Chapter 410: Battle in the Gate
The sky churned with ash, snow, and dancing mana as the battle raged. Gouts of fire, shadow, and light erupted between the clashing forces, consuming humans and demons alike. Screams and the clash of weapons echoed through the cavern where I hid, mingling with the deafening roar of magical attacks and ringing in my ears.
The entrance to the Core Chamber was hidden in the depths of the largest chasm, striking a snaking line across the northern edge of the shattered tundra. The demons and divine armies were divided on either side, the battle line splitting the entire gate in two. There was no sign of where The humans currently held the entrance to the Gate, but there was no sign of the forces we’d left outside.
My heart ached with worry for Sari and the others outside, but there was nothing I could do for them now. Even with the Ice Spirit controlling the Gate, none of my senses or mana penetrated to the world of Enusia beyond. We were cut off and isolated from anything that happened there, blind as a ship in a storm.
With no slight difficulty, I swallowed my fear and turned to the battle raging within the dimensional walls of the gate. The armies of the divine stood tall and bright, wreathed in protection and sun magic. But beyond their outer holy appearance, there was an underlying, if striking, resemblance to the demon horde. Both were little more than a loosely organized mass of second and third-level soldiers, their only leadership direct orders coming from the hero or apostle at their head. It was chaotic and unruly, with no clear victor in sight.
The direction they did receive wasn’t much to speak of, either. Neither Connor the Undead Hero nor Gayron the Apostle of Fire had much mind for strategy. Their means differed greatly, but both relied on their personal power to overwhelm the opposition. The lesser beings were left orderless and could only struggle to survive, much less mount any significant offensive.
It was a fighting style I could only envy, really. Even in the most desperate of times, it was all I could do to cast Fate and Protection magic on my allies and keep them from harm. Many times, without the ability to actually end a fight with my power, I was left helpless as my wards were overrun and my friends hurt or killed. It was frustrating, if not downright aggravating, especially whenever I witnessed the other heroes or apostles fight.
If only the Sun God’s curse wasn’t...no, that was fruitless. It was the only thing more constant than the ache of my soul, more permanent than the burn of the sunpurge. Dwelling on it only left me steeped in regret.
My own weakness aside, Connor, Gayron, and even Korra to some extent, were titans on the battlefield. Every one of their magical techniques devastated entire battalions and battle lines, single-handedly turning the conflict in their favor.
Connor’s undead alone made up over half the total number of soldiers, and though they were weaker than their living counterparts, their numbers grew and their power increased as the souls of the dead strengthened his heroic aura. The living humans of the divine army acted mostly as rear support, launching spells and arrows over the heads of the shambling zombie soldiers and demons. Whenever one fell among them, it would swell with the dark mist and rise, joining its allies on the front lines.