Fall of the Spectrum

Chapter Fifteen

All concept of time had been lost as the battle raged on around her. From the first moment, Forneus had been by Gwen's side, delivering the killing blow to the hybrid hellhound she had speared on the end of her blade, his cutlass slicing neatly through its flesh while Gwen kept it still. There was a sickening rending sound as the mottled flesh tore from bone, and with a final yelp, the hellhound fell limp.

With both Forneus and the ethereal armour protecting her, Gwen was afforded an opportunity to peer around. She took in the clash of weapons and the crackling of energy as it was released in all manner of elemental form, the operatives working together like a well-oiled machine. In the thick of it was Astral, immediately having rushed to Lonali's side with a few others. Unleashing a torrent of green electricity in Reeves' direction, he pulled the unconscious Yakshini to safety, the Kodama doing what they could to help him in spite of their lacking size.

There weren't many of the tree spirits left now, Gwen saw. Most had fled to the safety of the trees, while others had been unfortunate enough to fall victim to Reeves' forces, the shadows devouring them before anyone could stop them. Gwen had only a moment to feel sorrow at their loss when the Akuma showed up, all three emanating power unlike anything she'd felt during their past encounters, the air seeming electrified around them.

She'd had time to wonder if Reeves had somehow boosted their power before Misa's gaze met her own, and in that split second, she and the female Akuma were locked in a struggle; Gwen's ethereal blade against Misa's katana.

"Do you really think you stand a chance against me, little girl?" Misa broke the connection between their blades and performed a vicious downward stroke.

Acting on instinct, Gwen brought her arm up, the katana glancing off of her armour with a rattling clash.

"You're nothing without your guardian pal over there," Misa went on, lips twisting into a malicious grin, "and unfortunately for you, he's too busy with my brothers to save—"

The ethereal armour flashed warningly before a tendril lanced out from it, striking Misa along the jaw. The Akuma reeled from the blow, eyes widening with fright when the tendril latched onto her throat, slowly leaching the energy from her body.

Unfortunately for Gwen, Misa wasn't the only one losing energy. Between the strain of battle and feeding the armour, the adrenaline that had been keeping her going since the start was beginning to ebb, the armour's brilliant green quickly fading to a bruised purple. Gwen was just starting to wonder how much longer it would last when it flickered out with a soft hiss, leaving her exposed to Misa's next attack. All except for the blade still in her right hand, radiating a confidence Gwen herself didn't feel.

Clutching it with nerveless fingers, Gwen raised the weapon in time to meet Misa's katana, but it wasn't enough. As the edge of the katana struck the ethereal blade, it was ripped from her grasp, spinning through the air to land with a dull thud several feet away. Misa advanced on her, the flecks of gold in her violet eyes blazing bright with the anticipation of the kill to come.

Gwen backed away as fast as she could, glancing frantically from one side to the other for someone—anyone—who could save her. It was no use. Forneus was battling a mixed pack of hellhounds and shadows, too far away to reach her. All of the other operatives were in much the same situation, locked in combat with six enemies or more at a time; unable to rush to the aid of those closest to them, much less to where she was at the opposite side of the shrine.

It was as her gaze swept past where Lonali lay just around the corner—partially hidden from view thanks to a cluster of flowering bushes—that Gwen realized she'd lost sight of Astral. The last she'd seen him, he'd been duking it out with Reeves.