Chapter 185: Form V: Zensu
Mephisto revealed a delicate smiled and stepped in closer, raised his finger, and tapped right in the center of the young girl's brow.
Speaking the language of the angels, the sounds of glass shattering echoed like bells in Aurelia's ears.
"A Nephilim like yourself is dangerous to both Angel and Fallen. But you are family, my little niece. And I hope you appreciate this ability. I hope to see Zariel bleed by your hands." The Fallen smiled brightly, taking one step back. " Show me your true self… The path of Zensu calls my dare."
Fading into nodes that billowed away in the winds, Aurelia stood as time resumed.
"Aurelia," Started Eldritch, only to pause as he noticed something. "Wait! What just happened? My lady! Your nose!"
Touching her nose, Aurelia saw nothing but red bathing the snow. She staggered back as the world came into deep focus. The skies became brighter than they'd ever had, and the snow colder than she'd ever thought possible.
"My lady! What have you done!" Eldritch demanded as the Eldritch staff appeared.
"No! Don't! I've got this!" Staggering forward, she muttered. " I've got this."
Eyes burning, Aurelia could only smile as she pulled a strange leather parchment out of her Infinity Ring and unfolded it, as her blood continued to rain, staining her teeth and skin.
She hurriedly skimmed her eyes over the parchment and the various forms till her eyes landed on one.
Form V: Zensu, the Etherial Grace
Baring a grim smile that could scare even the demons of the nines, a hungry glow swelled in the young Nephilim's eyes as she began to comprehend it as she'd tried a few months ago. What had seemed like gibberish now flowed like an endless stream over the vast expanse.
"Morningstar!" Aurelia called, pulling the blade into her hand with her words alone. And began her dance.
Whisking her blade through the air, a graceful poise washed over the young Nephilim as her sword swept into semi-arcs of sword light, twisting in unbelievable ways. Aurelia's blade cut through winds parting them as her form continued to change, evolving the more her blade danced.
Days shrunken to minutes, under the young girl's sword swaying and cleaving as though it had a life of its own. Death the blade showed. Destruction the blade craved. Everything that represented Aurelia slowly fell into the noble arcs of her form.
Ethereal as the winds. Aurelia's sword whipped over the night and rose with the dawn.
—
"Is she still in there?" shouted Elyimi with a cold expression.
It had already been a week since they'd lost contact with her, and just about everyone had left the Tower of Souls. All but Aurelia Morningstar.
The air was dangerously cold as Erimyi looked around at the professors and sneered, seeing no solutions come to light.
"Perhaps we should forcefully summon her." The Red Priest suggested, leaning back into his chair within the council room. " It is within our power."
"I disagree. It's only been a week." Professor Jeren, an aged arcanist, rebutted. " The longest record is a month. No one dies in the Tower of Souls. It's impossible."
"But this was the first time we have ever lost contact with one of our students." Elyimi reminded him, bringing an aged frown to the elderly mage.
"What of Duke Blackwater?" Asked Vanessa leaning closer over the counter with a worried expression. "Surely he's—"
"The duke doesn't seem to care," Elyimi sighed, shaking her head. "I approached him yesterday, and he shrugged. Claiming Aurelia was a big girl who can protect herself."
"What an ass." Muttered Vanessa.
"I say we get her out. I feel like something is wrong. No one can elude our eyes for this long before. Something has to be wrong." The dean concluded, shaking her head, as she rose to her feet.
"Red, will you do the honors?"
Peeping a single eye open, the priest smiled, " of course."
Rising, he flickered out of the room, stopping in front of the tower of souls, where he frowned, staring at Aldrich.
"Ilthad, Aurelia Morningstar… she's changed."
The two eyes of the priest snapped open, "What did you call me?"
A thin smile appeared over Aldrich as he didn't bother to continue speaking to the Red Priest but rather stared at the tower's entrance.
"What say, you, Mr. Snow? Are you interested in what's coming through those doors?" He asked, picking his head skywards. " Tell me you aren't interested?"
"Not really," Said Zariel, colder than ever, as his feet planted themselves onto the stone. He shrugged. " Just annoyed she missed so many lessons toying around." He glanced at Aldrich and frowned. " But what are you doing out here? I find it odd a man of your age and status is so interested in a girl less than sixteen."
"I'm almost twenty Chaos Cycles old. Age means little to me." He remarked, chuckling, and suddenly paused, taking a few steps back as a strange sensation prickled his core, sending shivers dancing along his spine.
Eyes wide, he took a few more steps back. " What the hell!"
Zariel's expression crumpled, and a curse escaped his lips. " Anima, what happened?"
Silence ensued, and with a dark look, Zariel opened his eyes towards the gate, which began to leek a necrotic aura that made his skin crawl.
Suddenly an image that made his eyes turn wide whipped over his mind; as he unsheathed the blade the moment, an emerald beam of light tore through the gates, arriving at Zariel as a stone cold black blade cut towards the young lord was parried, bringing him to his knees.
Zariel grunted under the weight of two mountains pressing over his arm, cracking a few bones, as a single black wing appeared in his sight over the silver-headed Nephilim carrying ancient-looking eyes.
"Aurelia?!" Shouted Zariel in fascination as her gold eyes tainted with emerald light blazed.
Blood gushed from Zariels knees, but with a push of Astral Energy on his blade, he pushed Morningstar back from cutting him in half and rolled out of the way. Pivoting off the ground, the young master positioned his sword in an offensive stance before Aurelia could react.
"What the hell!" He muttered, catching a perfect look at Aurelia with a single black wing behind her back.
Parting her legs, Aurelia entered the first stance of Zensu without a hint of feeling in her eyes. And yet Zareil could feel anger. A burning hatred that burned hotter than any fire.
"That's…That's the Hollowing!" Aldrich shouted. "Who the hell taught her that!"
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