Forged Legacy

The roar of the angel army only grew louder as Brutus walked through an open tunnel. He’d waited long enough for almost all of the demons to filter out of the building, and kept a contingent of guards close at hand in case there were any assassins waiting for one last opportunity for revenge. The snow-white horsehair packed tight atop his helmet bobbed as he descended the stadium steps. He walked carefully, avoiding the streams of blood trickling down the aisles from fallen beasts, demons, and angels alike as best he could. His pristine golden armor looked out of place compared to everyone else’s. Theirs were marred with blood and battle scars, but his was untouched. When he reached the edge of the arena, he and his guards hopped over, landing with a thud in the sand. Strutting over to the center of the arena, they once again set up the dais that projected Brutus' voice and visage over the crowd.

“Angels of Caelorum! Children of the Father! WE! ARE! VICTORIOUS!” Brutus shouted.

The cheers that followed were deafening, to the point Harvey could see grains of sand bouncing around like they were standing on a subwoofer. His ears ached despite his Vitality, but he didn’t cover them. He relished the feeling, letting himself get swept up in the fervor.

Brutus walked over to his counterpart’s lifeless corpse, quickly snatching a spatial ring off its finger before holding the body up for everyone to see. Harvey appeared to be the only one to notice the looting, but now wasn’t the time to push the issue. If anyone deserved that ring, it was Celeste, but that also meant it was up to her to ask for it. He’d meddled in her life enough the last few weeks, and he wasn’t about to make that mistake again.

“We have seen through Hell’s lies! We have overcome their schemes! We have decimated their armies! Now, there is only one final thing we must do!” Brutus roared.

Harvey scanned the crowd, wishing his mother was there to see them standing tall after such a grueling battle. He thought he heard someone shouting his name, but the thundering shouts of the crowd made it hard to tell. A strand of aura desperately tried connecting with his own, and he accepted it without thinking. Suddenly, Harvey was standing 10 steps behind where he’d been before, giving him front row seats to Brutus stabbing a glowing spear through his father’s back. The holy wrath punctured right through the armor, piercing his heart. Harvey could feel the phantom pain inside his own chest, suffocating him as he watched Brutus hoist his father’s lifeless corpse into the air.

“Dad!” Tyler screamed.

“Brutus!” Celeste shouted, drawing her sword but unwilling to step towards her Commander.

“Some of the faithful believe themselves strong enough to lead Heaven!” Brutus roared. “Wise enough to decide Earth’s future. Before we make our way to Earth, I’d like to remind them of their place in the Father’s plan.”

Whipping his spear to the side, Steve’s lifeless body slipped off the bloody spear and tumbled through the sand.

“Serving us!”

Those words were enough to turn despair into hatred, and Harvey’s body was already moving before he knew what was happening. Channeling as much essence into Booster as it could take, he launched himself at Brutus's back, grabbing on and not stopping until the pair crashed into the solid stone walls of the arena. Brutus took the brunt of the impact, but Harvey’s arms felt like they might fall off at any moment. Wrestling free of Harvey’s grip, Brutus punched him in the face, his fist covered in blinding holy light. Harvey’s head snapped back, his neck only saved by his armor keeping it from bending too far.

Leaving Harvey blindly thrashing in the sand, Brutus scrambled back towards his dropped shield and spear. Before he made it two steps, he was forced to block a baseball bat chock full of explosive momentum. Crossing his gauntleted fists in front of his chest, Brutus absorbed the attack. Tyler was strong for his level, but so was Brutus. He may have slacked off a bit while they waited for their chance to integrate a new planet, but one couldn’t earn the right to Command one of Heaven’s armies without being powerful in their own right. His skills had been on par with Celeste’s at one point, and there was no way Tyler could ever beat her one-on-one.

Even with the explosive burst added by Fast Break, Brutus wasn’t fazed. Activating a skill that turned his feathers into solid silver, he stabbed them at Tyler’s sides. Harvey still couldn’t see exactly what was happening, but the scream of pain escaping his brother’s lips told him all he needed to know. He knew the armor he’d forged for Tyler was some of the strongest he could make, with arrays inscribed with ink made of dragon bones. Blinking away the blindness, he saw his brother being tossed aside with two bleeding wounds in his lower back. Blood dripped from silver feathers as Brutus picked up his shield and spear. A quick flap of his wings shook most of it off, but the stain still remained.

“What are you doing!” Cash shouted. “These are our friends! We might not be here without everything the Thornes have done for Heaven!”

