Book 5 - Chapter 63 - The Master's Gambi (1/2)

The power radiating from Judas spread from him in black ripples. It spread out to establish a zone of control which attempted to envelop Arcturus Cloude.

The Master Demonhunter scowled. He retreated from the ripples of darkness. Allowing Judas’ power to touch him would end badly.

“Foul demon!”

“Sanctuary will not succumb to your darkness!”

As Arcturus fell back, two of Skycloud’s elite stepped forward. The air around them hummed with the power of defensive relics which attempted to deflect Judas’ power. Their efforts were to buy the Master time but Arcturus called to them when he noticed. “Fall back!”

But it was too late. Those ripples had spread to form an orb around the elder demon. It swelled quickly, separating from him and swallowing up the Skycloud agents before they could heed the Governor’s warning. When his victims were within his zone of control, Judas wordlessly reacted. He stretched out a hand and gently poked the bubble.

It popped as one would expect a bubble to, but when it did everything caught inside was erased from existence. The men who had rushed to Arcturus’ aid – along with their relics, presence and the air around them – simply ceased to be. It was as though they were never there at all.

Just… removed. Completely obliterated.

Shock and trepidation filled everyone who witnessed it. The elder demon made it look exceedingly simple. He created the bubble, surrounded his target and then they were gone. That was it.

“A powerful demonic relic. The Hilt of Annihilation.” As he watched Judas, Wolfblade spoke like a man recounting a fond memory. “Once it has you, Judas’ power strips reality of all trace you ever lived. Every atom is scoured. There is no way to protect yourself.”

What a horrifying power! It was the bane of a demonhunter’s defensive tools. In the face of the Hilt of Annihilation, it didn’t matter how strong one’s protections were. They were of no use.

It sounded like a kind of dimensional power. But Cloudhawk didn’t feel any ripples in time or space, so it seemed unlikely. Rather, they were obliterated as completely as the bubble that’d surrounded them. The tiniest ions of what they were disassociated when the field collapsed, leaving not even a faint mist to mark their end.

The elder demon hardly lifted a finger, but his power left everyone stunned.

As powerful as Arcturus was, he was a creature of flesh and blood. Had he been caught in that field he would have suffered the same gruesome fate.

Arcturus did not waste time with words. Power welled up inside of him and he jabbed a finger at the elder. Light flashed, and a javelin of electric energy streaked across the dais.

Halfway through its trek a shuddering explosion rocked the beam. Countless threads of lightning crackled through the air like a host of vipers. They jerked and thrashed but gathered around Arcturus’ beam, empowering it further. Harsh electric light fell upon Judas.

The power of Ruin was nothing to scoff at. Few things could withstand a direct attack of this magnitude. A fraction of this terrible energy that had nearly eliminated Cloudhawk and the drunk.

Yet the demon elder was not intimidated by Ruin’s roar. He did not even attempt to move away. He raised his large hand and ripples once more propagated from his twisted form. Once more a sphere of energy was summoned, the semi-translucent field spreading wide, the demon himself at its center.

When Ruin’s power struck the border it was like a meteor striking atmosphere. It had to fight through the dark energy and every inch robbed it of some strength. By the time it reached Judas the overwhelming power had become a mild shock.

Bang! Crack!

The beam struck Judas and detonated, dissolving into several threads of lightning then vanishing entirely. Incredible! The demon had completely castrated Arcturus’ power! Judas wielded amazing strength. Not only could he stop most attacks, those that got close would be robbed of strength before they could be a threat.

This was the power of a demon elder.

Judas’ cold, sinister laughter rasped across the battlefield. “Your attempts are pitiful, Governor. Now witness my supremacy!”

With that, Judas shoved both hands forward.

Suddenly the bubble became a missile. It shot toward Arcturus at incredible speed, forcing the demonhunter to action. Ruin was summoned forth and swiped through the air.

Whoosh!

A streak of lightning energy chopped down from overhead. Judas’ orb of annihilation was cut in two. However, that was not enough to eliminate the threat. The field was now two orbs closing in on Arcturus’ location.

The Governor’s brows knit tighter and he was forced to retreat. As he did the two bubbles collided and burst – but instead of vanishing, now they spread out as thousands of smaller orbs.

Each one was roughly the size of a human skull, slowly wafting through the air. Those that touched the ground and popped eliminated all they came into contact with. The rest continued to wander across the dais. People scrambled to evade them and those that were too slow suffered for it. Most continued to harass Arcturus.

Pop! Pop-pop… pop pop pop!

Judas’ orbs burst upon contact, spreading all across the field like a storm. A handful managed to get close to the Governor as indicated by the holes in his robes.

As the danger fell over him power gathered within Arcturus and was released as a cluster of lightning bolts. Like the spikes of a hedgehog they jabbed at those orbs that got too close.

“What’s the matter? Is Skycloud’s greatest demonhunter unable to fight back?” Judas sneered derisively and cast more orbs of annihilation at his target. Craters had appeared all around, mangling the site of their conflict from contact with the demon’s power.

It made onlookers tremble and their hair stand on end.

Meanwhile Arcturus frantically defended himself. For ten minutes it continued with the Master Demonhunter on the back foot.

Throughout the conflict there was no sound but for the crackle of electricity. Judas’ creeping orbs were nearly silent. They could dissolve a spaceship into fragments and it would all happen without a noise.