78 - A sneaky bastard, Sun God's rage.
Moments before Yiris fell into his predicament. To the far rear of the battle were the ever-inspiring Azkolves and the radiant Velces wreaking havoc amongst the ranks of anti-life fragments to the west and east of the battle.
The fragments had gushed round the Heralds like a stream around a stone. As such the rear was already packed with twice the number of fragments than it had prior. Even as the horde kept flowing forward to meet them nonstop the Heralds were brutally giving their all plus with most having chosen a divine rulerune their battle prowess had increased.
To the west was the majority of the Azkolves, to the center was Syrin and Dumdriel one holding the waves back as the other rained light on them. continuously. To the east were Velces and a few heralds who gave him a wide berth to not fall in the range of his continuously flowing flames.
Even the god's hair had become a bad omen for the anti-life fragments. The hair constantly changed colors as it streamed waves of fire around the godling. Ashes fading into nothing was a constant sight around him as the fragments kept launching themselves at him.
It was all going smoothly the Azkolves all having made their rule runes before were finding it easier to spam different rune-powered spells onto the fragments while Velces was pounding away like a berserker with a cold smile on his face.
At least that was how smooth the defense was going. The defense had even turned offense as the majority pushed forward aiming to close the distance as the hyperactive Heralds in front were surging forward into the dense horde.
As such the unit was pushing forward more and more.
Syrin paused midway to release another light beam into the crowd. Her head bent low and facing down. Her eyes quivered as her tail stiffened.
As a light element-based Azkolve she was very sensitive to all things dark and more. The more being the lack of life within every fragment around her.
To her, in a dark room, each of these fragments would be a red dot on her mental map. That's how she saw and perceived them. A disgusting existence.
So for her to suddenly sense a large red dot more than half the size of the very slab the entire fight was happening on made her heart quiver with shock then dread.
Syrin took a step back and then turning she raced back to the very edge before jumping off, her body lit up in the golden light of her divinity.
Gliding low she turned and cast her gaze right beneath the slab.
Everyone had been so busy, so focused that all had forgotten how the slab was actually just a piece of floating earth formed by Dumdriel.
Though no one could be blamed as the fragments had not actually made a move to follow the open parts beneath or around or above. After all they were drawn to life and there was a huge number of them walking into their grasp.
It didn't even matter calling it beneath. There was no up or down or left and right in space. The only reason the fragments hadn't opted for another path was the eat-all life in their path mentality.
But now, here was a fragment that actually acted different.
Syrin didn't know which was scarier, a fragment that had thoughts and intents or the huge size of its body looming towards her. One bite was enough to end or split her in two.
'Crush. Not split. Crush' She corrected once she noted the huge jagged razors called fangs in its maws.
The huge black thing had maws as wide as anything she had ever seen. The body was large like a megalodon. With it's four limbs that moved its body forward like a swimming dog and the long tail behind it that pushed it forward.
"That's a mega fragment then".
Syrin gulped before she reconnected to her rulerune. The joy of an already established rulerune within one's seat of consciousness. Able to skip the drawing of runes all she had to do was imagine her spell and pour in the energy from the rulerune into it thereby increasing the force or reducing and using her will to bend the spell as she wished within the rules of the Rulerune.
The white rulerune in a circular form glowed subtly within her eyes both on her face and shoulder. Then a spark first crackled to life within her palms as her fingers that were pinched together pushed energy into the spell. Soon another spark joined then both bloomed into a little orb of white light.
It expanded swiftly as she imagined a ball of light, dense within but malleable at its boundaries. Increasing in size and density while also getting stronger.
The ball of light kept growing rapidly, and concentrated with the light getting compressed. In seconds the ball was as large as a fully stretched out arms from one end to the other.
It completely blocked her. Yet she didn't need to aim anyway, that's how big the mega fragment was.
The light was bright enough for the fragment to notice which made it utter a screech as or sensed an attack. Dumdriel above on the slab already noting Syrin's absence could only glance back as he was holding the rest from bursting and letting the fragments spill past.
But it didn't matter. Syrin sensing her rulerune energy drop to half of it's reserves let the ball which was now double the size it previously was fly.
The fragment tried to evade but it's size refuted its desires and maneuvers. Like a homerun the la,rge sphere of light slammed right into it.
Unfortunately the fragment had turned it's head sway last minute to avoid a head on collision which led to it's side getting hit. The hiss and flare of the light burning it sent a screech through it's body as it quickly rose its head trying to avoid any other attack from the furred being upfront.
It's head crashed into the slab above it and it's sense triggered as it felt the life forms above. It could use them to mend the still burning parts of it's side before going for that being who dared hurt it.