Brutus didn’t spare a glance at Cash, turning his gaze on Harvey. An ethereal crown of light appeared over his head, pressuring Harvey’s soul as he clambered to his feet. To him, it felt like his soul was at the bottom of a lake. For the angels, the crown was clearly much worse. Every angel standing in the crowd lowered their gaze, as if they were unworthy to stand before the man chosen by the light. Even Cash and Celeste seemed subdued, yet they were clearly fighting back against the suppression. “Clip him! If he wants to be one of them so badly, then let him.”

Brutus elite guards didn’t hesitate, rushing over to Cash. They hadn’t interfered with the fight so far, clearly confident their Commander wouldn’t have any trouble handling a pair of Faithful and a Gilded. Cash shouted in panic, but couldn’t help but get forced to his knees. One of the guards pressed down on his shoulders while two more grabbed his wings. Pulling them taut, the final angel chopped down with his sword, lopping off his right wing where it met the shoulder.

His scream carried more than just pain. Cash sounded like a child being tortured by his parents. Trusting in Heaven’s leaders was part of his very nature as an angel. Having them violate him so intimately shattered something that had been a part of him since the womb.

Celeste sobbed, begging the angel to stop as he prepared to chop the other. “Stop! Please! No!”

Harvey pulled out Rupture and shot a trio of Angelbane bullets at the executioner, but the guards holding his wings conjured a barrier that blocked the bullets.

The executioner ignored the attacks and Celeste’s plea, severing the thick bone in one clean stroke. With both wings gone, the angel holding Cash upright threw him to the ground, burying his face in the sand as they held up his wings like trophies.

“What is wrong with you?” Celeste screamed at Brutus. She was shaking like a leaf in a tornado, but couldn’t bring herself to move.

“Her too!” Brutus commanded.

Harvey watched in horror as the guards moved to Celeste. “Fight back!” he screamed. She didn’t. The once raucous crowd gathered inside the Colosseum went silent, all watching in horror as a sobbing Celeste was forced to kneel.

“Are you all just going to watch the woman who saved your lives be humiliated like this?” Harvey screamed up at the crowd. “Is this what Heaven is?”

Brutus huffed when nobody moved to help her. He could’ve attacked Harvey at any time while the angels lost their wings, but seemed to enjoy watching his growing frustration. Trading Rupture for Extinction, Harvey chambered a Desolation round and aimed for the guard holding her left wing. Again, a shield appeared to protect the executioner, but that wasn’t his target. Having assumed Harvey would prioritize the man with the weapon, he left himself wide open. The bullet found the eye slit on the guard’s helmet, blasting straight through his brain as an explosion of yellow flame poured from every gap it could find.

Killing one of his guards forced Brutus into action, and he lunged for Harvey before he could take a second shot. Rolling away from the spear, Harvey heard the screams begin. Julius, still controlling the shotgun, began blasting at the guards from above.

[She’s just letting it happen!]

Harvey glanced over to see one wing already cut. Without someone to pull the other tight, it took the executioner multiple strikes to cut through the bone. He couldn’t get a clean angle, so he started hacking away like a lumberjack. Celeste wailed, but remained on her knees.

Why won’t anyone do something? Harvey despaired. His heart ached just a little bit more with every sob. Brutus's crown of light also shone brighter as both Cash and Celeste’s Willpower shattered, helping him move even faster. Harvey desperately dodged one thrust after another, forced to contend with both his wings and his spear. Whatever skill Brutus used to punch through Steve’s armor could be used with all three weapons, and enduring just a few glancing blows told Harvey he couldn’t rely on his armor even with Soul Forge letting him share some of his stats with it. His weave screamed every time the holy light broke through his armor. Still, he kept moving.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Deciding to gamble that the other angels wouldn’t open fire on him if he flew into the air, he Boosted himself out of reach and began raining desolation on the Commander. Even with his wings, he was unable to fly, giving Harvey a moment to gather himself. His first bullet hit Brutus in the shoulder, denting his golden armor but not breaking through. The flames of his most powerful array still burrowed through the cracks in search of essence and life force to burn, but he’d need more than one dose to bring the angel down. The second shot was blocked by Brutus's shield, and instead of pursuing Harvey, the Commander turned towards Tyler. Harvey kept shooting, but Brutus easily kept the large shield between them while he ran.

His brother had been helping Julius fight the three remaining elite guards, but it wasn’t going well. Tyler had built up some considerable momentum, but couldn’t break past their defenses even with his summoned teammates' help. The guards clearly followed the Sentinel path, and a Level 40’s skill wasn’t going to break through their shields. Fulmination might do it, but activating the skill would reset the boost he was getting from Relentless Assault, leaving him even slower and weaker in a battle he already had no business participating in.

Not wanting to waste any more essence, Harvey boosted down to his father’s corpse. Now wasn’t the time to mourn, but he needed his shield if he was going to have any chance contending with Brutus up close. His heart bled as he wrenched the shield off his father’s arm and strapped it to his own. Even doing his best not to look into his dead eyes, it felt like they were staring into his soul.

