"How are you able to wield that blade though? That thing felt like it was eating my soul away," Valen asked, narrowing his eyes at Fenris.
Fenris glanced at the crackling lightning blade as if it were an everyday tool. "Mm, who knows? Probably 'cause he shared some power with me?" he shrugged, casual as ever.
"Ohoo… If that's the case, lemme try holding it again."
Valen reached out, and Fenris, with a curious glance, handed him the blade. Surprisingly, it had no adverse effect. There was no reaction. No searing pain.
"I see."
"It seems pretty normal now. Why the sudden change? That thing was ripping my hand more than I could regenerate when I held it," Lilith observed, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Valen gave a lazy grin. "If this idiot can do it, I'm not letting him outdo me."
"Hoi!" Fenris barked, clearly offended.
"He said it himself, we're containing part of his essence also," Valen explained. "I can feel his energy surging through my body now, and fortunately, I can tap from it."
"So, you can do the things he does?" Elijah asked, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
"I'm not sure. This is all I can do for now. But it's enough, I guess. The others should be able to too…" Valen replied, his gaze shifting to his companions.
"It won't matter," the Entity cut in, catching another lightning blade from the thundercloud above with ease.
"Is that so now?" Valen smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I have an idea of how strong you are, but it looks like you're at your limit. Your battery is running out. Any more attacks you make just depletes your energy, and I know you're thinking of how to end things quick with what little energy you have left."
"What are you doing? Rage baiting him?" Lilith asked, her voice hushed with concern.
"It's not a rage bait… Or maybe it is," Kael answered, his expression unreadable.
"What do you mean?"
"That thing is incomplete. It's nowhere near complete… It needs to collect back all the essence Palmer… Or Elias, or whatever, shared with them to proceed with its transformation to perfection," Fenris explained, his voice suddenly serious. "If I hadn't severed the fusion at that point, this thing would be on par with, no, maybe even stronger than the Queen, your mother."
"What is he? A god?" Elijah asked, irritation sharpening his tone.
"Stop running your mouth if you love your life…" Lilith hissed at Fenris, her warning sharp and clear.
"S-sorry," Fenris mumbled, his voice barely audible.
"And what do you plan to do now if that was the case?" the entity asked, its voice calm but laced with a hint of desperation.
"Hoi... What do you think this is? An anime where we tell you our plan, stupidly giving you the advantage for a counterattack?" Fenris yelled, his bravado returning.
"Hmm," veins pulsed on the entity's head, its form shifting. "You underestimate me too much." Its horn and half-halo fully formed. Divine light shimmered through its body. Suddenly, bone cracks echoed audibly from its back.
Then—three sets of incomplete wings sprouted from its back, each shimmering with golden flame. It slowly levitated, the light intensifying.
"Uwahh, you should learn to control your tongue once in a while, man… He's completely lost his mind now, hasn't he?" Lilith said, a nervous edge creeping into her voice.
"Eek," Fenris squeaked, his confidence faltering.
"Nope… That's just what I wanted," Valen replied, a chilling smile spreading across his face.
"How so?" Fenris and Lilith asked in unison, their confusion evident.
"Heh… I see why Elias doesn't relent to keep you in charge," Elijah said, a malicious smile twisting his lips. "That thing, he has us completely locked in."
The entity finally noticed the lightning blade was no longer in Valen's hand, but the realization dawned too late.
Ivy, with blinding speed, charged from its blindspot with the blade and severed its horn, wings, and hand. She tried to break the half-formed halo, but he caught her hand and sent lightning from the thundercloud that struck her mid-air as they fell.
Ivy grunted, the blade slipping from her hand. Kole, with insane speed, snatched the blade.
As the entity landed, it felt an immense pressure bearing down. Kole was charging at it from above with the blade.
With incredible reaction speed, it used telekinesis to blast him away, but what it blasted felt light. The body disintegrated and turned to dead bats. "Tsk, he cloned himself with bats."
From behind, the real Kole appeared, his eyes glowing crimson with the intricate pattern, blade in hand. He swung it. The entity managed to barely dodge the attack, but the blade grazed its chest, which immediately closed.
It used gravity to crush Kole to the ground, creating a large crater. Elijah and Lilith charged at it, their combined punches landing with devastating force, sending the entity flying. It managed to right itself mid-air and land, but as it stretched out a hand for its blade, there was no response.
Then a voice echoed from everywhere. "Too bad… You've used up what energy is left," Valen said. "Sorry Palmer, this might hurt…" he whispered, his voice laced with a strange sorrow, before he drove the lightning blade through its chest.
"Now!" Valen yelled.
Ivy, Kole, Kael, Elijah, and Lilith leapt, grabbing hold. Their eyes lit with radiant crimson, pulsing with the noble pattern. Together, they stared deep into the Entity's eyes.
The glow in the Entity's eyes slowly shifted. It matched theirs.
Elijah gasped the moment he met its eyes. Flashes of memories began to flood his mind, of everything that had happened, the night he got separated with his brother and his dad.
Lilith soon followed suit…
Tears dripped down from their eyes.
"What's wrong with them…" Fenris asked, confusion in his voice.
"They got t
he answer they were looking for," Valen answered, his voice low and filled with relief.