The slab shattered, earth and dust raining into it's mouth. It activated its throat forcing everything that was in it's mouths entrance to fall in.
Yet it tasted nothing but disgust. It knew instantly that it had not swallowed any life form but actually lower fragments. Enraged it increased its suction.
Just a bit more should have been enough to get what it wanted. But something else entered its mouth. It could feel the energy that threatened it within the object so it quickly tried to spit it out.
But it had to first quench its suction force. Not wanting its prey that it was sure it already had in its mouth to go it ignored the object especially since it passed its throat without harming it.
That was a mistake it regretted in the following moments.
*********
Velces at the moments in the battle looked ferocious. His hammer had culled more fragments than he could count. Unlike the Heralds he and the Azkolves had not received any rewards for their slaughter not like the knew about any rewards.
After all they could create as much divine ranked rulerunes as the wished since they were divinities themselves. His motivation was the need to protect his fathers work and creations.
And probably testing out the various fires he was capable of making too.
With his father not here Velces saw himself as the one to keep everyone safe and secure. Not just the creations but the region and everything within.
With each strike he made he poured in all kinds of fire into his hammer releasing flames in all directions as he assaulted and eradicated the fragments.
Most times he let his hammer fly as it poured out flames absorbed and released it around it in a fire drill manner. Not just burning all fragments in front but any that managed to dodge to the sides.
He performed the action so much that the system recorded and rewarded it as skill to him.
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[Morgado's Drill ]
Cast a flame drill around itself to burn through all opposition in thrown part.
[Active] - when thrown.
x10 to all fiery damage
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It was this very skill he was admiring when the slab shattered upfront. Velces watched stunned as a bigger sized abomination reared its head from beneath as everyone on the slab in that direction fell into it's mouth.
Velces had a keen sense of family ever since he opened his eyes. From his mothers hugs to his fathers smiles. The Azkolves treating and teaching him things to the Heralds who all looked up to him as a big brother even if he had been born just a few minutes before them.
Yet in one bite this thing, this disgusting life leacher wished to take it all away from him.
" You sneaky bastard". the words angrily left his lips. The temperature within a 100 meter of him rising rapidly.
The Azkolves and the Heralds had never seen an angry god. Especially when that god was one of Sun and Fire.
Dumdriek had already discarded the rear defence to rush forward whilst the other Azkolves we're still frozen shocked from the sight of so many Heralds vanishing into the maw of the huge whale like creature.
Yet their shock faded when the all watched something made of pure red flash by and descend into the things maw. All eyes looked to the distance where a flaming figure hovered.
His once red hair that had turned white from Duztros evolution had gone red again. It's length having extended down to his knees due to the constant spitting of fire.
His eyes were totally hidden behind a fiery red glow while his palms were furled into fists as the trembled from rage.
Yet everyone realized that the hammer had done nothing.
"They're still alive" A Kyratk yelled from where it flew above the open jaw of the thing while looking in.
Everyone moved without hesitation except for Velces who hovered there while his hand slowly rose.
Dumdriel didn't know what he was up to but he had seen the look of glee on the All-fathers face when he saw Velces hammer.
'It can't be that simple.'he thought.
"Ausal go get those Heralds out now". He commanded quickly. He watched the silver fired Azkolve pounce forward with the fastest speed any of them could only wish to reach before looking to Juju and Geral.
" Assist her." Both reacted differently. One racing forward on all fours while the other flew above the creature.
The remaining Heralds had not lost focus in pushing back the fragments that littered everywhere. While the slab that had shattered made it easier for them now with the fragments having to evade tons of debris and rocks to get to a Herald.
While noting this a hand grasped his shoulder. Behind him Syrin stood looking dazed. Immediately after releasing her first light attack she had attempted a follow up only for the creature to head up. Canceling her connection to her rulerune forcefully had caused a backlash that left her dazed.
"Dumdriel. We have to pull back". The words were almost a whisper as she felt weak from the mental fatigue and the pounding in her head.
[DIVINE ENERGY BACKLASH]
[DIVINE ENERGY BACKLASH]
[DIVINE ENERGY BACKLASH]
Reading the warning prompts that constantly popped up oy her vision she ignored it before looking to Dumdriel whose eyes were boring into her to access her state.
"He looks angry. Plus I doubt his hammer didn't do anything."Syrin spoke while pointing to Velces then grabbed her head with her clawed hands as her brain pounded.
Dumdriel nodded. He agreed with her. Yet before he could even make any move or start wondering what would happen or how to act an explosion rippled in the distance with the mega fragments' center mass as the focal point.
Dumdriel watched startled as the space in the distance turned red from the risen heat.
"We're too late aren't we". Syrian muttered.