Chapter 518: Put an end to the invasion of the angels (2)
The first assault was devastating. Loriel planted her spear in the chest of an angel, lifted him, and hurled him into two others who were approaching. They collapsed in a heap of broken wings and split armor. Konstantin, behind her, joined his palms, his fingers intertwined in a complex seal. The air vibrated, and an invisible shock wave exploded around them, repelling the closest attackers in a crash of bones and twisted metal.
But the angels kept pouring in. The Gate of Paradise gaped wide open, pouring out a continuous stream of celestial warriors. Their wings filled the sky, masking the daylight, their battle chants resounding like a funeral organ. Loriel stepped back, adjusted her grip on the spear, the shaft sliding in her sweaty palms, and struck again. The tip found an angel’s throat, pierced the flesh and came out in a spray of golden sparks. She pivoted, the spear describing a deadly arc that tore the wings of two other creatures, sending them tumbling in a whirlwind of torn feathers and muffled cries.
On the other side, Konstantin raised his arms, his fingers tracing mudras with speed. The ground beneath their feet trembled, and columns of stone burst from the promontory, impaling three angels who were diving toward him. Their bodies remained impaled, their limbs twitching before they dissipated into golden dust. Without stopping, he brought his hands down, and a wall of black flames rose, temporarily separating the celestial stream. The angels who touched the barrier were consumed instantly, their cries piercing the din like shattered glass.
Loriel leaped over the wall of flames. She landed in the middle of a group of cherubim, their swords raised, their faces twisted with fury. Her spear struck three times in one second: the first received the shaft across the skull, the second saw the tip pierce his shoulder, the third felt the handle break his jaw with a sharp crack. She dove, rolled, avoided a sword blow that plowed the ground where she had stood, and rose in one fluid motion. Her spear spun, sweeping the legs of two attackers, and she finished the third with a pommel strike to the face.
Behind her, Konstantin dropped to one knee. He struck the ground with his open palm, and a wave of disintegration spread in concentric circles. The stone cracked, the closest angels were pulverized, their armor bursting into a thousand incandescent pieces. But others were already emerging, jumping over the bodies of their brothers, their wings beating the air with a dull clap that covered the sound of battle.
A large angel, its wings spread over ten meters, swooped down on Loriel. Its sword, as long as a man, came down in a dazzling arc. She raised her spear to parry, and the impact tore a cry from her. Pain exploded in her wounded shoulder, blood spurted, but she held firm, teeth clenched, the muscles in her arms screaming under the tension. She pushed, forced, unbalanced the angel, and planted the tip of her spear in its belly in a quick motion. The creature folded, its eyes widening, before collapsing in a rain of light.
She had no time to catch her breath. Three angels swooped down on her simultaneously, their swords tracing crosses of fire in the air. She dodged the first with a head movement, felt the wind of the blade burn her cheek, parried the second with the shaft of her spear, and took the third on her left wing. The pain was white, blinding. Torn feathers floated around her, stained with blood, as she retreated limping, her spear still ready.
Konstantin could not help her. He was overwhelmed, angels attacking him from all sides, their swords seeking his flesh. He dodged, rolled, struck with his bare fists, lightning bursting from his palms with each contact. He grabbed an angel by the neck, his fingers sinking into the light, and hurled it against two others who were rushing toward him. The bodies collapsed with a clash of metal. He raised his arms, and a storm of lightning tore the sky, the bolts striking the attackers, felling them in a rain of ashes.
But the angels continued to emerge from the gate. An endless tide, their armor sparkling under the darkened sky, their swords blazing like torches. Loriel felt her strength leaving her, her legs trembling, her vision blurring. She clenched her teeth, let out a hoarse challenge, and threw herself into the melee. Her spear split the light, shattered shields, pierced hearts. She struck without counting, each blow tearing a cry, a body, a life.
An angel took her from behind, its steel arms enclosing her, its wings enveloping her like a shroud. She felt her ribs crack, the air failing her. She dropped her spear, grabbed the angel’s head, and twisted, felt the resistance, then the sharp crack of the neck breaking. She fell, and grabbed her spear before getting up, and pierced another angel that was approaching too closely.
Konstantin, at the end of his strength, pressed his palms to the ground. A circle of runes blazed under his fingers, and the earth opened, swallowing a dozen angels in a crevice that closed on them. He rose staggering, blood flowing from his mouth, his eyes bloodshot. He raised his arms, and a wave of repulsion drove back the closest angels, hurling them against the gate in a crash of broken wings.
Loriel saw the Gate of Paradise, still wide open, pouring out its stream of warriors. She planted her spear in the ground, leaned on it, and looked at the horizon. The battle raged around them, the clash of weapons and the cries of the dying filling the air. But she had no time to stop. She raised her head, her wings beating weakly, and prepared to strike again.
Quickly, she launched herself at the closest angel. Covering the distance in a fraction of a second, she took it by surprise before planting her spear in it, then spun on herself. She threw her spear at an angel who was impaled.
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Immediately, the spear returned between her hands, then she deployed her wings and threw herself at another group.