Why did you sacrifice yourself for me?

Why had he let him? Harvey hadn’t known why his father used his switch teleport skill on him, but he’d known exactly what that strand of aura pressing against his soul was. Swept up in their victory, he hadn’t even considered why his dad might be trying to swap places. He’d just agreed, letting Steve take the spear intended for his own heart.

[It’s what he wanted,] Julius consoled. [It’s why he created the skill in the first place. Father’s Sacrifice. A way for him to guarantee he could protect you when you needed it most.]

I might’ve survived!

[But you might not have. He knew that he wouldn’t, but that didn’t matter because you’re his son. Now it’s up to you to protect his other one. We need some help over here.]

Turning his gaze towards Brutus, Harvey saw a glowing spear puncture through his brother’s thigh. Enraged, Harvey’s aura surged. Using all three Imprints, he clamped down on Brutus and that stupid crown with everything he had. Once more, he Boosted himself at the Commander’s back, this time holding Unbroken out in front of him. Harvey’s savage aura surprised Brutus, and he hurriedly yanked the spear out of Tyler’s leg to put it between him and the human missile flying right at him. He was too slow, taking the blow to his side and getting launched toward the arena wall once more. Harvey activated one of the shield’s arrays, bathing the angel in holy flames until he hit the wall. Not wanting to break his wing, Brutus infused it with his spear skill and had it stab deep into the stone. It was a clean cut, but Harvey took the opportunity to bludgeon him with Aftershock before he could wiggle his way out.

Julius shot another angelbane slug, finally breaking through the second guard's armor. Two more blasts put the sentinel on his back, bleeding out in the sand. That technically made the fight two against two, if you counted Julius as more than just an extension of Harvey. In reality, Tyler could barely fight with the gaping hole in his leg.

“Cash,” Tyler croaked. “Help.”

The angels were both still lying face down in the sand, their bodies shuddering as they continued to sob.

“I’m not worthy to heal anyone,” Cash wept.

“I don’t give a fuck if you’re worthy,” Tyler growled. “Please, I don’t want to die.”

As he spoke, a golden hammer hit Tyler square in the chest, sending him flying. Julius trailed the sentinel who was stomping over to finish the job, but couldn’t break through the thick helmet fast enough. It was clear the angel would reach Tyler before he got up, and it wouldn’t take much to finish the job.

“AHH! STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” Cash raved, crawling on all fours before leaping at the sentinel’s back. Not expecting the attack, the pair tumbled to the ground. Cash’s conjured lion appeared beside them and pounced on the angel’s head. It couldn’t break the armor either, but it gave Cash time to pull out his gun and unload the magazine into the man’s neck. Most bullets ricocheted off the metal, but two found the gap. Blood spurted out as Cash reloaded and dumped a second mag. By then, Tyler had stood up and brought his bat down hard on the Sentinel’s head.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! He’s dead,” Tyler assured when Cash was about to empty a third magazine. The final sentinel seemed torn between avenging his fallen brothers and helping the Commander.

“Celeste! Get up!” Cash shouted as he bathed Tyler’s wound in healing light. She didn’t move, but the sentinel took their call as a reminder she was there. He’d been the one to hack off her wings, and now he wanted to finish the job. Planting a knee on her lower back, he held his sword upside down in an executioner’s grip, ready to plunge it between the bony stumps that were once her wings.

“Celeste!” Tyler screamed, pointing his bat at the guard and activating Fulmination. The lightning bolt blasted the angel away, his sword falling harmlessly at her side. Her golden blonde hair poofed out from the static, but she was otherwise unharmed. Even then, she didn’t get up.

Tyler’s wound was still far from closed, but Cash left him to stomp over to her. Grabbing her under her arms, he yanked her upright, making her watch as Harvey desperately tried to keep Brutus pinned to the wall.

“Look at him. He didn’t deserve to clip our wings! He didn’t deserve to lead us! He never did! It was supposed to be you. It was always supposed to be you!” Cash shouted.

“It doesn’t matter,” she sobbed.

“You’re right. Heaven and Hell, worthiness and hierarchy, none of it matters. People matter, and unless you pick up that sword, you, me, Tyler, and Harvey are all going to die. Now’s the time to show Brutus what it feels like to lose his wings.”

Setting her on her feet, she nodded. Slowly at first, then resolutely. Picking up her sword, she turned her despair into rage, screaming out her battle cry as she charged towards Brutus.

