Empire Burning (Emerilia Book 11)
Page 28
The air around Anna was turned into a frenzy, pulling around her and becoming more and more solid as she slowly pulled out her sword. Her short hair fluttered behind her as her eyes turned white. A smile that was not a smile spread across her face. Her aura surged ever higher as the air became thicker and harder, revolving with cutting blades that tore apart all that was coming at her.
The air turned into a paladin superimposed over her. The paladin’s eyes were devoid of life as its arms and legs formed; a great sword appeared in its hand. The sword was lowered toward the ground and with a simple gesture, released cutting air that left a half meter cut in the ground.
She let out a cry, the wind whistling around her as Anna’kal’s great sword once again played its deadly tune. Anna shot up through the sky with her blade. Drones fell or were thrown aside, unable to keep up with the demoness dominating the sky.
Suzy reached out her staff and stomped it down. Her cores flew out from her bag of holding and created a cloud around her as all of the Affinity energy in the world seemed to turn into streams of color, becoming thicker and more substantial as it revolved around her. Suzy created a sphere of concentrated Fire Affinity Mana of amazing power. Her staff tapped on the ground. The energy flooded toward the cores as the gem in the top of her staff was released and all of that energy reached into the air above the staff. She looked like a monarch of all creation as materials from the air, ground, even mechas were shredded and pulled toward the cores that then surged forward. As they moved, they turned from twenty-sided cores into creations—ranks upon ranks of creations, an army heeding the orders of their monarch.
Air was hard to look upon. Her face was placid and any signs of the joking girl from before had disappeared without a trace.
Her minder Venfik glided through the air, unleashing powerful attacks that sheared through metal and people with ease, his figure elusive and untouched by the mechas and those on the ground, his fighting style more akin to a dance.
Air seemed to glide across the battlefield, appearing behind unsuspecting victims; she flicked out her finger, releasing a fingernail of compact air that shot through her target. She then disappeared from that spot as that fingernail of compacted air would explode with force; the winds of the area stirred up into violence, tearing her targets apart—her attacks calm, unseen, and calculated.
All of these actions happened as one. The tide of destruction spread out through the Jukal lines as they found they had hit a steel plate. Party Zero and all the Legendary figures of the Emerilian forces had been holding back their power; now was the time to let loose.
Across the lines of the Emerilians, destruction was dealt on a massive scale unseen in history. As people clashed, those on the ground fired up at the transcendent beings that seemed to rule the battlefield.
The true fight was between the all-powerful Jukal mechas and these beings. The mechas poured out their power, displaying their full abilities, as magical formations and circuits appeared around them. They stepped into the sky to meet those who shot down from above and wielded massive swords as they engaged in close combat, discarding their gigantic plasma weapons.
Deia darted through the sky as explosions appeared around her. Hits batted her around with massive force, some even sending her reeling.
Dave’s eyes turned red as he looked at where the impacts were coming from. He let out a roar and teleported from his position. He appeared under a floating island that was firing on the Emerilian forces. His body turned into a sword covered in runic lines, he himself at the hilt of the blade as arcane fire shot out from under the sword. It smashed through the floating island’s shield. The blade shone with golden light as it cut deep into the island.
They had dared to touch what shouldn’t be touched. Nothing stood in his way as he reached upward.
He stopped in the heart of the island. In his hand, he pulled out a grand working and tossed it out of the sword, which rearranged itself into a spear wreathed in gray shadows and smoke as arcane fire now blasted it downward.
The grand working ignited behind Dave. The fusion spell ripped through the island. The shock waves caused the island to crack and break apart as Dave rode the shock wave. His spear smashed through the now falling debris as the island was blown apart, losing its ability to float and dropping back to the ground.
He burst out from the debris. Altering his course slightly, he aimed for a group of five mechas. They saw him and started to fire at him. Their attacks were smashed apart by the air around the spear.
“Too late,” Dave said as they started backing up, fearing for their lives.
In his spear form, he smashed through one of the mechas. The impact threw three off their feet as the remaining two fought to stay on their feet.
Spell formations appeared around Dave as spears shot out at the mechas. The spear pierced into them and then exploded; Dave didn’t even look at them as his avatar body started to reform, tearing parts out from the mecha it had impaled.
Power from the dead and the mechas rushed toward Dave’s body, recharging his vault soul gems seeded through his massive avatar.
Dave ripped off a section from the mecha, adding it to his arm that had been damaged. Gray smoke appeared over it, forming runic lines and reaching down his arm to form a massive sword. Dave let out a roar as he pushed up. The ground erupted under his feet as he shot toward another mecha. Before he could get there, an axe came from the side, tearing through it.
A foot followed the axe and smashed the mecha back.
“This is Emerilia!” Steve yelled.
