Accel14
patreon
(TPD) Chapter 34: The Underworld Supremacy War (3)
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 10:42:38 +0000 UTCChapter 34: The Underworld Supremacy War (3)
This is so frustrating! Baraqiel felt the urge to scream internally as his fight against Albedo and Sapphire seemed to tirelessly drag out, his preemptively weakened state drastically shortening the amount of time he could afford to fight for. However, what was happening to him now didn't strike the Cadre as a proper fight. They're shamelessly just trying to stall me! They just don't want me to join in and help Eurus!
Even after being effortlessly evaded and countered when he first attempted to attack Avalon—the Cadre was still dead set on avenging his fallen friend.
The formation Albedo and Sapphire had come up with to fight was the single most frustrating thing Baraqiel had ever been forced to deal with; Albedo was fighting him up close on her lonesome, which would normally be a death sentence for her if it weren't for the support Sapphire was providing.
Apparently, Sapphire's mastery over Gravity Magic had reached a point where she was capable of applying it onto others. Helping Albedo increase her speed at the right moment by making her weightless before she closed the distance between herself and Baraqiel, and increasing her weight to boost her momentum and destructive power when she went for an attack.
And if Baraqiel read Albedo's movement and had a counter prepared? No problem, she'd just make her weightless again and allow Albedo to escape before they rinse and repeat the motion.
Trying to flee or making a beeline for Sapphire wasn't an option for the Cadre either, since it would either greet Baraqiel with Albedo's spear planted into his back, or cause him to be pincered in between the two altogether. Even if Sapphire wasn't handling close quarters, she most certainly had the aptitude and ability to do so—more likely than not capable of enhancing both herself and Albedo at the same time.
In short, they had forced the Cadre into a stalemate.
A very, head-throbbing, fury-inducing stalemate.
This can't go on, Baraqiel tried to recompose himself, not wanting to get swept up by the rush of adrenaline running through his head. Maybe I should just take the risk and rush to Eurus? If I coat my back in enough Holy Lightning it's possible that I'll be able to endure the hit.
"What's with that look of deliberation?" Albedo asked him, "You should've noticed that there's nothing left to think about anymore."
Glancing in the direction of where he had sensed Avalon and Eurus's fight answered the question he was about to ask before Albedo could do so, the sight he was met with filling him with incomprehensible terror.
Amongst an endless sea of rubble caused by the destruction their battle had caused, only one of them were still standing.
The victor's body was tattered, bleeding, bruised, and missing an entire arm with electrical sparks flying out of its artificial socket—seemingly on the verge of all out collapse. However, he was the one standing, and Eurus was not.
Impossible, his partner had lost.
Avalon slowly turned his head to face Baraqiel, his unmasked gaze sending a sharp chill through his spine. Forcing the Cadre to face the ethereal eyes that helped him beat Eurus, "There's no need to look so afraid, I'm practically a walking corpse at this point." He sluggishly reached into his pouch, pulling out his blindfold and putting it back on while deactivating his Youkai form.
He sluggishly exhaled and pointed to the still-active spatial gate, "Forgive me if my exhausted senses are deceiving me, but it doesn't seem like you have a whole lot of time left on your extraction." Avalon adjusted Eurus on his shoulders to make her easier to carry in spite of the severe pain he was experiencing. "If you really tried, I'm pretty sure you could take me down with you."
Baraqiel fell silent, confused as to where Avalon was going with his words—until the Blindfold Devil asked him a question.
"But before you do, I feel obligated to ask—is there something through that gate more valuable than killing me? If the answer is no, then I suppose the two of us can go ahead and die here together. However, if the answer is yes…" He didn't need to finish his sentence.
Baraqiel clenched his fists, his vision shifting between Avalon and the gate as the latter motioned for Albedo and Sapphire to leave him be, much to their bewilderment. Wasn't it a good time to strike while the Cadre's mind was preoccupied?
"Am I supposed to believe that you're going to let me go? Just like that?" He scoffed. Even with the condition fighting Eurus has left you in, this is still a three on one. Continuing from this point onwards isn't as simple as you're trying to make it sound.
