The Burning Flowers

Chapter VI

For the entire duration of his time in Stellareid, Eko Luz had chosen silence. He didn’t consider himself argumentative, and certainly not when it came to people as influential and powerful as the Masters of Ijiria. Even among the Masters, Viiro Noctis and Acostav Luz commanded a unique respect from him, for he was a Child of Noctalus and they were his mentors—his superiors. Acostav was his father and Eko was his son and apprentice, so it was only natural he would try not to cause friction between them.

Of course, that wasn’t to say he wouldn’t stand up to him should he deem it necessary, and had done so multiple times over the course of his life. Eko certainly respected Acostav, but respecting him was very different from liking him. He respected his father’s talent with light magic and he respected his vast knowledge of the world, but Eko had stopped liking his father all the way back when Album’s mana deficiencies first surfaced. When Acostav began verbally abusing and berating Eko’s sister, he stood up to him all the time because Album wouldn’t do it herself. He despised the way their father treated her, and even when her condition abruptly vanished and the Master of Light became less harsh, this didn’t change. Just that morning, he had spoken to Album about how quickly she seemed to forgive him despite all their father had done to her. Acostav hadn’t learned any lessons, after all, for Eko was absolutely certain that had Album’s mana problems never been resolved then he would have only continued harassing her.

In regards to Viiro Noctis and the subject of Neah, Eko wholeheartedly agreed with the ideals of the royal team. He, too, wished for nothing more than her safety, for even though Eko and Neah had the largest age gap among that generation of Noctalus, he still cared for her and wanted her to survive Hell’s Shadows. Under different circumstances, he would have stood up alongside Album and the royal team, but the one thing he struggled to agree with them on was the way they went about confronting Viiro. To shout at the Master of Darkness in front of not only other students of the Academy, but in front of the Lord of Stellareid was absolutely baffling to him. What sort of impression were they giving Cartigan of the rulers of Noctalus by behaving like bickering toddlers—by lashing out against their Master? Yes, he wanted Neah to live, but he wished they could have spoken to Viiro in private and tried to mediate things peacefully, without embarrassing their Great City.

Then, to make things even worse, Princess Ilirianna openly defied King Markreas and Lord Cartigan by agreeing to negotiations with Keskivaara, while Nigreos threatened to turn Noctalus against Stellareid. Album vehemently stood beside him, going so far as to personally lash out at Lord Cartigan and accuse him of incompetence. So while Eko desperately wanted to save Neah as well, he just couldn’t bring himself to support such appalling disrespect for Ijirian leadership. He knew Album must have been disappointed him, but in his own way, he was disappointed in her. After watching her confrontation with Cartigan, he had been planning to pull her aside and finally cease his neutrality—to try and talk some sense into his sister and convince her that the way she and the team were behaving was not going to save Neah.

Then he watched his father explode and everything changed in a single, horrifically brutal strike. The Fifth Ring of Stellareid was burning to the ground, Nigreos and Lunara Noctis had turned traitor, and Acostav Luz was dead, abruptly promoting Eko to the position of Master of Light. In the midst of this chaos, he was now a Master, and given that his mind had already been in disarray, he was torn on what exactly he was supposed to be doing. That was why he told Viiro he wanted to go speak to Nigreos, and though he regretted the tone he used, he simply could not help it. Abigail had claimed it was Nigreos and Lunara that triggered the combustion that killed his father, and while he didn’t think Abi would lie, he knew he needed to hear what his siblings had to say for themselves.

He had to.

That was why he now found himself using the spell Ilumine to flash across the few remaining rooftops in Stellareid as he and Album pursued Viiro towards the Grand Observatory looming over the flaming city. Down below, people were screaming in agony, running for their lives while attempting to save those who had been trapped beneath rubble or left too injured to move on their own. It was a ghastly sight that Eko forced himself to turn away from, but while he could avert his eyes, he could not block out the sounds. There was no sign of the Kosah-Rei, and Eko wasn’t sure they would make an appearance at all. They had already done their damage, so what else was there to do? The only thing he could think of was a potential rescue mission for Uma Miyon, but given that Saientia was well-protected and Lunara’s supposed treachery was exposed, he didn’t think that was feasible for them.

