Chapter 19
2576 Words
"Tell the escorts to fall back and let Elysian take the lead! We will act as bait so that Typhon will focus only on us!"
Zenith looked at me incredulously, "Are you out of your mind?! We barely even managed to deflect his attack back then in case you've forgotten."
"If we don't use ourselves to attract his attention, the Imperial Airforce Armada will be decimated before even firing the first salvo!"
"s**t!" he cursed as he pressed the speed limiter releaser and ordering the computer to do the same with the weapons, "All weapon safeties disengage! Unleash all available missiles to the designated target on signal!"
"Weapon safeties disengaged. Unleashing the entire arsenal on the designated target upon command."
I fasten my seatbelt before contacting our friends at the back, "We will be in contact with Typhon in a few minutes. Make sure you are ready to bail out at a moment's notice. After we hit him with everything that the Elysian have, Zenith and I will eject. Make sure you are at the hatch the exact time it happened because he will turn this plane back into a toy again!"
"There! Dead ahead, Gala!"
I looked at what Zenith is pointing out of the window and my blood curdle when I saw Typhon's real physical form again three years after the Second Fall.
Towering over five hundred feet above the ground, almost half of the island he is in is occupied by his body alone.
Rageful burning eyes full of hate, lumbering body, and gnarled hands smacking away our spearhead forces easily like he is just swatting flies.
"If we don't get his attention, no one will be left on the ground! Do it, Zenith!"
He nodded and immediately force our plane to its maximum speed while ordering all aircraft escorting us to break away and scatter, "All available weapons open fire on that titanic thing dead ahead! You can't miss it!"
"Aye, aye, captain. Firing all missile launchers, target the titanic thing dead ahead! Missing was never part of my programming sir, may we fly again in the blue skies above."
The son of the Heavenly King teared up when he heard the uncharacteristically cordial tone of the artificial intelligence.
"I will remember that, don't worry!" he answered as he nodded at me to give the signal, "Syden, Nox, Asher, if you don't want to be toy-sized for Typhon to trample, bail out, now!"
The monitor showed the three sky diving out of the bloody skies and we know it is our time to peace out.
"Unless you want us to be killed without doing anything useful, eject us now, Zenith!" I screamed when I saw a powerful wave of destruction dozens of times stronger than the last one that almost destroyed us is coming straight for our plane.
He nodded and pressed the eject button that catapulted our seat sky high.
"Zeus: Sky Innocence!"
The Elysian began to shrink in size until it fits again the palm of the High Priest.
I saw Syden screaming not far below us as he stupidly forgot how to activate his parachute while Nox turned his body into shadowy smoke floating safely as Asher is using his powerful howls to slow down his fall masterfully.
"I got this Zenith, just cover our backs!" I shouted at my friend who gave me a thumbs-up before blasting a swarm of stymphalian birds preparing to ambush our descent.
"Athena: Giant Owl!"
This is the first time I've ever used this invocation since I never have the need to fly. Not with the son of Heavenly King and the twins of the Heavenly Queen willing to give us a lift happily.
I was surprised when I see a literal gigantic gray owl five times the size of a normal mortal grabbing Syden by the scruff of his shirt with its claws that made him flail even more.
My owl screeched in annoyance when I looked down from its back, the son of Koalemos is still screeching and flailing about making it hard for us to balance.
"If you don't stop panicking, I will really drop you down, i***t!" I screamed on top of my lungs that made Nox laugh out loud.
Thankfully I managed to get his attention as he finally stopped making things harder for my owl which is dodging several biles of hydra.
"Koalemos: Foolish Thoughts!"
No flash, no bangs, no impressive display or anything.
The Hydras just started to headbang and throw their biles at each other by the thousands obliterating their entire rank bombarding our landing forces who are cheering Syden and Koalemos' names loudly.
"Syden being useful at the beginning of the battle? Well, color me impressed!" Zenith shouted as he glided towards us four providing electric cover from the arrows directed at us by monstrous centaurs, "Time to let it all lose, my brother-in-law. Show Taurei what you really can do in this fight!"
Our friend grinned menacingly and give us two peace signs, "Well, now that you said that, I am inclined to do it! No holds barred! If this is the last fight I will ever be in, I will destroy as many monsters that I can to bring glory to Taurei and our class!"
