Adventure of Astral Part 39: Defog

Angel felt enraged as she thrusted her hand free from James' grasp. "YOU CAN'T DEFEAT ME, I WON'T ALLOW IT!" She shouted as her feathers dug into James' back. He clutched onto her tighter as his back became filled with feathers. Each one digging into his back. Making him spasm and slowly lose all grip. She looked down at him with anger and hatred in her eyes as she felt something slip around her neck. James' grip on her fell flat as she looked down at his seizing body. No emotion was felt as the necklace dangled from her neck.

"I never wanted to defeat you, just to save you." James clenched his teeth together as he spit out the words as best he could between his spasms. The feathers were agonizing. He laid face down as they dug deeper with every moment. He felt his eyes slowly closing as he felt out of energy and out of hope. He did what he needed to, he knows he will survive if given time to recover. Slowly around him he heard some thuds to the ground as two hands lifted up his face. He expected it to be Astral.

"I'M SORRY!" Angel screamed at the top of her lungs, her clothes being shown as her armor laid on the ground behind her. Astral stood behind her as the remaining hybrid generals rushed at him. He summoned his hard light barrier as Tina's protectors rushed over. "You have saved me countless times and the way I repaid you was by adding to your scars and pains." Angel's eyes were a floodgate of tears as she looked directly at her brother who cracked a soft smile.

"I never should have trusted the queens, my brother should have been the sole voice of reason. I won't make that mistake again! I promise!" Angel slowly started to pluck the feathers out of his back as he laid still. Tina rushed over as she saw the state of James. Helping to remove the feathers as Astral held his barrier firm. "You are the one who saved me from Bane, covering me with yourself to save me. Then in the battle tournament and on the planet protecting me from Titan. Several times over and you have to suffer the pain of it all."

James' right arm rose upward as he caressed her chin. He looked up with the strength he still had in him. "You were not yourself. There is no fault for you. I am just glad you are you again." Angel picked him all the way up and hugged him as her wings beat loudly as her sign of approval.

Bitsy, Errol, Evelin and Sanguine charged forward through the wall as they faced off against a general of each level of skill. Astral couldn't watch over them as most of the forces were distracted with attacking his barrier to get to Angel and James. They all started to shout. "YOU TWO ARE TRAITORS TO THE CROWN!" Astral sighed as Tina held a soft green glow in her hand as she rested it on James' back. Sugar rushed in front of Astral as she was ready to take them all on herself for her mentor.

"Astral, do you have a plan for this many foes? When we are just five?" Sugar asked as Astral laughed. Sugar was slightly confused for a moment. Tina looked over and realized it too.

"All I can use is support spells. I would follow James and Angel once they both start battling together. It's the most magical thing. I never had the chance to see it, but they stalled one of the strongest people I have ever fought for some time." Astral clapped as a shockwave knocked over the front line.

Errol was fighting against another general in similar standing to before he left. Their skills with rapier's were excellent. Each of them struck at each other at blinding speeds. Taking to the skies as the two went back and forth with their swings. Neither had a chance to get the opening, one of them would have to make a mistake. Errol was the first one to do so as his wing was clipped as he came crashing down. He hit the ground hard as the general stabbed his rapier through Errol's heart. Astral's shockwave exposed this for James and Angel to see.

Both their eyes went wide as they watched Errol, one of the softest people on either side, be brutally put down like a rabid animal. "You should have stayed when you had the chance brother." The general raised his rapier as he looked at his brother on the ground. James and Angel rushed at him with their spears. Impaling him in two different ways as he fell down next to his brother.

Evelin and Bitsy caught a glimpse of Errol being stabbed as their distraction led to their defeat. Evelin got surrounded as her legs got pulled from her body. She was surrounded as some of the loyal to the crown started to stomp her to death. Bitsy suffered a worse fate as she was pinned to the ground by spears at all four limbs. They slowly started to cut her open as they felt it was fair.

James and Angel looked at each other as they rushed in. They could no longer be idle and against each other. None of these hybrids are related to them. They had no reason to hesitate as James started to shred the left side while Angel launched her feathers through the right side. Tina pointed her staff at the two as she amplified their perception of time. Making them move faster and more fluid as Sugar stood next to Astral. Taking down whichever hybrids got close to Tina. Her blades worked wonders as she went for the weak points. She was proud of what she could do. James taught her well in his style.

Sanguine was the last of the generals to rebel as she trusted her aim. Her rifle worked well as it was able to pierce the armor of the hybrids in one round. Her gift worked wonders. She kept them all away from her despite the growing numbers of hybrids attacking her. 'Remember you can use these light rounds for dangerous situations.' Her magazine ran out as she manually loaded one light round into the rifle and pointed it at the line of hybrids charging at her. Firing as the bullet did not have any malice towards her. She could use them, it shredded through the line of soldiers as James and Angel watched it pass them. Astral was impressed as the rest of the hybrids all fled to the inside of the city walls.

Sanguine was breathing heavily as Tina ran to her and gave her a huge hug. "You did amazing!" Sanguine dropped her rifle and latched onto Tina as the two stood still for a moment as they looked over to Errol as James and Angel were at his side.

"My brother, he meant well. Eric was always the more talented." Errol coughed up blood as he held on for as long as he could. "You two will be the finest rulers and warriors in the land. With the support you two have. You will be. Unstoppable." His voice faded with his last few words as James grasped his hand hard. This loss was hard for him.

"You will always be remembered." Angel looked at the masses of dead hybrids around them as all the loyal hybrids stood a few hundred meters away and were watching from a distance. "Today was a battle. But the war isn't over until we are rebuilt and are thriving for each and every single one of us." A roar of cheering was heard all across the battlefield.

Sora had different plans. He was able to walk directly through the battlefield and straight to the castle. He was allowed in as the Crown Jewels were expecting him. The four of them all looked at him with disgust. "The shell was right, Astral had his way and took the north side by himself. The southwest is where your men battle and the southeast where we have Angel versus her brother." the four spoke at once.

"The one issue you will have, Astral has returned to peak power. I have no clue if it will be enough for the four of you to stop him. But I cannot be here to help." Sora slithered it out of his mouth. "He will win." He turned around as the door was blocked with a magical barrier of ice.

"He still remains human." Ruby held a small fire in her hand as she melted the door. "Hunt him down if we fail." She nodded as Sora ran out of the door. The four looked at each other as they were ready and prepared for Astral.