A World With/Out Home

Chapter 38: The places we should have been. (Part 4)

"Oh snap looks like you're in a bit of a pickle," Lav showed herself and immediately gloated. "Don' bother trying to escape, that thing is my masterpiece. Or better yet, do. For everything you throw at it it'll only hurt you twice as much."

"You were cutting it close," Estile sighed and cracking her hands made sure her body was healed back to 100%.

She looked at her and cheekily apologised, "Sorry I am kind of out of practice. It's been a while since I casted anything that complicated."

A roar broke through their casual conversation. Philius had been trying his hardest to escape, smashing his arms, and body against the barrier to no avail. Each attempt sent ripple of energy right back into him causing more damage than either Estile or Lav had done so far.

"This will not stop me!" he screamed and opened his mouth releasing the same laser he had before. The beam reflected within the box of magic and struck him straight the chest where it bounced off the back side and cut back through his wings. Had he not cut the attack short he might have just killed himself there.

"Ow," Estile winced. "That must have hurt. Lav you okay?"

The purple haired girl wiped off some sweat and whispered back, "Honestly that came close to breaking."

For a while Philius groaned at the floor of the barrier. Slowly but surely however his form returned to normal. As he rose to sitting posture he laughed,

"So this is all you can do? You've trapped me, but now what? Neither of you have the power to kill me!"

Estile looked at Lav who shared the same gaze. The thing was he was right. When it came down to it, they usually left the finishing moves to other members of the Ever-Garden. Neither of them had conventional destructive power.

"We don't," Estile admitted. "But a friend of ours should be here soon enough and we'll figure it out from there. How about you take a nap and we'll wake you up when he arrives?"

"I will not simply stand by when my victory is at hand," Philius stood up and placed his hand on the barrier. He closed his eyes and several seconds passed before he opened them smiling. "Such a simple solution. I must thank the records the Church kept of you Lady Estile."

A chill spread down Estile's back, "You-."

It was too late as Philius opened his mouth once again and released his concentrated beam of darkness. This time however he revelled in the feedback and pain even as the laser bounced and gouged across his body. Soon it was impossible to see within the barrier as it was covered with a thick black. Lav groaned in concentration as the mental strain that fell upon her threatened to snap her mind. She held the barrier but it wasn't enough. A crack appeared and with the sound of snapping glass it spread.

"Lav get back!" Estile stood to protect her as the cage burst apart. An intense heat that threatened to melt away the very stone assailed them and using her body she prevented the worse to strike Lav behind her.

As the chamber cleared and the heat changed to a chilling cold, Philius stood in a different form. From his back wings of pure black rippling energy flared as he floated mid-air. The grotesque form he had assumed was gone replaced by a stunningly handsome human figure and in the centre of his chest, the core of the Sleeping God had fully merged. It was unlike the others and no longer retained its spherical shape. Instead it resembled that of an Archdevil, a shining stone that had was an accumulation of their magic, the core of their soul, a near unbreakable material that was more than just a part of them.

"Amazing," Philius landed to the floor. "To think there was a step further and the only way I could absorb all that energy was with the help of your friend." He smirked towards Estile, "She's not dead is she?"