Azra-El Series Arc 2 Ch. 00

"I am not qualified," said Joanna, and spoke no more.

"I am afraid that even I would be corrupted by Hela's wrath," said Benzaiten, her voice sweet and melodious. "However, if we do not find someone worthy, I am willing to try my best."

"No," said Michelle, shaking her head. "You are both right. We need someone younger. I forget how old you two are. It seems like only yesterday that you two were young ivkas, ready to experience and change the world."

"My daughter will do it," spoke Empress Nezha Shangdi, her voice not betraying any emotion that may have been present in her heart.

Ying Yue gasped, for she instinctively knew that her mother was not referring to her. She felt that she would not even be qualified for such an endeavor. However, Jie Er was strong, pure, and impossibly kind. She could surely do it, but she worried for her fate upon the completion of her task.

Ying Jie Shangdi, i.e Jie Er Lokra, hovered silently by her mother's left, her features not betraying any emotion, or even recognition of the behemoth of a task that was placed on her shoulders. Unlike her sister, she was dressed in battle robes: A pristine metallic corset over navy-blue robes and a battle skirt. Long tight sleeves ended under slim white gauntlets, and her feet were covered with white boots of a similar design. Sturdy white pauldrons decorated with white feathers covered her shoulders, while a white helm, studded with brilliant velvet-blue sapphires, hid her short platinum-blonde hair.

Michelle Lucian set an appraising glance on Jie Er, almost as if she knew whom Nezha was talking about. The Cardinal Superior of the Malakim approached Michelle and whispered about Jie Er. Gabriel Sephirah had watched her win the previous two YAMATs and was quite aware of her aptitude and talents.

Michelle observed Jie Er's anja and immediately knew that they could find no better; at least, they did not currently know of any.

"Are you sure?" she asked Nezha, only to receive a nod that did not display a shred of hesitation.

Michelle sighed and looked at Jie Er, "What about you, young one? Do you wish to do this?"

***

The question surprised Jie Er, for it was something that her own mother did not bother to ask. If she was the only one who could do it, was there a point in asking?

Jie Er may have felt differently a few decades ago when Vida was still alive, but almost twenty-five years of training under Nezha had made her mind absolutely logical, leaving little room for personal feelings.

She glanced at Nezha, and only received a hint of a nod. "Yes," she replied confidently, "though, I do not know how I can accomplish this."

"I shall tell you soon enough. First, we must gather pure light-energy," Michelle said, turning around to the deities amongst them. She did not question Jie Er's decision, as it would instil more doubt, which could only be detrimental. Suddenly, the demons began to move, almost as if they knew that the angels had figured out something. This action only boosted the angels' confidence in their methods.

"Allow me to lead the troops," Nezha requested of the Angel Prima. "I will not be of much use in gathering the energy."

"Very well, you are in command. Keep them occupied until we are ready," Michelle agreed.

"I shall also join the fighting. It has been a while since I killed a devil," said Freja, and walked up to stand behind Nezha.

The Aranyan generals, the Supreme Bogatyr, and the rest of the soldiers followed after them.

"Make Xian proud, daughter," Nezha said to Jie Er, before leading her troops into battle.

Her words irked Jie Er. Could she have not said, "Make me proud?", let alone asking her to be safe.

The Quetzals of the Quetzal Corps let out a loud screeching cry that echoed through the valley, reverberating off the snowy cliffs of the Meru Mountain Range. In contrast, the Pegasi were silent and swift, as they raced towards the Quetzals. Though they were far weaker than the Quetzals, they were brave and loyal creatures that flew by their riders, no matter what.

Along with the Quetzal Corps and the fifteen devils, was a squadron of a hundred or so archdemons, their faces painted in red, and sporting scowls that could send chills through the stoutest of hearts.

They were demonic berserkers.

Two of the archdemons at the front began to beat their swords against their shields in a rhythm, and the rest of them began to chant with loud booming voices that were in no way drowned out by the cries of the Quetzals. In fact, the Quetzals almost seemed to be screeching in tune.

