Chapter 1137 (2/2)

And our forces… Randidly glanced around and grimaced. Nine Commanders remain, maybe twenty-ish people that can fight against Nether Gatekeepers… This one… might be a little rough.

But then there was a familiar giggle that spread out across the whole of the battlefield, not just through Lady Iellaya’s camp. Everyone’s attention was dragged toward the iconic rocky outcropping on which the headquarters sat. “I suppose you will be needing some of my assistance, Lord Miln?”

Although Ileot’s pipping voice did not get any easier on the ears the more Randidly heard it, there was a significant amount of catharsis knowing that gloating tone was directed toward Lord Miln. And Randidly could almost hear the clenching of Lord Miln’s jaw after the very public way that Ileot forced the Supreme Commander to ask for his support.

“...indeed, Master Tweocs. Your assistance is… necessary.”

Once more, a giggle echoed across the battlefield. But then a blazing comet traveled upward from the rocky outcropping of headquarters and made a beeline toward the large, four-headed Nether Gatekeeper that led its fellows.

Drawn as though by a magnet, all eight eyes from that beast focused in on the sudden assault launched by the Aether forces. With a harmonious roar between four monstrous throats, the Nether Gatekeeper called over ten of its minions and then sprinted forward to meet Ileot’s bright light.

Across the entire battlefield, every eye was locked on the impending clash. Yet despite the import of what was about to happen, Randidly looked away and stared toward Commander Terith’s camp for several seconds. The warmth running between them meant that Vualla was definitely out there, yet even now he still wanted to confirm. He was even willing to risk missing the fight to see her.

Unfortunately, this attempt was no more helpful than the last; Vualla continued to allude his searching gaze. So Randidly could only turn his eyes back upward in time to see that the light that Ileot had sent shooting upward very quickly morphed to form a six-armed man holding a brush in each of its hands.

As the Nether Gatekeepers surged closer, the six arms began to rapidly trace out arcane characters which hung in the air and glowed golden. Soon, Illeot’s projection had drawn sixteen characters: four that rotated around it horizontally like the four cardinal directions and twelve that spun vertically like the different times on a clock. Then it seemed to explode in a surge of golden light and accelerate forward toward the Nether Gatekeepers.

Immediately, the four-headed leader of the Nether Gatekeeper understood that something was up. Rather than continuing with its rather intimidating barks, one of the upper heads turned around and yelped in desperation at some of the Nether Gatekeepers behind it before hurriedly straightening to prepare to meet the golden ball of light.

The huge forms above accelerated toward each other, seeming to be only a few dozen meters apart, but still several additional seconds passed where there was no sound of impact. Frowning, Randidly’s full focus finally settled on the clash that was about to happen. The fact that they haven’t hit each other yet just shows how far away they are… and if they are still this size that far away-

BOOOOOOM.

Golden light rocked the sky. Four quick waves of it blasted outward, each brighter than the last. When it all finally cleared, Randidly could see that most of the initial wave of Nether Gatekeepers that had met the ball of golden light had been sent flying like they were bowling pins. It was only their four-headed leader that doggedly continued to resist the overwhelming momentum of the golden light that Ileot had created.

Even then, it could only frantically struggle as it was pushed back. But very soon its yelps attracted the assistance of more and more Nether Beasts. Ten, twenty, thirty, forty…

Fully half of the one hundred Nether Gatekeepers had to join forces to resist the golden light. With their combined effort they were able to slow the golden ball to a crawl, once more revealing the six-armed man. Soon his eyes flashed golden and the arms began to lash out, rapidly engaging the surrounding Nether Gatekeepers.

Ileot giggled again. “Good luck, Lord Miln.”

The other Nether Gatekeepers and the sea of Nether Beasts behind them continued to surge downward, giving the clash a wide berth. Even as the people around him started to prepare for their own combat, Randidly’s focus lingered on that golden light.

What must it be like to possess the strength of fifty Nether Gatekeepers… without even seeming to break a sweat. Randidly mused. But then he shook his head and focused on the waves of Nether Gatekeepers forging downward. Randidly bared his teeth. But for now… show me, beings of Nether, how powerful you really are.

Randidly’s hands curled into a fist. I want to understand what it means to have Nether be the basis for one of my images.