Wanxi was having trouble forming the storm, the weather fighting against her struggles. Preparing to redouble her efforts so that the onslaught of the spell will at least batter the second wave of demons, the Thane Quality circulated even stronger red light as it entwined with the milky white color of her Ink. Petals and pollen began to spread from her at the center as her robes fluttered and released energy as the globes mixed into the colors of her Ink, crackling lightning emerging from the eyes the backside of her hands glowed.
Bie's body was baptized in purple sanguinity as he rampaged through the beasts' ranks, Casmere following in his treaded path lined with corpses as he cleared the way for the Gem of the Dead to advance. Globs of wax littered the ground from where Lulac and Wanxi flew, the prior releasing a slithering chill that froze over the dropping wax, momentum turning it into yet another armament of destruction.
"Sting! Scorn! Cry!" A thrust, followed by a fanned series of piercing strikes. Drops of energy flickered and separated from the laser of the beam saber as they formed "droplets" that were then imbued with cold before raining down on the assortment of foes. Lulac was determined not to fall behind this time, reaping lives to the best of his ability as he found reserves of energy to keep going, his tank only half empty.
"Showoff." Geysers of dark energy erupted as elements of the terrain were carried upwards, before becoming lost in the shadows and finding the Violet House again as empty air. Beasts battered against the plate of his clothes, and he ripped the beasts in half with vicious claws. Purple speckled his tied, rectangular strips of hair as his conical snarl, his nose furled as he was losing grip over his sanity.
But he held strong, despite all of that. This was a test, the Introduction to the world of Guides. If he would fall, he would fall a moment later than now. If he would suffer, he would suffer a moment before the present. If he faltered here without giving it his all, how could he withhold the pride of the Guides, how could he face his mentor.
The blood rush interrupted his gruff aloofness, and fervor greeted as well as introduced itself to his movements. His movements invited more strength, more speed, and shadows followed his feet with voiceless cackles in their depths. Blow after blow pummeled, displaced, and shredded through all impediments between the boy's fists and the air.
[Breathe in, breathe out. Cruelty points outward like a polished blade, angels show no mercy when the opponent is in the way. You serve no master, oh cruel angel. Only your own tyranny guides you...] The lips of the insignia within his Inner World parted as these words filled his mind, slipping into the real world by covering the insides of his eyelids. A slow revolution occurred, the globe rotating only a third of the way before stopping, and Bie opened his eyes.
Although he could see nothing at first, his pupils turned into white plus signs as the Cassius Eyes emerged from their dormancy. As if nothing was in front of him at all, he could see everything before the wings veiling his eyes. Oddly, his hearing was never blocked despite technically lacking earholes, the wings fulfilling their function as ears completely.
The words still lingered in front of his eyes, but they soon shifted. Turning into runes, the words slid from the forefront and traveled down his frame, blending into garbled script as it both integrated with his body and shrouded his fists. Although they weren't visible to any but him, he felt as if the Cruel Thesis grew ever stronger as energy waves spread with his fists as the conduit.
'Maybe this is enough, for now. I'll have to be more diligent in training this, though. Never enough to train, so before I can't think straight, let's try something else~'
A puff of breath rushed out of his lips as he sucked in a thin stream of oxygen. Pale blue radiated from his body in the form of blue outlined particles, though there was noticeably something different in one of them! A swirl of the yellowish white energy replaced the blue outline, transforming one particle completely!
"Shoot them, my..." The particles excitedly shone, and a whisper from not the cluster, but from the Component itself suggested something as it hurriedly communicated.
'Must I?' The feeling of yes.
'You're threatening not to respond if I don't...are you serious?' The emphatic feeling of agreement. Bie looked disgruntled, though he finished his sentence as if nothing happened, the interaction taking nanoseconds of time.
"Subjects." Joyous ghostly cries were emitted as the particles in Bie's Inner World surged towards the erupting Inkwell.
Phantom apparitions with mainly blue outlines appeared, their humanoid figures and beautiful expressions being either masculine, feminine, both, or neither. Tens of them held serene expressions as they watched the particles that composed them fade and coalesce as energy centered on one of their hands, ghostly singing carrying an eerie tune.
But one of those apparitions was composed of a pale mustard yellow outline mixed with gold. The flickering white body revealed a smile, true, but it was less of serene content and more of an unwavering reverence as it nodded towards Bie. On its body, two wings spread from random places, the figure this time taking a feminine shape as it mimicked a woman's physique and had long, wispy hair. As it opened its mouth, an angelic hymn began an unstoppable melody, coordinating and entwining with the ghostly eeriness as a cruel vibe leaked from it.
It flapped both wings, one on the back and another on a side of its head, and those were the first to dissolve into particles. Golden energy condensed into the palm as it gradually faded away, and as the first of the oncoming salvo, it finished its debut by releasing its power first!
Bie felt energy rapidly diminish as beams of energy were emitted by his "Subjects", though he could feel a stream of Ink mixed with the angelic aura of Cruel Thesis reinforcing the position of the angelic apparition. As the ghost subjects faded away, returning to him, the angel subject remained, gathering energy once again!
'If this does what I think it does, I need a version for the "ghosts", as well. More ways to improve, good...' The area near him was cleaned out, though there was the other wave of creatures filling in the gap the dead beasts left.
Though not for long. Two images of Bie's subjects danced around a pill condensing on the fingertip, and the striking crackle of thunder resounded. Lighting ran rampant through the clouds, and Wanxi brought her hands up the sky before forcing them down!
"Ram Storm!"
A golden pill, and lightning strike. Both rushed through the beasts, leaving nothing in their wake as it tore through the terrain as well. Cries, shrieks, and screams lowered the temperature of the environment with the chill of fear, and a gust turned into an updraft as purple dust was blown to the sky.
The area was now clear, Bie and Wanxi both panting in exhaustion. The War-Mer fell from the sky, quicky caught by Casmere in her descent, and the Pinions of Ire regrouped.