Though, I can’t help wondering what became of Princess Ilirianna and Caeli. If Keskivaara was an enemy, then are they alive? Or did they succumb to the flames as well? I hope they made it out, but… He felt disgusted at the next thought that went through his mind, but he couldn’t deny it as his genuine feelings. They were warned numerous times not to speak to that man, so if their hubris got them killed, then what more could have been done to save them?

Suddenly, a massive flash of blue caught Eko’s eye, causing his head to snap off to the left just in time to see a wave of fire exploding into the night. Up ahead, Viiro emerged from the shadows on a stable, rectangular rooftop and turned his eyes towards the two beings of light that were the Luz siblings. Taking that as a cue to return to flesh, Eko and Album planted their feet just behind him and stood up straighter, the former instantly asking,

“What was that?! Who in the hell is casting blue fire?!”

Viiro clicked his tongue, though Eko was unsure what that sound was supposed to be communicating. “Unless one of the Kosah-Rei has mastered fire magic, the only person I could imagine handling such raw power is Princess Ilirianna. Seems she’s alive and kicking, and apparently in a battle demanding of those blue flames.”

“Oh, thank mercy,” Album muttered with a sigh. “Liri’s alive…”

The Master of Darkness nodded curtly. “That she is, so perhaps the two of you should go help her. More likely than not, her opponent is Rickori Keskivaara—a man that should not be allowed to survive this night. I can handle Nigreos and Lunara myself, so—”

“No,” Eko interrupted, turning a determined expression back to the man. “I’m sorry, but I’m not backing down on this one, Master Viiro. The things Abigail said back there… I just…” Clenching his teeth, the fledgling Master of Light raised his head to gaze at the Grand Observatory, standing just under a mile from their position. From so far below, he could not make out anybody at the top, but he knew Nigreos and Lunara would be up there, watching this carnage from the safety of the sky. “She said they killed our father…and I want to hear it from their mouths.”

“And if they admit to it?” Viiro demanded. “Are you going to be able to bring yourself to strike them down? Do the two of you have the stomach to eliminate them?”

Album shook her head, stepping forward and snapping, “Do you? Master Viiro, they’re your children. They’re your heirs! What do you plan to do to them if what Abi said is the truth? You said back in the castle that you’ll kill them, but—”

“I did say that, and I will.” Viiro straightened up menacingly, his square jaw clenched in utter fury, as if all of his pent up rage from the last week was finally growing too much for him to hold back. “Nigreos and Lunara will have become a stain on my reputation—one that I will never be able to wipe clean. The best I can do is be the one to execute them, so that is what I must do! My line will die, and Nogara’s children will be the inheritors of Nium’s and my positions. I cannot undo that. Don’t tell me the two of you plan to spare them after this?”

Eko's voice caught in his throat, and in the privacy of his mind, he asked himself that very question. Can I kill them? Would I have strength to cut down two people that have always been like siblings to me? Can I look Nigreos and Luna in the eyes and blast a hole in their chests?

The young man then tilted his head back towards the destruction below, and when he did, he caught sight of a little girl no older than four or five, crouched beside the unmoving body of a woman that may have been her mother. Her lower half was crushed by a large piece of rock, and though Eko could not hear it from up there, he could see the girl crying and pulling her mom’s limp arm in a desperate attempt to free her. Seconds later, a handful of the city guard came around the corner, spotted the child, and headed over to try and help her. As he observed this, the charred corpse of his father entered his mind, and though Eko’s heart was crushed with an unbearable desire to run away and pretend this wasn’t happening, he did not have the luxury of cowardice.

He did, however, have an answer to Viiro’s question.

“No, I don’t plan to spare them,” he stated confidently as he looked the man dead in the eyes. “If they did this and you are unable to, I will kill them myself, as is the ancient duty of the House of Luz. I will not enjoy it, and I will forever regret that it came to that, but this...” Jutting his finger down below, he pointed at the screaming little girl being rushed away to safety by the guards, her hands desperately extending towards her mother. “This is vile. If they did this, then they are dead to me.”

Beside him, he could see Album watching the girl with her hands over her mouth, and though she had tears in her eyes, she choked them back and nodded. “Yeah… We wouldn’t have a choice. You’re right, Master Viiro… They need to be punished for this. They have to be.”

The Master of Darkness nodded with approval. “Good. Glad to see the two of you have finally found reason. That being said, I am their father. I have no intention of allowing you to bear that burden. I understand you seek closure, but this must be handled swiftly.”

