Legend of Mautau: Angelorum Lux

Ch 27: Revenant of the Black Inferno

           Swinging his blades vertically in the air before him, Grey unleashed shining waves of light energy at the Professor. Sidestepping his energy waves, the Professor channeled EDE into his hand and began firing balls of blue fire at Grey, starting to move backwards out of Grey’s range. Grey charged after him, dodging his attacks as fireballs exploded behind him in blasts of blue flame. As Grey started catching up, the Professor raised a hand as though willing something to rise, and a wall of blue flames erupted between the two. Driven back by both surprise and the sheer heat, as Grey composed himself, the Professor shouted, “I wouldn’t touch it if I were you! I doubt even an energist of your caliber will survive my unholy flames…” Sensing an attack coming, Grey leaped out of the way as a torrent of blue fire shot through the wall of blue flames. Stepping through the hole in the wall of flames, with his rapier in one hand and crackling blue flames in the other, the Professor said, “Weren’t you going to hit me with all you’ve got, Grey? I’m waiting…” As he struggled to his feet, Grey quickly chanted, “Ego Voco Vos, Aqua Acies!” Blue runes raced across Grey’s blades, and with a smile the Professor said, “Rune Swordsmanship, eh? Very well…” Now the Professor began chanting, “Ego Voco Vos…” Grey’s eyes widened as the Professor finished, “…Fulmen Acies!” Yellow runes raced across the Professor’s rapier, and it began to crackle with lightning. Seeing Grey’s stunned face, the Professor laughed quietly and said, “Though Alexander himself is the one who originally developed it, I’m afraid the two of you are not the only users of Rune Swordsmanship! I dabble in it a little myself…” Pointing his rapier, he unleashed a stream of lightning at Grey, and Grey’s reaction was too slow. Gritting his teeth in agony as his body was electrified, Grey thought to himself, “Dammit! This guy, he could be a problem!”

           With every ounce of will, Grey muttered, “Cesso, Validus Terra Obex!” Managing to hold one of his blades so that its tip pointed at the ground, Grey dropped it, and as the tip struck the stone street of the square, he quickly shouted, “Iacio!” Erupting from the ground, stone walls came up around Grey, interrupting the stream of lightning and sealing Grey within a shell of stone. Lowering his lightning rapier, the Professor said, “Not bad. Certainly not the best way to escape my attack though. You’ve basically trapped yourself.” Within the shell of stone, Grey quickly formulated a plan and began chanting, “Geminus Cesso, Pluvia Eversio, Vultus Lux.” Grabbing his other blade off the ground, he stabbed it forcefully through the stone street and chanted, “Geminus Secundus Cesso, Septimo Spiritus Ignis.” Using his remaining sword, he slashed at the ceiling of the shell until it cracked open, and leaping up on top of the broken shell, he pointed his sword at the Professor and shouted “Iacio!” White runes formed on his blade and arrows of light shot forth from his sword’s tip at the Professor, who leaped into the air over the wave of projectiles and swung his blade down at Grey. Grey leaped away as the Professor came down with his weapon, barely evading the lightning charged strike and quickly shouting, “Secundus Iacio” As a red rune circle formed beneath the broken shell he now stood upon, the Professor’s eyes went wide as he thought, “Blast, I’d forgotten! He’s a twin blade user!” A mighty explosion engulfed him and the shell, reducing everything in the circle’s radius to ruin. Yet certain this was not over, Grey chanted, “Cesso, Pluvia Eversio, Vultus Lux.” As he’d expected, stepping through the smoke and flames came the Professor. His clothes looking somewhat scorched, his glasses crooked, he had a stern look on his face. Grey quickly pointed his blade at him and shouted, “Iacio!” Arrows of light shot forth once more, but the Professor raised his rapier and chanted, “Velo Eternus Nox!” A dark hexagon wall formed before him, and the arrows of light impacted it and exploded harmlessly. 

Straightening his glasses, the Professor called out, “Not bad, but I’d say you still need to learn some new tricks. Creating new spells is a hobby of mine, as I am somewhat of an inventor you know. My Anima Weapon also has the ability to enhance the strength of my spells. Let me show you my favorite creation…” Raising his rapier at Grey, he chanted, “Certamen Fluctus Ignis Quod Telum Fulmen!” A pair of rune circles, one red and one yellow, formed and combined in front of him. A swirling wave of fire and lightning shot from it towards Grey, who hurled himself aside just in time, the wave tearing onward and striking the wall of the dark shell around the square with a thunderous and fiery explosion. Pointing his rapier at Grey once more, the Professor chanted, “Excipio Inmicus, Carcer Furibundis Ignis!” Upon the ground where Grey was struggling onto his hands and knees, a red rune circle formed, and in the blink of an eye all around him were walls of fire. Frowning, the Professor called out, “This is subpar compared to what I expected from He of the Infinite. Can you really do nothing without your friends beside you?” As he got to his feet, the Professor’s words rang through Grey’s ears, and he thought to himself, “Is he right? Am I too weak to face him alone?” Suddenly, Amy’s voice rang through his head, and he could not recall where he had heard it. “Grey’s heart is his power, a power you’ll never have!” Grey thought to himself, “My heart?” Now Alexander’s voice rang through his mind, “It’s just like you, charging forward no matter what stands in your way.” Then he heard Scott’s voice say, “If I had to guess, I think it’s because he knows he’s always got us with him if things get tough.” Grey smiled, thinking, “That’s right! I have to go forward, no matter what stands in my way! You’re all here with me, counting on me!” As Mythra’s voice rang out, “Besides… we’re all friends after all, right?” His confidence restored, he said out loud, “I’m not alone! My friends are all here in my heart, and we’re gonna kick his ass!” Suddenly feeling as though there was a great power waiting to be released from within him, words came to Grey’s mind and he spoke them without realizing, saying, “Void Energy, Level 1!”