Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 106: Destroy an Angel

Anna stared at Kaiser some more, then collected the steak from him. As she began to eat, Kaiser’s smile vanished, his usual unreadable expression returning.

"Today, we need to go all out. Anna, you’re the one with the greatest reserves of essence. Please manage it well."

He turned to the unusually quiet Alex. His voice softened slightly.

"Alex, don’t just shoot multiple arrows. Target the head of the statues."

He summoned his storage relic, then brought out twenty bone arrows. She collected it from him, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"You made these?" She asked hesitantly.

Kaiser nodded and took his dagger. He began making some carvings on the ground.

"The island’s shape is like that of a kite. We’re currently at the Southern End, and we need to reach the Northern End."

He drew a straight line from the south to the north. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Going directly would be suicide. I can tell that the strongest statues would be at the center of the island."

He drew an arc from the south, passing through the east to reach the north.

"This is going to be our route." He said, "My intuition tells me that the four cardinal points of the island each possess an angel of the level we’ve been facing. Only the central point might have a stronger angel."

"So we’re going to face three angels on our journey?" Anna asked solemnly.

Kaiser nodded, "Yes. It is inevitable."

Unexpectedly, Alex stood up. With a sharp glint in her eyes, she said.

"If this is really the last time we’re going with your crazy plan, I’m in."

Her eyes carried a bit of hatred towards him, but she also knew she couldn’t fault him.

Everything was just for them to leave this island.

Anna also stood up, cracking her knuckles with a slight grin.

"Oh well, it has always been try or die trying."

Kaiser quietly commended their mental fortitude, then began preparing himself.

’At some point, I might have to use Kara and the Bottom Arachnid. This will be a really tough, unrewarding journey.’

........

Time seemed to pass slowly, but the night eventually arrived. Along with the rumblings of the island, the candles on the pillars lit up the worship grounds.

Kaiser, Anna, and Alex stood ready. Kaiser was donned in his fully repaired Asura Vest, the Virtuous Sorrow sheathed at his back.

Anna was clad in her gold armor, one hand carrying her round shield while the other held her heavy spear.

Alex stood behind them, her quiver filled to the brim with arrows. Her body was covered in a silver armor, matching the color of her bow.

"Good luck." She whispered.

Without another word, they all stepped onto the concrete ground and attacked.

Thwip! Boom!

Alex’s arrow passed between Kaiser and her sister, striking the head of the fruit seller statue. The woman’s head exploded, and her entire body shattered.

Kaiser took the left flank, smoothly beheading the statues that came close. Anna was more ruthless. She used her shield to bash some away, while her spear shattered the other statues around her.

The three moved forward steadily, easily repelling the waves of statues that came rushing to them. They didn’t exchange a single word, only fighting and moving forward.

Eventually, they arrived at the location of the Southern Angel.

Alex shivered slightly, a nostalgic feeling welled up within her. She forced her nerves to calm, tightening her grip on her bow.

Kaiser sheathed the Virtuous Sorrow, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward. The angel spotted them and slowly descended.

Before it even reached the ground, Kaiser had already attacked. He blurred, appearing right beside it.

He held the left wing in one hand, then elbowed its shoulder. The force accelerated the angel’s descent, and it landed with a bang.

Kaiser leaped back, avoiding a deadly grip. As the angel retracted its hand, he swooped in again.

He attacked the angel’s joints, though most of his attacks were blocked by the wings.

Anna kept her eyes on him, noting how his fighting pattern was different. Instead of his usual suicidal attacks, he seemed to target some specific points on the statue.

’Is this what he used the simulation for?’ She wondered.

Kaiser and the angel exchanged several attacks, with Kaiser barely using his full strength. He avoided devastating blows, even at the cost of missing his own attacks.

Suddenly, he appeared before the angel and raised his fist. The statue responded by closing its wings.

Kaiser’s muscles contracted, and he punched.

Bang!!!

The hit landed squarely, sending the angel skidding. It was forced to spread its wings and disperse the residual force.

Kaiser suddenly crouched, and a figure passed right above him. Anna shot at the angel, and stabbed her spear straight at its torso. Unable to use its wings for defense, it crossed its arms before its chest.

At the last moment, Anna’s spear shifted, striking the head cleanly.

Bang!

The heavy weapon dug through the stone head, destroying it in one go. Cracks appeared on the angel’s body, and it shattered onto the ground.

Alex gasped, stunned by the sudden defeat of the angel. Anna was also slightly surprised, but she immediately recovered.

"Move!" She shouted to her sister, grabbing a piece of the angel and running.

Alex nodded, quickly running to join them at the front. The three turned diagonally right, heading towards the Eastern End of the island.

Alex confidently handled the regular statues, destroying two or more with a single arrow. She cleared the way for them, allowing the two to conserve their strength.

Halfway through the journey, the stone piece Anna was holding left her grip, shooting back into the distance. The young woman said solemnly.

"Four minutes. It regenerated under four minutes."

Kaiser nodded. He had already expected this. Still, he was a bit surprised by Anna’s method.

’The statues shouldn’t be able to leave their zones, so we’re not going to face two angels at once.’

As they plowed through the statues, he caught sight of another angel in the distance. Unlike the first one they faced, this one was standing on the ground.

Human statues bowed at its feet, while it gently stretched its hand as if answering their prayers. In its other arm, it cradled a baby gently.

’A female angel?’

He thought, noting its figure and shape. Slowly, the angel’s head turned towards them.

Once again, Kaiser felt his skin crawl.