"Well, even if I am not a member of the Auxiliary Class, in the name of Narcine, Taurei, and Rebie, you can expect nothing but the very worse I can unleash upon our enemies. It is my way of thanks for making me feel that I am not really alone!" he then summoned all the underworld power he can muster in the form of a hazy dark smoke that he blasted towards the incoming swarm of monsters trying to outmaneuver our forces, "Hades: Putrid Haze!"
Every monster that entered the smog was instantly killed. On top of that, it is protecting our allies with an envelope of dark cover making it hard for enemies to spot them as they make their advance.
"Athena: Pallas Impaler!"
I supercharged my spear with everything that I've got and thrown it at the incoming horde of monsters which are skewered by the iron spikes that erupted from the very ground.
Typhon tried to swat us out of the skies but thankfully, we managed to evade it to join the battle on the ground well underway.
"Eris: Chaotic Whip!"
Monsters that are about to overwhelm us are whipped violently into dust by the daughter of the goddess of chaos before descending slowly from above with her scarlet wings fluttering on her back, "Ahh, Auxiliary Class, always fashionably late."
Before I can respond a blast of cold wind erupted from the skies above that turned into sharp snowflakes that rained over their enemies, "Boreas: Northern Wrath!"
The son of the northern wind god landed beside Nox and grinned at Erina, "Better late than never, Erina. Now that they have touched the ground, should we begin our assault in earnest?"
"Very well. Order the Imperial Air Forces to unleash their missiles at Typhon in quick succession. Imperial Land Forces form an iron wall and start pushing our frontlines directly at the foot of Typhon. Imperial Naval Forces, begin relentless bombardment!" I shouted as my comrades relayed my orders quickly, "We will hit him with everything that we've got! All weapons, open fire!"
Before the catastrophe incarnate can open his mouth, he is showered with a rain of missiles from the skies as the jet and bomber aircraft began their attacks.
Artillery bombardment from the warships has joined the party as it successfully keeps Typhon from moving while our soldiers are rallying behind the wall of tanks steadily moving closer and closer to his feet.
"PUNY MORTALS AND THEIR PUNY TOYS!"
In a single roar of rage, all the planes in our arsenal exploded in the sky.
"Don't stop attacking! Tank forces, begin rolling barrage!" Zenith ordered as the mobile iron wall in front of us began firing their salvoes repeatedly, "Alliance Forces, unleash everything you have! Time to go all in! Charge!"
"INSECTS MAY SWARM BUT THEY ARE INSECTS ALL THE SAME! PERISH!"
Millions upon millions of soldiers began to throw themselves to Typhon recklessly without a care for their lives while firing their weapons.
That seemed to do the trick. He may have the power to destroy all machines in a single blast but not millions upon millions of mortals attacking him from all directions.
"We may be small and insignificant alone but together, just like a giant swarm of bees, we will sting!" I screamed as I prepare to unleash the most powerful attack in my arsenal, "Athena: Patriarchal Thunderbolt!"
Using every bit of my strength available, I summoned a giant electric spear above me before giving it to Zenith who understandably looked surprised by what I just produced.
"Gala, this is..."
"There are two deities who can wield lightning as their weapon, your father and his favorite child!" I said clearly before nodding at him meaningfully, "Now, go! Asher, Erina, Syden, Nox, and Boris! Use my thunderbolt as the carrier of our final gift to the damned beast!"
"You got it, Gala! Now, Asher, you first!" Syden shouted at our canine comrade who howled with utmost rage at the thunderbolt that supercharged its power even more before the spawn of the god of stupidity infused it with his own menacing powers, "Koalemos: Ignorant Prostration!"
His pure powers of stagnation and collapse filled the thunderbolt as Erina followed quickly.
"Eris: Dire Discord!"
Her scarlet aura engulfed our weapon making it look like burning with pure chaos.
"Boreas: Delivering North!"
The winds of the north levitated the thunderbolt and infuse it with frigid winds.
"Hades: Inescapable Gloom!"
The weapon began to exude shadowy haze as it homes itself towards the direction of Typhon.
