Chapter 586: Chaos Flame (True Form) [Part 2]
'Let's see...' Northern concentrated, his eyes glowing brighter. 'The properties of both...'
The combination of the two forces merged together like two lovers having waited a hundred years for their reunion; there was even a magnetic force that Northern had to powerfully resist in order to control things at his own pace.
A smile formed on his face as he could ascertain for himself that what he had evaluated about Chaos Flames was exactly what was happening.
Along with the subtle awakening of Chaos had come its memories of usage, which Northern was now enjoying the privileges of.
The Dark Turtle's eye pulsed faster, its charging sequence reaching a crescendo. The red veins across its shell blazed like rivers of blood.
From where they watched, the others felt the air grow heavy, as if reality itself was being compressed between these two forces.
Shin's eyes were grave as he watched Northern; everyone had a pale mixture of confusion, fear, and hope lining their facial features.
Dante seemed like the most affected about what was going on. It was quite understandable, since they had been in this rift, what should be his place hadn't quite been his place.
He had fallen short of even his own expectations. Not that he wasn't strong. He was strong.
A devilish Behemoth would have been difficult for him, but it was doable; however, he didn't think he'd be able to guarantee everyone's safety like Northern had just done.
Northern's voice cut through the air, cold and precise.
"Chaos Flame."
The weapon that formed in his hands defied description.
It wasn't quite a lance, and it wasn't quite flame. It existed in a state between states, its form constantly shifting between solid and ethereal.
The impure white flames wrapped around a core of absolute darkness, creating a spiral pattern that hurt to look at directly.
Where the two forces met, small tears appeared in the air itself, as if the weapon's very existence was an affront to natural law.
Northern's grin turned predatory. "You've been reflecting our attacks using that shell of yours. Absorbing the force, redirecting it..."
The Dark Turtle seemed to sense the danger. Its charging sequence suddenly accelerated, the humming from its shell rising to a fever pitch.
"But you can't reflect what doesn't exist in a stable state," Northern continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "And you can't absorb what burns through the very concept of absorption."
The creature's eye widened-if such a thing was possible-and for the first time, Northern saw something new in its gaze.
Uncertainty.
Without warning, the Dark Turtle released its charged attack. A wave of crimson energy, far more concentrated than before, erupted from its shell.
Instead of the circular wave that was directed at dispelling everyone, the monster focused all its energy at Northern, shooting it forward, the red light razing the ground and consuming everything in its path.
"Northern!!" Shin shouted, seeing as the wave of light surged towards him and consumed him before he could put up any defenses.
Dante raised his head.
"All that talk and he was killed before he could even strike."
"No, Northern..." Shin was despairing and wanted to run forward but was held back by Lynus.
"What do you think you are doing?" Shin's voice came out strong and terrifying.
Anybody that wasn't the arrogant and vengeful Lynus would have flinched, no doubt.
"Do you really think he'd die that easily?"
His words made Shin's eyes dilate. The rogue scion of Kageyama slowly shifted his head.
Clouds of dust obscured the view, but they soon slowly dissipated.
The monster had a light of assurance and confidence radiating in its eye, as if it had won.
But as the wind cleared, a voice reached out.
"All that charge and this is the best you could do."
Everyone trembled, their eyes expanded so much that they could fall off.
Northern was revealed between the now light cloud of dust-he was grinning, the Chaos Flame still in his hand.
He was untouched by the attack, not even the smallest scratch on his body.
The attack had carved the ground and left the point he was standing untouched, improvising it into an island of some sort.
Northern contorted his mouth pitifully at the monster.
"Quite sad. You did all that and didn't even leave a scratch on me. Oh well, guess it's my turn now."
The monster's eye flickered, its entire body began to blaze with crimson energy, surging forward like a pillar of flame.
Northern's mouth opened, delighted as he saw the monster freak out.
"That's more like it. Struggle for your life. Try to leave," he said, carefully waiting for the monster.
The creature struck again, gathering all its energy; the entire ground trembled, a sickening sound of tearing traversing throughout the air.
Still, the result was the same. The white-haired boy in lustrous black armor was untouched.
Northern smiled.
"I can tell how frustrated you must be right now. I mean, you are supposed to be a devilish behemoth, and I really had my hopes high when you were coming."
His mouth contorted with disgust.
"So all you were coming here with was a shell that could absorb and reflect attacks and some energy beams? Lame. Truly lame."
Perhaps the monster did not understand him word for word, but that condescending look on his face could be understood quite clearly.
And seeing as the creature let out a sharp, screeching cry resembling that of a vulture, Northern was sure the message got delivered smoothly.
The Dark Turtle's red veins pulsated with even stronger energy; they flowed through the air
like sentient energy tendrils, converging before the monster.
While the monster did that, Northern, out of boredom, picked his nose with a disinterested look on his face and blew it toward the Dark Turtle.
It struck again. An enormous field of red energy burst forth.
Northern looked forward as the field expanded, then with a single, fluid motion, he threw the
Chaos Flame.
The force was so fast it struck before anyone could trace it.
For a moment, nothing happened. The lance seemed to freeze in place, suspended in the
crimson energy field.
Then reality screamed.
The point where the lance met the energy field began to unravel. The crimson energy didn't disperse or reflect-it simply ceased to exist, along with the air and space around it.
A void opened up, spreading outward like cracks in glass. The Dark Turtle's attack wasn't just negated; it was being consumed, erased, burned away by something that shouldn't exist. The creature tried to reinforce its defense, its shell blazing with power. But it was too late.
The Chaos Flame struck true.