Chapter 84: The Asura Blade-Maiden (2/2)

In the face of the great blade, even Uriel had no choice but to retreat. A radiating white light arose to shield him.

Sword never met shield, but the guard pulsed with power regardless. Uriel had grown angry, and with a growl his great wings unfurled, launching him above the Blade-Maiden. His figured dipped, aiming a vicious punch towards the living weapon.

Boom! Zeus-1 moved anew, this time it’s five massive engines firing all at once. In a space of time that should have been impossible, the engines roared to full power, and the thin white light of it’s shields buzzed over the ship’s length.

But the ship didn’t lift off as expected. The roaring engines this close to ground screamed like banshees as the ship lurched backward.

Zeus-1 had maneuvered back, slamming directly in to a building situated behind it as weapon blasts from the battleships overhead rained down. The resulting impact razed the obstacle and left the ship with a clear path of escape. By virtue of it’s speed and shields it was able to complete the motion. Almost instantly the ship launched up a thousand meters, then rose abruptly towards the skies.

Crack! Countless streams of white light shot forth from Uriel’s extended fist, followed by a dizzying hum.

Xiuxiu had appeared again in the air between them, the great blade situated at her side. Streaks of blood covered her nose and mouth, but her battered face still looks delighted. Finally realization dawned on Uriel’s face.

“There was another on board.” Uriel’s face was dark with rage. In his time as Cherubim, never had he been so deceived. He found it difficult to keep his emotions hidden.

Xiuxiu only laughed. “You think I’d tell you?”

Uriel opened his fist and reached out to grab Xiuxiu. Once more numerous threads extended in to a web, enveloping the Blade-Maiden in their depths.

Xiuxiu grunted, reaching up to pull a necklace from around her throat.

It was a thin thing, unadorned and not visibly special in any way. The pendant, however, drew the eye. It was a small golden sword, that shimmered with it’s own internal light.

She held the pendant gently between her fingers and, her eyes growing soft, she called forth: “Asura!”

A piercing golden light flared from the small sword. As it receded, an inky void appeared before Xiuxiu, and from it’s depths arose an colossal figure.

White, with two seven meter blades affixed to it’s back. A massive mecha, which when it arrived blinded the eyes with scores of dazzling prismatic rays. Uriel’s net shattered harmlessly under the strain.

From the mecha’s chest a light shot forth to embrace Xiuxiu. As the light dissolved, so did the Blade-Maiden. What remained was the mecha. It’s eyes shone as it came to life.

Asura stretched thirteen meters – not tall by ordinary mecha standards. However a nearly indescribable, palpable sense of dread accompanied it’s arrival. Scores of tiny black fissures appeared in the air around it, growing larger and more numerous as the mecha’s power flooded the surroundings.

1. The indented part in the center of the blade that – contrary to their secondary name ‘blood gutters’ – is actually to make the sword lighter, not promote the flow of blood.

2. A five hundred foot sword is ludicrous, but that’s the translation, so that’s what ya got