Pursuit of the Zodiacs (67 page)

“Adam? I knew I would come across some unfortunate familiar faces this night.” Crusix approached him. The history between these two proved unforgiving considering that Crusix had murdered Adam’s children under Lucifer’s orders.

Adam laughed for the first time in a long time. “Ha-ha-ha-ha.”

His sinister laugh disturbed the Demons present as they looked upon one another. Abdeen and Abdeel caught up with him. “You Devils turn back, or die where you stand,” Abdeel warned. “Come, Adam, we must head back to the group. There isn’t time for delay.”

Adam answered, “You go ahead without me. This Devil slaughtered my children. And, in their name, I’m not leaving without his head.”

Startled, Abdeen said, “I will assist you in this revenge, Brother.”

Adam attacked first. The three engaged Crusix and his small fleet. Abdeel created an opening with violent rushing waters, giving him some room to work against his three assailants. They exchanged gifts. Helena thrust her spear at Abdeen, but he swiftly took it away and burned it to ash. She wielded her sword, which met his Flaming Sword. But he was too strong; and, as their blades met, she lost her weapon again. He punched through her guard. Frustrated, she used her gifts, which consisted of Talisman Crystals in the ball of her Mystical Mace, capable of sending anyone to the Abyss of the Earth with one touch.

“What’s wrong, Pursuer? You seem a bit worried?” She spoke to him scornfully while waving her weapon. The chain and ball containing the Talisman Crystals wrapped around Abdeen’s sword, causing him to surrender his weapon. He transformed into a flaming humanoid form and kicked her back into the open Gateway.

Backed into a corner, Abdeel confronted more Devils with his Liquid Crystal Sword. He kicked their severed heads aside and welcomed more challengers.

Adam and Crusix ended up on a bridge over a lake. Adam’s Supernatural Carpet became collateral damage in the melee. Its electrical compartments fought to stay online, but it failed and descended further into the belly of the lake. Crusix took full advantage of a maddened Adam, whose emotions plagued his overall performance rendering him a victim to the Demon Master Arch’s attacks. Fatigued and beaten, Adam lay in wait for death. But Abdeen intervened, striking Crusix with a compacted meteor that consumed a portion of the bridge. Engulfed, Crusix fell to the ground.

“Abdeen! Look out!” yelled Abdeel.

Open to attack, Abdeel pushed his Brother out of the way as Helena’s weapon emerged from the Dimension lights at full speed. It struck Abdeel, who vanished, leaving only his clothes intact.

“No!” Abdeen desperately grabbed the chain and pulled Helena out of the Dimension. She landed on her face, dazed. Abdeen grabbed her. Infuriated, he yelled, “Where is he, you Devil! Where did you send my Brother!”

Her mind gradually cleared. She smiled, and answered, “Your Brother lies at the bottom, in the Hellish abyss with the other pestilence I’ve sent there.”

Abdeen retrieved his Flaming Sword, thrust it into Helena’s mouth, and removed her head.

Abdeen saw Capricorn’s Dead Rising coming from the North of the city in staggering numbers. The breeze carried the scent of blood in the air and it led them towards the melee on the bridge. Starting with his legs, Adam chopped down at Crusix. He wanted his suffering to last eternally after envisioning his dead children. He’d trekked Galaxies to seize this moment. Overrun with Dead Rising, Adam leapt from the bridge and into the water. Crusix reached for his sword, but his injuries slowed his pace. They dined on the Demon Archangel. The cry of his torment added ecstasy to Adam’s viewing pleasure as the Dead Rising continued to sink their teeth into Crusix’s wings, flesh, and all parts of his body until nothing remained.

Adam removed himself from the water and found a distraught Abdeen sitting down holding his dead Brother’s armor. “What’s happened here, Abdeen?” Abdeen, too overcome with grief, could not respond.

Concerned for Abdeen, it didn’t take much for him to realize what had happened. “My apologies, Abdeen. I was not myself, I have caused an unfortunate casualty. I don’t know what to say.”

Abdeen looked upon Adam and said, “I will reunite with my Brother again. Until then, we have a mission to accomplish. You must relinquish your anger. It only puts everyone at risk. Focus. In time, you will achieve measureless retribution. First, we must find Aries and put an end to all this.”

“UZIEL! SOMEONE APPROACHES FROM THE EAST.”

Two spies gave word of an incoming visitor. He handed over his telescope to the top Master Arch.

“Bishop!” Emmanuel confirmed.

“Yes, it is he, indeed,” Sabrina assured.

They were over five thousand strong, and too many to hide. Despite the numbers and rank, they served no contest to a god. They accepted and came to terms with death where they stood. However, they weren’t going to be sent into the Judgment Realm without a fight.

The emergency alarms sounded, and cannon fire burst in the air along with projectiles. Spacecraft soared, firing everything they had. But they plummeted back to the Earth engulfed in Bishop’s fire, while the others switched course and wisely evacuated into space. The Mover of Suns lived up to his title. His eyes became as black as night, the clouds parted and welcomed the Sun. It provided light upon the darkness of the Dimension where they stood.

