Swordsman of the Rift

by Brandon Varnell

  I took a step forward.

  Then a hand appeared in my left hand. It was small, soft, and delicate. I was so startled by the sudden sensation that the feelings around me slowly vanished, though the grogginess in my head didn’t dissipate. However, when a second hand grabbed my other hand, I was able to fully dispel the feeling of fog clouding my head.

  The world around me brightened, the darkness faded, and color returned as I glanced at my left and right sides. Adina and Michelle were holding my hands. It looked like they had sensed my inner struggle and decided to help me. I squeezed their hands back and glared at Naamah, who now wore a tiny frown.

  “I see you two have already slept with him. This is… a most surprising turn of events,” Naamah muttered. “Adina I can imagine, but you? Are you not the legendary Archangel Michelle who has been spoken of in prophecy? You are the one who was supposed to lead God’s armies against us demons, right? And yet here you are cavorting with a demon. Most curious.”

  Michelle’s glare didn’t lessen as she continued drilling a hole into Naamah with her eyes. If looks could kill, I was certain this blue-skinned succubus would have been dead a thousand times over already.

  “You are right. It was my job to lead Heaven’s armies into battle against the demons, but the prophecy and my duty no longer matter. You know this as well as I do. The worlds have changed. Angels have free will, demons are disrupting the order of our worlds… even the other pantheons have risen up. The Greek gods are at war with their Roman counterparts. The Valkyries and Norse gods are struggling to prevent Ragnarok… ever since the change, our duty, our destiny, has been irrevocably erased. You and I are living proof of that. You would have never gone against Lilith and joined Asmodeus if this was not so.”

  There was a lot in her words that shocked me. It sounded like it wasn’t just Heaven and Hell that were experiencing this change, but I knew I didn’t have time to learn more. Right here, right now, I needed to focus solely on defeating the wretched creature before me.

  “I suppose you are right,” Naamah agreed with a slight smile. “Well, I guess that is enough talk. You have killed most of my henchmen, so it looks like I’ll be battling against you myself. Though…” She giggled. “I don’t expect this to be a very difficult fight.”

  As she spoke, Naamah’s body wavered and disappeared. I gaped. However, before I could ask what the hell happened, the world around me changed. The dungeon walls disappeared to reveal a crimson sky, cracks spread across the ground, and fire erupted from these cracks like volcanic eruptions.

  I was about to panic, but then I noticed something odd—a complete lack of heat. I couldn’t feel any heat on my skin. My arms were not getting singed. It was as if I was staring at a 3D hologram.

  Or an illusion.

  “Do not think such a simple illusion will fool me!” Michelle shouted as she impaled the ground with her sword. Light erupted from the blade and spread across the ground like a ripple in the lake of a pond.

  The illusion vanished.

  “That is quite the power you have there.” Naamah’s voice echoed all around us. She hadn’t appeared after the illusion dispersed. “I can see that you truly are the Archangel Michelle, general of God’s armies. However, you have no hope of defeating me. You are completely outclassed.”

  As the woman spoke, several bolts of vibrant blew energy flew toward us from the left. I thought they were lightning bolts at first. However, when I cut into them using Fire Slash and steam rose around me, I realized they were water projectiles moving at incredible speed. I was fortunate. While fast, they did not move so quickly that I could not deal with them.

  “Very impressive,” Naamah said as I cut through her projectiles. “Now, let us see how you contend with this.”

  As she spoke, six glowing blue balls appeared around us, and Adina, Michelle, and I moved until we were back to back. I eyed the strange balls, which soon transformed into animal-like shapes. They looked like avians of some kind. Skeletal avians. They reminded me of the time I went to the Museum of Natural History and saw a skeleton of a Pterodactyl. However, these were blue, and had glowing red eyes embedded in their sockets.

  “These are water spirits that she has infused with Red magic,” Adina said. “It’s one of her specialties. She summons a water spirit, mixes Red magic to strengthen them and increase their bloodlust, then lets them loose.”

