After we got away from the effective range of the Abyss Engine, I noticed a great increase in the power of the Excelsis soldiers.
Unfortunately, they were too preoccupied with the ever-increasing hordes of Corrupted monsters overwhelming them from all angles.
In fact, they were still falling from the sky in droves.
Because of this, approaching the temple was a quick and simple ordeal.
Interestingly enough, I had yet to actually see Difar.
The Corrupted soldiers completely ignored us as we passed by, regardless. Even going as far as to protect us from enemy fire.
When we approached the temple, the Corrupted soldiers parted and we blasted the doors down.
Immediately, we were attacked by large numbers of Excelsis soldiers and golem constructs waiting within.
But...
Several super-charged Corrupted soldiers appeared in front of us and overwhelmed them.
Fighting a behemoth variant in close quarters was something I never wanted to do.
Especially if I didn't have the power to kill it instantly, like I did on Ignitus.
After the Corrupted soldiers began destroying everything around us, we went ahead.
I hadn't killed enough of these bastard Excelsis soldiers, myself, today.
So naturally, I changed Vengeance into a heavy machine gun and mowed them down.
Cassandra helped, as well.
And together, we were unstoppable.
Eventually, we came near that same door that I had seen so long ago on the day the Oracle killed me.
In front of it, stood Abbadon.
He stepped forward and walked down the steps to meet us as he readied his lance.
"Mizik Iratus...today you will die!" He said angrily.
"Lots of people have been saying that lately. I'm really starting to doubt it," I said.
"Ah! So cool! Kyaaa!!!" Cassandra said as she clung to my arm.
"Fool...you no longer have the power of the Abyss Engine. I am at my full strength! Can you stand against the god of destruction!?" Abbadon said.
"Can you? Get out of my way, Abbadon," I said coldly.
He stood ready to attack.
"Ugh...I really don't want to bother with you before I deal with Rose and the Oracle," I said.
"Darling...I have a personal score to settle with this one. May I have this battle?" Cassandra said.
I looked at her.
"Are you sure? Can you handle Abbadon?" I asked.
She smiled and nodded.
"It might be a tad tricky due to not having the power of the Abyss Engine, but I should be able to deal with him easily, darling. And once I'm done, I'll meet up with you as you face the Oracle!"
"Very well. I'll go then. Don't die, okay?" I said.
"Ah! I haven't forgotten your orders, darling! I'll be with you again, shortly!"
She lunged forward and kissed me lovingly on the lips.
"Sorry...that wasn't too forceful, was it?" She said.
"Not at all. I love you, Cassandra," I said.
"I love you too, darling!" She said happily.
At once, I began moving forward.
"AS IF I'D JUST LET YOU WALK BY!?"
Abbadon struck the air next to him and looked around in confusion as I simply walked by.
"WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS!?" He roared.
"It's an illusion, you dense baboon," Cassandra said coldly.
I went up the stairs after that and through the door.
As I approached the top, I smiled to myself.
I hope you're ready to die, Oracle.
* * *
"Illusions, is it? Fine. I can also fight dirty," Abbadon said.
He channeled his power into his lance and glowing wings of chaotic energy sprouted from his back.
"Now then, let me just say... Already, I can tell that you're far more insane than your sister. Yet...just as pleasing to the eyes. How about this, if I beat you, you'll think of me as your new master," Abbadon said.
Cassandra held her hand over her mouth as she felt herself gag.
"Ugh...absolutely disgusting..." She said.
"How dare you!?"
"How dare I? Who in their right mind would want YOU as a master? You filthy maggot! You disgust me!" Cassandra said angrily.
"Hahaha...very well. But soon, you'll beg me for my affection. I shall enjoy beating you into submission on this day!" Abbadon said.
He flew into the air and several black orbs appeared around him.
They shot towards Cassandra and she dodged them with ease. She began multiplying herself and throwing daggers everywhere.
Her clones leaped at Abbadon, but were obliterated by the ferocity of his magic before they could reach him.
Cassandra clicked her tongue in annoyance as she began silently casting magic at Abbadon through her daggers.
She cast black chaos lightning, but it was nullified in his field of chaotic energy.
Then Abbadon rushed towards Cassandra.
She managed to block his lance with her dagger, but only just barely.
He began rapidly thrusting at Cassandra with his lance.
She made strong efforts to dodge, due to every thrust creating an explosive shockwave.
Eventually, she grew tired of dodging his attacks and created an illusion of herself continuing to dodge.
Cassandra moved back as Abbadon began striking the empty air in front of himself and watched him
"He is certainly much stronger than I anticipated... But if he cannot see through my Illusions, this battle is already mine."
[Wielder, are you bothered by his strength? You already have the tools to win.]
"I am aware, Intelligence. I seek amusement from him. Satisfaction. He has insulted me with his actions and his most recent comments and declarations have greatly disgusted me."
[Very well, wielder. See that the will of Vengeance's wielder is done.]
"There is no need to tell me such things."
Once Cassandra finished analyzing Abbadon, she manifested several shadowy daggers cloaked in her own virulent miasma.
She threw them at Abbadon and he created an explosion...destroying them all.
"Oh...how annoying..." Cassandra said.
"That cheap trick won't work on me!" He said as he continued striking at the illusion.
"Imbecile..."
Then, Cassandra dispersed her illusion.
Abbadon looked around.
"Where are you...? You cannot hide from me!" He said.
"Over here, you fool. Honestly, you're so boring. It feels like a waste of time fighting a meathead like you with such an absurd amount of destructive power. Are you willing to give up yet?" Cassandra said.
"Not likely. I have a job to do and that includes dealing with you!"
