In Western skies, a yellow light shot like a meteor toward a particular pyramid.
The first to notice was Red Queen. She moved through the air with great speed. Before everyone else could look at the object Red Queen had intercepted it.
It made no noise until smashing into Red Queen's figure. In a flash, a powerful sonic boom echoed. A red and yellow streak smashed into the top of the pyramid sending debris flying everywhere.
Pink Bunny moved with great speed to protect apostle Mauricio and the unconscious Alan from the explosion.
Likewise, Raging Stone covered apostle Ozeah and others while Dawn Keepers protected the people below.
Next to Al, Elissa used her whip to clear any debris that flew toward them.
As the dust cleared Red Queen emerged carrying Bee Maxx around her arms. Blood flowed out of his mouth but his face was filled with determination.
Red Queen moved Bee Maxx to the side of the crater they had created. The back of her armor was glowing a deep orange. She had absorbed a good amount of kinetic energy.
Despite her armor being the latest technology in High Entropy Alloys it still ran the risk of overheating. With a deep exhale her armor turned the thermal energy into a hot misty cloud that obscured her image.
Raging Stone rushed to Bee Maxx's side "What the hell are you doing here?!" he shouted as everyone else gathered.
Coughing, Bee Maxx struggled. "A.R.M. and Robert are dead. Loh' is missing. Calinn is in charge," he said with what little energy he had left.
"A.R.M. is not dead, he can't be" Pink Bunny retorted.
Elissa and Al looked at each other with worry. Elissa's last words to Loh' Pohlieus were a warning but she was too late.
Red Queen wiped the dust off of her shoulders. "So Carlinn was a snake after all," her voice was unsurprised yet her hands coiled into fists.
His Alchemical College and her Rosy Cross were rival spiritual institutions in New Ark City. However, when their paths crossed, Carlinn would express his appreciation for her understanding of the Law of Seven.
Red Queen's fist relaxed and she pointed at Al and Elissa "Tell me what you two know about him." she demanded.
Elissa scoffed at Red Queen's command.
Al between the two "Carlinn's real name is likely Taczlopalic. He's an ancient enlightened dark acolyte."
Red Queen relaxed her posture before taking a deep exhale and asked him to explain what made a dark acolyte 'enlightened'
Al looked at the apostle Mauricio and the other apostles before explaining the truth of dark acolytes. "They begin as etheric beasts and by consuming large amounts of human Will they become enlightened and take on a human form. Enlightened dark acolytes are equivalent to an early Immortal cultivator and weaker than an ascended apostle."
"If Taczlopalic has taken over New Ark City there might be nothing we can do now." Elissa coldly added
Red Queen maintained her silence as she processed the information while Raging Stone and Pink Bunny tended to Bee Maxx's injuries.
Watching the entire spectacle apostle Mauricio loudly addressed Red Queen as the emissary of her nation "If New Ark City has fallen then the Devil is at our doorstep. We can not let that be!"
Dawn Keepers swarmed around apostle Mauricio. The 6th and 7th apostles picked up Alan and Bee Maxx and carried them down the steps.
Apostle Mauricio was oblivious to the etheric beings that had become drawn to him. They communicated thoughts and ideas into his mind which he viewed as divine inspiration.
His eyes lit up and his voice grew more confident as he announced "Two powerful figures one fiery red and the other electric blue are flying directly into our lands. They are here to retrieve the citizens of New Ark City."
Hearing his words caused Pink Bunny's face to become pale. Seeing her response Red Queen gently raised her arm and gestured for her to remain calm.
Red Queen replied in a low voice. "Our Top two Heroes are Hot Pyro and Blue Spark. Their minds merged with A.R.M. If it is true that he has died, then it is likely that they are being manipulated by Carlinn or Taczlopalic whatever his name is."
Apostle Mauricio turned to the few apostles that remained. "We'll capture those two and launch a pre-emptive strike cutting the head of the snake right now before it grows too big. For now, we will only send two apostles."
Apostle Mauricio turned to apostle Ozeah "You will join our friend Red Queen and help her deal with her nation's takeover." He then turned to the remaining apostles and one of them excitedly offered themselves. It was the apostle Otis. "Brother please send me." he pleaded.
