《White Knight》Chapter Eighteen - Descent of the Decent
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With the emergence of a heated beast before him, Alsop used the cover of the Crimson Eagle to storm off with the general in his hands, towards Axel in a plummet to safety. For the first time, Alsop lifted his eyes above for help and Maxwell was absent from his seat - gone at the instant. This was worrying, but a gulp later allowed Alsop to see what else there was available. Ahead of him, Axel welcomed Alsop and Alister smiled with gratitude as his job had been done to an extent, at their best efforts. They carefully laid down the heroic general alongside Magnolia, and then watched. They watched in angst, and then a glimmer of hope yearned within them. The Crimson Eagle had bolstered a breath of fire like no other that blemished the skin of Envy ever so slightly, causing him to stutter in his steps towards the eagle. With this sight, Alister had stood up and reached out for his gun, inspecting it cleanly.
"Are you nervous?" Asked Axel.
"Well, I am the one going. Not you." Alister replied with a cold truth. "Nonetheless, I am ready. Alsop, you must create me a diversion." He added.
"Well, is the eagle not enough?" Asked Alsop.
"It may be incredibly strong, but it won't last long. That is the general idea Axel has told me for the last few seconds." Said Alister.
"Hehe. Yes. It's too much mana." Chuckled Axel with enlightenment.
"I see, here we go then." Alsop concluded.
Soon enough, Envy had stood triumphant over the transient force as it searched for the general and returned to him eagerly for life. Envy's own eyes now searched for a greater challenge, but the thought of something stronger than the Crimson Eagle was nowhere within the dome. Its magic was whistled away by Envy, although with struggle, but he had now nothing to do. With this, Alsop had the imperative role of commencing a distraction for Alister, who would traverse the plain slightly hidden - but enough for Alsop and Axel to catch knowledge of his movements. Thus, Alsop returned to Envy, his fists clenched firmly as a hopeful form of strength.
"Envy!" He boldly called out. "What have you done to Caspian Cull?" Alsop asked courageously.
"Eh? Why does it matter to you?" Pondered Envy.
"He is my friend. He was." Said Alsop.
"Friend? I'd hardly call you a friend of the poor boy. He had very few. That is what strengthened me." Envy chaotically cackled.
"Strengthened you? What exactly are you? If you're not my friend..." Alsop stuttered with a hurdle for confidence.
"Caspian is gone. His body remains, but his consciousness is now me. Envy. He found me, and I found him. And we bonded so well, his jealousy cleansed that heart of his so well." Said Envy cheerfully.
"Tsk, you!" Alsop was disgusted, but his sight of an emerging Alister compelled him to limit his anger. "My father. My father, why do you want him to feel pain? What is your problem with him?" He asked.
"My problem is not with him entirely. The four of them tricked me. Thomas, Indominus, Grove, Lux. I tell you, I am not evil like my sin adversaries, I am a mere man of justice. What I am doing is right. It is right." Said Envy.
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"Impossible. You are a sin. You are evil." Said Alsop affirmatively.
"It's all lies! I'm the best of the rest, don't you see! Am I at all dangerous?" Asked Envy.
"Yes! You have threatened to hurt my father!" Exclaimed Alsop.
"That is not a threat, it's justice. Blood for blood, equivalent exchange." Said Envy.
"Your vision is blurred, the way you want justice is wrong." Said Alsop.
"You do not understand my situation. Lux has had it all, a family, a life, a future guaranteed." Said Envy miserably.
"Huh?" Alsop tilted his head in subtle confusion. "You're jealous? That is what has tainted your sense of justice?" He wondered.
"What?! Enough! You will come with me. You will take me to Lux Buchanan." Impatiently demanded Envy.
"You fool, why would I join you if you're out to kill my father?!" Exclaimed Alsop, his feet stumbling backwards.
"Aside from learning real justice, I can show you power. There is power in those dull eyes of yours." Said Envy, his mind at thought. "It is almost ancient. It seems like your attention has drifted from me though." He added, his focus ready to turn to Alsop's line of sight.
"Wait, wait!" Alsop halted him, for his eyes were wary of Alister's close presence. "My power. What do you mean?" He asked.
"Heheh. You are distracting me, wasting my time. Give yourself up, or I take you forcefully." Said Envy as he lunged aggressively towards Alsop.
With this advance, Alsop stumbled to the ground with an aroma of fear stunning him. His hands had clawed onto the wet grass with a slip of uncertainty, would Alister be able to help him soon enough? The answer had become blurry within his mind, as his panic pandered his body with an uncontrollable urge to run. His eyes glanced across though, and they found Alister who was now ever so slightly nearby, but his presence was not to be noted by Envy. Envy was higher than the skies in the dirt hue eyes of Alsop, and this meant the control favoured him. He could very easily turn around and punish Alister with aggressiveness.
The spirit that Alsop carried close to him was clearly not an option for him. This was mostly because the gift came from the hands of Caspian, therefore the spirit was likely reminiscent in the mind of the body in front of him. Alsop had one option left, one which carved his heart in anguish, as it pained him to even think about it.
Magic was somewhat of a flaw for him, as it left him always partially pushed aside by society, wherever he went. Although occasionally Alsop would develop the will to try, to try and make use of any amount of magic he had within him. Nothing would amount though. A spark would maybe fly, but little else would result. His magic was humiliating, but it was all he had left to offer, and thus he lifted his hand to plunge for his very own divine power - something he had never before even thought to research. This was all he had left to capture Envy's fading interest, and it did. Envy's eyebrows lifted in high expectation because for him, Alsop was the son of the legendary knight, Lux Buchanan.