“This is the Jukal home world and you’re supposed to say that before you punt them!” Dave yelled, rushing off in another direction. He clashed with another mecha, changing attacks before Dave increased the gravity on them and made their joints smoke under the strain. It wasn’t long until Dave’s sword pierced their body and power surged into it, destroying everything inside. Its soul energy rushed toward Dave’s mecha, making his body hazy as a terrifying aura spread out from it.
Those Jukal watching shuddered as they looked at Dave, their scans showing that he had recovered his peak condition.
Dave teleported. Weapons appeared in the sky and spell formations appeared around him, leaving nothing but broken opponents in his path. He fought in the sky; he fought on the ground, teleporting to his next victim.
Emerilia’s hidden strength was now brought to the fore, clashing with the emperor’s projection and his forces. In the sky, Bob and the emperor continued to clash. Even the fists of the emperor that missed let out a terrifying pressure that promised death for anyone else in its path. The ground around them was turned into a scene of destruction, the air around them clear of everyone else for fear that they would be destroyed in an attack that missed or by the shock waves when the two clashed directly.
This was battle; this was chaos; this was the Emerilians giving vent to all of the pain and suffering that they had lived with being under the observation of the Jukal who tore their lives apart and hurt their loved ones simply for their entertainment, disdaining them and all of their kind.
The emperor’s fist rushed out, but it started to fade away as it collided with Bob’s spear. Instead of Bob being forced back, the emperor’s fist was pierced through.
The emperor looked at his hand blankly, as if not understanding what was happening.
“Seems that the emperor of the Jukal Empire is only this much.” Bob laughed and charged. The air around him raged with power as his spear’s light smashed against the emperor’s body and tore him apart.
“What is happening?” the emperor yelled, looking at his disintegrating projection. He struck out at Bob, trying to destroy him.
***
Josh’s blades silently slipped out from his sheaths, the wicked curved Xelur blades feeling familiar in his hands. The others around him all prepared their weapons and readied themselves.
“It’s done,” Lucy said. “You won’t have long before they find out.”
Josh sent out his senses, closing his eyes as he cast spells to enhance himself and see through the walls in front of him.
Dwayne and Kim rotated their power to the limit as they charged through the ground, turning and then coming toward a heavily armored room at speed.
In the face of the Blood Kin, such defenses were useless. The walls peeled away and the armor opened up like a door, revealing the emperor and his command center.
Kim unleashed hexes across the room as Dwayne let out a roar that shook the room. He shot forward, his armor glowing with power as he launched a sword attack, killing dozens of Jukal in the room and clashing with the guards who were protecting the emperor.
Guards appeared around the room and charged Dwayne and Kim. Dwayne stopped any getting to Kim as she unleashed spells that killed dozens in seconds.
The command center was under the Blood Kin’s control; the consoles, walls, ceiling, and floor listened to their command, forming into golems or attacking the Jukal in the room.
The emperor, who had been waving his fists madly, fighting in his projected body, was now pushed back behind his guards as they tried to keep him safe.
“You dare touch me!” the emperor yelled, unleashing a fist that turned the guard into nothing but a bloody pile.
The emperor’s uncle surged with alarming power. It was clear that the emperor was not the only one with an AI to create spells.
Still, Josh waited patiently as the first group were put on the defensive.
The guards moved so that they were between the emperor and the attackers, while the commanders and leaders ran in a panic with those who had been manning the command center’s consoles, trying to escape.
With the Blood Kin in the room, it was their domain; they hammered on the doors that wouldn’t open for them.
“You have the power of the Earth Lord, and you the power of the Lady of Light,” the emperor’s uncle said, a shocked expression on his face.
“Looks like he’s got some good senses.” Kim’s power surged upward.
Malsour and Dave had relinquished their power that they gained by becoming people of the Affinity Pantheon as well as connected Kim to the Lady of Light’s divine wells and then charged them up with fusion reactors and soul gems. These divine wells had been spread out to the flying citadels above.
Dwayne’s body was covered in a green light as he fought back five opponents at once. A tree appeared on his shield. The tree opened its eyes; branches shot out to impale or capture those in front of it.
Josh rocked on his feet, a predatory look in his eyes. “Now!”
Yemi and the remaining Blood Kin let out a surge of energy. The area in front of Josh opened up as he burst through, nothing more than a shadow as he called upon the power that had been bestowed on him.
The Dark Lord’s power surged through him, filling his body with boundless energy. The room darkened with the outpouring of power.
He arrived behind his target in a moment. His blades, covered in writhing shadows, burned through the protective barriers. The power sent out shock waves that rocked people back on their heels as his blades passed through the finest clothing and stabbed into the flesh underneath.
The room was silent as Josh’s blades tore upward and then sliced across, the back of his target bleeding severely from the attack.
“Kill him!” the emperor’s uncle yelled in a panic.
Josh kicked his target, using the force to jump back and away.
As the blood dripped from the blades, seals appeared around the target before shooting toward Josh as if he had gained their acceptance.
