Empire Of Souls - Chapter 189

The combination of Lenia’s and Nelay’s attack caught the Matriarch unaware and she was quickly crippled. Her body had been slashed and pierced through and she fell to the ground like a brick. The other Matriarchs screamed, and rushed over to quickly attack, but they were clearly no match for Nelay and Lenia, especially now that the strongest of them was incapacitated or perhaps even dead. They used every ounce of their remaining strength and fought with their lives on the line, pushing Lenia and Nelay away from their fellow Matriarch. Grabbing her, they quickly attempted to retreat.

“Charge!” Lenia roared and waved her blade.

Her army that had already retreated far away from their Legendary battle began to surge forward like a vicious tide. They were relentless and determined, powered by Lenia’s buffs, they quickly made ground pushing the enemy back. What had at first seemed like a rout, had now become an unstoppable force. Lenia’s army had only feigned retreat and were now charging forward without resistance.

“Nelay, follow them. See if you can hurt another one of the Matriarchs.” Lenia ordered.

The horns calling for retreat from the Dark Elven rear blared dozens of times. The enemy all along the line were falling back and just as Nelay was planning to follow the retreating Matriarchs, she suddenly felt a sense of danger. Lenia also felt this and her eyes grew serious as she surveyed the area looking for the threat.

“Can you see where that dangerous aura is coming from?” Lenia asked.

“No, but it is close and coming over rapidly. I won’t be able to follow the Matriarchs like this. I am not even sure if we will be able to handle this threat.” Nelay replied.

“Do you think it is the Spider Queen? No, it seems different.”

The two walked close to each other and remained at the ready. An attack could come at any moment and they needed to be prepared. The fact that they could feel this aura meant that the enemy wanted them to know it was coming. Soon, a strange somewhat human-like being dropped out of the sky and landed near the two with a loud crash that upended the ground from which it landed.

The being was strange, appearing human but at the same time clearly not. It had no hair, and its head was shiny, almost like metal. It wore a strange suit that hung tight to its body and had a metallic sheen to it. Its skin was pale, as if it had never seen the sun and its eyes seemed to lack any semblance of life. A powerful aura radiated off of it and it was difficult to assess its actual strength, but Lenia didn’t think it was at the level of a demigod. Of course, this was only based on brief observation and she couldn’t be certain since it wasn’t a normal lifeform.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The being said in an all too human voice.

It didn’t fit the image that they were seeing before them. The voice seemed more alive then the being itself.

“Who are you and why have you come here?” asked Lenia who was completely on guard against this new potential enemy.

“Who I am is not important. I am very interested in the both of you. Your master’s ability to create a new soul is truly wondrous. It is really the power of creation. Your souls are entirely connected to him and not to the well of souls and reincarnation as all others are. This is something I am especially knowledgeable of. But I wonder, how does it work? To even be able to raise you both up as he has is absolutely amazing. An enclosed system that is completely detached from the Universal Law. If I had this power… ”

The being shook its head and its voice seemed very emotional despite its expression showing none. Lenia and Nelay were confused by what it was saying, but they understood that this being was not simple. It knew some things about its master that no one else knew. This alone was dangerous.

“I don’t know what you want, but if you have come to fight then enough with the talk!” Lenia said with anger.

“Tsk Tsk, so impatient. Can’t I just have a moment? Your personality is so violent, I wonder why he made you this way. And you girl, the quiet one, I can feel your animosity from here. It is a miracle what he has done, but of course it doesn’t come from him. I wonder, does he really know what it is that he possesses? And.. is he able to shoulder the consequences of this power? I think perhaps he plays with fire that he does not fully understand.”

The being chuckled and spoke as if he were speaking to two children who were misbehaving.

“Well, fine. I wanted to see first hand what the two of you are capable of and if your master is truly worthy of the gift that has been bestowed upon him.”

The being launched itself at the two suddenly after speaking and attacked. Whatever it was, it was fast and even Nelay was having trouble dodging its attacks which both were aimed at her and Lenia. Lenia did her best to block the attacks of the being, but it was hammering her relentlessly. It wasn’t as if it was so much stronger than them, but it seemed that it felt no pain nor had any fear.

No matter how they attacked it or what damage they caused, it just shrugged the blows off and continued its relentless attacks. Both Lenia and Nelay were empowered by their auras and didn’t hold back in the least, but they only had a slight advantage over it. They were two High Legendary beings and they were having such trouble with just one opponent.

While the three fought, Lenia’s army was pushing the enemy back and inflicting severe casualties on the Dark Elven army. They had already regained their lost ground and had even advanced, cutting down the enemy as they fled. However, some also got caught up in the battle that was taking place unexpectedly and became collateral damage. The being in some cases even targeted Lenia’s soldiers, thoroughly enraging her. Her rage only fueled the beings laughter as it fought with wild abandon. It clearly wasn’t taking the battle seriously and had some ulterior motive the two women couldn’t fathom.

Beams of light formed and fired from its eyes, causing widespread damage to the area. It was a strange sight, an almost human like being with eyes of light that blazed like the hottest of flames. This was not an attack that originated from fire, or even light for that matter however. It was a strange and eerie attack of the soul. The beams of light that fired from the being’s eyes had a strange violet hue and were cold and lifeless, filled with a sense of eternity.

