Michael POV
"LOCK DOWN THE TOWER!!! NOW!!!"
"YES SIR!!!"
Was that actually Rose? She was massive.
"Why did I ignore Gabriel's warning? Of course, he'd be right."
"The information would state that you are an idiot."
"Shut it."
"Nah, this is entirely your fault."
[The Administrator Gabriel has entered your world. Motive: Save as many as possible. Do you wish to grant him access."
"Yes. And Luma… please tell him I'm sorry for being such a fool…"
[Permission granted… And sure, I'll tell him that.]
"Okay, Darsen, I realize now the absolute fool I was. Please tell me that you know of a way to stop her."
"From killing everyone is easy. Show her I'm alive, but she'll still kill you."
"Sir, we can-"
"Then I suppose I'll die."
Darsen looked at me in moderate surprise.
"You are a good man… I'm surprised."
"Shut up, release him and let him calm her down."
"I'mma need help there."
"What?"
"See, the problem is her size, she's on the warpath to kill you mercilessly, meaning she isn't going to listen to anything."
"So?"
"You guys are gonna need to get me into her line of sight."
"That would kill many of us."
"Then me and Darsen will go alone."
"Sir?"
"Get to Gabriel, he is here to save as many as he can. I am the only one she is directly going for, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then I will go forward and take her on. Calon save as many as you can."
"Sir… Yes sir!"
"Well, le-"
Darsen turned into a shadow then passed through the binds.
I blinked.
"What?"
"The contingency. An undetectable skill that makes me uncatchable. Quite useful, isn't it."
I sighed.
"That… is a brilliant plan."
"Yes, and if you didn't fake kill me, you would have had a much larger chance of living."
"I can see that."
"Well, no more dilly dallying, let's go stop her from killing everyone in this realm."
_
Gabriel POV
"That's how their planning to get out of this?! Their both going to die!"
Darsen and Michael were trying as hard as they could to get to the top of the Spire, where Rose was focusing, but her wrathful magic made it hard for everyone to even stand, much less climb.
"Calon."
"Sir Gabriel?"
"I'm going up there to slow Rose so they can get there."
"Sir, the whirlwind will send you flying!!!"
"I will try anyways. If the Ruler won't make a move, then I will."
I took off. The wind threatening to slam me against the walls.
Crap. This was harder than I thought. It took everything I could to not be pushed. She was at the scale of a supreme being at level 801.
"MICHAEL!!!"
He turned and saw me.
"GABRIEL, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOU!!!"
"I KNOW, BUT SAVE APOLOGIES FOR LATER, I'M GOING TO HOLD HER BACK, YOU GET TO THE TOP!!!"
"THANK YOU!!!"
I flew as high as I could and landed in front of her eyes.
"ROSE, CALM DOWN!!!"
{They killed him… He killed him… I'll destroy them all…}
Her voice reverberate through my core, all instincts telling me to flee.
"He's not dead. It was a trick."
{LIES!}
The Tower shook and I nearly fell.
"Crap."
I looked up and saw her aiming fire directly for me.
"CRAP CRAP CRAP!!!"
I leapt up and narrowly dodged it, but her wind picked me up and whipped me around before slamming me into the wall.
"GAH!!!"
{LIAR LIAR!!! I'LL DESTROY ALL OF THIS!!!}
This was her fury. I'd heard of it before, but this was terrifying.
I pulled out my broken wings and started to fly again. The Wind threatened to throw me right back into the walls, but I resisted.
Then they did it. I slowed her just enough for them to make it.
I landed back on the top.
"Rose, LOOK!!!"
She lowered her massive eyes and saw Darsen.
"ROSE! IT WAS A TRICK! I'M NOT DEAD!!! NOW STOP OR I WILL DIE!"
Her presence softened almost immediately. And she shifted back into a catkin, then I noticed something.
"Human ears."
Her cat ears were nowhere to be found. No semblance of FEAR was… except for her wings.
"Darsen, you're alive… Michael lied. To trick me."