~In darkness we rise,

We demons of the night,

Searching for bliss in the blight.

Then they charged forward.

~Death is the only prize,

We seek angels of the light,

Embracing our madness in the fight.

The rest of their song was drowned out by the clash of the colliding armies.

In regular and planned warfare of Azra-El, there would also be rifles and artillery, but neither the demons nor the angels could gather their regular troops for this battle. This was a fight between some of the strongest of their kinds, using only their bodies and their energy.

As the armies fought, Michelle gathered around the remaining angels and landed on the snow-covered ground: Queen Ahilya, Daysi Vinetree of the Pixies, Cardinal Superior Gabriel Sephirah of the Malakim, Manjushri of the Ophanim, Benzaiten and Biwa, Joanna Ezikiel, the heads of the remaining societies, and the rest of the scholars. The group consisted of angels from almost every part of the Heavenly Union.

Michelle pulled off her cloak and walked up to Gabriel, the strongest of the remaining deities; though the group were not strictly warriors, they still possessed immense amounts of light-energy. She held one end of the cloak and offered the other to the Cardinal Superior, "Give me as much as you can spare."

Gabriel held the cloak in her hands, and a bright silvery energy began to flow into the cloak, making it glow brighter. The Malakim did not hold back, and she released her energy until her wings teetered and collapsed out of existence. Exhausted, she sat down on the snow. Michelle acknowledged her effort and moved over to the next angel.

The color of angels' energy varied, but once it went into the cloak, all of it transformed into a flawless white. Soon, the cloak contained so much energy that even Michelle could not control its brightness. The cloak momentarily blinded anyone who directly gazed at it.

When the last angel finished, Michelle took the cloak in her arms and began to channel her own energy into it, drawing all the energy together and forming a sphere of starry light. The sphere grew larger and then smaller, as Michelle added energy and then condensed it, constantly making it denser.

Finally, she managed to condense it all into a fifteen-inch sphere of light, which appeared like a tiny neutron star, continuously pulsing energy, but somehow holding stable over the cloak.

"Come here, child," Michelle beckoned to Jie Er, as if she were a young child, even though Jie Er was an archangel, and already a few years over a hundred. "Hold out your hands," she asked, and when she did, the ancient angel transferred the cloak and the sphere into Jie Er's hands.

A wave of refreshing energy coursed into Jie Er's body, making her feel stronger and more alive than ever before. The sphere felt heavy in her hands, and she could feel the vast amount of energy she was holding.

"Channel your energy and connect with the sphere. Your goal is to reach the center of the dome. You will most likely find Hela sitting at its core. However, except with her mind, she will most likely not be able to act against you.

"Sensing the energy flux will guide you to the location of the node. All you must do is drop the energy sphere at its location. Now, brace yourself. I must take back the Banner, and you will-"

Suddenly, the cloak pulsed, making Michelle to pause in mid-sentence. Then, the cloak pulsed again.

None of the angels around could feel it, but Michelle Lucian, who was connected to the cloak, felt it clear as day. She laughed. "Of course!" she smiled at the young angel in front of her. She pondered for a moment, before shaking her head and deciding against something that had crossed her mind.

"You must take the Banner with you," she continued. "You will not be able to control it, but it will help you carry the burden of this energy, and it will partially protect your mind against Hela's wrath.

"You must focus your mind on the task. Hela's wrath will try to corrupt you. You must keep this in mind and get rid of any negative thoughts that may spring in your mind. Know that though these thoughts may be real, they are only magnified because of the darkness. You will not care about any of them once you return. And return you must. Even if we manage to destroy Hela on this day, the Heavenly Union will need its Banner of Light, and it will also need you," Michelle Lucian said, warmly caressing Jie Er's hands.

"I shall try my best," Jie Er vowed, moved by her words.

Though Michelle had only spoken a single sentence of kindness, she could sense the sincerity in her voice, and she could tell that the Angel Prima genuinely cared for her welfare.

"I have no doubt in my mind," Michelle said, taking Jie Er's head in her hands and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Now, go. Accomplish this monumental task. I shall await and pray for your safe return."

