ANGEL'S LANDING | BL ✔

CHAPTER 43 | WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

"Look out!" Makio called out as he jumped behind Rae and protected the colonel from a potentially fatal hit. Some of Hades' aircraft had broken away from the battle currently raging in the sky to stop the ground forces from reaching the access point down to where the machine was located.

The portal that was created from the machine's copied technology glowed and pulsed as Hades' engineers worked tirelessly to widen the portal's opening. Unit R was able to meet up with the remnants of the soldiers from Earth and Jupiter who had been able to survive the blast that had destroyed the Transport Tower. But, unfortunately, those from Neptune were nowhere to be found.

A few angels from units M and V were also able to rendezvous with Rae and his unit, and together, those who survived the explosion pushed toward the portal's access point.

Rae kept checking in on Kilo to see how the situation with Axel was progressing. Kilo would respond when he found a quick break, and it was not often. But Rae was thankful to receive any and all updates from the guardian angel.

Blood flew through the air as Rae sliced through countless demons. He was aware that they likely had been captured by Hades and forcefully brainwashed into becoming Hades' puppets, but he could not afford to reverse Hades' spells in the short amount of time they had before the portal would eventually open completely.

And that time came sooner than Rae had anticipated, much to his horror. The moment he and the others made it to the dark opening that led down to Hades' machine, a red glow burst through from the underground chamber in which the machine was housed. The instant the glow burst through the hole, a swarm of snarling demons invaded Dexys.

Shit. We were too late! Rae gritted his teeth as he lifted his sword and decapitated a feral demon as it lunged at him from within the hole leading into the underground tunnels that surrounded the location of the now-destroyed Transport Tower.

With every second that passed, more and more demons spilled out from the dark hole. Knowing they could not waste any more time, Rae bravely led his unit into the opening while the remaining forces from Earth and Jupiter dealt with those flooding the city.

While Rae and Unit R pushed through the endless hordes of demons to reach the underground tunnels and find the machine, Orion, Kilo and Castyr surrounded the incapacitated hangel. 

"Protect Axel with all you have!" Orion cried out as he saw Axel slump to the ground and be sucked into his unconsciousness. While the hangel searched for his past lives, Orion, Kilo, and Castyr gave their all to protect him.

Everything was white and silver within Axel's unconsciousness. He stood on a mirrored plane that had water coming up to the tops of his feet. His every movement echoed within the vast plane, and he heard nothing but his own breathing as he faced the man standing before him.

"Ilios..." 

Axel walked toward the man when he saw who had called out to him. Ilios was a more mature version of Axel, physically equivalent to a human man in his early-to-mid thirties. He had the same golden hair and silver eyes. The only difference was the pair of large, white wings that hung from his back lazily.

"Hello, Axel." Ilios' voice echoed throughout Axel's unconsciousness. It was deep and gentle. While Axel felt comforted by the man's voice, he knew he had no time to waste, so he got straight to the point.

"I need to access Angel's Landing. Seraph Orion said you could help me. Hades will destroy Earth if I don't unlock Angel's Landing. I need your help, Ilios."

"I am aware of the situation, Axel," Ilios replied before saying something that shocked Axel. "Even though we were in Angel's Landing for the past five centuries, it does not mean we did not see the evils that Hades was plotting."