Her rage enveloped again, but this time, solely aimed at Michael.
She struck and I barely blocked it. Sliding me back.
"Out of my way, Gabriel."
"Sorry, Michael's still my friend. Can't let you kill him."
"Gabriel, get out of here. I've accepted that I will die."
"Yeah, just one problem with that. I came here to save your behind."
"Then tell the Ruler you fa-"
"Oh no no no. I'm defying the Ruler by being here. He was content to let you die."
"What?"
"Yeah, he was fully willing to let you die."
I blocked another blast from Rose.
"No, that's not possible he would save me, he-."
"He's a coward."
All three of them blinked in shock.
"He abandoned you the moment things got rough, despite him being the reason everything happened that far. He knew that Rose would outwit you, and he knew that you would anger her, then he said it was your fault, when he directly made it happen. He is a coward who won't even save someone fighting for his sake."
"No, no, no. You must be mistake, he sent you-"
"He mockingly said I could go if I wanted. He didn't send me; I came of my own will. And it infuriated him."
"What?"
"He is a coward and a tyrant. I am tired of letting him do whatever he wants and letting him throw away whoever he wants."
Then I coughed. Rose froze.
"What- GHK. AH! AAAAAA!"
My body began to glow then the glow seeped to my mouth and started leaving.
"His grace."
Then it impaled me.
"GAHH!!!"
My grace was killing me.
Then the pain stopped, and I looked to see Rose, holding my grace.
"Ruler, I know you can hear me. You have rejected Gabriel because he calls you out for your evil. I will tell you this. No longer will you have your hand on him. He is gone from your power. You took his grace; therefore he is no longer yours. You will not do more."
Then she crushed the grace, freeing me from the agony.
"Rose…"
"Gabriel, that man is furious, so now I give you a choice…"
"What is it?"
Michael looked in shock. He just saw the Ruler try to kill me.
"You have two options. Flee now, I will let you. Live your own life separately."
[The Administrator Gabriel has defied the ruling of the Ruler. His faction is called to deny him.]
"Or, you can join me, and stop that coward who would kill his own man to stop the truth from spreading."
"What choice do I have? I'll join ya."
Then I, a demon, stood.
Michael flinched then stood.
"I… will let you flee for now."
[The Administrator Gabriel has sworn loyalty to the Owner, Rose Hood. His faction has followed suit.]
[The Higher Faction, Gabriel's Message, has merged with Higher Faction, Garden.]
"Let's go. Actually, one last thing."
At that moment, hundreds of glowing objects flew at me, and I saw my men collapsing as they turned to demons.
"What's happening?"
"The Ruler being a sore loser, don't worry, they are coming to kill you alone, the rest are just fatigued."
"That does calm me."
Then my eyes widened as I realized that the Ruler was sending all of my faction's graces at me.
Then Rose began to glow. Golden marks on her hands stretching to her eyes.
{You have no power over this man. Gabriel's Post, move to Pandora. And for the grace. Die where you float.}
All of the graces shriveled up and melted as we heard a massive rumbling.
Then Calon flew up and saw me in my state before gasping and speaking.
"Lord Michael, Sir Gabriel's world is moving, the portal no longer connects."
We looked at Rose in shock as the glowing stopped. Then she smiled.
"Let's get outta here before the Ruler throws another hissy fit."
She grabbed me and Darsen and leapt off the tower with a giggle.
[Luma, please teleport me, Gabriel, Darsen, and the entirety of Gabriel's old faction to either Gabriel's Post or Pandora.]
[Roger roger.]
Then, we were in the hub, and a new bridge opened in front of my eyes. I saw my men, all demons through there.
Some angels from Michaels faction were in shock of them.
[Luma, please send the stragglers home.]
[Got it.]
Then all of the angels vanished, and only the demons remained.
"Come on, Gabriel, motivate your people."
"Then what? We were cast aside."
"I'll give you a new grace. One that won't try and kill you."
Then she gave a cheeky smile.
"You're in my group now, act like it."