Breath of Life

On Zitish's side,

The battlefield stretched as far as the eye could see, an infinite sea of skeletons animated by sinister Liches, their empty orbits shining with an unhealthy glow. On the horizon, Zitish's silhouette stood tall, imposing in her shimmering armor, a gigantic sword resting on her shoulder, its surface seeming to shimmer with an inner light. Her dark eyes, hidden under her helmet, shone with an implacable determination. She was calm, yet ready to plunge into the chaos with the fury of a hurricane.

Around her, ten thousand Wendigos waited, facing them, entire legions of skeletons advanced like a tidal wave, carried by the necromantic magic of the Liches floating above the melee.

But their numbers seemed much smaller compared to those Uriel and Linfer had faced.

Suddenly, Zitish raised her sword to the sky, and a wave of dazzling light spread across the battlefield. A guttural cry rose from the ranks of the Wendigos as they leaped forward like a single monstrous creature. The clashing of bodies resounded, and the battle was instantly drowned in chaos.

Zitish, however, remained calm, almost motionless, as the first wave of skeletons rushed towards her. In a fluid gesture, she swung her sword, a blade that others would barely have been able to lift, but which seemed light in her hands. The metal described a perfect arc, and a white line erupted from its trajectory. The air whistled. In an instant, a ten-kilometer line was traced before her, erasing the enemy hordes as if they had never existed. Everything in its path was reduced to ashes, bones broken, and necrotic spells dissolved by the pure light of her sword.

Zitish was far enough from Uriel for his law of causality to be ineffective against necromancy. She had to focus on the Liches who were raising the skeletons.

But the waves did not stop. Other skeletons, tireless, took the place of those she had just annihilated. The Liches' attacks multiplied, bursts of necrotic energy energy erupting in her direction. Zitish dodged, her body dancing among the rays of death with disconcerting agility for someone wearing such heavy armor. She parried, evaded, turned, leaving behind sparks of light with each movement, like a luminous specter in the heart of darkness.

Zitish leaped into the air with blinding speed, her sword dancing in her hand. With each strike of her blade, the movements were so rapid that the weapon seemed to dematerialize, becoming a blurry trail surrounded by luminous arcs. Sparks of light erupted from everywhere, like thousands of rays that exploded around her, shattering the skeletons into pieces before they could understand what was hitting them. She spun, parrying attacks with perfect precision, each strike of her sword giving birth to bright trails that spread in all directions, annihilating everything in their path.

Her armor, though solid, began to bear the marks of this endless war. Blows reached her from all sides, the claws of the skeletons leaving scratches and metallic splinters on her cuirass. Yet, she advanced without faltering, shredding her enemies with implacable determination. Through the clatter of broken bones and necromantic spells, Zitish directed her Wendigos with an assured gesture, commanding the chaos with absolute mastery.

But suddenly, an immense ball of violet energy tore through the air, striking Zitish full force before she could react. The impact was so violent that she was thrown backward, her body crashing against the ground with a loud noise. The Wendigos immediately rushed around her to protect her, but the shockwave left an indelible mark. The automatic regeneration of her Tenshi mode, usually instantaneous, was powerless against Belzebuth's malevolent aura.

Violet veins spread across the entire surface of her skin, running under her armor like venomous snakes. She removed her helmet, panting, her breathing difficult, each breath becoming a trial. The poison of the attack was palpable, creeping into her like a vice seeking to destroy her from within.

Feeling her strength leaving her, Zitish plunged her sword deeply into the ground, leaning on it to keep from collapsing. The Wendigos formed a living barrier around her, ready to sacrifice themselves to protect her. She closed her eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath.

The atmosphere around her suddenly changed. A gentle and soothing light began to emanate from her body, and colorful flowers bloomed on her wings. A pale green aura slowly diffused into the air, enveloping Zitish like a natural protection. It was the aura of life, a power inherited from her mother.

All around her, plants began to grow at a supernatural speed, bursting with life in the midst of the ravaged battlefield. The blooming flowers released a pollen toxic to the undead, a toxic mist for their decomposing bodies. The skeletons that dared to approach instantly disintegrated under the effect of the pollen, their flesh rotting and their bones cracking into dust.

Zitish, although being an Origin 5 and devoid of a law, was displaying here a power far beyond her rank. Her affinity with life, inherited from her mother, was the natural opposite of the necromantic spells that surrounded her. Slowly, the violet veins that spread across her body began to disappear, pushed back by this benevolent aura. Her wounds gradually closed, and with each new flower that bloomed around her, her strength returned, even more powerful than before. The Wendigos, galvanized by this energy, redoubled their efforts, crushing the enemies under the purifying influence of Zitish's aura.

But even though her endurance and injuries had returned to their optimal state, the excessive use of her power weighed heavily on her mind, making her vision slightly blurry with a growing headache. The only thing that could restore her psyche to its optimal state was Luciel's holy flame.

She tore her sword from the ground, ready to resume the fight, while the light emanating from her drove away the undead.

Each day, the battles followed relentlessly, the incessant waves of the undead throwing themselves at Zitish and her army like an ocean seeking to engulf the land. She, unperturbed, advanced inexorably, her sword tracing lines of light and destruction with each strike. The Wendigos, brutal and disciplined, pierced deeper and deeper into the Archidemonic domain, crushing skeletons and Liches under their blades.

Their progress was slow but inevitable, marking each day with a new victory, despite the massive number of Wendigos. Yet, despite this manifest intrusion, the Archidemon remained strangely passive. They did not know if he was ignoring them or if he was preparing something in the shadows, but they continued to advance, refusing to let up their momentum.

Meanwhile, Uriel and Linfer had become true friends, or rather, brothers-in-arms. What better way to bond than through battles, where one ensured the other's rear, training together for a common goal. Their trust in each other was forged through combat. Linfer was a bit shocked that Uriel so easily trusted him, despite his well-founded reputation and unreliable personality. And as Linfer knew, his charm had worked on Zitish. Or so he thought.