by Tj Dixon
Mine and Juliet’s bodies are both designed to live above the atmosphere where there’s also no air though, so our bodies cannot be so easily harmed. Kuro on the other hand can change the shape of her body however she wishes so has taken the form of an ice cat. Copying the ice below us her body is very resilient indeed. Even if it’s destroyed she can just reform it.
“Is Kuro ok?” Juliet asks using a mental link that connects the three of us. We had it ready to use because we knew that talking normally would be impossible.
“I’m fine, but I hate being so white.” Kuro replies.
“You stand out less like this so it’s not bad to be white right now.” I tell her.
“I smell a pair of demons close by.” Kuro says.
“It can’t be smell in this airless hell.” I tell her.
“Don’t be so fussy.” Kuro tells me and leaps forwards.
Gravity, the pull of the world, is light here so it’s easy to make big moves but difficult to make small ones. Juliet and I are both used to it but Kuro finds herself much further forward than she expected. I did warn her but unless you experience it for yourself you just don’t understand. As Kuro shoots forwards a hundred feet in the blink of an eye, two huge mountains of ice rise up through the ice sheet below us and crash together almost crushing Kuro. Kuro having just about made it past them lands, turns and glares.
I send soul thief at the nearest mound of ice, sucking the demon’s soul from it. It resists as hard as it can. I can feel its dark soul begin to enter my soul but it really is hard work. The other demon turns and throws itself at me, but I jump into the ‘air’ and easily dodge. Even without actual air my flight magic still works just fine and the weak gravity here allows me to fly as quickly as I once did in the heavens above the world.
Then Juliet and Kuro both send their dark soul stealer lightning at the second demon. It resists too but it can no longer move. I turn my full attention back to the victim of my soul thief. The mountain of ice begins to shrink as its soul is pulled further and further into mine.
As expected the demon’s soul begins to corrupt mine. I quickly focus more on purifying it and less on pulling it into me. I can feel its soul howl in agony. Unlike a goblin it will take a while to purify. It resists even harder and begins to pull its soul away from me but the purification quickly weakens it. Soon its soul is unable to resist me at all.
Once entirely within me the demon soul feels far worse than ten thousand goblin souls. I hurry even more to purify it but it still takes a few more seconds. Finally the ordeal is over but there is still one more job to complete. I eat the purified soul until there is only a tiny bit left. I then spit it out so it can eventually reincarnate.
“You took your time.” Kuro tells me.
“You had help!” I protest.
“Were these especially powerful demons?” Juliet asks.
“No. Just common demons.” I tell her.
“But they were so powerful!” Juliet protests.
“This is their home ground and we are facing their entire soul. In our world they would be easy enough for an average mage to kill, but doing so would leave the majority of their soul unharmed. That’s why killing a demon in our world just means banishing them back to hell.” I tell Juliet.
“This is going to be harder than I thought.” Juliet tells me.
“You didn’t really think this would be easy, did you?” I ask Juliet.
“I at least thought the normal enemies would be easy.” Juliet says.
“We need to keep fighting. Just staying here drains our mana.” Kuro reminds us.
“You’re right. Where’s the next victim?” I ask.
“I sense another ice demon a little further ahead.” Kuro tells me.
“Then lead the way.” I tell her.
“I already hate this place. Why did I ever agree to come?” Kuro asks as she makes a much smaller leap forward.
“I don’t know. You never told me, but I’m glad you did come with us.” I tell her.
“Here.” Kuro says and sends her soul stealer lightning at a small ice mound the size of a mole hill on the ground ahead. I send soul thief at it and Juliet sends her soul stealer lightning. We tear its soul in three and purify it as quickly as we can. It only feels like I’ve drunk a bottle of poison and not a river this time. Once we’ve purified the entire soul I spit it out and so does Juliet. Kuro gulps the rest of it down and a moment later spits out a single soul drop.
“That was easier.” Juliet says.
“There are three ahead of us.” Kuro says.
