Archangels of Night

Wielding incantation stones, a surging flash illuminates. Darkness is released, like a gap torn into space, swallowing all light.

A handful, if not dozens of black holes accelerated toward Brunhilda at blinding speeds, nearly blitzing her perception.

The Elder Fiends finally began their assault.

Brunhilda flew through the sky, swift like an arrow, evading the black holes that homed in on her. Dodging, and weaving, she found an opening through her evasion, casting a spell with her staff.

"Flez Dona!" A magic formula appeared, launching scorching hot suns toward the fiends, but they all scattered like roaches once the lights turned on.

The fireballs missed, and collided with one of the Black Goats below, killing it in blazing heat.

"Milhaizen!"

The scythed-fiend appeared at Brunhilda's side, launching the same spell.

Without pause, innumerable black holes were shot in sequence. All light in the area was consumed, from the flames of her fire spells to the torches that lit the town. No light could escape a black hole.

"Hmph." Brunhilda, with skillful movement, dashed towards the all-consuming holes of space and extended her hand. "Bruvolta." Countless spheres of light surrounded her body and were released at once in the form of spears.

"Fool! Using light magic against black holes is amateurish... huh?!"

The scythed-fiend witnessed his black holes being dispersed once their magic collided.

"How?!"

Beams of light zigzagged through the air, pouncing the fiend in front of her.

"Guoahh!"

Countless holes pierced through its body as if it was caught in a rain of arrows.

"!!!" However, she wasn't dealing with one Elder Fiend, but two. The sword-wielding fiend appeared above the mage, lifting its blade with both hands.

Brunhilda caught on, turning around with her restless expression. "Teleportation Magic?" She knew instantly, proving her skill as a mage.

"Fwaaaahh!" In a demonic roar, the Elder Fiend slashed at the woman.

Brunhilda evaded to the side, but it still wasn't enough—

"...!"

She widened her eyes, witnessing her arm being severed from the sword.

"Milhaizen!!"

And once again, the spear-wielding fiend would cast the same magic that its brethren used.

Micro-sized black holes shot forward, all colliding with Brunhilda's body.

The black holes merged together, entrapping Brunhilda inside, and destroying her body down to the atomic structure.

Space was being distorted, and light was consumed once again.

An eerie silence befell upon Jiordel, as the townspeople watched the battle from below, praying that the mages could save them from a horrible fate.

"Brothers, be on guard. There is no telling what this mage is capable of!" The scythed-fiend yelled from afar, regenerating the wounds on its body.

"She couldn't survive that." Said the sword-fiend.

"Idiot. Don't be cocky!!"

"I'm being realistic, brother. Since when has a human scared you this much?"

"What?!?" The spear-wielding fiend gasped as the compacted black hole was slowly shrinking.

"Your magic surprises me. This is part of the Elemental Wheel, isn't it?"

There were six wheels of magic that existed throughout the world.

Six wheels that were commonly known among all mages.

Those wheels were;

Elemental wheel, which could produce spells that focused around air, fire, momentum, gravity, radiation, light, sound, and more.

Life Wheel, which could produce spells that focused on changing shapes, restoring youth, healing severe injuries, and producing holy magic.

Death Wheel, which could produce spells that can instakill enemies, bring back the dead, absorb life force, decompose vigor, produce dark magic, and end all things.

Matter Wheel, which governs the elements from the periodic table, allowing a mage to create weapons, and ore, perform transmutation on objects, or people, and create entire buildings out of memory.

Correlation Wheel, which could produce spells that govern the connection between apparently different things, allowing them to teleport, levitate, bend space, and connect with other people, either through telepathy, or the soul. The Correlation Wheel proves that all things coexist in a single "Space", which allows skilled mages of this wheel to connect with all things, giving them the ability to use spells like telepathy, via connecting with the single "space" that everything exists in.

And Time Wheel, which could produce spells that allow mages to determine the exact time of day, see forward and backward through time, manipulate time, and even stop it.

All Wheels of magic were known, and each wheel had its experts.

Wheels represent the divisions of the world, dividing creation into several distinct facets. These six wheels were the elements of reality, created by chaos to form the world.

...However.

"You aren't human."

Says the spear-wielding fiend.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. What difference does it make?" Brunhilda revealed herself, unscathed, holding the black hole inside her hand, compressing it into nothingness.

"This is the magic... that dates back 950 years ago." Says the scythe-fiend.