"Why not? You all surrendered the Underworld, the war's over. I'm under no obligation to hunt you down anymore, nor am I the type to take this personally." The unconscious woman on his shoulders was the only one he had a personal grudge against, "Either way, time isn't a luxury you can afford at the moment so I'd suggest you make a swift decision."
Was there something beyond that gate more valuable to him than killing the Weeping Angel?
Of course there was!
"But what if something happens while I'm gone? I might regret not going back to the Underworld, but that wouldn't compare to what I'd feel if anything happened to you or Akeno."
"The Principle Clans are cunning, but I doubt they have the capacity to find one of Grigori's hidden stations. We'll be fine, and we'll be waiting for you to come back to us safe and sound."
It didn't even take a millisecond for the conversation he shared with his wife before coming here to rush through his mind.
"So there is something, a friend? Family? No, I suppose it's none of my business." He pointed to the gate again, "Get going, if you still want to avenge Armaros then I suggest you train yourself up before the next time we meet, if you're able to survive that long in the human world that is, or wherever you're going."
As promised, Avalon made no attempt to stop Baraqiel as he rushed past him into the gate, not before shooting one last glance at the man who was supposed to be his target. To think he actually beat Eurus, sorry Armaros—avenging you isn't going to happen for quite some time. Once Baraqiel was no longer in the Underworld, the gate deactivated and closed in on itself, leaving yet another pile of rubble to sleep within the confines of Valkorion.
I expected this war to end in a fiery blaze of glory between armies, but to think it would end with just five people gathered in an abandoned city—I wonder what Zekram's going to think? Avalon smiled a little. Oh, I probably should've made him tell me about the white-haired kid before he left. Oopsy daisy.
"Avalon!" Albedo rushed over to him with Sapphire in tow, only now noticing just how dire Avalon's condition was.
"Avalon here," he held up his arms, the purplish shade still spreading through his skin and gradually worsening. "I seem to be dying at the moment, so if you happen to have a spare Phoenix Tear on hand—" She tossed him a golden vial with scarlet liquid contained inside it without hesitation. "Thank you," he swallowed it in one gulp, the discoloring slowly starting to ease up.
"Are you sure it was wise to let Baraqiel flee?"
"The fallen angels aren't our problem anymore, it's better to leave their fate up to whoever they end up encountering. And who knows? Maybe an even better opponent than Eurus will come from whatever struggles they face."
"Speaking of Eurus," Albedo's eyes narrowed, her expression darkening as she looked at the unconscious woman in question resting on Avalon's shoulder. "Why haven't you killed her yet?"
"I have other plans for this one."
"Don't tell me you plan on sparing her? Her Majesty's tolerance isn't unlimited, Avalon." Albedo sternly cautioned him.
"Her Majesty this, Her Majesty that, I already told you that I'd handle Zekram didn't I? Just stop worrying your little head and try to enjoy the moment—we won after all." He breathed a whimsical chuckle, heading towards the front gate of Valkorion. "The war is over! Now's the time for celebration, not brooding!" He embraced his inner Lith for a moment.
Albedo watched him intently as he left, mainly focusing on his hair. Her Majesty's really not going to like that either.
---
"I have returned!" Avalon yelled out proudly once he got back to Mortis, kicking open the door to the room where Esdeath, Ruval, and Lars were resting.
"..."
Eh? What's with the blank reception? However, not a single one of them showed any excitement whatsoever. Instead, each of them looked at Avalon with immense pity, their eyes shifting to the other side of the room. What's everyone looking at—Oh. Avalon's cheeriness immediately dissipated, sweat starting to accumulate around his brow as he only now remembered what he'd have to deal with once he returned.
"Took you long enough," Adaloth had arrived. Her hair hadn't been braided, and her outfit had been hastily put together as a result of her rushing to get to Mortis.
Everyone could feel the temperature in the room plummet the second Avalon stepped inside, most of them confident that today would be the last day they saw him after learning that he had snuck away from Adaloth of all people.
"Children," Adaloth turned to face the three, none of them daring to correct her on the fact that they were all of similar age. "Would you mind giving us some time alone? I just need to have a little conversation with him in private." Even though she plastered on a warm smile, her demeanor filled each of them with an ice-cold sensation of dread.
