The Red Hand

Chapter 461.5 – Felling a Titan.

"Oh please, do you really think this will be enough to stand in my way?" Reheal laughed as she danced around the massive stone fists that tried to smash her. "Even Titans don't stand a chance against me! But you're free to try your hardest!" The Angel yelled as she swung her scythe and cut one of the massive stone creature's hands off at its wrist, causing it to fall to the ground with an enormous crash. "Too bad these things don't scream." She said as she leaped backward to avoid another swing. “I always did enjoy hearing the sound of my prey's agony.”

Reheal's travels took her across the continent in search of Power Reactors, and with Gale's plan to send her to Earth nearing fruition, she'd been tasked with collecting sufficiently powerful minions for the coming invasion of Earth. The massive stone giant that she was currently fighting stood nearly as tall as a mountain and was tougher than just about any creature on Enoris. Titans, as they were called, were weapons left over from the war between the Gods and Primordials and were created as a direct counter to Demi-Gods. Few remained this long after the great battles, as most were destroyed during the war or soon thereafter, and those that were still around were generally nonfunctional or slumbered deep beneath the earth, buried as the landscapes were shaped by eons of erosion and other natural processes.

{An aggravating thing, isn't it? I've cut its hands off dozens of times, but it keeps repairing them. Father wasn't underselling these things powers. I'd never fought one until now, and I can see why they gave my predecessors trouble. But...} (Rehael)

"This thing is no match for me." Reheal's lips curved into a wicked grin as her eyes transformed, and an explosion of black power erupted from her body before coalescing around her as a dark flame. "Now, creation of the Primordials, allow me to show you truepower!" She roared before leaping toward the massive stone creature, landing on and running up its arms at incredible speed, all while using her Scythe to slice the Titan open as if it were a can opener tearing open some chicken noodle soup.

*SLICE* *SWOOSH* *WOOSH*

"Time to join my collection!" Reheal yelled as she leaped into the air as the arm collapsed below her, aiming the point of her Scythe at the large green crystal just between the Titan's stone 'eyes.' That point controlled the creature and served as its 'heart'. If destroyed the Titan would become inert and Rehael could easily retool it to serve her will.

*RUMBLE*

"What?!?" Rahael yelped as the crystal began glowing brightly before blasting a stream of energy toward her, only barely managing to dodge the attack by forming a small platform below her feet and landing on another one a few dozen meters away.

*WOOSH*

The Titan's blast seemed to rip apart the very sky as it parted the clouds above, and for a brief moment, everything was dyed green due to the overwhelming amount of energy spewed forth by the creature. Such a powerful blast would've caused severe damage to a being even as powerful as she was, and it did not escape the Angel that she'd been mere moments away from destruction as she continued to hop from platform to platform.

"What the Hells?" Rahael found herself unusually nervous, her body seeming to understand better than her mind just how dangerous that attack was. "It seems this thing has more tricks up its sleeve than Father warned me about." She said with a nervous smile as the Titan's arm floated back into place and reforged.

{An attack like that could level entire mountain ranges. Just how intense was the Divine Primordial war if something like THIS was considered a mere foot soldier?} (Reheal)

"I can see why Father wanted me to capture it. Something this powerful will ensure my victory even if the Demon Lord has some troublesome minions guarding her home." Rahael said as she spun her Scythe behind her back and placed it in her other hand. "Though, at the end of the day I

will be all that's needed." She laughed as more dark power burst forth from her body and leaped toward her massive foe. “For I am the perfect existence.”_____________________________________________________________________________

"Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow... I can't believe she actually did it." A brown-haired young man with a bored look on his face as he examined the defeated Titan. The massive creature had collapsed on its back and folded over a nearby mountain like a sad slinky, gashes and scorch marks visible on every inch of its exterior. "I was kind of hoping she'd still be fighting it when we got here." He said as he tapped the butt of his spear against the rocky ground. “Oh well.”

"I just hope she didn't forget to hold back enough so that she can resurrect it." A black-haired woman with a large sword on her back shook her head as she sighed. Her glazed-over eyes gave the impression that she was a blind and helpless young woman, especially if you added in her soft voice, but the deft and deliberate steps and body movements showed that she was anything but. "Lord Gale isn't going to be pleased if she got so caught up in the fight that she forgot the purpose behind her coming here."

"Is only been incapacitated, not destroyed." Esquire said as the Goddess floated down behind them. "Rehael isn't foolish enough to allow her power to overwhelm her sense of reason, especially when acting on Gale's behalf." She shook her head. "If she was the kind to falter that easily, Gale would've disposed of her long ago."