They were powerful beams, but not on the same level as their master’s soul flames. They could feel the difference in power between the two. Their master’s flames were terrifying and felt like an endless abyss waiting to devour all things. This may be because the level of this being was not as high as their master’s or perhaps some other reason they didn’t understand. Their knowledge of the soul was limited. Nonetheless, the beams that fired from the being’s eyes were dangerous and could inflict severe damage on them if they hit.

Lenia stood stalwart with her shield and used her insane defensive abilities to deflect the beams of light, but they still forced her back and caused her hand to grow numb from holding the shield. She put her entire effort into blocking the attack while Nelay flitted about in and out of shadows in an effort to strike at the mysterious being. The two worked together flawlessly, Lenia attracting the attention of the being while defending against his attacks, and Nelay using her abilities to strike at any openings. However, despite their flawless teamwork, they were having difficulty causing any damage to the enemy. It was just too powerful and its beam attacks were difficult to defend against.

They were on the verge of exhausting their vitality, but no matter how dangerous their situation became, they showed no fear. They believed no matter what, their master would hold up the sky for them. It didn’t matter whether he was in their presence, they believed he was always with them. Because of this belief, they went all out holding nothing back. The damage caused by their battle was immense as they utilized all the skills and abilities available to them in order to defeat their mysterious enemy.

The battle taking place around them had become a lopsided victory with Lenia’s forces charging into the enemy ranks as they fled and continued to chase them across the battlefield. The Dark Elven army had almost been completely routed, but because of a fear of being drawn in too deep, Lenia’s officers had stopped the advance and focused on moving away from the devastating battle taking place between the Legendary beings.

A strange calm came over the battlefield despite the widespread destruction and ferocity of the Legendary battle. All eyes had fallen on the awe inspiring battle and even the Spider Queen in her palace was watching behind her palace walls. She was quite surprised by the strength of the three and she finally realized that her foe was no ordinary one. She had been underestimating the enemy and now realized that it wouldn’t be so simple to win this battle without her direct interference.

The Dark Elves had almost lost one of their Matriarchs and their side no longer had any beings who could match the two powerful Legendary women. Relying on an outsider of questionable origin wasn’t something the Spider Queen was willing to bet her army on. She could see that the mysterious being was powerful, but she could also tell that it was holding back purposefully. Its motives were questionable and she could sense the footprints of a strange plot. Dealing with the gods was always a double edged sword, one she didn’t wish to cut herself on.

The mysterious being’s laughter reverberated throughout the battlefield as it continued its relentless attacks, occasionally blocking attacks from its opponents while jumping about the battlefield. It wasn’t just its beam attacks, but even its physical prowess was nothing to sneeze at. Every collision between its fist and Lenia’s shield felt like Lenia was being hit by an enormous beast, shaking her arms and almost causing her to lose her footing. She held on, retreat wasn’t even an option for her and for the dignity of her beloved master.

Of course determination could only bring you so far and the two powerful women were almost completely exhausted to the point they could barely continue to fight. Seeing this, the being laughed once more and jumped away from the two, out of their attack range. Lenia and Nelay were breathing heavily and despite their opponent leaving their attack range, they kept up their vigilance.

“You two can barely hold on. I don’t suppose you will be able to survive my next attack. It was fun, thank you for the entertainment.”

The being suddenly turned serious and no longer laughed. Its presence completely changed as a powerful aura was released from its body. Its expression held no mirth and it once more seemed completely lifeless, but from its lifeless body shone a pair of eyes that were in stark contrast to the rest of its body. Its eyes were endless pools which could peer into the abyss.

“An-Namrud…”

It’s voice had become timeless, like the vicissitudes of the endless chaotic expanse which was infinite.

“I know you are watching An-Namrud. It has been a long time, hasn’t it? Do you remember, we talked many times just like this. Your incorporeal body, and my soul present within a lifeless husk. How many times did you curse me? The countless times you begged for a true death. I remember it all.”

Lenia and Nelay shivered. They weren’t expecting such a strange presence to suddenly descend, or to hear that voice which sounded ancient and detached.

“How long will you make me wait until you show yourself? Or… are you frightened? Nothing you do can escape me.”

Lenia’s eyes glowed dimly as she glared at the being who insulted her master. The glowing of her eyes were not her own power, but the one who watched from somewhere in a distant place. Aleks, who was watching everything from the base of the spectral tower which pierced into the sky, was filled with rage. He gripped his throne and his body shook, but it lasted only a moment before he returned to his previous calm. The golden mask on his face released a gentle light which soothed him.

He raised his army slowly and gently touched the mask on his face. He caressed it and leaned back in his throne. The servants and those present in his throne room didn’t dare to comment or even show their awkward expressions. In their eyes, Aleks’s actions were strange and they didn’t understand why he reacted in such a way suddenly. He had only just been relaxing a moment before.

“Since you have come, then leave your husk behind..” Aleks seemingly whispered to himself.

On the battlefield, the being who had just spoken smirked.

“I wonder… what can you do to make me?”