As I destroyed the doors at the top of the steps, I felt the Oracle's power. The strange energy from before that caused me to freeze in place.
It locked my steps and Rose fired several streams of light at me.
However, I had already planned for this.
The power I stole from Rose was something I used to augment my Archmage Aspect.
The magic that resulted...
...made me immune to such tricks.
I dodged Rose's attacks and reflected them back at her.
She shielded herself from the blasts and stepped forward.
"Vile monster... I will pay you back in kind for what you did to me!" Rose growled.
I could tell something was different about her. Even if she spoke with emotion, her eyes showed anything but...
They were cold and lifeless. As if she'd become a puppet.
Still, I couldn't resist taunting her...
"Really? You enjoyed it so much, though. Or do you mean to say that you're going to ask for more again?" I said.
"You are truly despicable, Mizik Iratus!" the Oracle said.
"I'm despicable? What about you? You're an inhuman monster that has sat back and watched me die a thousand times! And when I finally got myself together, you killed me with your own hands! You're a failure as a caretaker, Oracle! So make sure you scream for me as I tear you to pieces!" I said.
I readied Vengeance and summoned my second sword.
Rose prepared for battle as well.
I already had a plan to deal with her, thankfully.
All I needed to do was resonate with Bravery and this battle would be simple.
Unfortunately, it seemed as though the Oracle had gotten rid of Submissive Resonance. I could no longer feel its power.
Regardless, I knew I could still win.
"This is your final warning, false wielder. Surrender Bravery, or face execution," I said.
"You will never have me," Rose said coldly.
I gritted my teeth in rage...and I felt something I believed I would never feel again.
I felt tears roll down my cheeks.
Then this...is goodbye... Perhaps I was truly never meant to have you...
"So be it. FLAMES OF RAGE!"
My swords became cloaked in crimson fire as I watched Rose.
"SHATTER!!!" She roared.
I managed to dispel the attack before the volatile sound waves impacted me and launched an assault of magic spears on Rose.
She shielded herself, but I had already closed the distance.
I changed Vengeance into an ax and a bladed shotgun, then I blasted her with one hand just before swinging the other.
She was grazed by my shot, but blocked the ax with her shield.
As the shield began to glow, I teleported behind her.
"BLAST...huh?"
I swung my ax and hit her in the shoulder.
It would have likely removed her arm, except her body was incredibly dense and she manifested a barrier inside her body to prevent it.
I pulled back as she quickly turned around.
"SUNLIGHT BLADE!!" She shouted.
Her sword extended and just barely missed me as I jumped over it.
"SUPREME WRATH OF IRATUS!!!"
At that moment, I was filled with incredible power.
My movements became even quicker as my blades clashed with Rose.
Unfortunately for her, Rose had great strength but low speed.
As long as The Warlord allowed me to react to her attacks instantaneously, her strikes were futile.
I changed my ax into a bladed shotgun and began firing as I struck Rose.
She began creating barriers to throw off my attacks, but I used lethal strikes to shatter them.
As soon as she began channeling light magic, I jumped back and began dispersing it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Oracle charging magic to attack while my attention was off of her.
But then a void eye opened next to her head and stared at her.
The Oracle froze as her spell dispersed, and looked at it.
But by the time she turned, it had gone.
"Rose!!! Deal with that insufferable failure of a hero!! I'm going to figure out why the Void keeps reaching into Excelsis!" The Oracle said angrily.
Idiot. I'm sure Difar has already spoken to you... He's an asshole like that.
"I will...fight!!!" Rose said.
She seemed to be struggling, somehow... As if she couldn't focus.
It looked like she was hesitating in her attacks.
Meanwhile, the duration of Supreme Wrath of Iratus was extremely long. I could still feel its power and now understood the strength my father once commanded.
Rose stabbed Bravery into the ground and clutched her head.
"Ugh...why... Why now...!? I have to...kill him!" She said.
Honestly...I was sick of this.
Losing her was the most agonizing thing that had ever happened to me. I wanted nothing more than to fix her, but part of me only desired to let go.
"Are you finished? Because I can keep going. I have yet to use my full power," I said.
She gritted her teeth in pain as her eyes seemed to regain some measure of light.
"SHUT UP!!! I HATE YOU!!! But...but I love you... AAAHHHHHHH!!! GO AWAY!!! DAMN THAT ARTIFICER!!! DAMN HIM TO HELL!!!" Rose screamed.
Then she pulled out her sword and held it up
"CROWN OF THE HERO!!!" Rose shouted.
The mystical silvery crown adorned with pink gems appeared on her head.
Her sword extended into light and she glared at me.
"I was wondering when I would have to deal with this..." I said.
Truthfully, I had no way of actually defeating this form right now.
But that wasn't about to stop me.
All I had to do was resonate with Bravery.
Ultimate power was just a few inches away...
The Oracle was distracted by Valtheim. Actually, it looked like she was being toyed with.
Without a doubt ordered by Difar since Valtheim had no will of her own.
Rose swung her sword multiple times and several blasts of sunlight flew towards me.
I dodged and prepared to attack.
I also prepared to experience a lot of pain.
"WRATH POSSESSION!!!" I shouted.
Immediately, I felt the power of Vengeance come into my body.
He took hold of my strength and changed his stance.
["Perish...FALSE WIELDER!!!"]
Rose launched herself at me and rapidly swung her sword, Vengeance dodged it using The Warlord and changed both swords into axes.
Rose hesitated for a moment and Vengeance let loose with a rapid barrage of blows.
At the same time, every strike sent incredible amounts of flame into her.
Then...the pain began to set in.
Lots of it.
My health began draining with each hit.
Rose backed away quickly and Vengeance used The Archmage to cast healing magic on my body.
