166 Gratitude (1/2)
Dante was not able to answer Zatiel's question. By the time he noticed Oliver increase in power and he felt the animosity targeted to him, the Duke had managed to slip past the two Rank 4 Magi and was already sending what could be described as an ocean of lava against him.
He had used the sword tattoo to stop the lava attack since although it was targeting him, it will have killed all the Sunlight Champions and Neo-Demons close to him. After that, the tattoo was able to teleport him very far from the battlefield and outside of the Angelic Paragon's reach
It was Rax who offered an answer. From the way the Neo-Demon was breathing it was obvious he was very tired.
”Ancestor, I had maintained part of my focus in the battle among those Rank 4 and saw what happened. At first, both Magi were suppressing the Angelic Paragons since it seems they were already very tired before the battle even started. When they saw how some of his people had managed to harm the tower and destroy the automatons, they relaxed but the moment they noticed the force field growing, the Angelic Paragon with lava wings, the one named Oliver, went berserker and it seems he took something that increased his power.
He sent one attack against the Magi, which sends the two flying away and then he charged against Dante and released that powerful spell. When he saw how he had managed to escape, he focused his rage on us and he made thousands of lava ball rain above us.”
When Zatiel hear from Rax how things happened his eyes narrowed. The way Oliver managed to increase his power was not important now, but he could see that the repercussion of whatever he did will be extremely harsh since he did not use it during the entire battle.
What bothered him was that Oliver chose to use that method not to kill the Rank 4 Magi but to go after Dante. No matter how special the boy was or how good his strategies were, they should not have made a Rank 4 life form resort to self-harming methods just to kill him, after all, he was a Rank 1 life form.
Zatiel could not have known that Oliver connected Dante's Eye of Life and Creation to the prophesy and thought that he was the one who opened the portal to the Abyss. That and seeing the force field that will make them lose a great part of the continent, was enough to let his rage consume him.
”How were you able to survive?”
Zatiel was very clear of the power of an attack performed by a Law Avatar and it should have been more than enough to kill all of them.
”It was thanks to the Magus named Zitra. She appeared in front of us and stop most of the ball of lava, but still, some of them manage to reach our people. Kilo and I are in our dragon form, carrying our people and flying away from the battlefield, under the cover of the force field.
The Magus remained behind stop those Rank 4 Angelic Paragons from going after us.”
Under the force field formed by the Ten Tower Formation, the Havenly race will be able to show less than ten percent of their power, but Zatiel knows than that level of strength is more than enough for the Duke to kill all those Rank 2 and 1 life forms in a matter of second.
Zatiel knew that the Magus has put her life in danger to help his people escape, and unlike before that his eyes were full of killing intent when he thought they have left them to die, gratitude could be seen on his face.
”Rax and Kilo, lead our people to the first tower. We need to regroup and heal before we decide what to do next. Dante, you will intercept them in their path and start to heal those wounded.”
”Yes, Ancestor.”
”Yes, father.”
Despite what their feelings are, all of them were clear that they are too weak to do anything against the Duke that had just butchered their people, and try to go after him will be suicidal and stupid.
Zatiel, Heinz, Ezequiel, and the Undying Leviathan were approaching the tower at an impressive speed and when they very close to it, they saw a pillar of light carrying someone inside was moving to the direction of the mountain range.
Heinz was able to see Zitra figure inside the pillar, but when he saw that no one was going after her, he chose to maintain his path.
When they finally reached the place that the Daybreak clan was protecting, they saw a river of lava extending for hundreds of kilometers and that consumed the bodies of all the people that had died during this battle.
The consciousness of Heinz extended and he searched the surroundings but he was not able to find any clue of the Angelic Paragons.
”They must have escaped when they saw that they will not be able to hunt your clan and felt my presence.”
Zatiel was silent and all of his focus was on the river of lava, and after a moment coldness appears on his eyes.
The power in that spell was enough to destroy the souls of his people.
”You should remain here. Stabilize the area and bring the tower to the surface. Once you are done with that finish the teleportation formation in the tower. The force field is already established so we have more than enough time now.”
Zatiel voice was completely emotionless but there was dormant wrath hiding behind his eyes.
”What are you going to do?.”
Although Zatiel was not showing anything, Heinz saw the monstrous killing intent that was growing in his heart.