{Though I wish he would've. Creating a monster from the remains of Vikes was a terrible idea. We'd done it once before, and that was only a conversion not a completely new entity. Taking a part of that monster and merging it with Divine Power in such a way was simply disgusting and far too risky. Demon Lord power should never have been used for anything, period. A power like that always craves its true master, and there's no telling how corruptive it can be.} (Esquire)

"Ah, Lady Esquire!" Raheal yelled from the top of the Titan's foot before flying over to them. "I was not expecting you, and it's always an honor." She smiled, though they all knew it was a fake formality since she only ever truly smiled for Gale.

"Ahem..." The brown-haired man coughed. "Are you forgetting us?"

"I noticed you, Meldor. You too, Lira." Rehael said as she continued smiling. "It's nice to see the both of you as well."

{Yeah...} (Meldor)

"It's been what, twenty years?" Meldor replied, not bothering to retort at her obvious sarcasm. “Long time to go between meetings.”

"Eighteen years, four months, and thirty-seven days to be precise." Lira commented. “Not that long in the grand scheme of things.”

"So twenty years." Meldor rolled his eyes. "You don't need to be that specific, Lira. I've told you that a million times..."

"We're gifted with far better minds than mortals, we should use them." Lira replied flatly. “Why limit ourselves to their level?”

"Do not start your usual bickering, children." Esquire glared at them before turning back to Rehael. "You did well in felling a Titan on your own. Those creatures proved difficult for even the Demi-Gods who fought in the Great War. I must admit that I was unsure if you'd have the power and skill to subdue it, but it seems that you did. You've truly grown into a powerful warrior fit to be Gale's sword, Rehael."

{And a dangerous blade pointed at our throats.} (Esquire)

"Your words honor me, my Lady." Rehael smiled as she gave a small bow and curtsy. "But if I may, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? My Father said nothing about your arrival... Or those two." She said as she glanced at the other two Demi-Gods.

{And I'd really prefer they stay away. Those two bickering idiots always get on my nerves. They're children of Gods, yet they act no different than lowly mortals.} (Rehael)

"It's been decided that these two children of mine will accompany you during the mission." Esquire answered, noting the twitch of displeasure on Rehael's face. "Despite their problems, Lira and Meldor are exceptionally talented in combat and have experience commanding large numbers of troops during battle. Thus, we've decided to have them depart with you so as to better enable you to destroy the Spirits."

{And to keep an eye on you.} (Esquire)

Rehael, naturally, wanted to speak out and reject their aid, but couldn't. A God's word, even one that wasn't Gale's, was law and the Angel was not foolish enough to rebuff the Goddess of Death.

{What she said may be true. These two fools do have experience commanding our forces and leading armies during both the Warping Wars against the Hells and the operation against Vikes' Cult several centuries ago. But I do not need nor want their help. I can handle something this simple myself, and I refuse to allow them to share in MY success and MY glory!} (Rehael)

"I can promise you that their assistance, while appreciated, is not necessary." Rehael said while continuing to smile. "But I will put them to use so as to best use their talents to bring my mission to a swift and decisive conclusion."

{She's gonna try and suicide mission us.} (Lira x Meldor)

"See that you do." Esquire said as she began floating back into the air. "Gale intends to send you to that other world soon, so ensure that you are ready. And remember, there can be no failure." She said before teleporting away.

"Welp, guess you're stuck with us." Meldor said with a chuckle, knowing full well that Rehael was angry with his very presence but unable to do anything about it.

"Stuck with you perhaps, but I suppose that means I must prove our worth to Mother." Lira said as Rehael cursed the Death Goddess' meddling under her breath.

{What's her game? Esquire never showed any interest in involving herself in this whole operation before now. So why interject her children now? And why did Father make no mention of this during our last report? Something isn't right.} (Rehael)

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"I see, so over the eons things decayed this much." Sol said to herself as she tore overgrown roots away from what looked like the stone door of a massive temple deep in the wilderness. The structure was mostly covered over in dense foliage, but one could easily identify it as some kind of religious site due to the intricate carvings of a serpent over the exterior and the odd language inscribed over the entrance. "Kalego's convoluted plan still makes no sense to me." She sighed as she pushed open the door, dust flying everywhere as air rushed inside for what must've been the first time in centuries. "I guess I'll just have to ask him when he shows up... Whenever and however they do..." She before entering and sealing the door behind her, leaving Sol alone in a dust and cobweb filled stone cavern in absolute darkness.

{Now the only question is, will the Demon Lord even choose the path that allows our plan to succeed or not? Kalego's foresight could only show him a glimpse of the possible paths this world will take, so we can't be sure what the future will bring. For my friend's sake, and for the sake of all the innocent people of this world, I hope they do.} (Sol)