["This time...I am prepared. Bravery, your fourth form is imposing, but not invincible. Your wielder will fall on this day."]
"Please...no! Don't make me fight him...! I MUST!!! I WILL RECLAIM MY INNOCENCE!!!" Rose said.
Without a word, Vengeance began rapidly manifesting many types of magic spells all around.
He changed his axes back into swords and threw them both at Rose.
They impacted her shield like spinning saws and she ran forward to attack me.
["As expected."]
Vengeance dodged her attacks and called the swords to himself.
They impaled Rose in her back as Vengeance channeled fire through them.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Rose screamed as her flesh was seared.
Vengeance drew them straight through her torso.
He caught them by the handles and remained in place.
With one swift motion, he slashed her throat and kicked her body away.
Her form fell in to the ground at the throne of the Oracle.
I also dropped to my knees.
That attack had drained over half of my health...
Vengeance relinquished control back to me and I began quickly healing myself.
Moments after, Rose stood back up as her body and armor regenerated.
Apparently, Vengeance hadn't managed to break the casing on her heart stone.
Suddenly, Rose's expression looked pained. Tears fell down her face.
Then, I saw the Oracle immediately look at Rose.
She reached her hand out and a dark green energy enveloped Rose.
"GAAAHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!! STOP IT!!! I DON'T WANT TO KILL HIM!!!!" She screamed.
"Isa...bella...?" I said
Then she looked at me.
"Mizik...SHE HAS MY MIND!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!! I'M SORRY!!! SAVE ME, PLEASE!!!!" She screamed.
After that, her expression turned neutral again. Her eyes became lifeless once more.
"Tsk tsk...that's a bad girl. You're not allowed to talk to Mizik. Not now, not ever again! AWAY WITH YOU!" The Oracle said angrily.
Suddenly, I felt myself fall even further.
Something else snapped in me..
Words couldn't even come close to expressing my anger, anymore.
[THE TIME IS NOW!!! RESONATE WITH BRAVERY!!! END THIS BATTLE, ONCE AND FOR ALL!!! KILL THE ORACLE AND TAKE VENGEANCE UPON HER!!!]
I manifested several chains to bind Rose all over her body.
I used them to pull her arm up and extended Bravery. Then I lunged forward.
When I clashed my blade onto hers, I shouted.
"OVERSEER'S RESONANCE!!!"
The swords glowed and I heard a female voice like Bravery.
[Thank you... Please...save us!]
I pulled back as I saw a new message appear on my status menu.
{Overseer's Resonance will now be deleted. Conditions have been met for the Fourth Form of [Vengenance]. You know what to do.}
Odd wording aside, it was right.
The knowledge had immediately appeared within my mind.
My second sword disappeared and I manifested the scabbard of Vengeance.
I sheathed it and held the sword out while Rose remained bound.
"NO!!! I WON'T LET YOU!!!" The Oracle yelled.
Then the eye appeared again.
"You...will perish..." Valtheim whispered.
"WHAT ARE YOU!?!?" The Oracle said fearfully.
"I...AM...VALTHEIM...!"
The Oracle froze as I began reading the runes on the sheath.
"I AM THE OVERSEER, THE OMNI-WEAPON, THE MASTER OF THE DEUS ARMS. I HAVE RESONATED WITH THE TWELVE LEGENDARY BLADES AND SLAIN THE FALSE WIELDERS! I COMMAND YOU, VENGEANCE, RELEASE YOUR TRUE POWER!!! HE THAT SLAYS THINE ENEMY, IS THE VENGEFUL ONE!!!"
Suddenly...I felt an incredible force envelop me.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" The Oracle screamed.
"VENGEANCE FORM FOUR: FURY FORM!!!"
A pillar of crimson energy erupted from me as blood-red lightning crackled around my body.
I unsheathed Vengeance and saw a new message.
{New Skill(s) Gained: Vengeance Form Four: Fury Form
V.Unending Fury}
{OMNI-WEAPON RELEASED!}
I saw the forms and skills of every single Deus Arms weapon added to my menu.
I smiled as the chains dispersed around Rose.
Then, I was enveloped in a black armor that glowed with crimson runes.
A cloak appeared on my back, and a menacing, black crown appeared on my head.
My eyes began scanning everything around me as my weapon shifted into multiple different forms.
"Yeah...this'll do..." I said.
"DIE MIZIK!!!" Rose roared.
The shot forward and I simply raised my hand.
A shield appeared in front of me that blocked her blade.
Her expression turned to one of panic and confusion.
"I...took damage...!?" She said.
"Blast nova," I said.
Rose looked horrified for a moment just before the shield unleashed an incredible blast of fire that blew her away.
After she landed, she tried to stand up.
"Kneel," I said.
She dropped back to her knees.
"N...no... What's happening!?" Rose said fearfully.
"Bravery, I order you to lock your wielder's movement."
I felt something like an assurance of agreement and Rose stopped moving completely.
Then, I used psychokinesis to pull her to me.
"I'll deal with you later. For now, my target is the Oracle," I said.
I tried to place Rose in my inventory and got a message claiming that it was impossible to put people in it.
I almost laughed as I modified it to do just that. Once Rose had been taken care of, I looked to the Oracle.
"DAMN YOU TO HELL, MIZIK IRATUS!!! YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!!!! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU DIE TEN THOUSAND TIMES SCREAMING IN AGONY FOR YOUR REBELLION!!!" The Oracle screamed.
She stood up and walked down the steps of her throne just before slamming her walking stick on the ground.
"I'll face you at my full power... NOTHING HELD BACK!" She said.
Then the Oracle opened her eyes and what I saw, genuinely surprised me.