“H-hold on—”

“Therefore, for the sake of your souls, I pray they are dead before you reach the top of that tower.”

Cutting Eko off with the soft but sharp whisper, Viiro merged with the darkness yet again, and though Eko could not see him, he could sense the man’s presence flying up towards the Observatory, leaving them behind.

“Viiro, damn it!” Eko snarled. “Album, we need to get up now! I’m not strong enough to flash up there, so come with me! We have to go through the Observatory itself!”

Reacting as quickly as he did, Album replied, “Right! Come on!”

Together, the siblings cast Ilumine once again and sprinted as fast as they could towards the giant cylindrical tower. Given Viiro’s character, Eko was certain he would not show any mercy to his children, meaning that if he wanted to confront them, he and Album needed to get to the top immediately. From what he knew, there should be a staircase leading all the way from the bottom, so should they get inside of the tower, it would only be a minute or two between Viiro’s arrival and their own. Eko was confident in their speed, but when they reached the large walls surrounding the Observatory’s base and flashed over the top to enter the front courtyard, he cursed under his breath and abruptly canceled his spell as he landed on the concrete path just opposite the front gates. Album did the same, both siblings pulling light to their hands as they stood at the ready.

You’ve gotta be kidding me…

There were about a dozen men and women gathered in that courtyard, with about half of them wearing the red cloaks and porcelain masks of Rei’s Teeth while the other half were dressed in traditional light armor, their faces exposed for the Luz to see. At first, Eko wondered why the other half were not dressed in Teeth attire, but he found his answer the second he laid eyes on the older man just down the concrete path, sitting on the staircase leading upwards to the Observatory’s front doors. He appeared somewhere in his late sixties, with a bald head, clean-shaven features, and intense narrow eyes. He wore the same blue and silver armor as the other non-Teeth, and a large broadsword was clutched in his right hand.

I recognize him from the mission briefing… Eko remarked, having read through every detail of that report more times than he could count. He had wanted to be ready for anything, and that was why he could easily identify a man who was mentioned only once. Nickalous Arlando. He’s well known for being a vehement ally of Keskivaara’s movement and an old friend of the People's Mind. If he’s down here, mingling among Rei’s Teeth, then I suppose we have our answer. Keskivaara’s a traitor.

“You know, I honestly thought it was pointless to station ourselves here,” Nickalous called out in a deep, husky voice. “But Vesh and the Teeth insisted it was necessary. Guess they were right.” Getting to his feet, the man calmly looked the two of them over, his eyes remaining on the light in their palms much longer than anything else. “Eko and Album Luz, I presume?”

“Nickalous Arlando, I presume?” Eko spat back, raising his hand to point the ball of light directly at him. “Move or you’re dead. We don’t have time for you.”

Both the Teeth and Keskivaara’s followers pulled out mana and weapons the second Eko made his threat, but Nickalous retained his composure. “May I ask why you’re on your way to the Grand Observatory? Would not your skill and speed be more beneficial out in that city? There are plenty of victims just awaiting their saviors, so for what reason do the Luz have for coming here?”

Damn it all! We don’t have time to be chatting with a traitor like him! Viiro might have already…

“Our business is our own!” he snarled impatiently. “Perhaps you should be out in the city instead of meandering around this damn courtyard, huh?! Get out of our way and I won’t hurt anybody. But if you insist on challenging us…!”

He let his warning hang in the air, knowing that people as brainwashed as the Teeth wouldn’t heed it but hoping that Keskivaara’s men would understand just how stupid it was to fight two light mages as advanced as them. Unfortunately, Nickalous straightened up and cracked his neck to the side as he gripped his broadsword in both hands and aimed the point directly at Eko.

“You know what, Kid? I’ve been waiting a long damn time to kill myself an elite little prick like you,” he growled venomously. “You’re always so cocky—so full of yourselves! Take a look around you! You’re outnumbered, yet you’re posturing like you have any shot of surviving this encounter?! I’m fuckin’ glad I finally have a chance to give you assholes what you deserve! This has been a long time in the making, Luz!”

Very well then.

“Luminetta!”

“Infernatio!”

As Nickalous’s sword erupted into flames, Eko thrust out his arm and released his ball of light while the rest of the combatants jumped into the fray. To his surprise, the older man was already moving to the right even before the energy was being hurled at him, showing quicker agility than his age would have led on. Meanwhile, his sword swung up, sending a curved arc of flames hurtling towards where Eko had been standing before he flashed away to his left.