Apostle Maurizio nodded "Then it is so.". Finally he turned to face the shell-shocked people once again and concluded the ceremony.
The pyramid was quickly cleared leaving a small group. Apostle Ozeah leaned on his wooden staff and started praying. As he fervently prayed a light began to leak out of the top of his head.
The light coalesced into a radiant falcon. Mirroring dark acolytes, light acolytes are born as humanoid beings. By feasting on the Will of a single human life it took the form of an animal that resembles the soul of the singular host.
The Light Apostle of Ozeah wasted no time ascending into the sky before shooting back down merging with its host. Through synchronicity, the two separated beings reached a form of enlightenment that was momentary but much more powerful than their dark counterparts.
A powerful radiant light covered Ozeah's humble figure. His hair became jet black and flowed to his waist. Two radiant wings emerged from his back and his body grew one meter larger.
The light surrounding him condensed into a golden armor that covered him from the neck down.
His staff was slowly transformed into a gleaming royal spear.
The remaining light formed into a floating sword made of light that levitated nearby.
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Apostle Ozeah had ascended into the Temple of Ozeah in a few seconds.
Apostle Otis quickly followed. In response to his praying light leaked from the top of his head and coalesced into a scrappy dog.
The dog ran and leaped into apostle Otis. A powerful light filled the air and his form was so bright he appeared like a walking star.
His body grew about a meter bigger his hair also became longer. A golden helmet with dog features covered his head as the black hair extended out. The bright light around him continued to condense into a sharp golden armor. He held no weapons instead the rest of the light formed spheres which melded into 12 small blades that floated behind the Temple of Otis.
Al felt his Heat Will tremble under the presence of the two powerful Temples.
"Standing next to them is making my Heat Will want to submit. What exactly is this power of their God? Al tried to hide his shock as he gripped the etheric shell of his Heat Will
Elissa's Reflexive Will was rooted in the Material Plane she noticed Al's discomfort and her eyes focused on the red leather bracelet on his left wrist.
The Temple of Ozeah smiled at Red Queen "So we meet again only this time you are standing closer to the truth." a powerful royal voice came from him.
"Are those your words or the words of your God?" Red Queen asked.
"His words, your words, my words. If they are true, they are mine" The temple of Otis answered for his celestial brother. The mind of the two was one. While speaking to one Red Queen also spoke to the other.
"What good is the truth if it gives birth to a world full of lies?" Her question made the two Temple's smile.
"There is a treasure hidden in every lie. A teardrop hides a rainbow. Nothing deceives a heart more than the sadness of the soul." The words of the two Temples made Red Queen shiver beneath her armor.
She felt both naked and vulnerable. "In this darkness, the light is all the soul sees. At every angle, the light betrays it and like a sword, it pierces the heart." Red Queen's words echoed in Elissa's ears.
The Temple of Ozeah looked at Red Queen with a lamentable expression before the Temple of Otis interrupted both "I can see 3 enlightened dark acolytes following close behind the Hot Pyro and Blue Spark."
Red Queen suppressed her thoughts and took charge of the group. "You four will deal with the Dark Acolytes," she ordered Al, Elissa, Raging Stone, and Pink Bunny. Me and the Church will take on Hot Pyro and the Light will handle Blue Spark."
Together Red Queen the Temple of Ozeah, and the Temple of Otis flew into the sky and headed toward New Ark City.
Hundreds of Dawn keepers followed them. Elissa leaped flawlessly on the back of a Dawn keeper and took off into the air. Al followed his teacher running and jumping on a Dawn keeper. Raging Stone and Pink Bunny looked at each other before doing the same.
Red Queen's armored suit used a magnetic repulsion system. She wasn't flying, she was skating on the Earth's magnetic fields.
Her speed surpassed both the Temple of Otis and the Temple of Ozeah. Despite having wings the two Temples were not using them to fly. They were being carried by the light that they attracted.
The speed of the three was much faster behind them, the army of Dawn keepers followed closely.
In the distance, two figures became visible, Hot Pyro and Blue Spark. Their speed was much faster than Red Queen and the two Temples.
Blue Spark's eyes were far greater than a hawk's, he quickly identified the locations of Red Queen, Raging Stone, Pink Bunny, Al, and Elissa.
