Cherreads

Chapter 105 - What's Possible Beyond The Clouds

The unknown plane Elijah and Niko had arrived in was not affected by time by any means. The moment they were both shoved back into reality, they found themselves surrounded by an uncountable number of Astraean hunters, and even a few judges.

"Elijah? …Where are we?" Niko was slowly raising himself off his back to a sitting position – following the actions of Elijah. If there wasn't an adjustment period of his mind or soul being transported from one place to another, Niko would have already started a commotion. Although, he had no sense of how to use the power of illusions he stole from the Master of Deceit. Not so much of a master any more…

"In a cave surrounded by people who want to kill us. Don't move." Elijah responded while looking at Abel who was tied up by a rope and sitting on the floor.

"Well well, it looks like all the hard work was done for us. I had just received a call from Graywood about two children who had fallen into the whirlpool." The man walked from behind the crowd of hunters wearing a long black jacket with gray garments underneath. 

"Kill them, all of them!"

Niko was surprised by the man's words. He was most definitely a judge – the judge of fire by the color of his eyes. However, why not capture them? Knowing it has something to do with Elijah, Niko dove deep into his soul while feeling the new power lingering within. Copying the same way he saw Damon use this ability, he created many copies of all the hunters while using them to block his view. However, it seemed they were only seen by the judge. Not a single person batted an eye to the myriad of figures walking soullessly in random directions but the fire judge.

"Elijah! I just did something that blocked the view of the judge! GO!" Niko yelled while creating a slow wall of fire that he shot forward.

'Of course we get thrown into action the moment we get out of it…' Elijah sighed. He wanted it to end. 

Either his life, or the danger so he can stare into the redness of the sun as it passes the horizon.

Elijah's body began to emanate a slight ethereal glow. The ground underneath his feet became indented from the force of his blast off – a force that did not even utilize his flight ability. 

In the lab, the scientist believed his flight ability had something to do with his affinity. Since the possibility of instant communication between the entire kingdom is possible, he would rather entertain this idea while relishing in the faces of the future dead hunters.

Boom!

In the same moment of his fist forcing destruction in the crowd, he was punctured by a spear that traveled through the corner of his fist. 

Pain was felt, but with the smoldered emotions of Elijah, he kept swinging till the walls were painted with blood. Some of his fists traveled through bodies that were created from mist, while some created holes and indentations that were unrecoverable from.

Even Abel had joined the fight, which likely meant the man had voluntarily surrendered. The question was, how long had Abel been tied up down here?

"YOU ALL ARE WEAK!" 

Blinding lights from a radiant fire had been flickering through the small cavern and causing tremors and rocks to fall from the ceiling. Abel was facing off against the fire judge with water that not only extinguished the bright red flames, but absorbed the heat creating boiling water. With each splash that touched the fire judges skin, a red patch appeared that soon began to bubble.

The mages of the Astraea kingdom were very cavemen in their knowledge. While they had a great amount of it, the progression into the specifics was where they lacked. Explosion magic made from the fire affinity was first seen by Niko, who was banished from his family for his lunatic-like mind. This was likely when he had been marked as an anomaly to be monitored.

Now Abel – who came from a different kingdom, was using the principles of water magic in ways unimaginable to the overconfident fire judge.

Taking the word absorption to an entirely different level.

"Not so tough with your fire are you now?" Abel said as he surrounded the fire judge's body entirely in water that had lost its heat.

Bam! Boom!

"Elijah stop!" 

Niko had to yell at Elijah from punching through the illusions causing small tremors in the cave.

"Oh…" Elijah's bodily glow slowly disappeared. "Was that you? The clones?"

"Illusions. Let's just say I had a tough conversation with the god who brought me here." Niko had thought he was the only one that saw them, but maybe not.

Elijah did not look very surprised, and replied with a shallow tone. "Good… and same… Abel. Kill him and let's get moving. I have no doubt they are sending more. They may even have control over the beasts within The Catacombs." 

"Sorry, but your ego is a tad bit too high." Abel created a fake a wide smile on his face while creating the sharpest blade of water that shined in the now dim light. 

The plants and vines that were draped across the ceiling had mostly fallen, which gave Abel's face the perfect lighting for a horrifying defeat. A muffled scream was quickly cut off after his head was severed.

Niko voiced how he thought the man's name was Arin, the fire judge – someone with close ties to the Trident family for obvious reasons related to fire. The Trident's has always had a long line of fire mages alongside the Ruby family.