"Zeus: Absolute Discharge!" the High Priest and Olympian Prince unleashed all the electricity he has available in his body and directed it all in my thunderbolt which with great difficulty, I willed towards Typhon who is too busy dealing with the diversionary tactics we have employed.
"We only have one shot at this, make it count, Gala!"
I nodded at him and raised my right hand to control the trajectory of our last-ditch weapon, "Order all soldiers within the line of fire to evacuate!"
Millions of soldiers immediately stopped attacking Typhon to give way to our gigantic weapon made of our combined demigod powers as I try to aim carefully right at the head of the catastrophe incarnate.
"g*****a, now!" Erina screamed as Typhon is about to face our direction and before he can be fully aware of our gambit, I unleashed the thunderbolt with everything that I have at our nemesis.
For a moment, the whole world slowed down as we all waited for the attack to connect.
But it seemed that we are just not powerful enough.
For a single wave of pure unadulterated catastrophe was unleashed that destroyed not just our weapon, but also the lives of millions of soldiers and our remaining arsenal.
I saw the bodies of my comrades fall beside me as we are hit by Typhon's assault.
Asher, Erina, Zenith, Nox, Syden, and Boris among all of the soldiers who placed their faith in my strategy, now dead.
"I AM THE ANNIHILATION INCARNATE! NO MORTALS OR IMMORTALS CAN HOPE TO DEFEAT ME! YOU OVERREACH YOURSELVES!"
My body hit the ground in a painful crash as I made my last breath in this dying world of ours.
I failed...
-0-
"Now that my endgame is coming to a close, I am left wondering how will I ever pick up the pieces," I cried quietly as I closed my eyes and saw my fallen comrades clinging on to fragile existence in my soul, "I have already sacrificed the lives of my retainer and the Imperial Armada Forces. Now, I am doing the same to the friends that I called my own."
"Viera..."
"How did I ever continued existing with these scars? Sometimes when I look at a mirror, I am having a hard time seeing myself as a savior or a murderer."
My mother just closed her eyes and shakes her head slowly, "You're neither, my daughter. From the very start, you never saw yourself as the empress who will save lives nor the empress who will lead her people to s*******r. Remember what you really wanted, what you really strived for when you paid the ultimate price for the chance to open up a new path before you."
"What I really wanted..."
"Yes, Viera. Why did you even try to save those who don't want to be saved? Why show the people a brighter tomorrow when they don't even care what happens in the future?"
"I..."
It's because you wanted to show them that there's a better way to live their lives than exist behind the shadow of your empire that has already fallen and fractured to pieces, isn't that right?"
"How long until I will be free from all these sorrows and sufferings? After all has been said and done, will I see the bad or the good that I have done in my reflection?"
"The final judgment is not for you to conclude nor mine. It's those that are left behind that will remember your name and will think back on your reign. Will it be hailed as a revolutionary one? A brave reign that may have fallen on hard times but rose up to lead its people to the brighter dawn of a new Golden Age? Or will it be seen as a reign that has gone too far and sacrificed far too many lives to achieve its ends?"
"I only play the cards I was dealt with the best that I can. Father surely didn't leave me with a good draw, that's for sure."
"But he bet everything on you all the same. Emperor he might be, a lame duck, a glorified figurehead, and politically inconsequential, he still placed his hopes on you no more than a father giving everything he can to his daughter. He doesn't have enough time left to further pave the way for your path. What he did is surround you with only the best children and a loyal retainer that will never waver their loyalty and love for you and your cause."
"Butcher or savior, you still tried to do something to dream for a future they never even imagined. If you didn't rally them to stand as one, they would never even stand a chance at all."
"Just how many more lives have to be lost to break through Typhon? Sacrificing our very existence, wasn't enough payment still?"
"Mankind will never cherish the victory if it's handed to them on a silver platter. "They must fight for it, sacrifice like we did, and emerge scarred but successful. The more they work hard for it, the more they will take care of it."
"He is right, Viera. You can never appreciate the light without facing true darkness. You can never hold on to life if you don't fear death. They must first fall the deepest valley of sorrow and hopelessness for them to strive to once more reach the peaks where the light of the Golden Age dwells."
"You are saying that it's all right to build the empire of my son on the bodies of the fallen and the tears of those left behind..."
- Writer