"Yes, Ma'am!" Each of them saluted in unison, a newfound sense of energy coursing through their legs as they stormed out of the room, not even sparing a glance to Avalon on the way out.
"Oh, and Lars," she called out to the Bishop. "Make sure you don't eavesdrop alright? It's bad manners."
"This junior wouldn't dare!" He replied in a strange accent, bowing and cupping his hands together.
To think I survived a battle against Eurus, just to be killed upon my return—such misfortune. "Some weather we're having," his speech went on autopilot as Adaloth approached him with a haunting glare that sent a sharp shiver down his spine.
She didn't speak immediately, looking at the unconscious Eurus Avalon was carrying before taking a deep breath.
Then she looked at Avalon's missing prosthetic arm, as well as the faint blemishing still present on his skin.
Slap!
She struck him hard on the side of his face, leaving a bright red mark behind as a small trail of blood leaked out of Avalon's nose. Yeah, I should've expected that. "I take it you're not very happy—"
"Did I say you could speak?" She snapped, her eyes twitching as her facial expression started to contort to represent her mood. "I'm not even sure where to begin with you; you sneak out me while I'm asleep, take Albedo with you of all people, and return with another woman on your shoulders who you have bound up in thread and you're missing an arm—again."
"I mean, it's actually the fake arm that I lost—"
"I still didn't say you could speak," her hand twitched. "All those senses yet you're hearing never seems to work, what part of not leaving without me is so difficult for you to understand? Or are you just purposefully trying to piss me off? Is that it?"
Avalon got the impression that it was now fine for him to speak, "I'm free to go where I please, especially when it concerns the kids' safety."
She grabbed him by the collar, "They're my kids as well, and as the Queen I should be informed when something happens to them—but you decided that making sure Albedo was informed was of more importance, and only bothered to leave a message for your beloved Zekram."
"Zekram's the only one I'm obligated to inform of my whereabouts since that's what I agreed to."
"And the selfie?" She smouldered.
Avalon paused, "I didn't think she'd show you that." He awkwardly cleared his throat.
She groaned, "You just can't help yourself around black haired women can you?" She looked up at Eurus again, "Is it because you have some kind of fetish? Do I have to dye my hair to make you listen to me for once?"
"You really think I'd have an appearance related fetish of all people?"
"I think it's a safe bet, why do you even still have her with you? Just kill her off already and be done with it."
"If I wanted to kill her then I would've already done that by now, I want to see if I can try to turn her into my subordinate."
Adaloth did a double take, wondering if she had heard him correctly. "Have you gone mad? Putting my warranted concerns aside, I doubt even Zekram would approve of that. She's a fallen angel if you haven't noticed that by now—there'd be uproar if people found out that the Great King of the Bael Clan not only spared one, but recruited one into their peerage."
"No one other than the Phenex Clan knows her face, and I can just use a masking spell to hide the fact that she's a fallen angel and even her appearance if I need to."
"And you think she's going to somehow agree to that? After the two of you brutalized each other?" It wasn't difficult to decipher the sheer magnitude of their battle by taking a look at Avalon's condition. "She attacked the children and your friend, if anything you should want her dead more than I do."
"I said I plan on turning her into my subordinate, not welcoming her with open arms and a loving household."
Is her strength really all you're interested in? Adaloth grimaced, "And if she refuses? Which she probably will if we use common sense for a second, something which I'm sure is alien to you."
"Then I'll kill her," he replied coldly, earning a thoughtful hum from her in return. "However, I'll only cross that bridge when I get to it—I can be quite persuasive when I want to be."
She pinched her nose bridge, feeling a headache slowly starting to come on. Why can't you just do as I tell you? She walked beside him, grabbing Eurus with one hand and using the other to pull him by the back of his collar. "Whatever, I'll decide your punishment once we get home."
The slap wasn't enough? He shuddered at what awaited him.
While she was dragging him through the hallway like a kitten being grabbed by the scruff by its mother, she came across a figure she wanted to see even less than she did Eurus. Slut, she glared daggers at Albedo before she could make any attempt to interact with either her or Avalon.
