Duel of Faith

'Gods are only as powerful as our belief in them. Their magic is sourced by our faith. Knowing this, I ask you, the reader, what would be spawned by a man's belief in himself? Would that still be called magic?

Yes, but I would argue that it would be true magic. Magic in the sense it is fantastical, it is something we cannot understand. Magic from a god is explained by belief. Magic from man is unexplainable.

Knowing this, I ask you another question. What would magic from a man's vice be? Would man's deification of money give way to a god, or would it be something else entirely?'

-A lost scholar, estimated to be written around the Naissance Era

***

"[Blitz.]"

Ode's body was covered instantly in a bright light, and he immediately sprinted at the cloaked woman.

"[Sword Draw.]"

The spell was spoken slickly as she drew out a massive blade from thin air. It shimmered white, similar to Thames' blade, but was something else entirely. It had a desolate energy brimming from it and had runes etched on.

"So, what're ya?!"

Ode spat out as he punched towards her stomach, but she blocked it use the flat side of her sword with ease.

"Eh? What do you mean??"

She swung out in a large manner, her form full of gaps, but when Ode went to use these gaps, she quickly freed one hand and pointed at him.

"[Annihilation]"

"Shit!"

Ode retreated instantly, the space where he stood before being filled with sharp pieces of metal.

During this quick interaction, Thames was attempting to find any opening, but it was useless. He couldn't find anything wrong in her defense, but he could sense a strong magician approaching.

Magicians of that caliber could choose when to exude their magic, so it wasn't a sensation he was used to, but he instinctively knew what it was.

Gin or the variable... Which one will it be?

As he wondered, Ode sprinted back towards the woman, but took a strangely roundabout way, eventually appearing above her.

Snapping her head up, the cloak fell revealing her long multicolored hair fully.

She swung the great sword up towards Ode, but the falling star couldn't be stopped. 

With a grin, he spoke a spell quickly just before the sword made contact.

"[Jumpspace.]"

He flickered gold, disappearing and reappearing above her passing blade, and at the same time he clenched his fist he spoke another spell.

"[Brilliant Light!]"

His fist, coated with brilliant hues, collided with the woman, but she used his own momentum to throw herself out the way, only getting scraped slightly.

"Ya know why I love magic fights?"

"Huh?"

Backing away and catching her breath, she instinctively responded to his question in confusion.

"They're always a battle of beliefs!"

"[Unholy Entrapment.]"

The smog above them lurched down, circling the woman and hiding her away from their sights, and golden chains shoot out, embedding into the street.

The smog lowered, but where she should have been a javelin was in her stead. Ode and Thames' eyes widen as both look around for the magician, but there was no sign of her.

"[Judgement Javelin.]"

Ode sensed magic spike above him as a rift appears, a javelin falling almost instantly, but Thames reacted fast.

"[Teleport!]"

Ode reappeared right next to the massive javelin impaled in the street but looked distracted. His gaze was clearly locked towards the distant street, not focusing on the woman who found her footing on one of the roofs.

Thames looked towards her and saw that she was also distracted, focused on the same direction. Finally joining them, he noticed a large figure flying towards them, then heard yelling.

"FIGHTIN' IN MY TURF? HOW FAR YOU ALL HAVE FALLEN!"

Shit!

The large figure was Gin Viola! He wore a large black fur coat, clearly high quality, with gold chains and bracelets clashing in the wind. His booming voice, with the authority of a Constellation, shook their very cores.

The sweet scent of money found its way into everyone's nose, but before Thames could realize it, Gin was in front of Ode and the woman was gone.

Fast!

Gin spread out his arms, his jewelry glistening under the moonlight as Ode pointed at his chin.

"[Sta-

"[How much are you worth, Ode Yule?]"

Ode felt his body grow heavy, his lips forced shut and his arm dropped, both rendering him defenseless against Gin.

The sound of coins being dropped rang in Thames and Ode's ears, but only Ode reacted violently to it. Writhing in pain as he let out a scream, his arms twitching to cover his ears, but they refused to move.

Thames quickly summoned his feather blade and began to sprint at the now laughing Gin.

"You, Ode Yule, are worth a lot!"

He had a horrific laugh which, mixed in with the sound of coins, filled the street with an overwhelming collection of noises.

"And you have a nice magician friend!"

The hulking man leaned forward, looking down at Thames as he swung on Gin, but the attack only bounced back.

Gin pointed his left hand at Thames, uttering a single spell.

"[Feel the weight of the market. Collapse.]"

Gah!

His knees buckled as he began to fall to floor, sticking his blade into the street to keep himself up, but that too fell under the weight of his spell.

Shit, shit, shit! 

O' Painter... The greed of mortals mustn't crush ye.

A chilling collection of voices echoed through his mind, uttering a strange sentence.

What?! Where did that...? 

His mind raced, searching for an answer to his situation.

"[Redeeming Star!]"

Giving up on resisting the magic, he yelled out the name of a painting he had made of Ode. And as he did this, the magic in the air stifled briefly before a blinding light surrounded a now rising Ode.

Gin's laughter ceased, looking up towards the flying star.

"[Guide this mortal to redemption, Goddess Rela.]"

A swirl of golds and blues spun around Gin, his eyes widening as he raised his hands to block anything he could, but it was useless.

As the energy continued to encroach on him, the ground below him began to crumble, giving view into a starry abyss.

Looking down on the greedy Constellation, Ode clasped his hands together and looked up towards the smog.

"[And in Rela's name, amen.]"

The final words of Ode shook the space as Gin Viola descended, the blues and golds swirling around the abyss as it slowly closed. The energy scattering once the abyss was gone.

Thames looked up, the weight gone, and noticed that the smog had vanished.

It gave view to the vast night sky, a moon hanging at the center with dancing stars around it.

Beautiful...