Utter Death!
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BEYOND THE
VEIL: THE
GREAT SHIFT
CHAPTER 15:
PURE UTTER
DEATH
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Daemon's eyes locked onto his opponent, only to be met with empty sockets staring back at him. Before him stood a skeletal figure, its flesh thin and translucent, its skin ashen white. A hollow void occupied the space where its heart should have been.
In that moment, a single thought consumed Daemon's mind.
'Occult Sentinel Wardens.'
The bony grip of the sentinel tightened, but Daemon swiftly severed its arm with his cane blade and retreated.
Standing before the ailing Aryanna, Daemon winced as his face grew pale. Suddenly, the sky surrounding his torn arm transformed into a sheet of ethereal, transparent paper. It was as if the world around him was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.
A blue, translucent arm materialized in place of the missing limb, which Daemon simply shook off. Though not as powerful as Aryanna, Daemon knew that death only marked a temporary end to the battle between two high-level envoys.
While he had not yet reached that level, Daemon could easily have his limbs dismembered and regenerate them without much difficulty.
Unfortunately, Daemon couldn't help but feel that dismemberment would be the least of the damage he would face against the Occult Sentinel Wardens of the Nameless Sect organization.
In the distance, a haunting melody grew louder and more frequent, akin to the crescendo of a grand orchestra.
[This was the primary ability of Order Sequence 7: Dancer of the Spiritual Chorus, a position held by House Elysium, the rulers of the Spirit Realm.]
[The main ability of the Dancer of the Spiritual Chorus was deceptively simple. The dancer's spirituality extended into the metaphysical essence of their victim, affecting them on every level of consciousness and physicality.]
[Through this ability, the Dancer played a Chorus that mirrored the victim's soul, gradually weakening them, rendering them sluggish and impulsive, and ultimately eroding their spirituality completely, all while engaging in an unconscious dance of terror with the Dancer of the Spiritual Chorus.]
[And so, a Dance of Death unfolded between Daemon, the Dancer, and his victim, an Occult Sentinel Warden.]
Daemon gracefully crouched down, his spiritual aura billowing around his neck, dancing with the wind. In an instant, the ground beneath him cracked and the windows in the shattered district of the city shattered even further.
A powerful boom unintentionally unleashed a gust of wind, causing the fragile purple barriers that barely contained Matthew, Elijah, and Augustus to shatter. Just as the Sentinel turned around, Daemon materialized right behind it, while the Dancer vanished and reappeared directly in front of the Sentinel.
Daemon seemed to blink in and out of reality, disappearing and reappearing in different directions. Yet, the Occult Sentinel Warden remained unperturbed, standing firm as Daemon flickered across the battlefield.
Finally, the Sentinel made its move, slamming the floor with force. Suddenly, a thin line appeared, extending and connecting, creating a door-like shape on the ground.
The ground swiftly transformed into an ethereal illusion, opening backwards to reveal a dark abyss shrouded in fog.
Out of the blackness, countless bone hands emerged, morphing and shaping into various forms, resembling fleas and other human materials.
Dancer Daemon gracefully soared through the battlefield, effortlessly dismantling the flesh-like hands. Meanwhile, the Occult Sentinel Warden observed with a bony smile, its skeletal teeth exposed.
Suddenly, another object materialized within the black abyss, landing perfectly in the Sentinel's hands.
The Sentinel wielded a massive scythe, its blade longer and thicker than a typical gardening tool. The scythe's base was made of pure metal, connected to the Sentinel's arm by a chain that wrapped around it.
As soon as the Sentinel Warden was armed, the illusory doors closed, leaving only the outline of a door on the solid ground.
The grand orchestration of the battle shifted as the Sentinel made a slight movement. Amidst it all, Dancer Daemon gracefully maneuvered from wall to wall, navigating every inch of the battlefield.
The towering figure of the Sentinel Warden hurled his massive scythe towards the towering building, aiming for the spot where Dancer Daemon was about to make his entrance. With lightning-fast reflexes, the nimble Dancer managed to evade the deadly weapon, narrowly avoiding a close shave as the scythe grazed his chin and forehead.