"...Wait a minute, brother, you can't be talking about that magic. There's no way in hell she's that person!" The sword-wielding creature glanced at his brethren, visibly shaken up, despite having no facial features.

"Project Witchcraft." Muttered the spear-wielding creature, gaining the other's attention.

The regenerating fiend slowly hovered towards Brunhilda, groggy in its voice. "You're the last remaining Witch of the Ashyn Realm… that's impossible, the world believed that you died!"

"I'm no longer a witch, I am Brunhilda Blackwood, a simple mage of Terra. I left my past behind me."

"During the Great War of the Seven Realms, the witch clan was targeted by the other realms of the Inner Plane. They wiped your entire race, but you… you managed to fight all of them, simultaneously, with your unfathomable power. You have the strength that could bring even the Gods to their knees, so why are you leaving your past behind?! You can rule this world if you want to!"

Brunhilda frowned at the scythe-wielding fiend, paralyzing him to its core.

"Guh…!"

Despite being an abstract creature, there was nothing Brunhilda couldn't interfere with.

"Watch your mouth."

"…Y-You live in constant torment, reminded every day of your past. Through your time on Gaia, you developed a dire appreciation for life, and you made a vow in your spirit to never kill the innocent again. Heh, you were ruthless… and called the Witch of Mutiny on multiple occasions, but that brought you pain to your heart, didn't it?"

"You Fiends are born from the collective fears, and thoughts of Gaia-inhabitants… and it seems you know of my own thoughts and memories after you found out who I am. How shameless. Using my past to your advantage to manipulate me won't work."

"Ke-ha! What great news this is! Once we kill you, we'll devour your entire body, and evolve to even greater heights as Fiends!"

"I am Michael." Said the Scythe-fiend.

"I am Gabriel." Said the sword-fiend.

"I am Uriel." Said the spear-fiend.

"Together, we create chaos!" (All)

They chanted in unison, which brought the attention of Brunhilda.

She realized something.

"…How merciless."

She looked above her and could see a complex magic circle spinning clockwise.

"Your witchcraft against our chaos magic! Let's see which one is superior, shall we!!?" Shouted Gabriel.

Brunhilda lowered her brows, frowning at their summoning spell.

"O' mighty chaos, grant us your primordial essence! Bring disorder upon the world, and devour creation into the void, where it belongs! We call unto thee, Vinshumada!!" (All)

Far away, watching everything unfold, a cloaked figure stood next to two robed women, short in their size

"So it has begun."

His voice was deep and charming, and his appearance was hidden from all eyes, as he laughed to himself.

"Yes, Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel. Bring forth the calamity of doom, and devour the souls of Jiordel. This is the beginning of the apocalypse."

"Master, what about the Witch of Mutiny?" Asked one of the robed women.

"Do not worry, Ethedra, me, and the Witch of Mutiny were once companions."

"Ah! R-Really?"

"Indeed. After all, she's the reason I'm doing this."

"She's the reason… for all of this?" Asked the other girl next to him.

"Brunhilda Blackwood, I'll make sure karma does its job, and she suffers a hundredfold for her actions. There is no escaping fate."

"I-I see."

"A peaceful witch is still a witch at the end of the day."

"You're correct, master."

The three figures heard everything from afar and watched the events take place.

Lurkers in the shadows…

"Ethedra, Numina, let us leave this to the archangels of night. We will return to base."

"Yes, master." (Both)

The three mysterious figures left in a hurry via teleportation spell.

"W-What is that thing?!" A townsman looked into the sky, witnessing a massive ball of flesh, filled with eyes, arms, and feet. Its appearance was otherworldly, beyond human comprehension.

"Vinshumada…?" Brunhilda, in a slight panic, glanced at the townspeople below. "Tolretna!" A magic circle appeared at her palm, casting a barrier around the town.

It was a Holy spell used from the wheel of life; it could extinguish all dark magic, and erase it from existence… however, the Black Goats were suddenly free from their restraints of the holy chains, and could finally start moving again. Dark miasma spilled from their bodies once again, after the chains shattered, and proceeded to envelop the holy barrier.

"Damnit…"

Brunhilda realized that their miasma was too potent for her holy magic, and could even overpower it.

"Fwahahahaha! A witch who's a master at all wheels, yet novice at the wheel of life!!" Laughed Uriel.

"…Where are you, Hermfry?!"

If the miasma fell into the town, it would drive everyone mad… and into suicide.

Things weren't looking good.