  “How powerful are they?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but they are definitely more powerful than the trolls we have been fighting,” Adina admitted.

  “It looks like we’re about to find out how powerful they are,” Michelle warned us. “They are coming.”

  The pterodactyl-like spirits darted forward with a flap of their wings, moving faster than I expected them to. One came up to me, and I slashed at it with my sword, but it performed a surprisingly deft barrel roll and avoided my swing. My blade struck the ground. Sparks flew over the surface. I gritted my teeth and leapt aside as another pterodactyl tried slamming into me from behind. It flew past the spot I’d been standing with a woosh of air.

  Adina and Michelle were also doing their best to fight off these strangely nimble creatures.

  Michelle shuffled across the ground and swung her light sword at the creatures who continued flitting about like hummingbirds, dodging her graceful attacks. Her eyes narrowed as a powerful energy spread across her body. I felt the hairs on my arms prickle as a bright golden energy erupted from her sword, which she swung out in a wide arc, causing a powerful wave shaped like a crescent to shoot forward. This wave slammed into one of the pterodactyls. It was engulfed by the golden light and faded from existence.

  The other managed to escape destruction, but Michelle was already swinging her blade at it. A downward stroke sliced the monster in half.

  While nowhere near as graceful as the archangel, Adina moved along the ground with incredibly nimble leaps. Her body was covered in a light pink glow. Her vibrant eyes were also glowing as she stared at the nearest pterodactyl, which slowed down as if her aura was calming it and drawing it in. That was a mistake. Seconds after it slowed, Adina created a ball of pinkish white energy in her palm and thrust her hand forward. The energy ball slammed into the spirit and caused it to explode.

  The other spirit tried to attack her, but Adina was a lot stronger than she looked. She raised her hands, crossed her arms in a guard, and took its attack without budging an inch. While the spirit tried punching a hole into her by spinning like a drill and attacking her crossed arms, Adina swung her arms out and knocked it back. The spirit spun out of control. By the time it regained its balance, Adina had already risen her left leg high into the air and smashed it down on the creature in a powerful heel drop. The ground cracked underneath her heel and the spirit burst apart from the pure physical force of her attack.

  While those two were dealing with their pterodactyl spirit… whatevers, I was fighting off my own two spirits. They darted around me, making hard to hit targets. I soon grew frustrated with my inability to cut them. With a low growl escaping my throat, I bent my knees, held out my sword, and spun around. Mana was pulled from my body as my blade began glowing. A powerful wave of energy blasted from my sword extending in all directions.

  Whirlwind Slash.

  The area attack was one that could only be dodged if the person I was attacking moved out of its range, but while these creatures were fast, I don’t think they expected such a powerful attack. The energy caught them in the chest and sliced through them. Their bodies were cut in half. As they fell to the ground, their bodies dispersed into particles of light.

  Clapping echoed around us.

  “Bravo. Very good. You three are quite troublesome.” Once again, Naamah’s voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. “However, do not be too pleased with yourself. That was only the opening act. I merely needed time to unleash my true attack.”

  A loud rumbling shook the floor around us, and I grimaced as something large and imposing wa
lked down the stairs and came to stand in front of the empty throne. It was that creature from before. Like last time, it fiercely gripped a pair of claymores in its hands as it glared at us with glowing red eyes hidden behind its demonic helmet.

  “This doesn’t look good,” Michelle murmured.

  “Great.” Adina grimaced. “It’s her guardian beast.”

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “A creature she can summon thanks to her Soul Binding,” Adina answered. “I don’t know how powerful it is, but it’s definitely stronger than everything else we fought so far.”

  “Well… that’s just great,” I said before the massive creature lurched forward. The ground beneath its feet cracked as it shot at us with an astonishing amount of speed. It was so fast we almost couldn’t get out of the way in time.

  As I raced to the left, Adina raced toward the right and Michelle shot over its head. The creature stopped on a dime. It spun around and attacked me, swinging its massive claymores with powerful arcs that cut the air.