Coming to a halt right in front of the Sentinel Warden, the grand orchestras playing in the background began to fade, their melodies growing softer and softer.
Daemon gracefully swiped his arm through the air once more, causing the sky to transform into a translucent sheet of paper. With a manipulation of the spiritual energy in the world, thousands of sharp spikes erupted from the ground, aiming to impale the Sentinel Warden.
Or so it seemed.
The Sentinel Warden swiftly shattered the blue spiritual spike that had pierced him, effortlessly discarding it like butter sliding off a hot knife. Without wasting a moment, he charged towards Dancer Daemon, who was also moving in for the attack.
Their blades clashed in a dazzling display of skill and power. The Sentinel attempted a sweeping strike from the side, but Daemon conjured blue spiritual chains to block the attack. In retaliation, Daemon struck back, only to have his blow intercepted by the very same blue spike that had impaled the Sentinel.
With incredible speed, Daemon relinquished his cane blade and seized hold of the chain, swiftly wrapping it around the Sentinel's arm. With a swift spin and a powerful elbow strike, he aimed to incapacitate the Sentinel Warden.
To his surprise, the Sentinel didn't even flinch.
In a split second, Dancer Daemon found himself on the receiving end of a devastating punch, sending him hurtling through the air and crashing into the surroundings. Unintentionally, the Sentinel lost his arm in the process, but for someone who had undergone artificial alterations to their body and soul, dismemberment was a mere inconvenience.
In an instant, the Sentinel's arm regrew, and he retrieved his scythe, determined to bring an end to Dancer Daemon's resistance.
—••••••••••—
Daemon's frustration grew as he realized that victory seemed out of reach, despite his own abilities. "Why in the world is an Occult Sentient Warden from the Nameless Sect even here? Aren't they usually sent for powerhouses above Order Sequence 5? Why do they care about a mere Dancer? Or are they here to eliminate Aryanna?"
Daemon could only rely on his limited knowledge of the enigmatic Nameless Sect organization. He let out a sigh of disbelief, knowing that tonight could potentially be one of the most challenging and perilous experiences he had ever faced, rivaling even the War of LöreHaven.
"This Sentinel possesses the ability to open a direct portal to the underworld, unimaginable strength, and exceptional combat skills." Daemon clicked his tongue in annoyance, realizing that the Sentinel was merely toying with him.
But that grimace soon transformed into a smirk as he felt a deep sense of completion within his spirit and soul. The Crossed Line had been crossed.
[Once an envoy from any of the Houses advances to a new Order Sequence, a phenomenon known as the Crossed Line occurs.]
(Crossed Lines temporarily suppress the previous Order Sequence abilities, allowing the user to focus on the new ones. Once this line is crossed, all previous Order Sequence abilities become fully activated and enhanced.)
(Usually, this wouldn't pose a problem. However, in Daemon's current situation, he would need every ounce of additional power to even stand a slim chance against this high-ranking Sentient Warden from the Nameless Sect.)
Before long, the Dancer's Chorus began to crescendo dramatically. Rising to his feet and emerging from the depths of the surrounding buildings, Daemon watched as the Sentinel approached him slowly, his scythe gliding along the ground.
Danger Daemon stretched his body to its limits as he moved, causing multiple sonic booms to reverberate through the air. It was a head-on collision, and the Sentinel met every one of Dancer Daemon's movements with his empty eye sockets.
As Dancer Daemon closed in, his scythe sliced through the air with incredible speed! But Daemon anticipated this and swiftly dodged, resulting in a gush of blood from his neck. Undeterred, he pressed on.
Reaching out towards the skull-like face, Daemon's hands emitted a mesmerizing blue light, as if drawing power from the depths of space.
[Order Sequence 12: Spiritual Particle Manipuler.]
[True to its name, Daemon Eggers possesses the ability to manipulate spiritual particles. However, this power is normally restricted. Thankfully, as Order Sequence 7 of the House Elysium, Daemon's limitations are lifted, though not entirely.]
