fell to his side and met Arcelius's knee with a crunch.

Sextus screamed in agony as his armor cracked and leaked. He crashed onto the floor with a thud.

Quintus then appeared from above like a diving falcon on a hunt for prey. He swung his glaive fast and hard from over his head and slammed it against Arcelius.

The floor underneath cracked under the weight of his attack and Arcelius struggled into one knee and found himself on the back foot.

A thunder of fast steps sounded to the left and Arcelius attention turned there. Tertius had recovered, somewhat, and was charging at him with his recovered strength.

Then a gleam to his periphery caught his attention. It was quick yet bright, a golden blink.

Arcelius' sweat poured and he felt his heart race. He roared as he pushed with all his might against Quintus before finally pushing the High Angel off of him.

A golden shard of pure divine energy zipped past him before exploding nearby. The force of the explosion knocked him over with Forbearer clanging against the dirty floor.

Arcelius shook his head and turned to see who dared to cast the first destructive spell. It was Secundus.

"You dare use such a spell on these divine grounds" Arcelius said, tone cold and angry.

He stood up and faced Secundus, turning his back on the charging Tertius. Insulted, Tertius swung his axe at Arcelius's chest, only for him to receive a quick backhanded punch to the face.

Arcelius' hands exploded with a shimmering golden light as golden circles of magic materialized over his palms. He aimed at Secundus.

And just like that, the genie was out.

Thunderous pillars of golden lightning cackled and shot forth from his palms. The magic attack traveled almost instantaneously, its speed barely perceived even by the divine. The pillars of lightning struck Secundus hard and true, throwing her back with tremendous force.

Seundus slammed against the wall with a crack, plastering against it like artwork. Her bow fell to her feet as golden blood spurted from her helm.

"You insolent mortal!" Quartum roared as he threw his spear at Arcelius in retaliation. The spear flew with speed that exceeded that of Secundus' magic arrows and would have found its target true.

But Arcelius poured in his magic and he quickly stepped to aside with speed unmatched. He then grabbed the spear mid-flight, matched its speed with a spin, and threw it back at Quartum.

A terrible crunch filled the air followed by the sound of flesh being speared. Quartum's eyes widened and he staggered back. Numbness threatened to overtake him.

He turned around and found himself facing his comrades, each of them horrified under their helms.

The High Angel then looked down on his chest. His spear had struck him through his chest and emerged from his back. Golden blood painted the spear's blade and upper handle.

"H-how... could... you..." Quartum struggled as he grabbed the handle protruding from his chest.

"The Skewer of the Damned is doing what it's named after. How could I not?" Arcelius glared.

"You... bastard..." Quartum replied, a tinge of fear and anger in his voice.

The fighting seemingly slowed for a moment before coming to a stop. The High Angels gathered around their wounded friends, each sharing a glare with Arcelius.

Arcelius maintained his distance and stood ready to strike fast and hard.

But just as it seemed that the angels were reconsidering, a shiver ran down his spine and a cold breeze swept over his skin. That was impossible. There were no winds in the Golden Halls nor did the concept of coldness exist here. If there even was, he was fully clad in his armor which would have made it impossible for him to feel even the slightest of gusts.

Yet there he was, the sensation washing over his skin.

Primus pulled Secundus from the wall as Quartum staggered to his feet with his spear still lodged through his chest.

Then the spear started to move on its own, wrapped around a glow of golden light.

"What are you-"

Before he could finish, the rest of the angels let go of their weapons. None fell to the floor. Instead, each named weapon floated, suspended between the floor and ceiling. Quartum groaned in pain as his spear left his body.

The High Angels, though bloodied and wounded by their fight, stood firm and gathered in a crescent line facing him and held hands

Arcelius instinctively stepped back. The angels themselves had started glowing, basking in golden light that glowed from their bodies.

Their weapons floated in the air and spread about in a circle. A shimmering magic circle manifested soon after, appearing just below the floating weapons like water freezing into ice. Shivering air streamed from the seemingly frosted lines.

Foolish was he for thinking that he could easily break the will of the angels. When he first dashed and thrust his sword at Primus' torso, he was aware that the high angel would be able to escape the attack. Not that he would escape unscathed but it was meant to deliver a simple message.

Arcelius was there to fight till the end. Even if it meant that he would die doing so.

His forgiveness, however, gave them time. They weren't trying to win him over so they could avoid further bloodshed or add him to their ranks nor was their aim to kill him outright. They knew he wouldn't go down without a fight.

Then Arcelius remembered.

They were there when Arcelius sunk an entire continent. They were there when he single-handedly defeated an army of three hundred thousand. They were there when he trampled over entire nations and countries that dared defied the authority of heaven.

Over the blood of millions he carved an empire for humanity and every other race. He united the world under a single flaming banner.

He bested every single one of his opponents. In scarred and bloodied fields, in arenas big and small, even in the presence of Ispios himself.

They knew how dangerous he was. Their battle moments ago was a testament to this.

Therefore they did what was best. They were acting. They stalled for time.

Just enough time to cast one decisive and cataclysmic spell. An attack so fierce and powerful that it would trump even his sinking of an entire continent and its people.

But what were they doing? He hadn't seen such a ritual before performed by high angels before. What could they possibly accomplish by combining their magical energies and syncing them into one?

Then it dawned on him. A harrowing realization.

"No!" Arcelius bellowed.

Arcelius exploded as he channeled all of his magic into every inch of his body, armor, and sword. Glowing brighter than the brightest star, he roared. A pillar of light pierced the floor and ceiling at the same time, meeting in the middle where Arcelius stood.

His eyes blazed. His sword screamed. His armor glistened.

"Cease this at once!"

He vanished.

A blur came and Primus disappeared in a wake of golden blood. Secundus screamed and wailed as she realized her left hand was no longer there. Tertius cried in agony as he stumbled onto the floor, he had lost his right leg. The two angels were holding hands with Primus when Arcelius attacked.

Before any could lament further the loss of their limbs, a shadow bore upon them from above. Arcelius floated over them, glowing like a chandelier that bristled with many candles. His eyes were of a flame that surged like a blazing inferno.Wrapped around his hand was the neck of Primus. The highest of the high angels choked as the Champion of Ispios tightened his grip.

"Surrender or I kill him." He said without a hint of hesitation. Gone was the Arcelius that believed and hoped that the High Angels could be beaten back to see reason once more. He called himself a fool for thinking so. The High Angels were determined and he should be as well. This was only gonna end one way or another.

The magic circle below then exploded with immense power. The Heavenly Halls began to quake and crack as the magic circle geared itself and ascended from the floor. Arcelius was thrown back to the stairs, letting go of Primus in the process.

He quickly stood back and saw that the High Angels were once again together, glowing brighter than before with an intensity to match that of a great fire. Their eyes were pure gold and bristled with energy. Their armor quaked and their bodies trembled.

"No… no!!!" Arcelius' palms once again gleamed and around the magic circle of the high angels appeared a golden sphere that enveloped it and the angels. He poured his magic into the barrier and screamed as he did so.

Then a voice whispered into his ear and it said, "You have done enough, my champion. Farewell."

And all went white.