Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

819. Blood of the Indignant Angel

“I never despised you for it! I came to understand why I was shaped into the way I am! But I could never have imagined that I would be the only one to carry on both of our dreams!”

Uriel easily tanked Michaela’s wings. Those same wings were once responsible for the annihilation of civilizations, but here, they were withstood by the blood of her daughter.

Though this was to be expected when one compared each other’s stats.

Though Michaela’s HP was at least higher than Uriel’s, the same could not be said about their ATT. Uriel was a cut above Micheala, and her overall level reflected this.

Michaela narrowly dodged the sword as they passed by one another, exchanging places in an instant.

A true, untouched Angel of the likes of Uriel was at a level so high that even Beholders failed to compare. This was the full, unmitigated extent of beings who were designed to fight the Faux Angels of the Old World.

And yet, my Angels and the Faux Angels paled in comparison to the Stars I defeated singlehandedly…

Uriel giggled as though seeing something shift within Michaela.

“That look in your eyes… Michaela. Faux Angels exist in this world. But so do Stars. I’ve seen what Stars can do here. We can’t begin to dream to compare them. This world must change. Your dream must come true! Humanity wouldn’t stand a chance to begin with!”

Uriel took this opportunity to finally turn the tides on Michaela. Her split second of internal turmoil caused her to crash into the side of a jutting mountain. A fifty-meter hole was left behind by the sheer magnitude of Uriel’s strike.

Michaela’s feathers were ruffled greatly. Hearing that her ambitions of the past which had rightfully resulted in her damnation was being enacted here drove her to shout with a commanding voice:

“My dream was never to eradicate mankind!”

She stared up at the flying Uriel, the conviction in her eyes proving that she was no longer the same.

“Elevation, Michaela! Don’t be mistaken! They’ll be brought up by the blood of the pure, so that no sin can ever exist in our world again!”

Uriel lifted a free hand into the air, forming a bloated, congealed ball of blood. She shattered it once it hardened, forming countless shards that descended upon Micheala.

< [A] [Blood Art: Indignant Downpour] [A] >

< EFFECT: Send a deluge of wrathful rain in the image of the pale objects that fell that fateful day >

“By the virtue of instrumentalizing humanity into one sin?”

The rain of red shards was easily cut down. A single swing of the False Price of Paradise sent an arc of light that paved the way for them to resume their brawl.

“Hahahaha! It sounds sinister when you word it like that. But instrumentality of humanity was already one of the GENs powers. GEN-07: the Humanity Confluence. Humanity’s futile efforts to preserve ‘Humanity’, whilst not knowing what ‘Humanity’ truly entailed. They were afraid of Qliphoth without knowing that it was a fundamental part of them!”

“They didn’t know. Humans were misguided… I tried to help them!” Michaela roared again, her emotions soaring high.

Then after one last clash, a bleeding gash formed across her palm.

Blood dripped beneath her feet.

“But it was fruitless. You didn’t know of the suffering that occuired within your city. You were so engrossed in the outcome that you couldn’t hear their cries. I loved you for that. But us? You never once came for us!”

“… I know.” Michaela uttered, clenching her bleeding hand tightly as if to wring out as much blood as possible. “But I am no longer the same Arbiter history knew, nor the insolent failure whose ambitions were squashed by the weight of reality!”

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< Your Emotional State Has Risen to the First State >

Blood began to pour from behind Michaela’s nape, forming a bloody mantle like that of Uriel’s. Michaela’s howl shocked the Angel. She had never heard her speak with such determination in her eyes before.

It was putrid. Revolting to the point where Uriel’s nails dug into her palms as she bled herself like Michaela.

< Borrowing the Active and Passive Skills from the Listening Bird >

“I never listened in the past. My attention was placed elsewhere. I know how complacent I was, how many were left to rot in the paradise I tried to create. People called out to an unempathetic god. But I…”

The blood that poured from her hands transformed into mourning, bleeding trees. They were baren of leaves and branches, and simply existed as husks that served as a reminder of those who Michaela had failed.

Deep within beat a heart of gold, and deep-down Michaela felt that her heart too had changed. It was no longer encased in darkness as it was long ago, but rather, it shone brightly – so brightly in fact that some of its light permitted through her flesh and apparel.

< You have Manifested the Listening Bird as the First State >

< PASSIVE: The Pale Cocoon >

< Something sits within. It hears us speak. Does it move? How can it show that it listens to what goes on within its kingdom of white? >

< EFFECT: Induce the ‘Pale Web’ Debuff on those that remain within proximity of your Unlying Markers. Increase all Stats of one chosen ally by 1.1x their current Emotional State. Maxes at Level 5 at 1.5x. They will be the Anointed Confessor >

“… I desperately wish to hear them. I’ve learned to love humans. I was once deaf to the suffering, but now, I shall arbitrate the trials of good and evil in this world – so that there can never be a sin unpunished!”

< ACTIVE: Written Sin >

< Was it really written by them in earnest? >

< EFFECT: Your feathers may deflect written lies. Activation of this Skill will wash the bloody lies off your body >

< COST: Nil >

A Corrupted Skill most beneficial came to her. The blood splatters that tore the world apart bounced off her feathers. Uriel quickly realized this and immediately took notice of her unusual physical changes.

“… Qliphoth?” Uriel uttered. “That’s the Corrupted on you. Your form… And I thought you were an agent of Light! But in truth, you’re as tainted as the rest by Qliphoth!”

“Qliphoth is the basis of the Corruption. Is that what you’re implying?”

“Qliphoth is the purest form of existential impurity! Sins don’t compare! But your Affinities are linked to it! The Corruption is no different. Are they one in the same? I don’t know. But they’re eerily similar. Corruption does, after all, stem from the Light. But the shadows that engulf it –!”

They locked themselves into a clash and gazed into each other’s eyes. Uriel wore a crazed, defiant look as she took pleasure in the conflict, whereas Michaela revealed golden eyes brimming with confidence. It was as though she still carried the authority of her distant past.

Finally, Uriel concluded.

“– That is Qliphoth!