“Can’t we stick to single targets?” Juliet asks.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll be here for all eternity if we do that.” Kuro hisses.
“Kuro’s right. Let’s go.” I agree.
Kuro cautiously bounds ahead in leaps of less than fifty feet. I follow in the ‘air’ with Juliet just behind me. We’re being careful, but this time one of the ice mountain demons emerges from the ice sheet and towers above us before we can close the distance enough to attack. We may not be close enough to attack but it fires shards of ice from its body. Each ice shard is as large as a small house, but thankfully they’re only moving at about fifty feet a second. Juliet dodges easily and so do I. Kuro simply charges straight through them turning each ice shard into rain, though it instantly freezes again sending a hail of tiny ice fragments to the ground where Kuro was a moment ago.
The other two ice mountain demons circle behind us without rising up from the ice sheet. They move much faster than the ice shards being lobbed at us and quickly assume a triangular formation with the ice mountain demon ahead of us that Kuro is still charging. Then they rise up and fire their own ice shards at us. Being targeted from all three directions makes dodging even these slow ice shards a bit harder.
I pick the closer of the two behind us and hurtle towards it, leaving the other for Juliet. To save time I only evade the ice shards thrown at me from every direction by the width of my arm. I don’t have time to focus on Juliet and Kuro but I’m confident they will soon be in range of their ice demons.
It takes me a few long seconds to close the distance but once I’m close enough I strike with soul thief. With my focus now on absorbing and purifying the ice demon’s soul a couple of ice shards hit my wings. Instinctively I cover my wings in divine flames that instantly vaporise the ice shards and melts the ice below. Even the ice demon’s body starts to melt, though that could be from having its soul absorbed. Cursing my foolish instincts I cancel the divine flames that are burning through my power far too quickly.
Another couple of ice shards hit me but I just throw them down to the ground with my wings. Then the ice shards stop flying. It seems Juliet and Kuro have reached their targets. I now have the entire soul of my ice demon inside me. It doesn’t feel as bad as the first one I faced. It still feels bad though, so I am quick to finish purifying it. Then I eat the majority of the soul and spit out the last little bit.
“Why didn’t you both shift?” Juliet asks. I turn to face her and see she is right behind me.
“Shifting… That would have been a good idea. Normally there’d be interference, but not against weak enemies like these. I take it you did shift?” I ask Juliet.
“Of course.” Juliet says.
“That is a good idea. I’m not used to fighting enemies that are able to attack from further away than I am, so I didn’t think of it.” Kuro purrs. Then she glares at Juliet. “But why didn’t you suggest it earlier!?”
“I thought you both had a good reason not to.” Juliet says innocently, which makes Kuro hiss.
“We don’t have time to argue. Where are the next targets?” I ask Kuro.
“There are a couple more of the same just up ahead.” Kuro tells me.
“Is there anything stronger nearby?” I ask.
“That’s the closest. Don’t be so picky with your food.” Kuro scolds me.
“Fine, lead on.” I tell Kuro.
Kuro leaps straight
ahead without caution and lands between two startled ice mountain demons. The ice mountains rise up a little slower than our earlier targets but this time I shift directly above one and attack with soul thief. Kuro and Juliet attack the other ice mountain with soul stealer lightning.
“That was quick.” Juliet says.
“Next.” I say a little bored.
“Two more.” Kuro says and leaps ahead again. I yawn and then shift over one of the now rising ice mountains. Its soul is soon mine, other than the little bit I spit out. “Five this time.”
“That’s more like it.” I grin.
“It is still only five.” Kuro warns me.
“More to the point will we be ok against five?” Juliet asks.
“If we aren’t ok with five we shouldn’t have come here.” Kuro tells her.
“I’ll take two. Kuro take two. Juliet, you can have the last one.” I say.
“Sounds fine to me.” Kuro says and leaps ahead between two of the five ice mountain demons. She launches soul stealer lightning at both of them before they can even start to rise. I shift next to Kuro and send soul thief at two more ice mountain demons.
