Aola’s eyes grew cold as she saw an opportunity to unleash a barrage of strikes and take the man’s life, but just as she was about to dash forward, her instincts screamed.
A heartbeat echoed across the forest, and Aola saw a dark red energy begin to emanate from the young man’s body, his physical pressure and the might of his lightning and flames feeding on it and growing stronger.
Vlad’s eyes carried a cold rage as he focused on the woman, pushing the might of the Heart of Wrath through his body and energy before he dashed forward once more, refusing to give her any respite.
Aola’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of speed and strength in the man. She unleashed all her energy, not holding back as her instincts screamed about her current danger. They clashed repeatedly, the sound of metal against metal ringing through the forest, boulders and trees blasted to pieces due to the collateral damage from the fight between the Depravita and the angel.
Aola aimed a swift strike at Vlad’s torso. He parried without a problem, but while his strength had increased, the durability of his weapon had not, and the sheer force cracked one of his sword blades. Noticing the weakness, she pressed the attack, her halberd a relentless blur.
Vlad showed no reaction as he discarded the damaged sword, focusing his energy on the remaining one, carefully dodging every blow and strike she made, relying on his instincts and the signals of the A.I. Chip as he searched for an opening.
Suddenly, a sharp light appeared in Vlad’s eyes as he sidestepped a downward slash, using his lightning speed to get inside her guard. With a swift motion, he slashed at her abdomen. The blade connected, leaving a deep cut in her armor and drawing a large amount of blood.
Aola hissed in pain as the cut reached her gut, but she clenched her teeth, straining the muscles of her abdomen to keep everything in place, and countered immediately, delivering a sharp kick to Vlad’s chest.
The Depravita had pushed deep into the woman’s guard to deliver that blow, so he could not dodge or even block the kick that sent him reeling. The air was knocked from his lungs, but his enhanced endurance allowed him to recover quickly, and he was ready when Aola flashed toward him with a spinning slash of her halberd, aiming for his neck.
Vlad ducked just in time, feeling the blade slice his armor. Seizing the opportunity, he summoned a vortex of demonic fire and lightning around himself, forcing Aola to retreat or be consumed by the flames.
Aola had barely dodged the flames and lightning when her eyes widened in horror. The power she had avoided seemed to retreat into the heart of the young man before her, who now wore a cold, predatory smile. In an instant, he unleashed all that energy in the form of a massive, concentrated beam of red lightning and demonic fire.
Aola attempted to dodge again, but the speed of the attack was too much. The beam struck her left arm and wing, obliterating them in an explosion of energy.
"Ahhhh!" Aola screamed in agony, the force of the blast ripping through her body, her arm and wing disintegrating into ash. The beam carried on, tearing through the forest behind her, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake as it ignited the trees, culminating in a distant explosion that sent waves of fire and lightning into the sky.
But for Aola, the pain had only just begun.
Before she could even take a breath, let alone recover from the shock, Vlad was already upon her. His sword, glowing with red lightning, pierced forward with deadly precision. Desperate, Aola mustered what strength and focus remained, trying to block with her single hand, but the halberd was far too slow. Vlad’s sword found its mark, driving deep into her chest and severing her heart in two.
Aola’s eyes widened in disbelief, her strength draining from her body. Her gaze met Vlad’s, and in that final moment, all she saw was an abyss of rage and brutality in his cold, unforgiving eyes. There was no mercy, no hesitation—only an overwhelming hunger for destruction and vengeance. Her consciousness flickered, and with one last breath, her mind shut down. Aola, the angel who had once harvested souls with impunity, perished at the hands of the Depravita of Wrath.
Vlad showed no pity as he withdrew his sword, a twisted smile creeping across his face as he felt the surge of Origin Force emanating from her dying body. The wave of energy flowed into him, entering his Soul Dimension. He immediately split it in two, directing one half to his Depravita Sky, enhancing his power, while the other half coursed through his physical body, helping to wash away the exhaustion and aftereffects of the Heart of Wrath.
The rejuvenating power of the Origin Force was intoxicating, and for a moment, Vlad savored the feeling of renewed strength. His mind sharpened once more, and without wasting time, he knelt to retrieve Aola’s space ring. After quickly storing her armor, halberd, and corpse, Vlad stood, glancing at the destruction they had wrought.
He didn’t dwell on it. He had a battle to return to.
Vlad’s form blurred as he dashed back through the forest toward the rest of the battlefield. He could already sense the distant clashes of energy. It did not take long for the A.I. Chip to show him the entire battlefield, and a smile arose on his face.
Once Vlad finally reached the shore, he saw how Jormungandr, Ouroboros, Freya, and the Royal Guards completely overwhelmed the angel elites. The aliens were by no means weak, but they had been taken by surprise, and their leader pushed away, so they were at a disadvantage from the start.
With the addition of Jormungandr to the Champion battlefield, the angels were not able to regain their momentum, and every second that passed meant one more casualty on their side until, finally, they were so few that they posed no threat to the Xaos forces.