Naturally, even if Nickalous was quick on his feet, light magic was the fastest affinity known to mages, so sooner or later, Eko would outpace and kill him. The only problem would be the large number of enemies he was facing. Since he was relatively confident Nickalous was the most powerful opponent present, Eko decided that it would be best to turn his attention on as many of the others as he could, for it would be easier to divert all attention to Nickalous with fewer mages on his ass.

“Luminey,” he uttered, compressing energy into his right palm while simultaneously filling his left with mana that was not physical, rather it would simply let out a blinding flash of light that would remove eyesight from all who were present. Album would know to capitalize on it, so Eko trusted in his little sister as he shot his hand up and released that spell, bathing the courtyard in pure white. Meanwhile, his previous incantation formed two dozen bolts of light in the air around him—bolts that Eko sent towards every mana signature he could sense. Unfortunately, his flash increased the density of the ambient mana, making it harder to identify his enemies, so when the light diminished, he was mildly disappointed to find that he only struck five of them, with two having managed to avoid losing any vitals. Nickalous Arlando was not among the dead or injured, so Eko turned, cast Ilumine before the man could regain his bearings, and bolted straight towards his position by the staircase.

He didn’t hear Nickalous cast anything due to his focus, so he was mildly surprised when a wall of fire erupted around the base of the stairs. Since Eko wasn’t currently made of anything that would burn, he fully intended to go straight through it. That was why he was shocked when he slammed straight into something solid that knocked out his concentration, sending him sprawling into the grass moments before he turned back to flesh.

What?! How?!

Nickalous jumped through the fires, wind magic swirling around the broadsword that was held back, its tip poised to pierce straight through Eko’s chest.

“Gilou!” the young man sputtered frantically, using a more minor form of Ilumine to turn the area around his heart into light.

The blade passed straight through him and buried itself in the dirt as Nickalous’s eyebrows shot up with mild surprise, seemingly not realizing what happened. However, he must have expected a counterattack, for he ripped the sword back out and was dodging away seconds before Eko let off another dozen bolts that barely missed his large form, impacting the ground around them in a shower of dirt and burning the grass.

I see now… Wind magic… He erected a shield of wind that was concealed in the wall of fire. I wasn’t prepared for anything solid so I didn’t have enough force to shatter the shield. Seems this guy is proficient in two affinities… Lesson learned.

Rolling back to his feet, Eko noted that there were only three people left aside from Nickalous, with Album using bursts of Ilumine to bolt around the courtyard, always moving in a strategy more common to wind mages. He first felt relief before it was replaced by smugness at the frantic eyes of Nickalous, who had also just checked up on his allies.

Who's the cocky prick now, Mr. Arlando?

Unfortunately, Nickalous had protoed back to Eko before the young man could fully regain his footing, and based on the telegraphed swing of his wind-enhanced broadsword, Eko could tell he realized his mistake. Unfortunately, the attacks were too rapid for Eko to cast any more incantations, so he instead relied on defense and his previous casting of Gilou. Every time Nickalous swung the sword at the young man’s body, it passed straight through as flesh turned to light. The blade moved harmlessly through Eko’s neck, then downwards diagonally for his torso, before yet another swing went through the light mage’s waist. Nickalous was at a standstill, for if he backed off on his attacks then Eko would be able to cast offensive magic, but his own offense was harmless against Eko’s defense. Running would turn the tables in Eko’s favor, staying would only delay the inevitable.

Yet it seemed the man wasn’t one to keep trying a futile tactic as he raised the broadsword over his shoulder, jerking his arms in a swing that would cleave Eko shoulder to waist should it strike. Predicting the trajectory, Eko turned his torso to formless energy, but the attack didn’t come when expected. Nickalous hadn’t actually finished the swing, rather he halted the blade in the middle of its arc.

A feint?

The attack came not a moment later. Having expected to only briefly maintain Gilou, Eko’s body was turning back to normal, but the newest Master of Light wouldn’t be worthy of the title if a trick like that killed him. He was already backpedaling, leaning away from the slash as it barely missed him. However, his opponent clearly wasn’t to be underestimated as his left hand let go of the hilt so his right could snap the broadsword back through Eko’s neck. Having regained his bearings, Eko successfully avoided the lethal blow with a casting of Gilou on his neck, but Nickalous continued with the twisting motion of his body and his forward momentum to slam his left shoulder into Eko’s chest. The attack wasn’t strong, merely meant to throw the newest Master of Ijiria off, yet it failed at even that as Eko used his backward movement to roll with the hit, recovering before Nickalous was poised to make another strike.