"Let's not do anything rash shall we?" Avalon could sense her hostility for a mile away, simply waving at Albedo with a smile on his face while Adaloth had him in her clasp. I might need to keep closer watch over Albedo from now on, I'm sure Adaloth's already plotting her demise.
"You're in no place to lecture me about being rash."
Eventually Avalon caught a glimpse of Ruval, tapping Adaloth's hand and motioning for her to stop.
"What now?" She snapped, clearly still irritated.
"I need to talk with him," his tone didn't carry his usual flippancy, conveying that he was being serious for once.
"Make it quick," she reluctantly let him go for the time-being.
"Avalon! You're still alive!" It was safe to say he wasn't referring to his encounter with Eurus, but rather a much scarier female Super-Class being.
"That I am, as you've probably guessed by now—there's something I need to talk to you about."
Ruval's expression stiffened, knowing full well what Avalon was referring to. "I'm not sure how to start this conversation so I'm just going to go ahead and be blunt. Avalon, why is Eurus still alive after you defeated her?"
Ruval's emotions about Eurus being defeated were conflicted; one the one hand he was elated that the person who had assaulted his father had retribution delivered unto them, but at the same time he had hoped that he would be the one to deliver said retribution. Not that he held any inherent disdain for Avalon solely for beating Eurus, she wasn't exclusively Ruval's enemy after all.
But the fact that Avalon had brought Eurus back alive? Now that he truly couldn't wrap his mind around, the only theory he could come up with was that he hoped to extract some valuable information from her. But if it's something else, then I truly don't know what to think.
"Then I'll be blunt as well, I want to make her into my subordinate if possible," Avalon raised his hand before Ruval could intervene. "However, I'm well aware of what she did to your family as well as your sentiment regarding her. Trust me, I haven't forgotten. Which is why I want to give you a choice before I proceed with anything."
"A choice?"
"If you want me to, I'll kill her right now—on the spot. All you have to do is give me the word," to Avalon's confusion, all his words did was cause Ruval to breathe an exasperated groan.
"That's not a choice Avalon, that's an ultimatum." He pinched his nose-bridge, "You're not making me choose between whether I want Eurus alive or dead, you're making me choose whether I want to prioritize what I want or what you want." Avalon was rarely stunned verbally, but to his immense shock Ruval had just created such a scenario. "Why do you even want her as a subordinate to begin with? Do you have any idea how much trouble keeping a fallen angel under you is going to be? Especially since you're now joining the Bael Clan?"
Even though Ruval could be rash and immature at times, he wasn't a fool. Being under Wilbert for the past year and a half had only honed his mind further by virtue of the patriarch's wisdom. He had a far better understanding of the Underworld's political landscape than someone his age normally would, even by noble standards.
An ultimatum? Is that really what I'm doing? Avalon's eyes widened a little, a trickle of doubt pouring into his mind.
"Now I obviously don't want to be in a position where I have to choose between the two, so that's precisely what I'm not going to do."
"Ruval, I didn't mean to—"
"Let me finish, I might have a personal grudge against Eurus—but the battlefield has its own set of rules and I plan on respecting them. You're the one who defeated her, therefore you're the one who should decide what happens to her. Whether you want to keep or kill her, it's your prerogative." Ruval said with a resolute expression, my father is alive and that's what's important. I want nothing more than to turn Eurus into a pile of dust, but I refuse to be a spoiled brat and have the kill just handed to me on a silver platter. Doing so would put me on the path to becoming lesser than what I aim to be.
"Ruval, I—" He stammered, not sure how to best respond. "Thank you," was all he could muster up, bowing his head with a deep sense of gratitude. I'll definitely find a way to return the favour.
"Don't mention it, you're the one who lost your arm yet again to beat her. You earned the right to decide her fate completely by yourself," one day—I'll also find myself in such a position. "You should get going, you don't want your Sister to get any angrier than she already is."
"Haha, no I do not." He nodded.
Also are you really going to keep that hair? There's got to be something you can do about it, Ruval sucked his teeth in second-hand embarrassment.
---
Next chapter might be the final chapter of Volume 1—I'm lowkey mad nervous right now.
Also just to clarify; nobody knows about the romantic stuff going on between Adaloth and Avalon except for Zekram and Albedo. Everyone else is just plain terrified of her (as they should be).