"I guess it's impossible to save my friends…" Elijah signaled to both Niko and Abel while walking to the exit of the cave – the exit that would lead them to a paradise.

Each cave – even with how drastically different they were, was littered with different amounts and types of beasts. It was as if a game of culling had taken place – a game led by a beast.

Within a long and slightly inclined tunnel, the group of three heard a cacophony of noises indicating danger. Likely, it was the reinforcements, and they had followed the corpses as they assumed this was the anomaly's doing.

"Looks like we have trouble. Abel, are you ready for a deadly plan?"

"Woah! Didn't know you would turn into such a battle freak. I hope this doesn't involve me staying inside this small tunnel." Abel said with a hint of grief on his face.

"I know you are joking… Start compressing water and hold it in place. I am going to punch it through the tunnel."

"Won't that just create ice?" Niko asked.

"No, the water will just be many times heavier and more viscous. You can't create ice just by compressing water." Elijah's idea sort of blew the minds of Abel and Niko. 

They both had never heard of condensed or compressed water. The nature of this type of water only appears at the very deep parts of the ocean. The pressure and amount of friction it takes to move through the water is immensely stronger than the water at sea level. However, the water at the bottom of the ocean is not much denser than sea level. 

What Abel is about to do is going to break the natural laws of this world, or break what is simply impossible without human intervention.

A pulsating ball of water began to materialize in front of the hand of Abel while standing on the edge of the tunnel to paradise. After growing to the size of the tunnel, it continued to be compressed – turning a darker shade as light had to work harder to pass through it. 

After just two minutes, Elijah and Niko were looking at a carbon black ball of pulsating water akin to metal – that also had a slight tinge of blue depending on which way the light from the cavern behind them was hitting it. 

Theoretically, this ice would eventually form into an unnatural form of ice known as "Ice VII", or maybe something even stronger! 

Sweat was dripping down Abel's face, which was surprising considering he was a cyan core mage. Maybe this principle of water was difficult to manipulate compared to the temperature of a flame.

"They are through this tunnel! Start creating spells and ready your swords!" The words of a man born for action echoed from the other side of the cavern. Unfortunately, the troops were unable to see the group in front of them – their bringers of an instant death.

"Tell me when they are close. I know you can sense mana in front of you." Elijah's tone and demeanor made him feel like a seasoned veteran from the most vicious and dramatic wars of the world.

"Haha, I am kinda having trouble holding onto this spell. Let's just use the sound they give off…"Sweat was dripping down his face, especially his neck. Combined with the slight tremor that began to develop on his body, he made a decision of trust.

Elijah's body began to emanate a glow that only intensified – wincing that the slightly uncomfortable feeling of mana releasing in his cells. A just barely visible bright hue that had also created an eclipse around the cataclysm Abel casually held in front of his hands. 

A head of hair that glistened even in pure darkness was revealed alongside bright white eyes with an electric flicker. Signifying his beauty, a blonde braid flowed down to his hip."Look! There is some light!" Harold, the Judge of Lightning was already releasing tiny strings of plasma, and made his way through the tunnel.

6…

5…

"Wait! Don't move any closer!" Harold Pleaded as he stomped his heels into the stone and dirt ground.

4…

3…

2…

"STOP PUSHING ME FORWARD DAM—" To no avail, Harold was forced to release an electric current to temporarily paralyze his subordinates. 

1…

BOOOOM!!!

An ethereal glowing fist struck the water ball made from pure concentration. 

During the time of the build up, six translucent and pearlescent rimmed portals opened up near different parts of his body. The impact caused anything within a twenty foot radius to disintegrate into thin air. Meanwhile, the black and slightly pulsing ball of water shot at lightning speed splitting the air, stone, and anyone unfortunate to be caught in its path. What Elijah was not able to see was the front layer turning into an unnatural type of ice. 

Any spell, no matter how powerful, was nothing in the face of a tactful spell created from just beyond the clouds of Elijah's imagination.

Small embers and gusts of air wisped around the aftermath of destruction. There was not a single drop of blood, torn piece of flesh, or splinter of a bone. 

Everything… had been decimated… 

Even after the spell had wiped out anything with a sign of life, the ball of water continued moving without stopping for anything. Cavern after cavern, and beast after beast. 

After one full minute, the tremors halted signifying the end of one of the most horrifying and destructive attacks this world may have seen.

"You are a monster!"

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