Jie Er manifested her two pairs of wings, eliciting a few gasps from the other angels. They did not know that Jie Er was already an archangel; in fact, Jie Er had become an archangel immediately after her second YAMAT victory. Though her archangel wings were still at a rudimentary stage, she brought them out because she felt that she would need every ounce of strength that she could muster.

She glanced over to the battlespace and found her mother and sister battling it out with the demons, without any chance to spare a glance towards her. She felt Michelle's hand on her shoulder, and it gave her comfort.

She sprang into the air and flew straight towards the crimson oblivion.

Meanwhile, Jie Er and the energy sphere did not go unnoticed by the demons. Though the angels managed to keep most of the demons at bay, a Quetzal, about fifteen feet tall, and its rider managed to break free from the melee, and dash towards Jie Er.

Many noticed this, but it was the Supreme Bogatyr, Brynna Nikitich, who managed to shake off her enemies and charged to intercept the Quetzal in its path. When the Quetzal-rider noticed the bogatyr, she swerved her Quetzal around, and rushed towards Michelle Lucian and the rest of the angels, instead. The Angel Prima and the deities, who had consumed all their energy, were the perfect target for an archdemon and her Quetzal.

The Quetzal's sudden maneuver took the Bogatyr by surprise, and she lost ground in the fraction of the moment that it took to change her own direction. She spurred her Pegasus to fly faster, but she knew she couldn't reach the Quetzal-rider before she could wreak havoc amongst the defenseless angels. She watched in dismay as the Quetzal swooped over the angels on the ground, expecting its claws to tear through the angels.

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, a magnificent brown Pegasus with white wings came hurtling through the air and crashed into the side of the Quetzal. The lance of its rider pierced through the Quetzal's armor and dove into its heart.

Even in its death throes, the Quetzal aimed to kill. Its vicious claws swept at the Pegasus from the left, while the archdemon jumped off her back and attacked Claudis from the right.

Claudis pushed off Gyrill's back, sending the Pegasus away from the Quetzal's claws. She held her shield tight and defended against the archdemon's attack, even while the Quetzal's demonic claws found their mark on Claudis's greyish-white wings, tearing through them like paper. Claudis fell, but the harness and rope held her against Gyrill, as the Pegasus rushed away from the archdemon. They had done their job and bought enough time for the deity to reach the demon.

The Quetzal lost its strength and crashed to the ground, while the archdemon was quickly slain by the Supreme Bogatyr.

On that day, Claudis Falhoffnir saved some of the most important angels of the HU, but paid the price with her wings.

Jie Er's attention was not focused on any of this as she approached the dome of darkness. She watched it for a moment, finding it unnervingly beautiful. However, she did not have any doubts about her responsibility. She simply took a spare moment to steel herself, before flying in.

Blinding darkness immediately enveloped her.

She knew that Hela's wrath was a deep crimson, but the crimson was so dark that it was pitch black. This blindness pervaded almost all her senses, except her hearing. She could still hear battle from outside, however, she could not hear her own breathing.

Fear slowly crept into her heart. She was not afraid of death, but she was afraid that she would be perpetually trapped in this sensation-less place.

Shaking her head at the illogical emotion, she began to slowly head inwards. The Angel Prima had told her that she would sense the energy flux, but at that moment, she felt nothing, except the sensation of moving forwards, and that was only because of her flapping wings.

Silly, Prima Lucian. Why did she have to lie?

A trace of annoyance sprouted in Jie Er's mind, but she immediately grew wary of it. It was unlike her to so easily call someone a liar. Her first thought would have been to wonder if Michelle's experience had been different.

Does that mean that Hela has more active control of her surroundings than we assumed? Or, am I the one being affected in this manner? But why?

Despite her doubts, Jie Er forged ahead. Nezha had always stressed that she was the purest angel that she had met in her lifetime. Thus, this was her responsibility to shoulder, no matter the price.

But what if Mother is wrong? No, that cannot be. It should be obvious just by looking at my energy signature.

But what if she merely convinced herself because that is what she always wanted? A daughter able to wield the Banner of Light.

