LIGHTNOVELONLINE 51: The Chase (Not of Love, But of Violence)
With the Cerulean Dynasty and Federation of Obsidian preparing for war throughout the night, the city braced for impact as the sun’s golden beams began peeking over the horizon. By this point, with all of the preparations both sides had done, the question wasn’t even “When?” anymore, but instead “Who’d strike first?”
As if to answer the question, the Cerulean Dynasty conjured up a storm before barreling into Federation Territory.
Split into three groups, the Dynasty’s forces acted like a trident as they pierced the established Federation scouting lines. Morgana, at the head of the central prong, stood back as she called forth a storm in which everyone else would be able to fight better in.
Drawing in water and wind from the ocean nearby, Morgana pumped as much power as she could into the storm to make it spread and obscure the sun. Even if she couldn’t help in the fight between the armies, she felt it was necessary to create a battlefield advantage first and foremost.
What type would create this advantage? Well, with the torrential downpour provided by the storm, each and every one of the deities related to the ocean could demonstrate more of their power. They wouldn’t have to waste energy calling upon water and directly manipulate their surroundings in battle.
Feeling the wind blow past her, Morgana pressed her hat down as the staff resonated in her hand. Clenching her fist, Morgana watched it glow brighter and brighter as the storm grew to hurricane strength.
Surveying the battle around her, Morgana searched for the big players as the Dynasty plowed over the defenses the Federation had set up. In the distance, she saw Lysander leaping from building to building like an unleashed monster. After watching him tear through battle-stations and knock people aside like bowling pins, Morgana moved on from tracking him and shifted her attention away to check in on Elyse.
Standing in the back of her own platoon, Elyse had an open book in her hand. Glowing silver, Elyse swept her hand forward to create domains in which restrictions dictated the flow of battle. With the pages in the book flipping faster and faster following each of Elyse’s actions, Morgana raised her eyebrows as she watched pages begin to tear themselves out and unfold into huge guillotine blades.
“What’s your move, Casimir?” Morgana asked herself, sending a flurry of water jets forward as the fighters under her all swept forward.
Not a moment later though, Morgana’s question was answered as the storm began to weaken. Dressed in their black and white suits, the Federation’s deities drew a stark contrast with the blue military outfits worn by each of the Dynasty’s fighters.
Casimir, atop a tall skyscraper, stood firm as he made eye contact with Morgana. Holding a banner in one hand, Casimir waved it as his divinity burst outward like a shockwave, hurting his enemies and strengthening his allies.
With Cyril and Tessa both leaving Casimir’s side and leaping off the building to engage with Lysander and Elyse, Morgana flew forward to engage with Casimir.
There was no time for pleasantries or mind games as the two had both brought out their respective divine artifacts. Morgana, having gone on the offensive first, had set the tone: it was going to be a clash of strength, a frontal bash without room for tricks.
As goddess of the ocean, Morgana specialized in such battles. She represented the overwhelming might of the ocean. To her, nothing could stop, or even withstand, an ocean’s never-ending barrage of waves. She’d leave them battered, shipwrecked, and desolate.
With her eyes sharp, Morgana sent a tornado of water forward while slapping aside some poor deity who was trying to get between her and Casimir’s duel.
“You’re mine,” Morgana grinned, bursting forward while establishing a barrier of water around herself. Tearing through the goons around Casimir, she swept forward, deflected his banner to the side by sacrificing her barrier, and threw him into the side of a nearby skyscraper. “Never been this intimate with your buildings have you, Casimir?”
Dodging a punch from a nearby mortal, Morgana just turned, shot her a dirty look, and leapt off the building to follow Casimir.
“Why are you running? Are you afraid of looking dumb for pulling out your banner?” Morgana taunted Casimir, chasing after him as his suited figure sprinted down the side of the building towards the street below. “I’ll just let you know right now! No need to fear looking dumb, you already do with that banner!”
Softening her landing to not punch through the building, Morgana planted her heel against the glass before leaping downwards towards the street. Bouncing between the buildings as she made her way down, Morgana left impact craters on the skyscraper as she began closing the distance between her and Casimir.
Weaving through the battlefield, their two figures blurred as they exchanged some blows. Observed from a distance though, Casmir’s strategy became clear. With his war banner in hand, he weaved through the battlefield while exploding red bubbles of divinity exploded outwards, giving a boost in strength to his allies.
Morgana, equipped with more than half a brain cell, realized Casimir’s plan without too much difficulty and chased after him trying to corner him enough to force him to engage in battle.
Managing to grab onto the back of his collar, Morgana slammed Casimir into the pavement below before whaling on him with her staff. With Casimir unfazed, Morgana paused as he let out a long exhale.
Faltering for a half-second, she then lost track of Casimir. Seconds later, her perspective changed to one facing the sky. Taking a second to register the fact Casimir had swept her legs out from under her, she watched as Casimir leapt upwards and ran his way up a skyscraper.
“You little...” Morgana cussed under her breath. Giving up on the chasing Casimir, Morgana took a second to gather herself.
Pumping some power into the storm to keep its torrential downpour up, Morgana waved her staff in the air as a sphere of water began taking shape above her head. Once it had grown to a size larger than herself, Morgana floated up into the air as she did a visual quick check on all her generals.
Refocusing on Casimir, Morgana sent homing missiles of water after him as he made his way through the battlefield. Watching him run up the sides of buildings and leap across them like a little frog, Morgana sneered as she amped up her barrage to slow him down.
It didn’t matter if they didn’t hit him either. They’d either hit some unsuspecting other person and take them out or just do some property damage.
And the heavens knew Casimir, more than anyone, had too much money anyway. What was a little property repair to someone like him?
Shrugging off her idle thoughts, Morgana glowed blue as she focused on keeping a constant barrage of missiles on Casimir to slow him down while maintaining the integrity of the storm.
It was because everyone, on both sides, was focused on the task at hand which made them unaware of the third party observers.
From a distance, the Church of Eternity had their forces waiting and watching. Aelius and Luna, standing at the forefront in their ceremonial battle garb, watched with stern faces as havoc tore its way through the Dynasty and Federation sections of Marcen’s Cliffs. They, of course, hoped they wouldn’t have to get involved at all, but if an opportunity to jump into battle and benefit showed itself... well, they weren’t going to just sit by and watch were they?
Even more, on the other side of battle, were three hooded figures watching in anticipation. These three, with small crab pendants tied around their wrists, were Kieran and his two assistants.
These three, unlike the Church of Eternity, were just keeping track of the battle. Over the course of the previous months, they had orchestrated a grand spectacle to throw a wrench in the coming battle.
During the months of peace, Kieran and the cult following the All-Encompassing Crimson Cancer hadn’t been content to sit back and bide their time. For one, they’d finished excavating the underground tunnel with the Viridian Taurus cult. For another, they’d connected their tunnels, then made another tunnel that connected them with the cult following the Exalted Golden Leo.
It was with the other leaders—who shared similar lost feelings towards their figures of worship—that he made the plan with. Well, with the Exalted Golden Leo cult’s leader joining late, he didn’t help much... but he did help nonetheless.
That brought them to the present, where they had the ritual planned and ready. But, with how powerful the city was, they needed everyone else to wear themselves down first for the highest chance of success.
“Your plan is unfurling perfectly so far,” one of the assistants murmured while patting Kiearn on the back, “Leader, please let us know if you need us to create an opportunity for the Church of Eternity. They’re still all blissfully unaware of what they’re stepping into.”