"Then you will perish in the horror of my illusions!" Cassandra said.
She shot forward as Abbadon readied his lance.
He fired a black laser that Cassandra just barely dodged.
Once she came within his range, she prepared to strike, but was blown back by an explosion.
"Ugh! Filthy mongrel!" She said.
"Now I'll ask you...are you ready to give up? I am quite curious... You have such beautiful pink hair. Do the carpets match the drapes?" Abbadon said.
It took every ounce of willpower that Cassandra had not to throw up at his comment.
She doubled over as she held her hand over her mouth.
"Haah...ugh... You are revolting... Guh... I will not dignify such a filthy question with a response!" She managed.
Abbadon glared at her in rage.
"I can't wait to make you suffer."
Abbadon stabbed his lance into the ground. Then black chaotic energy began to envelop his entire body.
His eyes glowed blood red as his lance became charged with more power.
"Behold...the supreme form of the god of destruction!" Abbadon said.
Abbadon's power exploded as the pressure began to build.
Then he lunged forward to strike Cassandra and she manifested several illusions in response.
If not for the clones and illusions, she would have been obliterated as explosions and chaotic energy violently erupted all around Abbadon.
At this point, Cassandra had trouble even getting close to him.
Normally, an enemy would be simple to assassinate, but she couldn't even parry his lance away.
"Oh...fine!" She said.
She created numerous clones and floating daggers.
Cassandra mouthed the words to the ability she ordered all of her clones to use.
At once, they all used lotus slash.
They manifested several daggers around themselves as they darted towards Abbadon while spinning rapidly.
Abbadon created an explosion that obliterated them all.
Luckily, that was only a distraction.
Hundreds of daggers were now in place around the surrounding area.
And Cassandra mouthed the words for magus stream.
At once, magic shot from her dagger into a floating dagger.
It rapidly spread out to the others and they fired a barrage of explosive arcane lasers at Abbadon.
But Abbadon simply folded his wings over himself as he created an explosion to deflect and nullify the harmful magic.
Once it had finished, even the daggers were destroyed.
Then he smiled at Cassandra.
"Is that all? And here I thought you would be a problem!" He said.
"By his Majesty, Mizik... You are annoying. I admit that you are quite powerful... But alas, I still have one more trick."
"Ha! Use all of your tricks! I'll obliterate them all!"
Cassandra simply smiled.
"Are you aware that the Deus Arms possess four forms?"
"Of course I am. But you've been using yours all along haven't you?" Abbadon said.
Cassandra's smile became even wider.
Truthfully, she had gotten a significant power increase from both resonating with Vengeance and gaining power from the destruction of the demonic realm.
But...
Her power still had room to grow as long as Intelligence never assumed its final form for the first time.
Cassandra manifested the sheath of Intelligence over her blade and held it out in front of her. Runes appeared on the sheath that she began reading.
"I CALL UPON THE TRUE POWER OF THE DEUS ARMS!!! I, THE WIELDER OF INTELLIGENCE, HAVE ANALYZED MY ENEMIES AND ACQUIRED GREAT WISDOM! I HAVE RESONATED WITH THE OVERSEER AND COMMAND YOU TO RELEASE YOUR TRUE POWER!"
As Abbadon heard her speak, he seemed to become worried for a moment.
"INTELLIGENCE FORM FOUR: CLOAK OF THE MASTERMIND!!!" Cassandra roared.
She unsheathed Intelligence and was surrounded by a pillar of pure arcane power.
"Hehehehehehe... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! DIE FOR ME!!!" She laughed.
A beautiful black cloak with a glowing blue design appeared on her back and wrapped around her body.
"Huh...a cloak? Is that all? A piece of clothing!? IS THIS A JOKE!?" Abbadon shouted.
He readied himself for battle and stopped as he felt something cutting into the skin of his neck.
He flinched away from it and saw the slight shine of a wire close to his throat.
"What...what is this!?" Abbadon said.
But Cassandra was no longer paying attention to Abbadon. She had been flooded with near-madness-inducing amounts of analytical ability.
On top of acquiring a new passive, auto-analysis.
She immediately deployed a wide-reaching field of wires from beneath her cloak and hid herself far away.
What Abbadon saw, was only an illusion.
But the wires he was now surrounded with were very real.
Cassandra could now see every part of Abbadon's power. And although he was strong, Cassandra was now far stronger.
All it would take to end his life at this point, was the flex of her finger.
Still, Abbadon thought to resist.
He created another explosion to blow away the wires, but failed miserably because Cassandra immediately redeployed them.
Every time he moved, he would injure himself.
"Your fate has already been sealed," Cassandra said in a low tone.
Abbadon blew away the wires and lunged for Cassandra's clone.
However...
He was wrapped up and tangled within more wires.
"How absurd. Do you think I would actually show myself? What you see isn't the real me..."
Cassandra controlled her like a puppet master.
The clone reached up and hooked her finger on one of the wires.
Then she mouthed the words 'black chaos lightning'.
Explosive electricity shot through all of the wires on the field and Abbadon was hit by it from multiple angles.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! YOU BITCH!!! YOU DAMN COWARD!!!"
"Too bad... This battle is over. I wish I could have enjoyed it more...but alas, the only thing I truly enjoy is being in the presence of my darling Mizik. Goodbye, Abbadon," she said.
Then she pulled the wire as she mouthed the words for 'magus stream'.
Arcane power flowed through the wires and blasted Abbadon as he was sliced to pieces.
The fragments of his body crumbled to dust as a pillar of energy was released from his body.
Once it had finished, Cassandra heard Intelligence speak.
[Rejoice, my wielder. Our salvation is here...the Overseer awakens.]