Chapter 81
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Chapter 81: Title
France.
The emergence of abyssal creatures in the city coincided with the presence of two Sons from Vatican City, who had arrived in France as honored guests three days prior.
When celestial anomalies rippled across the heavens, those sipping tea in the garden were the first to notice.
"What’s that?" Augustus squinted skyward.
"An odious presence lingers," Hill remarked, fingers brushing the pendant at his chest with instinctive unease.
"Those abominations radiate foulness," Loral whispered under his breath.
Beyond the estate’s walls, a demonic observer gaped at the rift-spawned horrors. Hein nearly severed his own tongue in shock.
By the Demon King, how have these abominations breached the human realm?
The solitary demon clutched his horns. Only last week, his companion Atalans had been recalled to the underworld, abandoning him to surveil Vatican City alone.
Tempting the Sons toward damnation? Hein grimaced. This delicate work should fall to Hell’s sovereigns, not some mid-tier fiend. Yet protocol demanded persistent observation.
For three days he’d trailed the holy delegation to France, now crouching beyond their sanctified threshold. Not from lack of ambition, but fear – since their Vatican days, Hein had sensed divine guardianship about the Sons, likely celestial sentinels from above.
Approaching now risked angelic smiting. Hell’s grand design required his survival; exposure meant facing infernal wrath for failure or heavenly judgment for presumption.
His caution proved warranted. Through Heaven’s crystalline mirror, golden-haired Michael observed the mortal realm with piercing gaze.
"By what corruption do these demonic facsimiles infiltrate the human realm?" Raphael’s voice carried across the observatory, his reflection appearing beside Michael’s in the shimmering surface.
The archangel’s brow furrowed. "Resemblance ≠ essence. These carry the abyss’s stench, not Hell’s brimstone."
"That specimen possesses tier seven potency," Raphael pressed. "The mortal plane’s barriers shouldn’t permit such— Michael? Are you attending?"
The senior angel started as Raphael waved before his distracted eyes. Within the mirror’s vision, Augustus now stood transformed – golden radiance dissolving to reveal argent armor worthy of celestial champions.
"Keep vigil here," Michael commanded abruptly. "I must descend to Hell."
Raphael blinked. "Again? You’ve scarce returned! Since when do you volunteer for netherworld excursions?"
No time for explanations. If Heaven’s silence indicated divine non-intervention, the burden fell to them as it had for millennia. As archangel, Michael must verify Hell’s control over the abyss – this timing reeked of connection to recent void disturbances.
Ten thousand years of separation between realms, yet now abyssal incursions followed void-quakes? Coincidence defied belief.
Left alone, Raphael watched the mirror’s unfolding drama.
*
Against the city-wrecking horrors, Augustus might as well have thrown pebbles at a fortress. His finest strikes scarcely marred the creatures’ obsidian hides.
"Brother, Augustus is no match for that monster." Loral halted his recitation of the holy verses amplifying the power of light, realizing Augustus couldn’t hold on much longer.
"These abyssal creatures are beyond our capabilities."
Hill removed the pendant from his neck and passed it to Loral without hesitation – their intent clearer than any spoken words.
The combined pendants could summon celestial beings, though they’d never tested this power before encountering truly insurmountable odds.
With the monstrous invaders descending upon the populated city, time for deliberation evaporated.
Hill immediately began chanting the angelic invocation while Loral watched intently.
Demon Hein retreated further into the shadows upon hearing the divine incantation, wary of encountering any heavenly host in the human realm. The unpredictable tier of summoned angels posed too great a risk.
Yet… Hein observed the pendant-wielding Son with narrowed eyes. A successful summoning would confirm Heaven’s recognition of this "Hill" – valuable intelligence for his purposes.
After days of covert observation, distinguishing between the two Sons remained his sole accomplishment.
Loral’s divine spell ensnared the creature, though perspiration beaded his forehead. Even a Son’s tier two strength, awakened upon adulthood, proved inadequate against this higher-tiered monstrosity.
Augustus fared worse. Their suppressed powers and limited training left them helpless against such threats.
"Son…" Augustus staggered upright as his holy light armor dissolved.
"I’m holding," Loral murmured, gaze locked on the coalescing radiance above.
Hill’s chanting summoned swirling light converging around his pendant’s glow – a luminous nucleus channeling sacred energy through the relic.
The celestial manifestation quickened.
In Heaven, Raphael sighed. Michael’s abrupt departure now made sense – the archangel had likely anticipated this summons. Yet protocol demanded response when Sons called, especially during their vulnerable pre-awakening phase.
Through the crystalline mirror’s phantom, Raphael’s avatar materialized – wings shimmering as he surveyed the battlefield.
The archangel assessed his limited tier four vessel, grateful for direct power infusion despite the constraints. Though not a warrior by calling, no Seraph shunned battle against darkness.
His radiant blade flashed, shielding the group behind a curtain of sacred light.
"An archangel?" Augustus breathed, marveling at the glowing countenance. Before Michael’s Vatican City manifestation months prior, angelic forms had existed only in artists’ interpretations.
"Raphael of the Seraphim," Hill whispered in awe, the knowledge imparted through their spiritual connection.
The celestial being’s blade faltered momentarily. This wasn’t some common demon, but a relic from the ancient Abyssal incursions – entities not seen for millennia.
Unbeknownst to the group, their battle now streamed across Zhongxia’s Spiritual Network and France’s official broadcasts.
As Augustus’ phone pinged with an English-translated Spiritual Network alert about Abyssal origins, Raphael’s sword flared.
The Seraph moved with methodical precision, each strike etching glowing sigils into the towering creature despite their size disparity. Cracks spreading through nearby buildings hinted at wider dimensional breaches – lesser rifts the local clergy could handle, but this seven-tiered behemoth required immediate purification.
Raphael’s blade blazed as he channeled ninety percent of his essence into one cataclysmic strike. The disintegrating abomination left no ashes, but his avatar began fading – a single empowered feather preserved to safeguard the Sons.
Michael’s secrets would wait. The Abyss stirring required answers… and perhaps uncomfortable alliances.
As the angel feather descended beside the pendant, live stream viewers worldwide saw the relics land gently, their soft glow belying contained power.
