Together headed into the final room of the hideout, the supposed command room based on the tattered signs dotted around the hallway. We instantly caught all the devil's attention, although their gaze didn't concern me.
There was someone else's gaze that induced a fit of shivers to run along my skin, the piercing gaze of a hardened killer locked onto mine.
He raised his hand to his men, silencing their movements. They all stiffened, their faces adopting the look of a stunned animal, all assuming a position along the walls, no longer directing their gaze at Liliana and me, keeping their eyes rooted to the floor.
"Third String, Evernight. You've been carving quite the bloody path throughout this little hideout. All those lower-level devils killed by light's unyielding gaze, how tragic. Do you feel strong now you've killed a few starved insects?"
"Of course not, devils such as these ones don't put up much of a fight. Is there a reason for that, or are they just normally weak?"
"Hehe, so you noticed."
I signalled for Liliana to move back, staying near the door. I wasn't wearing my protective cloak anymore, so I had to be more observant of my surroundings as I approached the devil commander. He was leaning against a large map of Grandheart.
From the doorway, I couldn't see much of his face, but as I approached, his face became clearer to me. Four skeletal wings were affixed to the back, vibrating slightly, and two grand horns were spouting from his forehead.
There was one thing about the devil that really caught my eye: his jaw was completely made of steel, and multiple angel feathers were attached to its surface.
His sharp eyes locked onto mine, not even trying to contain the immense amount of aura and malice spilling from every inch of his body.
"These Famine Devils are nothing but traitors stripped of Famine's blessing. That is why they are so weak; they have long since lost the gaze of Famine. They only exist to sow the seeds of unrest into this city. But it appears our little mission has come to an end, meaning they no longer have any use."
The lines of famine devils cowered back in response to his words, every inch of their bodies breaking out into a fit of uncontrollable shivers.
"Something tells me that you are not one of these traitors, tell me are you a famine devil or something else?"
"Oh? So you truly know nothing of devils, that's quite foolish for a Servant of Order. I haven't met a single angel as negligent as you. It's pitiful."
"You know of me, all the way down to my negligence, but you have yet to introduce yourself."
The devil's iron jaw twisted upwards, producing an unsettling smile, a hideous screeching sound following his every movement. His fist banged down on the command table, but it didn't seem to be out of anger.
I briefly glanced back towards Liliana, ensuring that all my vision of the devil wasn't lost. She was idly tracing letters into the dusty floor, twirling her hair in her fingers, looking bored. I'd expected her to be scared or adopt the behaviour of the other devils, but she seemed totally unfazed. I underestimated her spirit.
"Baha! How rude of me, I hope you'll forgive me, oh great wingless one! I am the warden of these little traitors, Karravok, the Third Seat of the Heralds of War. But many call me the Iron Maw."
"So there are more races of devils, then? Interesting. This world is getting more fantastical with each day. I can't wait to discover more."
"You talk as if you have been kept in the dark for many centuries. I believe you will be a worthy opponent to face me in battle. You should be honored."
"So you're not going to explain the different races to me, disappointing, and here I thought we were getting along."
"Bahaha! You're a unique one. I've never heard such a thing before. Since you are scratching my need for comedy, I'll give you a little taste of devils, but nothing more. There are four races of devils: war, famine, pestilence, and death. Although there aren't many death devils anymore, their creator has long since gone silent."
"The creator of death devils is dead?"
"Nope. Death changes a person deeply; you should know that. Once you have millions hanging over your neck, you can no longer stomach the trials of war. Well, that's just my opinion. Anyway, enough explaining, let's fight!"
Karravok merely picked himself up from the table's edge, and in a shadow of a second, I completely disappeared from my view.
I tried to look around, but my attention was drawn to my solar plexus as Karravok's iron fist crashed into it, launching me into the air at a staggering speed.
I crashed through the many layers of ground and tiles before finally surfacing high above the city. I hurriedly formed light around my feet and back to support myself in the air. I had yet to learn how to fly, so I was helpless without proper support.
I looked around at my surroundings, and I saw the bustling streets of Grandheart. Many people looked at me, wondering what I was doing; it was only natural for us to draw attention. It was midday after all, the sun still sparkled in the sky, casting its light across the lands of Kathoros.
Down in the direction of the Broken Lance's headquarters was a giant crater where the warehouse used to be. I hoped that Liliana was safe, but at the moment, I had my own safety to worry about.
Karravok soon flew up to my position. We were at least high in the sky, so our battle didn't have much risk of harming innocence, so I could let loose without worry.