The filth of their souls is almost unbearable as they start to enter mine and one glance at Kuro says she is having the same problem. These ice mountains may be slow but their souls are strong and dark. I struggle to purify their souls as quickly as I can and even have to release a little of their souls whilst I work. I took in too much to start with. I don’t know how long it takes but eventually I have purified their souls. As I eat their souls I am filled with far more power than the previous enemies.
“They were tough, but tasty.” Kuro says and licks her lips.
“Are these really the weak enemies here?” Juliet asks.
“Yes.” We both reply in unison.
“You must feel stronger now though.” I say.
“I do, but I dread to think what the strong enemies here are like.” Juliet says.
“Think less, fight more.” Kuro tells her.
“So where next?” I ask.
“There are six enemies up ahead.” Kuro says.
“Fine, I’ll take three, you take two and Juliet can have the last one again.” I say.
“You spoil her too much.” Kuro says and leaps ahead. This time three of the ice demons do smash together, crushing Kuro right in the middle, but a moment later her soul stealer lightning is sucking their souls out. Greedy little cat. I said I’d have three, but I guess Kuro gets that privilege this time.
I shift above the enemy as the other three begin to rise up. Not giving them time to attack though I send soul thief at two and Juliet attacks the last. Their souls don’t feel too bad this time and are soon nothing more than my food, other than the bit I spit out.
Kuro emerges from the melted ice mountains and shakes the liquid off. Not that it’s actually liquid as such. If it was it would still be frozen given that we are surrounded by absolute zero. The ‘liquid’ is actually demonic essence, which means it’s entirely unaffected by the surrounding temperature because it isn’t truly a physical substance. Only mana, soul and magic affect it.
“This one has something in it.” Juliet says pointing at her now melted enemy.
“Oh, that’s a soul stone. I’m collecting those.” I say.
“Collecting soul stones? That’s the sort of thing I’d expect to hear from Azrael. What a weird hobby.” Kuro says.
“Rin needs empty ones for alchemy and we don’t have time to check if they have anything in right now.” I explain.
“What would they have inside?” Juliet asks.
“Souls, of course.” I answer.
“Oh… That is a weird hobby.” Juliet says with a disgusted look.
“Hey, I just explained!” I protest.
“There are more enemies ahead.” Kuro says.
“How many?” I ask.
“Two, but they smell different. I’m not sure what they are.” Kuro says.
“Good. I was getting bored. Lead on.” I tell Kuro.
“Don’t complain to me if you regret those words.” Kuro warns and leaps cautiously towards the enemy, covering less than fifty feet at a time. I fly just behind Kuro with Juliet flying on my left. We are all within about five feet of each other, which in this vast expanse of ice is practically touching. We really are being cautious this time.
“Where are they?” I ask unable to sense anything yet.
“I can’t smell them anymore.” Kuro says coming to an abrupt halt.
“They probably sensed us coming. Be ready for anything.” I warn Kuro and Juliet whilst preparing myself.
“Above us!” Juliet warns.
“That’s not two enemies!” I protest as a swarm of ice moths engulf us and try to suck our souls out. I quickly surround myself with a huge orb of soul thief and suck out the souls of everything other than the two souls I am now very familiar with. The ice moths melt instantly as I absorb their souls, soaking us in demonic essence. I purify, eat and spit out. A familiar routine now.
“I thought you were going to eat us too!” Kuro protests.
“I did consider it but I’m not a fan of cat or lizard.” I reply with a grin.
“Your jokes are going to get you killed one of these days.” Kuro warns.
“Maybe, but I can think of other things that are more likely to kill me.” I tell Kuro.
“Where next?” Juliet asks impatiently.
“Kuro?” I ask.
“There’s a group of about nine ice mountains.” Kuro says.
“Juliet, take two, Kuro three and four for me.” I say happily.
“So many…” Juliet says sounding depressed.
“Cheer up. There’s only a few million left.” I tell Juliet.