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Expecting very little to come out, Alsop's divine power quickly stunned him into silence. Silence was the only real reaction that Alsop could fathom because his senses froze as his divine power seemingly distorted reality around him. Darkness surrounded Alsop like a shadowy fog, confining his sight to complete nothingness. Something nefarious was lurking, however. Something chilling, as it whistled a ghostly echo into Alsop's ears. Something seemingly hidden but crackling with rickety sways through the misty black air. Whatever the scenery Alsop had come across, he was alone with something else. The crowds from the contest were captivated into crystal silence by him, but they could only see a small fraction of what Alsop had uncovered.
"Where am I? Who are you? What is this - argh! My leg!" Wailed out Alsop, his scared, echoic voice.
His leg had been stabbed by something, as a gaping hole tarnished the thigh with a pool of black blood. This was far from his greatest worry. Something caught his eye, a glimmer, a gleam of royal blue far in the distance. It pulsated with energy, almost as if it were a life, but it reinforced this when it had reached out for Alsop. Lifting his hand for the help he so desperately needed in this lost land, Alsop closed his eyes to meditate with the darkness. The dark had become bright white within a blink.
Around Alsop, things had remained the same, but Alsop was now in permanent pain as his leg failed to even twitch. His eyes slowly drifted to the leg, where it became clear that time was not paused when Alsop had issued his attempt at magic. The lightning rod that once belonged to Caspian, was sizzling with power deep in his leg, and above him, Envy grinned with menace. He had twisted and turned the rod within the wound on his thigh so much so, the consciousness of Alsop lingered at the thought of death for a second, but his mind had remembered the plan. Alister was now just behind Envy.
"Ah finally..." Alsop relaxed slightly at the sight.
"Finally, indeed. How I wish I could kill you right now." Chuckled Envy.
"Is there anything stopping you?" Alsop muttered with a childish grin.
"Oh, I won't kill you. After all, I can go for the other three." Said Envy.
"Wait...the other three? Three...that means you know..." Alsop mumbled, but his strength was nimble at best.
"Get here you fool, trying to surprise me? Where is the respect gentleman!?" Envy viciously turned around and grabbed Alister by the neck with a tight grasp on his startled soul.
Alsop was instantly compelled to move, but he failed abruptly. The villainous sin above him had pinned him to the ground with the lightning rod, and Alsop could barely even witness the failure of the plan unfold. Far behind, Axel could all but look on in horror, sharing a similar shock to the crowds who had felt hopelessness finally hit them too. Alister was now being drained of a life, a memory, a soul. His hands plummeted for his weapon, but the overwhelming force of Envy sucking his soul, was too much for Alister. And for the first time, the crowds, what was left of Caspian, Axel and Alsop all had caught a glimmer of a tear shimmer down Alister's typically cold complexion.
"Well, any last words?" Asked Envy with a grin.
"You will pay. Justice, as you say it, will be served."
Alister's final words had faltered Envy like a spoiled child, his stance had fallen slightly with a lack of reality, but he then quickly tightened up and grew sour to the face. His bitter frustration at Alister's simple yet disrespectful words, caused him to throw him away like an old piece of flesh - fully meaningless, with no life.
With this, Envy had set his sights now back onto what was ahead of him, where a stroke of surprise stumbled him. Through the shade of the dome around the contest's participants, a flickering light peeled away at the thin air it made contact with. Within a single swing, the entirety of the shield shattered into shards of small electricity. A thunderous roar from the crowds championed the return of a hero, as he rocketed to the sky with two pearls of icy white, lightning eyes channelling the rest of his intense body. Thomas Titanius Junior had arrived at the scene, and in his wicked incision into the dome, his sword faded into dust at the sheer power in his swipe. Despite losing a weapon, his magic still prospered strongly, with a field of lightning flowing across his body. Once he clapped to the ground with a punishing quake, several strings of lightning tore from his body. Rushing towards Envy like a set of beasts hungering for flesh, these twigs of lightning stuttered Envy with an instant impact.
The impact of Thomas' return was far grander though, as he allowed entry for others willing to help. Just aside from him was Maxwell with a raging visage and Chadwick with a heated temper. Behind though, Victoria, Annette and Frederick had lent their services to meeting with Axel, in any means possible of helping him with Isaac and Magnolia. Even further behind, a much stronger force rose in relinquished relief, the cheering crowds.
With all of this, Envy smiled in simple satisfaction, and he licked his lips with a love for the display ahead of him. His hand had gripped the lightning rod that was wedged within Alsop, and he drew his fingers finely across the bolt, his eyes ever so slightly intimidated by the hero's arrival.
"Thomas always was exciting. His son, I assume?" Laughed Envy, his eyes pierced with panic.
"You can make this easy and give up now." Said Thomas, standing tall.
"No, no, no. I will make the demands. It seems the boys here are no longer usable, but you are. There is nothing wrong with me killing Thomas first. Take me to him." Ordered Envy.
"My father? I can personally tell you, I haven't seen him in years. But I can give you a part of him." Chuckled Thomas.
"Oh? What would that be?" Cautiously asked Envy.
"The embers of his exciting life, the fuel for my own life, his magic." Said Thomas.
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