As Daemon exerted his control over the entity composed of souls and spirituality, his own body suffered immense damage to his torso.
Coughing up blood, Daemon's lips curled into a smirk as the blue vacuum intensified, devouring the souls and spiritual particles in the air. Half of the skull-like face disintegrated within the vortex of soul and spirit.
A powerful kick to the stomach sent Daemon hurtling backwards, but he managed to land on his feet. They found themselves back on the main street of the ruined building.
Without hesitation, Daemon placed his hand over his destroyed torso. It was a gruesome sight, with exposed flesh and bone. Yet, Daemon's smirk remained.
An ethereal blue glow enveloped Daemon's torso, and miraculously, flesh and damaged bone began to regenerate, as if time itself was rewinding!
[Order Sequence 12: Spiritual Healings]
[Once acquired, this ability is solely dedicated to healing spiritual wounds. However, Daemon has intertwined his soul, spirit, and body, making any damage affect him physically, spiritually, and soulfully. Fortunately, any ability that doesn't harm him in these aspects is rendered useless against him.]
[It's quite the gamble, really. If any ability affects Daemon in any way, he can simply heal it with his spiritual healing. And if nothing affects him, well, nothing will happen. It's quite remarkable, actually. As long as he has spirituality and isn't blocked by anyone or anything, he's effectively immortal!]
Daemon couldn't help but smirk as the Sentient Warden emerged from the smoke and dust. There was something different about him this time.
His bones and flesh seemed more prominent, making him appear taller. And there, under his neck, a number appeared.
[SW. 747. NS]
Daemon's smirk transformed into a full-blown grin as he rose to his feet. "Finally, you're taking me seriously! Let's kick it up a notch!"
With a snap of his fingers, sparks surrounded them, and suddenly, bolts of blue lightning and thunder crashed down upon the ground.
The street quickly became charred and disgusting, but Daemon's smirk remained. His brown eyes, almost golden-yellow, grew even more intense. He activated his Spirit Vision.
With a slight swipe of his arms to the right, a gust of wind blew, clearing away the smoke and dust from the ground. And there, standing completely unbothered, was the Sentinel Warden. Surrounding him were about a dozen other charred and burnt Sentinel Wardens, some of them disappearing as the gust of wind struck, carrying away their ashes.
[This was one of the abilities possessed by the Occult Sentinel Warden of the Nameless Sect. It's called Genetic Clones, where these clones are artificial copies of the original with their own consciousness and equal strength.]
[They are often used as shields or for self-discovery. However, it's rarely used in combat due to the events of the 6th Age - the Age of Shadowed Silence. After combat, the originals are killed by the genetic clones, either by the clones themselves or by the overwhelming damage transferred to them through their hive mind-like consciousness.]
[The Sentinel Warden stood tall and formidable, unaffected by the few lightning and thunder strikes that had attempted to weaken it. However, Daemon knew that he had a chance to disrupt its power. With a scythe in its hands, the Warden's weapon was vulnerable and could be broken, diminishing its abilities and the strength of its attacks.]
Daemon was no stranger to these creatures, although his knowledge was limited compared to his father-in-law and brother-in-law who had encountered them before. But he was determined to make a difference.
With a determined expression, Daemon clasped his hands together, channeling his energy. A brilliant blue glow surrounded his hands, infused with a hint of fiery red. The spark of red quickly spread, transforming his hands into a menacing and scorching force. The energy emanating from them seemed to originate from the depths of hell or purgatory itself.
A mischievous smirk played on Daemon's lips as he blinked out of existence, reappearing right behind the Sentient Warden. His long bangs concealed his eyes, adding an air of mystery to his presence.
In his clenched fists, the hellish-red energy intensified, creating an even stronger and unholy aura. With a surge of power, Daemon unleashed a devastating blow, connecting his fists with the Warden's form. The impact sent the Sentinel Warden hurtling across the street, accompanied by streaks of thunder and fire.
The Battle Between Two had just truly begun!