Harvey’s shield was poked full of holes, with half as many continuing into his body. Blood poured out of him, while Brutus seemed mostly fine. Harvey’s continued assault kept him pinned to the wall, but he couldn’t seem to break through the armor no matter how much he tried. The only ground he gained was in the battle of souls, with Brutus's crown noticeably darker as Harvey relentlessly attacked it with his aura. The boosting skill couldn’t withstand Harvey’s near 1700 Willpower, but winning that battle wasn’t going to win him the war.

He desperately prayed for help, and was surprised to find Celeste sprinting towards them. Moving to Brutus’s back, she positioned herself behind the wing still stuck in the wall. Holding her sword high above her head, she activated a skill that coated the blade in cutting energy and started hacking at the bone.

“No! Stop! I command you to…” Brutus panicked.

“I don’t take orders from you anymore!” Celeste screamed, slashing down over and over again. Turning his wings to silver helped Brutus endure the assault, but the gash in the bone grew deeper and deeper. He tried attacking her with his other wing, but Harvey diverted all his attention to blocking any attacks.

With a herculean swing, Celeste finally cut all the way through, the snap of silver echoing throughout the entire Colosseum. Angels standing in the bleachers just a few feet above them gasped, but none came to their Commander’s aid as he screamed in agony. The crown floating above his head grew dull, strength leaving his body as his own Will was broken. Neither Harvey nor Celeste waited for Brutus to get his bearings. Celeste unleashed one sword skill after another while Harvey backed away, pulling out Extinction and pouring every last drop of essence he had into summoning a copy with Innovator’s Arsenal. Pouring another essence potion into his mouth, he endured the agony of his weave being forcibly refilled yet again and conjured an Angelbane round in both chambers.

It had only taken Brutus a moment to start fighting back, his spear parrying one slash after another. Celeste had scored a few wounds, but couldn’t break past his defenses now that he was fighting back. She was already spent after fighting Hell’s Commander and final Lieutenant two on one, while Brutus hadn’t lifted a finger. Harvey could tell she was flagging, but all he needed was an opening. Feeling the massive gun floating behind her, she knew what to do. Slashing at the side of Brutus’s shield, she pushed it as far as she could before diving out of the way. It barely moved a few inches, but it exposed enough of Brutus's chest for Harvey to pull the trigger.

The world seemed to freeze as the aethersteel clicked, activating the simple mechanism that sent the firing pin into the activation rune inscribed on the back of the bullet. A tiny burst of flame ignited the hellpowder within, igniting an explosion that sent a pair of silver bullets hurtling through the air. .50 Cal bullets were already pretty big, but the round leaving the barrel of his Innovator’s Arsenal projection looked like something shot out of a tank. Both bullets reached the angel’s chest at the same time. The smaller round struggled to fight through the gold, but its big brother helped clear the way. Infernal flames washed over divine flesh, filling the Commander with the sin his actions had earned.

No kill notification or surge of essence followed the explosion, but Celeste wasn’t going to give him a moment to breathe. Even before the abyssal flames dissipated, she was stabbing her sword through her Commander’s heart. Cash ran up beside her, emptying another mag while his lion gnawed on Brutus fallen wing.

Harvey fully expected Brutus to get back up, but he never did.

Quest - Crusade of Dusk and Dawn - Integration Trial

Current Affiliation: Earth

Goal: Kill the Commander and Lieutenants of the opposing faction to open a portal home

Angelic Commanders Killed: 1/1

Angelic Lieutenants Killed: 1/4

Demonic Commanders Killed: 1/1

Demonic Lieutenants Killed: 4/4

Hidden objective completed: Kill both Commanders, claiming control over the trial for yourself.

Reward: Nobility Imprint upgraded to Brand, Protean Foundry Control Core, Protean Foundry

Note: Placement of the Protean Foundry will be determined upon your return to Earth, and will be kept in System storage until you have claimed your territory.

Note: The portal exiting the trial is now under your control, and you may decide whether those entering it are returned to Earth or their original homeworlds based on criteria set by you.

It was really over. The notification gave him some interesting things to think about, but all he could do was sprint over to his father. Tyler beat him to the punch, already kneeling beside him in the sand and cradling his head in his arms.

“Dad? Please don’t be gone. Please,” he sobbed. “Cash! Cash, he needs help!”

Harvey slid beside his brother, wrapping one arm around him while resting the other on Steve’s cheek. There was no life left in his eyes, but that didn’t stop him from pouring a health potion into his mouth.

“I already tried that,” Tyler sobbed.

It explained the ruby red liquid staining the sand, but Harvey didn’t want to accept it. As much as he wished Cash could save him, he knew Steve was too far gone.

“I love you, Dad,” Harvey whispered.

“You were the best one in the world,” Tyler added. “I’m sorry if I didn’t tell you that enough.”

“Hey,” Harvey said, pulling his brother in close. “Don’t say that. He knew. He knew.”