“That many!” Juliet exclaims.
“Actually there’s probably more than that.” Kuro says.
“I want to go home!” Juliet cries.
“Just think how Misty must feel right now.” I remind her.
“Souls can’t actually feel anything, can they?” Juliet asks.
“No idea.” I admit. “But she’d feel really happy if you saved her.”
“Why did I have to get attached to a human?” Juliet asks.
“Less talking, more fighting.” Kuro warns us and then leaps forward impatiently.
“I hate this place!” Juliet protests as she flies on my left again right behind Kuro.
“Me too, but just look forward to seeing Misty again.” I tell her.
“Here they are.” Kuro purrs and lands right in the middle of all nine ice mountains. I pick four at random and begin to suck their souls out with soul thief. It’s not as bad as I expected. I could get used to this. In fact I have to get used to this and quickly, because even four at a time would take forever. We don’t have forever.
“Above us!” Juliet yells. Why is Juliet the only one looking up?
“What the hell!?” Kuro yelps and I have to agree, even if her words are a little too appropriate.
Spitting out the still corrupt souls I was purifying I send soul thief straight up at the ice dragon above us. Black lightning hits white lightning as it dares to assault my soul. At least I have the ice dragon’s full attention so Kuro and Juliet are able to focus on the enemy below.
I leap up into the air and draw the ice dragon away from Kuro and Juliet, avoiding its claws and at the same time striking with my soul thief against its white soul stealer lightning. The ice dragon is slightly larger than an ice mountain but it’s also almost as fast as I am. That makes it very dangerous even without the soul stealer lightning. What makes it most dangerous though is that it’s surrounded by soul stealer mist so it doesn’t even need to hit me to damage my soul.
“I had hoped to steal a few more souls before I had to fight a dragon.” I complain.
“What brings you divine vermin into my master’s realm?” The dragon asks. Naturally it doesn’t even slow down as it speaks.
“Sightseeing and a bit of sunbathin
g.” I answer. The dragon howls sending a huge blast of soul stealer mist at the spot I was just a moment ago. “What, you didn’t expect a serious answer did you?”
“Just die.” The dragon tells me.
“Right back at you.” I reply with a grin.
The dragon sends another blast of soul stealer mist without letting up its lightning attacks even slightly. I dodge above the dragon and send an orb of soul stealer lightning at the dragon. It hits and sends a chunk of the dragon’s soul to me. Even a single chunk makes me choke, but despite choking and trying to purify it I still manage to dodge the dragon’s furious onslaught. It seems the dragon really doesn’t like having any of its soul stolen.
“That was tasty.” I taunt the dragon as I finish eating the initial chunk.
Chapter 16 (Elucia)
“If you don’t die, let me know when you’re ready to come home.” Sor says and then ports away leaving just Dairon, Sakura and myself in the middle of an elven tribe. Nobody can sense us thanks to Sakura but once Dairon starts singing that will soon change. Sakura had better be right about the Envoy being away. It had also better stay away.
It’s hot here. It was winter back at the temple and a very cold day at that, but here the sun is mercilessly beating down on us. The ground is dry and the little bit of grass here and there that has survived is a sickly yellow. Clearly it has seen much better days.
There are a couple of dozen elves in sight just wandering around. I’m sure they aren’t wandering randomly but I have no idea where any of them are going or why. Like Dairon and the Aer sisters the elves here all have pale skin with a slight silver tint, pale green eyes and light brown hair. They are all wearing plain grey shorts and shirts that are either a bit loose or a bit too small. Their hair is short and scruffy, and their eyes seem empty. Despite seeming scruffy though, they are all meticulously clean. Whereas the Aer sisters were all starved when we first met them, the elves here look healthy and simply slim like Dairon.
“I hope you’re right, Sakura.” Dairon says.
“Don’t worry you’re majesty, like I said, I’ve worked with this tribe a lot. They really do hate the endless killing under the Fallen Angels. We should hurry though, before the Envoy returns.” Sakura says.