The target turned in mid-air. The emperor’s face showed shock at the incredible pain he was feeling. His body turned dark and withered as power shot out from him and into Josh. Dark lines ran through his skin, the poison curses and effects of the Xelur blades tearing the life force from the Jukal emperor. Under everything, he was a weak being, nothing more than a prop held up by the AI he controlled. His body was just incredibly weak when all was said and done. Josh felt new power surge through him as he raised his hand. Those who were chasing him were turned into mist.
“What!” Power drained from the emperor’s uncle’s body as he looked at Josh with wide eyes as he sensed the aura around Josh. “That’s the emperor’s power.”
With the program Lucy had inserted, she had weakened the emperor’s connection with the divine wells under his command. However, it wasn’t enough. The blades in Josh’s hands had been modified by Dave so that they would forcibly break the connection the emperor had and shift it to Josh. The people of the empire didn’t have much familiarity with the divine wells. However, Dave was connected to one, as was Malsour, and he could talk to Bob, Fire, Water, and Air. He had increased his knowledge of them in leaps and bounds before coming up with a way to wrest control away from the Jukal emperor.
“So it is,” Josh said as power started to flood his body. The seals sunk into his body as he was now connected to the divine wells.
“Who are you?” the emperor’s uncle barked.
“Josh Giles, leader of the Stone Raiders, rogue and also leader of Party One.” Josh laughed, throwing out another palm that destroyed the emperor’s uncle.
A spell formation wrapped around the Blood Kin and members of Party One. They disappeared from inside the emperor’s palace. With Josh now controlling his power, it was possible for them to teleport freely.
They arrived in the air above the battlefield.
“Pull back through the portals!” Josh bellowed to the forces below. Power surged through him as a truly massive spell formation appeared in the sky. Spears started to drop from the sky as curse spell formations filled the ground.
The Emerilian and Jakan forces turned and rushed back toward the portals at their rear. The portals disconnected from Gunboat Isle and were tilted, connecting to the Jakan home world and portals under Emerilian control.
People rushed through and unleashed their most powerful spells on the way out. Spell after spell rained down on the Jukal palace, overwhelming all inside with destruction.
The flying citadels covered the retreat and shot to the larger floating ship portals. Josh gathered the others and flew them onto one of the flying citadels. Party One also did what they could to help cover the ground troops by unleashing attacks at the Jukal who were still trying to attack them under the deluge of attacks.
Josh lowered Party Zero down to the wall. All below them could see them stepping on top of the walls of the flying citadel.
Bob landed on the flying citadel near them, looking resplendent as people gave him looks of respect. In their hearts, Bob was a true Emerilian, the savior of not just Emerilia but the victims of the empire.
The Jukal wanted to give chase and hold them down, but they simply weren’t able to as the Emerilians and Jakan retreated quickly and orderly.
Josh looked over the Jukal home world before he turned and walked into the flying citadel.
The forces on the ground departed, the portals melting down into nothing but scrap.
Just as the last citadel, the one that Party One had landed on, was about to pass through the portal, the ground started to shake as powerful Mana fluctuations rippled through the air.
Josh looked over the notifications that blinked at him.
New Class: Jukal Emperor
So, did you just wake up this morning and think “Oh, it would be nice to be a FRICKING EMPEROR!”
Okay, so now that you are one, you get access to divine wells that are just off the charts. Hopefully you don’t throw a fit with them, unlike the last idiot.
Status:
Level 1
Effects:
+100 to all stats
Access to Jukal Emperor’s Divine wells.
Ability to use magical aid to create any spell possible as long
as you have sufficient power (see divine wells power levels)
Individual control over all infrastructure of the Jukal Empire.
“Can I destroy the palace?” Josh asked.
“Yes,” a monotone voice replied.
Command: Destruction of Jukal Emperor’s Palace and Residence
Are you sure you wish to do this?
You will lose access to administrative rights as well as this class and divine wells.
Confirm
Y/N
“Can I destroy the portals and the infrastructure of the Jukal Empire?” Josh asked.
Command: Destruction of Jukal Empire’s infrastructure
Are you sure you wish to do this?
You will lose access to this infrastructure.
Confirm
Y/N
“Will this kill anyone?” Josh asked.
“It will not kill anyone,” the monotone voice replied.
“Okay, let’s destroy everything in the Jukal home system. Can we disable the charges and kill switches in everything else not in the Jukal system?” Josh rubbed his chest and the Band-Aid that was still there, stopping any kill switch signal from ending him.
Command: Destruction of kill switches and destruction charges outside of Jukal home system
Are you sure you wish to do this?
You will lose access to these programs.
Confirm
Y/N
Josh selected Yes, feeling a heat through his own body moments later as he checked out the next information box.
Command: Destruction of Jukal home system’s infrastructure
Are you sure you wish to do this?
You will lose access to infrastructure in the Jukal home system.