Miles away back in New Ark City Taczlopalic studied the two Temples accompanying Red Queen and then his gaze turned to Al and Elissa.
"So they know the truth now..." Taczlopalic gritted his teeth realizing that Bee Maxx had reached Red Queen. Elissa and Al connected the remaining pieces exposing his betrayal.
Taczlopalic transformed from his soft-faced form of Carlinn Ioaniss to his true skeletal form.
"This act has come to an end. Tell the Rakh-ahtan to join us whenever they wish." He said to Ragjiel whose face became pale. Despite being a direct disciple of Taczlopalic the Rakh-ahtan struck a primordial fear into Ragjiel's heart.
Hot Pyro and Blue Spark received a commanding order that overwrote their autonomy. They were compelled to isolate and kill everything in sight and not a single creature whether corporal or etheric to escape.
Blue Spark resembled a living bolt of lightning more than he did a man. His mere presence caused the clouds in the sky to churn and twist. By raising his arm rivers of lightning rushed from the warped skies. The electric flood concentrated into a sparkling blue sphere above Blue Spark's palm.
True to his nature Blue Spark released the concentrated energy toward the top of the army of Dawn Keepers like a shooting star. It exploded in the sky above.
The explosion was blinding and deafening but it caused no real physical damage. Red Queen started plummeting and noticed the shift in the atmosphere.
The surrounding air had become thick with static.
The sound of chirping birds filled the sky but no birds. Al and Elissa quickly jumped off the Dawn keepers carrying them. Suddenly random lightning bolts took down both the Dawn keepers they were flying on.
Just behind them Raging Stone and Pink Bunny also jumped off choosing to plummet into the ground instead of getting hit by lightning.
The sky quickly became a lightning lake. Branches of lightning struck down legions of Dawn-Keepers. The booming roars of lightning made it seem like an apocalypse.
A handful of lightning bolts struck Red Queen but her armor converted the electricity into thermal energy causing her red armor to glow orange. She remained completely untouched within.
Meanwhile, the Temple of Ozeah and the Temple of Otis easily dodged the chains of lightning.
The two top heroes of New Ark City were now only 300 meters away.
Hot Pyro smirked and raised both hands bringing them together. In a flash, he unleashed a wave of blazing plasma so hot that it excited the static atmosphere into pure insanity.
The glowing red wave was wrapped in countless blue rivers of lighting. Even while falling Al was completely shocked at the fate they all had narrowly avoided.
The first to meet the Plasma wave was the Temple of Ozeah who called forth his floating flaming sword. The sword created a small opening in the massive wave for him to pass through.
The Temple of Otis called forth his 12 small blades of light to create a shield in front of him which he used to push through the wave.
Red Queen opened her arms wide taking the plasma wave without flinching.
She came out glowing a bright yellow color. With Blue Spark in her aim, Red Queen converted all of the thermal energy she had gathered and unleashed it in the form of a powerful laser aimed at Blue Spark.
The plasma wave swallowed almost half of the Dawn Keeper army. Another large portion was erased by the chains of lightning bolts. The actual fight had not even started and the numbers on one side had been drastically reduced.
On the ground, the first to land was Al who used his Stubborn Will's 'Flash Denial' spell to avoid any damage from the fall. He looked up in awe at the display of raw power.
Similarly, Elissa used her Relexive Will to land and roll mitigating the force from the fall.
Meanwhile Raging Stone was true to his name, his biologically enhanced body landed like a sturdy rock leaving a crater and taking no damage. Pink Bunny was also genetically enhanced but her muscles allowed her to land with grace.
Al watched with wide eyes as the army of angelic beings had been quickly obliterated. "Such power is best used in the sky. The ground..." his thought was a blur as a figure burst into flames.
From the moment he had landed, he had begun rotating his Heat Will around him. The figure in flames was an old man who screamed in agony and shot two daggers at Al.
Al swung his long sword fluidly parrying both projectiles.
A scream came from Pink Bunny who was next to Raging Stone. A woman had descended on her and caused thorned bushes to appear wherever Pink Bunny stepped.
A whip smacked the man in front of Al with so much force that his head appeared to be on the verge of exploding. Elissa jumped in front of Al and instructed him to go help Pink Bunny as she dealt with the old man.