That thought stuck in Jie Er's mind, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it was the darkness playing tricks on her.

The lack of all other sensations only made it harder, as she was left with nothing but her thoughts. Even her imagination seemed to have run dry.

What if the only reason Mother cares for me is because of the color of my wings?

Nezha had always treated her harsher than her sister, and that was a fact.

Did Mother stop loving Mom because she revealed my lineage to me? Does she dislike Mom, now? Does she dislike me?

She surely did not show as much affection to her as she showed Ying Yue.

Was it because I am only half of her, while Ying Yue is wholly her own?

Anger and frustration began to sprout in Jie Er's heart.

Does she even care for me? All she seems to care for is whether my purity is useful to the HU. Nothing else matters. She did not even ask for my opinion on whether I wanted to perform this task. Not a single word of kindness or reassurance.

Oh, how foolish I have been! She does not love me. Mom did! How could I forget how a real mother treats her daughter?

Nezha only sees me as a tool; something to rekindle the glory of Xian and to make her country proud. She does not see me as a person.

With every thought, Jie Er became angrier, and the angrier she became, the more reason she lost, and the less she wished to help the angels. However, there was no question about her purity. Michelle Lucian, even with the help of the Banner of Light, could not traverse more than fifty feet into the darkness. Jie Er, however, kept going, constantly repeating Michelle's words in her mind.

I will not feel any of this once I am out.

Unbeknownst to her, the anger in her heart began to let the darkness seep into her archwings, which were less mature and more susceptible.

Finally, after traversing what felt like a yonder and an eternity, Jie Er suddenly felt the node. It was powerful and sprightly, and it sucked world-energy at a pace she never thought would have been possible. It also repelled the light energy, both inside her body and in her hands. It made her wonder why she had not felt such a powerful existence, until she was almost upon it.

Still, Jie Er was blind to it, as there was nothing but darkness around her. Yet, the very force that repelled her, paved her way towards it. Pushing down the anger and the urge to say, "To Hela!", with the task forced upon her by her mother, she forged her way forward. However, the more she rejected the darkness, the more it repelled her.

"Embrace your dark side," Jie Er suddenly heard a voice.

A voice that she was unsure about whether it was in her head, or whether it was real. It was hauntingly beautiful, and captivating to the point of being hypnotic. It was deep, yet very feminine, and it made Jie Er wish to obey it. It reminded her a little of Vida.

Yet, she gasped an emphatic, "NO!", and attempted to push forwards, only to be pushed back even more. She flapped her wings as hard as she could, but though they moved freely through the air, her body felt like she was stuck in a viscous mire that allowed for no movement. She struggled for fifteen minutes, before the voice spoke again.

"Why do you deny the truth?" it asked.

"Truth? It is but a delusion, created by the darkness that attempts to corrode my light."

The voice laughed, as if amused by the irony of Jie Er's statement. "Tell me, who is a better angel? One who has never once felt a negative emotion, and thus can only be 'angelic'? Or one who understands her dark side, but never acts on it?"

"That is just rhetoric," Jie Er cried in frustration. "What difference does it make? They are both equally angelic."

"That may be so, but the first has not 'lived', the second has. The first has never been tested, so you do not know what will happen when she is. The second has conquered her darkness once, so she can do it again."

"What if the first one is incapable of feeling this 'evil'?"

The voice snorted. "Then, she has not lived."

The voice fell silent after that, but its last statement made Jie E pause. Am I just running away and fooling myself by rejecting these thoughts?

That one thought suddenly lifted the barriers, flooding her with an array of emotions that poured into her mind. Before, her mind was merely influenced by Hela's wrath, and mirrored it to some extent. Now, Jie Er felt true emotion. Self-pity at first, which quickly turned into rage- rage directed towards Nezha.

Suddenly, the weight on her body lifted, and she surged towards the node. The blindness in her eyes cleared, and she spotted a six-foot sphere of darkness, radiating a deep, dark, crimson light.

Without pausing to think, she rushed forward and dropped the sphere of light into it.