“Damn you!” the large man snarled furiously, seconds before his head exploded in a flash, a bolt of light passing from one side of his skull through the other, searing his brains, and killing him instantly.

The traitor collapsed into the grass, giving Eko a second to catch his breath as he raised his head to find corpses strewn about the courtyard, holes blown through them by the very magic that had just killed Nickalous, while Album stood among them, breathing heavily. Despite everything going on around them, Eko spared a weak smile for Album, proud of how strong she had become, before the two of them wordlessly sprinted straight for the front doors of the Observatory, as well as the staircase that would take them to the Noctis.

***

Ever since the day they retrieved it from the ruins of that Cansi laboratory, Barron Kristoff had not been fond of the being known as The Angel. It was his philosophy that the creations of a population that destroyed themselves were better left forgotten, but Tali insisted that retrieving this creature was the will of the Goddess Rei, shown to her in her visions. Barron could not argue with the Voice of Rei, so he begrudgingly accompanied her and Uma to Cansi then helped transport it to Aquesen where it could be studied in the castle’s labs. They had been able to figure out through interactions with The Angel that it required a host, and Barron had done as the Goddess wished by offering himself, only for the creature to reject him. When The Angel fell into the hands of the royal team, he was frustrated, and he once again wished that it had been left in Cansi. The only thing that satisfied him was the likelihood that he would ever have to face it personally, so when the creature appeared alongside Abigail and shoved him down into the dungeon, he could only curse his foul luck.

Goddess, I seek not to question your will, but what could possibly be the point of freeing this monster?!

The Angel had taken the form of Album Luz, and Barron was only barely keeping up with it as it flashed around the firelit corridor of the Saientia dungeons, sending bolts upon bolts straight for him. The creature of Cansi flashed past on the right, shooting a streak of light that glanced off his pauldron as he spun before the Angel turned back to energy, flashing to the other wall and aiming another bolt for his face. As he rounded on the creature, Barron noticed its extended glowing palm and swiftly jerked his neck, taking the bolt to the side of his helm. Most of the attacks landed harmlessly on the armor, but the others were at risk of slipping through the slits in his helm. Barron had learned back in Noctalus just how important it was to defend those small gaps in his defense, and he attributed the fact that The Angel was failing to break through to his encounter with Rennigan Glaus and Acostav Luz.

But there’s only so long I can keep this up! Doctor Miyon and Sartella need me up there, especially if that sound I heard in the stairwell was one of them, but there’s not a chance I can win against a being like this! Rei, please lend me your strength.

With his front facing away from The Angel for defense, Barron’s eyes widened as the creature suddenly appeared before him, its palms together and lit with mana. Taking the powerful, two-handed blast of light straight to his broad chest, Barron was slammed into the wall behind him, only barely erecting a shield of wind to combat The Angel’s subsequent bolts of light. His glaive had fallen from his hand when he first landed down there, and there hadn’t been an opening to summon it back, forcing him to fight with traditional magic. At the same time, he had to remain on his toes, for Lunara had told them that Album wasn’t its only host, and that it had also taken on the DNA of Nigreos Noctis, meaning that if it decided to change, it could turn the very shadows of that dungeon into his enemy.

I’m not so sure my armor can handle such pressure anymore!

Barron slashed up with his gauntlet, sending a quick blade of wind that The Angel shattered with a casual burst of light, charging his position before he could stop it. Terror gripped him when the creature jumped onto his body and pressed its hand straight up against his helm just like Acostav had. He had a smaller shield around his head, but The Angel had just proven it cut through his wind like butter.

“Corsikei!” he sputtered out, reaching up a large arm and placing his hand against its stomach almost certainly at the last minute.

The Angel was launched backwards, its body exploding from the impact of the shockwave as black and white slime splattered across the walls, floor, and cell doors. Normally, Barron would have let out a breath of victory and hurried away, but this was not a normal opponent and The Angel was not dead.

“Correio!” Extending his arm, Barron finally resummoned his glaive, gripping it tightly in his hands as he turned and cast Proto in an attempt to flee back up the stairs.