  I knew better than to let those things hit me. I leapt backward and avoided its powerful swings, though it still managed to push me back from the sheer force. While I was trapped in its sight, Adina raced forward from behind and slammed a powerful kick into the creature’s knees. It went down onto a single knee.

  “Now, Michelle!” Adina shouted as she leapt back.

  Michelle was flying above the creature, her wings flapping as she created several swords of light, which hovered around her body. With a wave of her hand, those swords flew into the creature. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. However, most of the swords bounced off it with a clash of sparks and a metallic clanging sound. Only one managed to pierce through its armor. It slid into the junction between its chestplate and helmet, one of the few parts that weren’t protected.

  The creature released a muffled roar that sounded like anger as it stood on its feet and tried to attack Michelle, who flitted out of the way. With its back now turned to me, I raced toward it, mana draining from my reserves as I stabbed my blade forward and unleashed Death by Piercing. My sword sank into its left knee. Blood spurted from the wound as it fell down with another loud roar.

  Sensing an opportunity, Adina raced over and jumped into the air. A glowing ball of energy appeared around her hand. As she fell forward, she slammed that energy ball into the knight’s helmeted face. A massive explosion went off and rent the air. The creature fell onto its back with a loud rumble that shook the ground, and I didn’t hesitate to use this opportunity. I leapt onto its chest, held the sword in a two-handed reverse grip, and stabbed it down.

  The monster struggled for a moment as my blade penetrated its head, but it quickly stopped and went limp. After another moment, the monster burst into ash, and I landed back on the ground. Adina and Michelle came back to my side.

  “Tch!” Naamah clicked her tongue. “You three really are a lot of trouble… but no matter. I have plenty more tricks up my sleeve.”

  “Adina?” I said as I held my sword at the ready and looked around.

  “Naamah is a powerful illusionist and user of Blue magic, though she can also use Red and Black magic,” Adina explained as if she knew what I wanted to know. “Her preferred method of fighting is summoning spirits and infusing them with power to fight for her. Meanwhile, she will hide behind an illusion and simply wait for us to die.”

  “So in order to defeat her, we need to dispel the illusion she is hiding behind,” Michelle said with a nod. “I have a spell that can dispel illusions, but it requires time to activate. Can you two keep me safe while I gather the necessary mana to cast it?”

  “You can count on us,” I said as I readied my sword.

  “Hmph.” A snort echoed around the room. “I do not know what you have planned, but it won’t work! Come, Water Serpent!”

  Water molecules gathered before us, swirling around as they coagulated several feet from our position. As they gathered, they took the shape of a giant snake at least ten yards long, with glowing red eyes, and an undulating body that was partially translucent. It hissed at us as its body changed from watery blue to deathly black. It looked like it was being encased in scales of darkness. As the creature was fully formed, it slammed its tail against the ground, cracking the stone floor and causing a loud rumbling sound to echo around us.

  “What is this?” I asked in shock.

  “It’s just another spirit she summoned,” Adina said. “However, this one is a lot more powerful than those sprites. It might even be as powerful as that bone knight. She’s infused Black magic into it. You need to be careful. This kind of magic allows it to absorb negative emotions. The more negative your thinking is, the more powerful it becomes.”

  “So we need to battle it with positive thoughts?” I chuckled. “How clichéd.”

  “Excuse me?” Adina looked confused.

  “Nothing. Anyway, let’s take this thing down.”

  “Right!”

  While Michelle stood back, Adina and I raced toward the giant serpent, which narrowed its eyes at us before opening its mouth. It spat several globules at us. Adina and I split apart to dodge the attacks. I glanced at one of the spheres as it struck the ground, which immediately began hissing as it melted through the floor. So this thing could also spit out a highly acidic venom? Good to know.

  I reached the creature first. Fire appeared along my sword as I used Fire Slash, slicing into the monster with everything I had. It didn’t do much. I felt some resistance as I cut through the serpent’s body, but there was no blood nor did the creature hiss in pain. Well, I guess if it was just a summoned spirit, then maybe it couldn’t feel pain.

