Chapter 0158- Reach

A lost offering, a broken heart, the tears of the innocent and the blood of virgins. Materials sought after by the Devils, great symbols of power and pain. They whirred in misery as they flooded the gate, tens of thousands of souls trapped in oblivion. A portal of pain.

The Zao Forces had reached a top level, it had high ceilings and a staircase that led to the roof. Tearing the cores from the Undead that surrounded it, they had secured their entry. The battle outside was ongoing, many of their forces were stuck outside maintaining the battle as a distraction, destroying whatever they could find.

Zhan stopped outside of the portal. "We clear our way to Xue, I don't know what's in front of us.."

Ibuwere cut into the conversation before he was done. "On the other side is a space with a lot of voids, you'll have to navigate aerially and we will be under fire the moment we enter. There is a central island in the middle of the space, that's probably where she is. Also, I don't think this is going to end how we want."

"Shut up." Zhan snapped at Ibuwere. "Lets go get the Princess, Lets go get my Daughter."

He and Khan Ni charged their breath attacks and walked through, releasing it immediately as they flew inside. The first shots had been fired, the rest of the Zao forces were piling through the doorway and scattering in the pocket dimension. "Don't wander, stick together, push ahead and watch the people around you, Don't draw them into enemy fire." Zhan spun, releasing more than a hundred of his needles, they went in ever direction around him in a barreling motion.

The Islands of creatures were unable to reach the Espers, they piled into nearby spacial rifts and moved to alternate spots above the incoming Zao forces.

-{"^&$%*#%"} Curses and chants could be heard above, swirls of strange auras and smoke started to gather and then a black and grey rain started to fall and collect into a ball. It rotated and shrank, giving it a small water like body. It was grey with streaks of black and a bar of green along its face, Its eyes were sunken and its claws were like razors.

When the chanting finished, the creature rushed the front of the assault. They started to chant again, the rain started, fell, collected and another creature started to form.

"Take out the guys on top of us" Poder was directing some of the battle in his area, the arrow to his leg had slowed him too much for close combat, but he could still complete his channeled abilities and breath attacks. In between attacks he would give out battle instructions.

Guzhe signaled three of the Stealth Corp to follow and they appeared next to the acolytes. Fire started to rain down on all of them, the Stealth Corp evaded their own spells while engaging the enemy. Flickering between the downing streaks of fireballs, the Acolytes tried to use the time to cast but the moment they stopped to chant a fireball was about to strike them. They were reduced to cinders, Guzhe took the firing position and started to pick off some of the Devil Beasts that were appearing.

The Vampires were losing their forces, the Devil's investments were going to waste. Lord Eddingar saw the arriving assault teams from far away, he pulled out his axe and started walking down the steps. A few steps down, he disappeared.

The Emperor was bringing down a Gorgospier with the help of Mike and Ibuwere, Zhan and Khan Ni were breaking down the frontlines of the Undead with their purification and poisons. A rumble shook the space around them, all the islands that floated among the void trembled and rocked.

Lord Eddingar appeared and broke one of the islands in two, separating his forces and the Esper Invaders. "..." He was expressionless, swinging the axe like a robotic arm, he started to make lines appear in the air, they cut at it.

Deformations in the void could be seen traveling toward the Emperor, Riida rushed in front and broke her armor to stop the clash from hitting Wu Hai. "Nothingness." Wu Hai recognized the spellwork. "Its spacial attacks! Ibuwere, you're up." Working with Ibuwere and advanced closer to the Vampire Lord. The fighting was in full swing, everyone was busy with their own targets. Lord Eddingar swung the Axe again. Wu Hai compressed spacial energy and did his best to use it as a shield. Spacial magic was either weak, or they would cancel each other out due to the actual nature of the effects.

An Amazing thing happened at that moment. A Blinding Light, a Golden light, appeared below the battleground. Another Portal appeared, a Root tore through the dimensional barrier. It was the World Tree. Vilagfa's branches started to come up and out of the portal, reaching into the plane.

A Great Branch of the World Tree began to expand throughout the zone, barriers came all around and a strange pollen filled the air.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" The Queen roared above, she started to chant. Her demeanner had changed, she was gritting her teeth as she spoke. A spacial tear started to form near the world tree roots and trunk, Ho flickered over to close it.

Wu Hai was still battling the Vampire Lord.

"INSECTS!" The Queen disappeared from her spot and reappeared next to ho, slicing at his face. He dipped back just enough to feel the singe of her attacks.

'Darkwing attacked like that.' Ho became even more furious, he looked at the Queen's body. It was Xue, she looked exactly like her mother did. "Give me back my niece!" He flickered behind her and tried to grab at her head to put her in a restraint but she was already missing. He flickered again to her location, again. They traveled around the battle field, chasing one another.

The Emperor dodged Lord Eddingar's Axe and pulled out the Crusher, batting it away. The Axe chipped. Lord Eddingar looked surprised, the mist blade was his greatest weapon. He threw it aside and sent out a gas. The gas hung like glue in the air.

Backing up some, Lord Eddingar started to cast while he was free from combat. {#%!#@$&^!&} A curse, a black strip, made from materials similar to the blood spikes he had used before came barreling through the opaque gas cloud. It hit the Emperor in the shoulder, changed directions and then hit him in the face.

It kept changing directions striking the Emperor each time. Wu Hai was unable to read Lord Eddingar's movements but he could feel the strikes. Wu Hai tried to avoid it by moving, but the ribbon seemed to be smart, it could take whatever shape and direction it chose. "ZHAN!" Wu Hai cried out, Zhan was busy cleansing the undead but saw it from above.

He fired an ice beam at the ribbon, it was momentarily stopped. Seeing that it was effective, Zhan called for them to switch. There was not a lot of time, Zhan abandoned Khan Ni with a nod and flew directly toward his brother. Wu Hai flickered away and took his old position. Their eyes met as they passed eachother.

Zhan's expression was easy to read. 'Thank you for everything, brother.' His eyes were watering, he was having a hard time in the battle. Ibuwere was battling the Queen, his claws were tearing into her but she would regenerate quickly. Zhan could see the carnage but there were too many enemies in the way, focusing on Lord Eddingar was the first objective.

Ibuwere needed to keep the Queen busy, but it was breaking Zhan's heart and concentration.