[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 68 - 18: Curses and Sacrifices [8]

Chapter 68: Chapter 18: Curses and Sacrifices [8]

The moment those words left Evan’s lips, everything went still, like a silent movie. Everyone watched the sky as the clouds parted and shone on the dark gray surroundings. They stared, mesmerized, as it illuminated Evan’s form, making him appear like a celestial being.

And then the chaos began.

It was as if the Calamity sensed the approaching danger. It let out a growl before opening its mouth impossibly wide, gathering powerful malevolent energy and preparing to strike.

"Get out of the way!" Mathias bellowed out as he enlarged both of his hands, scooping up Ansel and Gideon under each massive arm.

Everyone followed quickly, dashing away from the range of the blast like their lives depended on it.

"What about Evan?" Voss asked worriedly, glancing at their Summoner who was still hovering above the ground, looking like an ethereal being.

"He’ll be fine," Blade said. "Right now, he’s more powerful than any of us."

Clay nodded. "The aura coming from him is insane."

Only seconds after they had all reached a safe area, the Calamity struck.

The massive beam shot out of its gaping mouth, spearing ahead and vaporizing the ground where they had stood moments before. The impact exploded outward into the nearby buildings, destroying everything in its wake. The waves crashed violently in return, and the sound of thunder grew to an almost deafening point.

"Ugh!" Voss cried out, shielding his eyes from the shockwave with his arm. "That was brutal."

"Evan!" Ansel exclaimed, eyes wide and frantic. "Is he okay?!"

Mathias looked up, and the others followed.

As the smoke and debris cleared, they saw the familiar shape of light from afar, shining like a beacon in the darkness. It seemed that Evan had flown upwards to escape the blast.

Moments later, he slowly floated back down, and finally, they could get a good look at what was happening.

Wings of glowing spirit energy unfurled behind Evan, flapping gently as he descended. He stopped just a few inches above the ruined ground, the golden light almost blinding.

Seeing this, the Calamity slammed down its claws in fury.

"This isn’t good," Clay muttered.

"What do we do now?" Ansel asked, sweat dripping down his brow.

"I’m sure the Final Spirit will come soon," Mathias said, panting heavily as he turned his arms back to normal size. "We’ll just have to wait and trust in Evan."

Just as the words left his lips, dozens of thick tendrils erupted from the Calamity’s hands and gaping mouth, flailing and lashing out for miles, slithering everywhere in the city.

"Look out!" Clay shouted as he jumped and slashed at the rushing vines with his broadsword.

"Ngh!" Elyana leaped over the tendrils, summoning a crystal sword to slash through them. Voss was right behind her, conjuring a barrage of weapons.

One tendril knocked Mathias flying before he could enlarge. Another wrapped around Gideon, the grip tightening and lifting him upwards. Blade lunged at him and planted his hands on the tendril, eyes glowing a dangerous orange.

Flames instantly erupted, licking hungrily at the rough surface. The attack loosened the tendril’s grip on Gideon, allowing him to escape.

"Thanks!" Gideon called out.

Blade nodded and increased the fire, concentrating until the tendrils were charred.

Meanwhile, Ansel stayed back, keeping a watchful eye on the tendrils as he took cover behind a pile of rubble. He couldn’t join the battle yet, not while he was still recovering his magic reserves. There was no telling when Evan or one of the other Guardians might need his help as a last resort, so it was best not to waste any magic power.

This was also the strategy they had planned as a group hours before. Since Ansel’s magic allowed him to pass through anything if he wanted to, he had to keep a close eye on whoever was in grave danger.

The range is incredible though, Ansel thought, swallowing as several tendrils lashed out at the city. He looked up at Evan, who was now surrounded by a perfect orange sphere. It acted as an impenetrable shield, and no matter how many times the root claws tried to pierce it, it was useless.

After all, the merging is complete, so he’ll be invulnerable for a while. It won’t last for long, but it’s an ultimate defense during the sealing process.

But after that...

If the sealing doesn’t work...

No! He shook his head vehemently. Don’t think like that. It will work!

Nothing bad will happen. I’m sure.

Ansel stared up at the sky now instead of Evan, lips parted in surprise at what he saw. The clouds above seemed to be torn apart by pillars of light that illuminated Evan’s form.

Then, he saw a falling star.

Not exactly, but something similar to it. It was falling with blazing speed, celestial flames seeming to surround its shape. The figure’s size grew rapidly as it descended until it eventually took on a gigantic shape.

And then it landed right on top of the Calamity, hitting the seas with a huge splash, sending waves crashing against the edge of the city.

Ansel yelped and hid behind the rubble, breathing heavily as the shockwave shattered the surroundings. The others were thrown off their feet as the figure crashed into the Calamity, their screams drowned out by the roar of the waves.

As the turbulence subsided, Ansel finally mustered the courage to peer out from the rubble.

The blinding light of the celestial being made him blink and turn away for a moment. Now that the noise had been reduced, he could now feel the weight of the being’s presence pressing down on him. The aura it radiated was intimidating and powerful, but he knew that it was not here to harm them.

The Final Spirit... Ansel thought, swallowing as he stared at the celestial being once more. It’s here.

The Deiridh.

The celestial being towered over the Calamity, the demonic monster lying helplessly on the ground. The Spirit held a lance in its hand and plunged it deep into the Calamity’s torso, causing black ichor to gush from the wound.

A few tendrils were still free, however, and flailing wildly in the background.

We need to cut them off, Ansel realized. Otherwise, they might attack us when our guards are down.

The Final Spirit’s purpose was to restrain the monster for a period of time while Evan chanted the ancient spell for a celestial prison. No other Spirit could injure or pin down the monster. Only the Deiridh was capable of this.

However, the majority of the sealing process depended entirely on the Summoner himself. If the Summoner ever faltered or made a mistake, things could go wrong real quick.

Ansel took out a dagger from his pocket and imbued it with magic, causing it to glow orange.

Evan... hang in there!