"I thought you were the mighty wingless, but you can't even use one of the simplest techniques of Edicts," declared Karravok.
Karravok's four skeletal wings wrapped around his body as his eyes downturned with blatant pity and disappointment.
I vaguely knew what techniques he was speaking of; I didn't bother asking. I'd just be met with a sneer followed by mockery. I'd already grasped the type of person this devil was. Flashstep was the technique he spoke of, but I had yet to even attempt it.
I'd seen Artoria use it one time to swiftly bring me death. She refused to teach it to me when I asked, saying that it was trivial and I should be able to do it.
I didn't bother trying to beg, even though I wished to learn about it; she would have just ignored me until I went away, so there wasn't much point in trying again.
I'd noticed that she has the tendency to just walk away and dismiss something she finds pointless or boring.
"Silence? You're quite tough to stand there unfazed after my hit. But don't think I'll hold back any more!" shouted Karravok. "Edict of War, Bountiful Harvest of the Primordial Blades!"
Karravok's wings blew backwards, growing considerably, and hundreds of small shadows appeared in the sky, blades slowly rearing their heads from the shadows.
They appeared to be all swords of a pitch black colouring, their forms all emitted an ominous black mist spreading throughout the surrounding area. The swords vibrated, half released from the small shadows awaiting commands from their master.
"Oh! That's quite the spell. Do you think I could use it? I mean, come on, it'd be hard for me to block them all, so could I maybe steal it?"
Karravok's face twisted with confusion, then a creeping sense of anger grew across his brow. He most likely saw my words as mockery, but they were anything but; I truly liked his spell since I wasn't confined to the spells of Edicts, and I could easily create my own. I'd been slowly noticing this factor of Seraphian's power; I had limitless options on spells.
"What! You mock me, don't think your words will go unpunished! Edict spells can't just be made on the spot; the Primordial Blades is a spell the Horsemen of War blessed me with. How dare you think of copying such a sacred spell!" roared Karravok.
"But I'm being serious, I only hold respect for your spell. So much respect that it's now mine."
Karravok's glare intensified. He didn't respond to my words, outstretched his arm and wings in front of him, ordering the army of swords to impale me.
Just before they launched towards me, I finished the picture forming in my mind of his spell, twisting it into the light.
"Edict of Light, Gate of Elpis." I declared.
Hundreds of shimmering light portals appeared in the sky directly parallel to Karravok's own; hundreds of weapons made of pure light launched forward, colliding with Karravok's weapons of darkness.
Multiple miniature explosions roared through the sky as the opposing forces impacted with each other, producing a thunderous vibration to shake the city's core.
No matter how many weapons I sent forth, I replenished their numbers, remaking them in the portals and launching them once again.
After a minute of our war of attrition, the cloud of darkness forming across the sky started to recede, being overpowered by the shining light of my blades. I slowed the release of my blades as my vision of Karravok got clearer. It wasn't the most energy-efficient spell, and I was already reaching my limit. I doubted that Karravok could longer since it was his spell originally.
Karravok stood there, hovering in the air, his wings slightly downturned, and he was panting heavily, barely able to hold his position in the air. His spell was beginning to be undone, the sun's light slowly casting away his shadows.
I had an urge to laugh at his condition but before it could leave my mouth, a sharp pain echoed throughout my body towards me free fall into the air. Karravok had suddenly appeared and landed a staggering punch to my side but his form was still panting in the distance.
It made no sense that there were two of them, the other Karravok, who had just attacked me, closed in on me, landing another blow to my back, flashstepping behind my fall.
A mouthful of blood escaped my mouth as his next few blows impacted my body.
Regretfully, it took my mind a few precious seconds to adapt to the situation just before Karravok's next blow impacted my body. I pushed my body to the left using light to carry me away from him as I caught myself in the light's embrace. I commanded the idle blades to close in on Karravok's body.
Swiftly moving into close proximity to the Gates of Elpis, I watched as twenty percent of my blades ripped and pierced through Karravok's monstrous body, but the spray of blood that should have followed such grievous injuries never came.
His body exploded into a cloud of darkness, the blades of light being swallowed by the darkness, unmaking them.
I'd expected something like that to happen; I wasn't so naive as to think that his real body would be so reckless, not even regarding the shimmering gates as a threat. The rest of my blades began to circle my body, protecting me from any other unexpected attacks.
