2459 Creation and Destruction (Part 1)
‘What are you doing?’ Nyka struggled to regain control of their body but Dawn kept her down.
‘What you asked me to. I’m going to save your friend.’ The Horseman replied.
‘What the heck are you saying? This is the wrong direction. Lith and Solus are the other way!’ Nyka was flabbergasted.
‘This is the right direction. Without our help, Tista is going to die.’ Dawn’s words made little sense to the Vampire.
The Red Demon was indeed close to the fight but at a safe distance. Also, no one seemed to care about her. Yet Nyka could feel the urgency in Dawn’s mind and decided to keep her questions for later.
At first, Windfell thought it was just a ruse to make him lower his guard and stab him in the back, but Life Vision revealed to him that the Horseman was preparing no spell.
As Dawn got further away, the cursed scimitar decided there was no point in looking the gift horse in the mouth. Windfell could use a break to gulp down a few tonics for his host and join his allies.
“What is that thing?” The voice came from the sword since the human was busy drinking.
“I have no clue.” Stargazer had opened the six Evil Eyes on her body and was using them to read the flow of the world energy. “I’ve never met anything like this. The only possible explanation is that Solus Verhen is a greater cursed object like the Black Star.
“She needs a mana geyser to fuel her abilities and she got close enough to activate them.”
“It makes sense.” Knightfall nodded while checking the disturbance in his dimensional array and preparing as many spells as he could. “The little sister didn’t showcase any unique ability even when her life was in danger.
“More than once I thought that Night had just pulled our leg and that Solus was just a weak-ass huma-”
“By my maker!” Windfell cut her short as the pillar of light faded and its energy was absorbed into the colossal figure in front of the cursed objects instead of disappearing. “Do you see that?”
“I can feel that!” Stargazer replied as the stream of information from the six Evil Eyes made her whole being burn with pain.
The thing in front of them was over 35 meters (115 feet) tall.
It was covered in golden and black scales, both with their edges blood-red from the heat sealed within. It also had four arms of which the first set was entirely black and still cut at the elbow level while the second was entirely golden.
Four sets of wings came out of its back. The first, coming out from the shoulder blades were upside-down black membranous wings. Right below them, a pair of red feathered wings set ablaze by Cursed Flames came out from its spine.
Then, there was another set of membranous wings but they were golden in color and normal in shape. From the hips came the final set, a pair of silver feathered wings that emanated a soothing radiance.
It wasn’t just the appearance of the matching sets being in stark contrast with one another but also the energy they radiated. Yet the elements of destruction flowed in perfect harmony with those of creation, amplifying instead of disrupting each other.
One set of curved horns came out of the crown of its head, pointing at the sky. Another one came out from the back of its neck, shielding it. The third and last one was right below the first, in a spiral shape similar to a ram’s horns.
Nine eyes were open on its face. Eight formed a perfect circle on the face of the creature while the ninth was vertical and placed exactly in the middle. The jaw of the colossus split in two as it panted, the scales on its face sliding away to reveal two mouths.
The majestic figure of the colossus was ruined by the combined wounds of Solus and Lith that not only had been carried over in the fusion, but also made deeper by their increased size.
The creature bled profusely from its amputated limbs and from the many cracks in its body. Light, fire, and darkness mixed with the blood, producing droplets the size of a car that fell to the ground producing a wet noise.
“That’s it?” Windfell laughed while pointing at the colossus. “That’s the Horsemen’s Bane? The Scourge of the lost cities? A huge bright violet-cored idiot?”
The other two cursed objects were less entertained and more puzzled by the turn of events. Their traitorous sister had yet to exhibit one unique ability, her host’s body wasn’t regenerating like their own would, and Verhen’s core had just gone from violet to bright violet.
Sure, he was a Divine Beast and his size now exceeded anything but a white core, yet it was underwhelming for someone who had allegedly destroyed lost cities and shamed two of Baba Yaga’s Horsemen on multiple occasions.
“Nine eyes? Unfallen Balors only had six eyes.” She pointed at those on her staff that her maker had procured before the fall of the Balor race. “Tyrants have six as well whereas Hydras get to seven heads tops. What are the other two eyes for?”
“Who cares about that?” Windfell’s host had fully assimilated the nutrients thanks to Invigoration, returning his cores and bodies to their peak condition. “Let’s kill Verhen and cash in our reward.”
The cursed scimitar charged forward without waiting for a reply.
Stargazer cursed his stupidity, readying her spells while signaling Knightfall to be ready to rescue their teammate. The cursed shield considered the precautions useless but followed the plan anyway.
‘Stargazer is the oldest and the most paranoid of the three of us. Sure, Verhen is big but that means that he is going to have a hard time following the movements of someone as small and quick as Windfell.
‘Each one of us has slain dozens of Divine Beasts, a new species is hardly a problem. The trick is always the same. Strike them hard and fast at their vitals while they clumsily flail their claws around.
‘Size is worth squat against Davross and thanks to our regenerative properties, our hosts’ body refining is superior to that of any violet core. The best Verhen can do with his nine eyes is take a good look at Windfell’s technique.’
Or so Knightfall thought until the cursed blade entered the colossus’ range.
It took a deep breath, and when it exhaled, the sheer pressure generated by such a simple act hit Windfell like a wall, forcing him to a halt. From so up close he heard the noise of two invisible war drums whose deafening noise made his bones and metal vibrate.
Great was his shock when he understood that it was simply the sound produced by the beating of twin hearts. The ground below the titan caved while the shockwaves caused by the rapid heartbeats paralyzed the living legacy.
It lasted only for one second, but it seemed to last hours. Awakened could do many things in the span of a second, especially if their opponent was helpless. They clenched their teeth, readying for the colossus’ inevitable attack.
