The divine Comedy: Lucifer's second act

Ch.38 Solstice

Free knew he couldn't overstay his welcome,the king had already set up a duel between him and a random mercenary.
Free sighed with disappointment as he came here for the sole purpose of looking for the cult,but knowing that nothing in here has changed he thinks that maybe it is best if they just moved on to their next destination post sparring match.

The Kingdoms clocktower struck 3 times past midday, Signaling the time for the duel.The duel occured in the colloseum where the tournament happened.
There sand was still as bloodstained as before,it reeked of rotting corpses.
The two were already there standing in the centre.The bleachers were filled with onlookers and the Royals sat at their respective area.
Free and Akira had to reluctantly face each other in a forced fight rather than fighting at their own schedule,but nonetheless the two would still show their true power.
The two were in the middle of the battleground.
"I'm sorry my father in law dragged you into this"
Free said looking into akira's eyes
"No need to worry,I have no current gig at the moment"
He said looking back at him.

The two readied their stances, Free pulled out heaven piercer and Akira aimed his crossbow right at Free.
It hasn't even started yet the two have already begun to fight at their own pace.
The two smirked at each other as Akira fired the first shot.
The crossbow bolt flew at high speeds but free moved his body to the side dodging it swiftly.
Free started to move slowly towards him as Akira fired more bolts.
Free still dodged them all with grace.
"I don't see you reloading that damn thing"
"What is it magic?"
Free said approaching him whilst dodging the bolts.
"I don't know myself"
"I just took it from a random chest I found in the middle of a cave"
"Thing just reloads by itself"
He said continuesly firing the bolts.
"Hell I could even infuse it with magic"
He said as he shit a bolt, infused with ice magic aiming at Free's foot attempting to freeze it.
The bolt managed to connect with Free's foot, instantly freezing him in place.but Free transformed his foot into pure magma and easily melted his way out before returning it back to normal.

"Impressive"
Said Akira,while he carefully aimed his crossbow
"Wait Akira"
"These are one of the times where I Should really take over"
Said a voice in his head
"Not now"
Said Akira
"We struck a deal that you'll only take over I'm unconscious"
He said
Free was close enough before he raised his arm and summoned a giant pike made of ice and threw it towards Akira's direction.
Akira leaped in the air,but free summoned multiple ethereal swords above Akira and made them rain down in him.
Akira moved with such speed that if appeared as if he disappeared into thin air.

"Where is he?"
Free asked looking around.
"I can't sense his ki"
He held his guard up expecting surprise attacks.
Akira reappeared in a crowd of people in the bleachers.
Pulling out his steel tipped long bow and readying an arrow from his quiver.he took deep breaths as he carefully aimed at Free.
He pulled his bow back,till the string was as tense as it could be.
He held his breath as he aimed for Free's vitals and released, releasing his breath as well.
The arrow flied through the air as it aimed for Free's heart.Free noticed it at the last second as he fell to the ground when the arrow pierced his chest.

"Shit"
Said Cellinia as she rose up from her seat,she could only observe as what seems to be Free's lifeless body lie on the ground.
Free got up and looked at the arrow in his heart.
"Ow"
He said as he grabbed it and ripped it out.
"I know your good but atleast try not to end the battle this quickly"
He said as he threw the arrow back at him.
"What exactly are you,Free"
He said as he caught the arrow in his hands.
Cellinia let out a sigh of relief knowing that Free didn't just drop dead at the time.

Free placed his index finger and middle finger in between his eyes as he teleported behind Akira.
"SOLSTICE NOW"
Akira shouted sensing his presence.
A figure of pure light appeared from Akira's back holding an ethereal crossbow shooting multiple bolts at Free
Free quickly reacted and dodged every single bolt he then grabbed his crossbow out of the figures hands and placed it in a holster Akira made for the crossbow on his waist.
Free then pulled out heaven piercer as he attempted to strike him but Akira used the steel blade tips on his bow and parried the attack.
The two were locked in a struggle until free pushed him away making him tumble down the row of seats and eventually land headfirst into the colosseums pavement.

Akira laid down unconscious
"Umm,are you alright?"
Free asked
A bright light began to glow from Akira's core as it turned into a beam of light that was as bright as the sun.

Then he saw Akira once more but his appearance changed.
It was the same person but with blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
It wore a white robe adorned with golden patterns representing the sun and it's glorious light
A pair of golden eagle wings unfurled from his black.
A halo formed around his head with the symbol of the sun appearing behind his back.
He became an angel....
"My name is.... Solstice"
"I know we have never met but..."
"You have a familiar aura"
The angel said

"No.."
"Damn..."
"Way "
Said Phanes in Free's head
"You know this guy Phanes"
Said Free as he braced himself
"That's my damn coworker"
"Part of the Lucifer search corps"
"He holds the arcana of the sun"
Said Phanes
"I recommend I take over from here"
Said Phanes as a beam of divine light surrounded Free.
A crack appeared from the light as it broke revealing Phanes cracking his neck and back.

"HAH I KNEW YOU SEEMED FAMILIAR"
Said Solstice as he readied an attack
Holding a bow made in the heavens
"Yeah yeah, solstice"
"Let's get this over with alright"
Said Phanes as he summoned eternity's edge and dashed towards Solstice.
"The two are..."
"Angels?"
Questioned the king as a brilliant show of lights began to take place amidst the battle.
And there it was the battle between two sides of the same coin
Phanes The personification of light Vs
Solstice the embodiment of the sun

"The air suddenly has a slight hunt of sulfur and smoke"
Said Solstice as he looked at Phanes
"This isn't the Phanes I remember"
"His aura seems, malevolent"
Solstice summoned multiple arrows of light
"CLEANSING ARROW"
he shouted as all the arrows were launched and fused into one gigantic arrow attempting to pierce the Angel of light.
As the arrow approached Phanes cut the arrow into two halves,he then grabbed both halves and threw them back at Solstice.
Solstice was struck down but immediately got back up as he took flight.
"Never thought you were much of a fighter too Phanes"
Said Solstice
"I'm the only ArchAngel in our Group"
Phanes boasted as he pointed the sword towards Solstice and fired a small beam of energy.
The attack connected but Solstice just took the hit
"You stubborn bastard"
Said Phanes as he shook his head
Solstice pulled his bow back as the clouds began to seperate
"PROMINENCE"
"BEAM"
He said as he let go off his arrow.
A ginormous beam of the sun's rays came down to burn Phanes to a crisp
"Oh shit"
Phanes said in shock,the beam was approaching but Phanes held his hand back and thrusted it forward
"FLARE"
he shouted as a beam of concentrated energy shot out and clashed with the sun's rays.
The heat was intense,some stray beams from sun had managed to graze phanes's flesh leaving deep burning cuts on his arm and body
Phanes used up a bit of energy that he had to increase the strength of the beam to push the sun ray back.
The sun ray eventually disappeared as phanes's beam hit Solstice throwing him  in the air, only for Phanes to teleport  and drop kick him into the stadium and  striking him down as he reached the centre of the colosseum.
"YOU FOOL"
Phanes shouted as he released a rage fueled beam of energy to hit Solstice.
Phanes then descend to the knocked out Solstice that suddenly transformed back into Akira.
Phanes transformed back into Free
"He's a vessel to huh"
Free said as Akira woke up from an unconscious state

"Free..."
"Wins?"
Announced someone from the microphone.
The crowd and king cheered mesmerised by the event of two angels having a sparring match in the stadium.

"Oh thank god he made it out alive"
Said Cellinia as she slouched back in her chair.

"Hey Akira"
Free said as he looked at him
"Join my crew"