Camiel shouted out an order. “Those who can make it to the exit of this Dimension, do it fast. There’s no need for us all to perish here!”

With death closing in, Camiel removed his armor due to the increasing heat the advancing Sun donated. They watched as hundreds incinerated right before their eyes.

“Come on, Sabrina. There’s nothing we can do for them. Let’s go!” Vincent yelled as he grabbed Sabrina’s arm. They headed for the nearest Dimension exit, leaving behind the cries of more Archangels in the background. She spotted Uziel heading in the wrong direction.

His group unfortunately miscalculated and headed for an exit impossible to reach in time.

“No, you won’t make it! Come with us!” Sabrina shouted.

With the same Sun, Bishop unleashed a massive meteor from its core so intense that it destroyed the Gateway, trapping them. If they hadn’t been there to witness it for themselves, no one would ever have believed Bishop’s paramount power.

Uziel gave one final command before he and his remaining group were executed. “Farewell, Brothers and Sisters. May God sweep our enemies underneath the pillars of this Universe.”

They exited the Dimension and closed the gate.

Emmanuel asked, “Where’s Ariel? Any word?”

Sabrina answered, “Not sure. He must be among the dead.”

Vincent added, “Our entire fleet has been completely annihilated. Someone must have given up our coordinates.”

They moved silently in formation behind the hills of this weary land that was in need of purity.

They devised a plan for another escape. Their numbers fell drastically to only a hundred eighty-nine strong, in a land that required thousands. If the beasts detected their scent, they will take advantage of their small numbers, especially their wounded. The beasts dwelled in the fields, trees and in the mountains. They surveyed the area for the nearest exit out of the Dimension.

They shot a signal in the air to notify any gatekeepers within the region. Moments after thinking no aid existed within this Hell, they saw two flares off on the horizon, North from their position. And so, the path was set for them, but getting there presented another problem. The Gatekeepers risked their own lives by returning a locating signal. They made it their duty to reach the safe zone before the Devils of the land oppressed everyone.

Chapter 31

A WAR WITHIN A WAR

“One day the Earth will be lost again, but not during my reign.”

— P
OPE
E
LIZABETH

“G
od, deliver us from the evil that plagues this city. May the current Pope fall, and a new one rise. Evil will no longer fortify this tabernacle and be the deceiver of man. As we breach the battlefield, may our sword be mightier than any armor in opposition, and may our enemies have no repentance in the graves we will provide them. Give us the strength, oh Lord, to do your works. Amen.”

Virtues, an Archangel and leader of this secret campaign, prayed over hundreds of Archangels. They’d been dispatched from the Underworlds and from the Heavens. A new Pope had been called for duty, and her name was Elizabeth.

“A woman? That’s never been heard of?” Someone in the audience argued.

“But yet it is done. We shall escort her to the Vatican, and the people will take matters into their own hands after this war is over,” Virtues replied. He sent his soldiers into an uncertain Rome. Using an unorthodox formation, they cut through serpents that had made themselves one among men.

“You don’t belong here, Devils! Return to your Hell!” they rebuked, and spilt blood on Mortal grounds. The Devils retreated, and they rejoiced. The celebration stopped as they encountered the reasoning for their adversary’s abrupt departure. Capricorn’s Dead Rising came soaring from the fissures in the streets.

“Attack!” They unleashed heavy laser fire and explosives, reducing the pace of these fiends, but they still advanced.

Virtues commanded, “Remove their heads! That is the only solution I see in stopping these monsters.”

“My God!” A soldier shouted at a distance as a Dead Rising Nephilim Giant snatched him off the street. Ranging twenty feet tall, it walked away while biting into his flesh.

“Hand that to me.” Virtues was handed an Advanced Laser Sniper Rifle as he pursued the Dead Rising Giant eating one of his men. He caught up with the zombie and shot him in the head. The head burst open, but the brain remained intact. It still lived. Its attention navigated towards the Archangel. It tossed the dead soldier aside, and walked towards Virtues.

He continued to rip the monster down, knocking it from wall to wall due to the Super weapons impact. Despite removing chunks of its flesh, the Dead Rising Nephilim Giant continued to press forward.

“To Hell with it.” Virtues tossed the weapon aside and unsheathed his Super Sword. He pressed a button on its handle and the blade surfaced turning into a two-handed great sword. He split the Giant’s arm in half as it reached for him. Virtues unleashed his wings and went airborne, but the Giant struck him with its other arm midway through takeoff, and Virtue landed on the roof of a house.

Stunned and unaware of the beast climbing towards the roof, Virtues fought off his vertigo. As the beast neared, it clawed for a better grip. Its brain fully exposed while the flesh hung loosely at its side. Virtues regained his equilibrium and drove his sword straight through the Giant’s brain. He pulled out his sword and the beast slid off the roof. His men chopped down the last Dead Rising minions in their route.

“Virtues, are you alright?” the new Pope asked.

“Yes, my Lady. The city seems lost, but let’s move forward.” Virtues descended from the roof.

Pope Elizabeth responded, “Yes, it seems so. One day the Earth will be lost again, but not during my reign. Let’s rid this place of its pestilence.”