The Angel had yet to reform, but the darkness of the corridor turned upon him anyway, wrapping around his limbs and neck to yank him off his feet before aggressively slamming him into the ground. Barron let out a shout of agony and frustration as tendrils of shadows coiled around his arms, legs, torso, and neck, with even a few trying to force their way through his helm’s wind-defended slits. He was completely and utterly outmatched, and for the second time in two weeks, he was staring death in the face.

Come on! Why did we release this thing?! Rei, Your Excellency, please send me an answer!

Nigreos Noctis stepped into his view, the imposter of the young dark mage now looming above the prone Barron, his eyebrow cocked with interest. “This is strange, is it not? I seem to recall your armor having a much more powerful mana signature. What happened to it, Sir Kristoff?”

Shouting out with fury, Barron tried to release his arms from the ground, but the tendrils held them tightly, preventing him from turning any of his power against this creature. Deciding instead to rely on environmental magic, he uttered Condite before The Angel could say anything else. Ropes of wind formed around its body, but the shadows of the corridor cut them away without the creature having to move even a single muscle, its mouth twitching in amusement.

“You’re an unlucky man, Barron Kristoff,” it went on, as if completely oblivious to his attack, those tendrils of shadow, thin as paper, remaining around The Angel. “Most mages in this world would crumble before a warrior as strong as you, but instead you find yourself facing people like me and Acostav. You get the jump on Ryokumo Caeli, but he escapes. You do the same to Rennigan Glaus, but are fought back before you can finish him. Yet you are a pious man who follows the Goddess? Sir, do you not sometimes wonder why Rei leaves you out to dry time and time again?”

“Condite! Condite! CONDITE!”

Barron spat and screamed, but The Angel let out a soft chuckle as the shadows continued to harmlessly cut his ropes to shreds, a small hiss sounding out as the condensed air escaped.

“Is your goddess going to save you?” it mocked. “Or does she plan to let me end your life? What do you think?” The shadows tightened around his limbs and throat, beginning to dent and break the armor. “Yes, these shadows are strong, but your armor is cracking much quicker than it should. Why is that?” The Angel stepped forward, unphased by Barron’s struggling as it knelt down and placed a hand over the breastplate. “Hmm? Yes, I’m correct. This is different.”

No! If it figures out my armor’s trick and takes it back to its allies, then we lose one of our aces! I have to break out! I have to keep it from returning to Reiner! This thing could kill Miyon and Sartella with a flick of its wrist! Come on, Barron, get up!

Barron’s body jolted and shook with his struggle, but the tendrils tightened in response, finally snapping the guard around his neck and reaching his flesh. The shadow swirled around his throat, threatening to open it, but the armor’s enchantment saved his life.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing in a small bedroom, consisting of a single large bed and nothing more. He recognized it instantly just before he was overcome by every negative emotion he could possibly feel. This was his bedroom in the fortress of Ankalla, the home base of the Kosah-Rei in the deep north hundreds of miles from the Great City of Stellareid. The Angel had almost killed him, the armor’s protection was cast, and he was teleported to a different set of armor—one unharmed by The Angel. He was alive, but he was removed from the Battle of Stellareid, leaving Uma and Leiolai completely at that creature’s mercy.

“No…” he growled furiously before turning and slamming his gauntleted hand into the wall behind him. “NO! DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!”

***

The Angel watched with intrigue as Barron Kristoff vanished from the armor just before his life could be ended, and within seconds of his disappearance, the empty suit began to fade into beads of light just like it had supposedly done in Noctalus. The creature of Cansi sighed, annoyed that Barron escaped, but at the same time, it was still moderately satisfied with this outcome. The red knight was potentially removed from the Battle of Stellareid and it had learned valuable information about how that armor worked.

If my scan was accurate, he was able to take Master Nakoma Taurus’s attacks head-on because the damage was being magically dispersed to every set of armor he possessed, therefore allowing him to only face a portion of each attack dealt to him. When Acostav Luz destroyed that suit in Noctalus, it eliminated one of them and decreased the dispersion. That's why he was weaker against me… The Angel smirked victoriously. So if you can get him down to one, that armor will become nothing more than a basic set. I’ll have to get this information back to the others, but first…

Transforming back into Album, The Angel became light and bolted back up the steps.

I have to go to Abigail!