  While my attack didn’t appear to do any real damage, it did seem to recognize me as a threat. It lifted its tail and slammed it toward me. I leapt away as the tail smacked into the ground, once more creating cracks that spread along the surface. Before it could retract its tail, I let out a roar and sliced my sword down, hacking into the tail, which separated from the rest of its body.

  The creature hissed at me, but that was all it could do as Adina leapt into the air, spun around, and descended toward its head. She reared her fist back and brought it down. Her attack had so much power behind it that a shockwave spread out from where she’d struck the snake and several of its scales cracked. Adina then used the kinetic energy from her punch to push herself off the snake. She flipped through the air, flapped her wings, and landed on her feet several yards away.

  Hissing at Adina, the serpent spat several balls of acidic venom. Adina used her powerful leg muscles to push herself off the ground and break into a sprint. She flapped her wings and soon gained lift, though she stayed low to the ground as she swerved left and right. Her speed was impressive, allowing her to keep ahead of the creature’s attacks. While she was dodging the acid, I rushed up behind the beast and leapt onto its scaly back. Mana drained from my body as my sword began glowing. With a vicious thrust, I plunged the sword into the back of the serpent’s neck.

  Death by Piercing.

  The serpent thrashed as my weapon pierced its scales. Its thrashing was so violent I was shaken off. I crashed onto the ground, my sword flying away and clattering to the floor. As I scrambled to my feet and raced toward my weapon, the enraged serpent turned to me and lunged forward. My life flashed before my eyes as it opened its mouth like it wanted to swallow me whole.

  “Like I’d let you attack him!” Adina shouted as she burst forward like a speeding freight train.

  She slammed a ball of energy into the serpent’s head, and I was nearly blown back by the shockwave as the energy ball exploded. Light burst all around us, blinding in its brilliance, but I ignored that and reached for my sword. The by-now familiar hilt was comforting in my grip. Standing up, I turned to face the serpent, prepared to keep fighting… but I soon found out there was no need.

  The serpent’s head was missing.

  It lay on the ground, twitching as though its muscles were spasming, but then
it went still seconds later, and then it disappeared as the mana keeping it here evaporated.

  “It seems you have gotten a lot stronger, Adina,” Naamah shouted. She sounded angry. That made me chuckle. “However, do not think that growing a little stronger means you have what it takes to contend with me! I defeated your mother! I defeated Lilith!”

  Adina snorted. “The only reason you beat Mother is because you, Agrat Bat Mahlat, and Eisheth Zenunim cavorted with Asmodeus to seal her away. You didn’t defeat her in combat. You cowardly ganged up on her and used the powers of someone stronger than you to do what you couldn’t!”

  A loud snarl of rage resounded throughout the chamber. I looked around but still couldn’t see where it was coming from. Fortunately, our resident archangel was now ready to unleash her spell.

  Everything stood still as powerful waves of golden light spread across the room, all of them coming from Michelle, who emitted an energy so potent a shiver ran through my body. Adina also didn’t seem to like this energy. She hid behind me as if the holy energy caused her pain. Meanwhile, a loud scream erupted from somewhere to my left.

  It was Naamah. The woman was clawing at her face and screaming. I noticed smoke pouring off her face, so I guessed that spell Michelle unleashed did more than just dispel her illusion. Either way, this was an opportunity we couldn’t afford to lose.

  I raced forward, charging toward Naamah as fast as my legs could carry me. Footsteps echoed behind me. That must have been Adina. I reached Naamah within several seconds and thrust my now glowing sword at her.

  My Death by Piercing technique activated and my sword impaled the woman through the chest. A loud gasp escaped her lips, but she wasn’t given time to properly feel the pain before I moved away and Adina flew forward. Her body spun through the air as she released a powerful heel kick. She didn’t hit Naamah. She hit the sword in her chest. The attack was so powerful that Naamah was blasted off her feet, flew backward, struck the wall, and there she remained, her body sticking to the wall thanks to the sword impaling her chest.