Chapter 694 - Book 6, Chapter 86 – Ashfall (2/2)

Incredible! No wonder he was considered the best of his realm.

Cloudhawk felt more of his clothing tear under the multi-energetic attack. It stabbed at his defenses like a hundred thousand needles and had begun to pierce his flesh. He could barely remember the last time someone had managed to make him bleed. Ash was a worthy opponent, to be sure.

He brought Ruin and the Arbiter’s Staff in front of him, catching Ashfall between.

Their collision was devastating. The resulting explosion leveled half the block.

Cloudhawk and Ash were flung away from each other. Ash’s hair was tousled and there were burn marks on his body. Arcs of electricity sparked across his skin. Cloudhawk’s clothes were disheveled and in spots seared black, in about the same shape as his adversary.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen anyone take a direct blow from Ashfall and live.” A smile spread across Commander-General Ash’s face. “You’re strong, quite strong. But no one is strong enough to withstand my weapon. Die!”

His final shout was punctuated with a headlong rush. He charged at Cloudhawk, reaching ten times the speed of sound.

Ash was a master martial artist, having perfected his body so that it was as impenetrable as any god or demon. Impressive mental strength also meant that in his hands, Ashfall reached its highest potential. Comparably, Cloudhawk’s weapons were wondrous but paled in comparison to the combination relic.

Ashfall was the treasure of Praelius. Its mightiest artifact!

Since acquiring it, Ash had never lost a battle. He was the greatest warrior Praelius had ever seen – how could he be defeated? As the assault continued Cloudhawk could find no answer for the complex combination of power the Commander-General’s weapon brought. He was forced to back off.

In the blink of an eye the two men had exchanged several dozen blows.

By now a number of demonhunters had been drawn to the commotion. As a storm of energy raged around them, they prepared to surround Cloudhawk like a rat in a trap.

Ash’s confidence surged. He saw no way for the fiend to escape. However, as he moved in for the next attack something went wrong. It felt like something was stopping his relic from releasing its power.

“What?”

Ash looked down to discover faint cracks appearing in the blades. They appeared across the entire length, and crackling within were faint tongues of green fire… like it was somehow being burned.

Although he appeared to be in a bad position, Cloudhawk grinned. “You put too much faith in your weapon. It may look incredible, but it isn’t as sturdy as you thought.”

“No! Impossible!”

Ash had never faced something like this. Cloudhawk had already seen through the relic’s weakness.

Because it was an amalgamation of eighteen different relics, the spear bore incredible and varied power. However this came with a drawback. Eighteen parts meant that together, it made an imperfect whole. Cloudhawk concealed his efforts by staying on the back foot, but what he was really doing was striking specific weak points with the Arbiter’s Staff.

His was also a treasured relic of this Elysian land, and like Ashfall, struck with incredible force! Lesser relics shattered under its assault.

Cloudhawk had repeatedly hit the same spot on Ash’s relic, eventually causing it to crack. Once the form was breached the rest was easy. Without his enemy knowing he infected the blades with Castigation Fire. They spread quickly, traveling along the cracks until the fires corrupted the entire weapon. Damage to their structure robbed the relics of their power.

If the fight continued it was only a matter of time before they shattered. By the time Ash discovered this, it was too late.

“Crack.”

Cloudhawk whipped the Arbiter’s Staff through the air, this time aimed at Ashfall. He released a torrent of power and – like a vase struck by a bat – Ash’s weapon crumbled into ten jagged pieces. Gouts of green fire emerged in a deadly plume, roaring into the Commander-General’s face.

He screamed. He turned to try and flee.

It was too late. Ash was fast, but Cloudhawk was too. Seizing this hard-won opportunity, Cloudhawk raced up to the warrior and lashed out with Ruin. The crackling blade came down on his neck. Another flash followed and Ash tumbled to the ground in three pieces.

I lost… I lost… I… l-lost…

Just as blood and organs seeped from his ruined body, thoughts seeped from Ash’s severed head until there was only darkness. Disbelief was all he had left when death claimed him.

Cloudhawk had succeeded in felling Skycloud’s Commander-General. Its protective enchantments were destroyed. The city and its Temple were exposed to the armies of the Green Alliance. With his clothes torn and burnt, Cloudhawk raised his head from the ruin to gaze upon the Temple floating above. More powerful enemies remained, but Cloudhawk was not deterred. No one could stop him from saving Selene – not even the God King.

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