From the looks of it, Karravok didn't expect me to take measures against his unknown spell. He suddenly appeared at my left, slipping through the blades before they fully reached my body, but he was stuck in it. If this were truly his real body, then he'd taken significant damage.
His face was conflicted, I caught one of my blades, slashing down on his gauntlet while his mind was occupied. His distraction had cost him; the remaining blades were returning and quickly approaching the nape of his neck. Just as my own blade broke through the skin of his arm, he disappeared from view. Flashstepping away.
The blood that briefly caught my eye gave me all I needed to know. I commanded the blades to chase him, bursting forward at a staggering speed. The influx of light blinded me from seeing anything further, my only indication of his condition being my connection to the blades.
I felt them pierce and cut through his flesh, but for some reason, I still felt like danger was practically choking me.
An eerie whistling sound pierced throughout the explosions, silencing them, the blades dissipating. Suddenly, a longsword pierced straight through my chest. I didn't have time to react; it was too fast. My mind didn't even process its existence until it was lodged in my chest.
"Let's see you copy any more of my spells! Whistling Longsword of the Piercing Heavens, my ultimate and last resort spell. I curse you for making me use it; it just proves my own weakness."
Although agonizing pain was rippling throughout my body, I didn't feel like screaming or crying. I only felt laughter overcoming my mind at the devil's words. He had completely failed to determine my character; it was frankly hilarious to me.
"Ahaha! What makes you think I'd copy such a bland spell!?"
The longsword lodged in my gut was just that, a longsword. Nothing interesting about it, unlike his earlier spell, this one didn't invite the same excitement to course through my blood.
"You think I'll let you live now you've insulted my honor and Lady War's spells!"
"Ugh, shut up about 'Lady War.' You know most women don't like obsessive freaks."
I grasped the longsword's pommel using all my force to pull it from my gut. As I did so, I forcefully began to implant my divinity into the blade, using my blood over its surface to root it into it.
My hands started to shine bright as I imprinted myself into its form, my handprint being burned into its pommel.
Karravok pulled his arms back, and the longsword freed itself from my gut and flew back into his arms. I let it go without much resistance. I held onto my wound, pouring my light into it, trying to slow the bleeding, but I was only temporarily successful.
If I let go, I'd most definitely start bleeding again.
"You are becoming an annoying pest, Evernight. I've hit you with everything I've got, and you still stand there tall and unbothered despite the hole in your chest. Why? I'll ensure you don't live past the next cut!" boomed Karravok.
Karravok's face flushed red with burning hot rage, sending the longsword back into the fight, letting it fly, its direction straight to my neck. Before it broke my skin, it suddenly stopped sending a shockwave throughout the empty air.
Tapping its blade with my finger, I turned its blade to Karravok. It responded to me effortlessly, focusing its hostility towards its master.
"What! Why isn't it responding?! Cut him down, Whistling Longsword of the Piercing Heavens!"
"Such a boring weapon doesn't deserve a cool name, I'd suggest you change it if you ever get control back, that is."
"What have you done!"
"I've implanted my blood into the core of the weapon; it will never harm me again. I'm its one and only master, you've been removed."
Karravok's eyes widened, his body instinctively shifting into a defensive position. Tilting the blade towards Karravok's left arm, I tapped the end of its pommel, letting it fly. It swiftly closed in on Karravok's body.
"I've memorized its patterns, even if you take control, it will never—"
Karravok had neglected to actually test if I could perform Flashstep or not; just because I hadn't attempted it yet didn't mean I would never be able to perform it.
Choosing the destination in my mind, I stepped forward immediately, appearing behind Karravok's back directly next to the longsword's pommel.
"You're right, it is an easy technique, no wonder she wouldn't teach me."
Karravok was caught offguard, his mind struggling to keep up with the many developments in this battle. It was only natural to be overwhelmed by the trials of combat; it took me quite a while to grow accustomed to his own strength.
Grasping the pommel in my hands, I twirled it around and cleaved Karravok's arm clean off, following up with another slash to his chest before kicking him away.
My strike landed directly on his open wound. I temporarily lost grip on my wound, so my condition was quickly declining, but I managed to seal the wound again before it could further sap my strength.
Karravok caught himself in the air before he impacted with the houses, arising slowly, the two fatal wounds quickly consuming all his strength.
"I don't know what your deal is, Evernight, but you are dangerous. You may have gotten the best of me, but don't think you'll live to see next year. There are far more powerful devils in Faravos. The Horsemen will take your head, and no one can stop them!"
"Horsemen?"