Demoness 2 - Chapter 72 - To Finish a Retreat (Patreon)

Elania read the list of perks again, a frown appearing on her face.

[Available Perks: (Radiant Aura), (Divine Resilience), (Righteous Smite), (Divine Regeneration), (Angelic Bulwark), (Divine Mending)]

Well, wasn’t that just great? No descriptions, and while at first glance some of them sounded cool, they felt highly redundant.

[System Analysis, User Activation.]

Her mouth fell ajar. What? A series of cards with descriptions appeared in front of her, while Anton and his paladin buddies formed a loose line and readied their weapons.

[(Radiant Aura): Surround yourself with a brilliant celestial aura that allows you to control physical and magical effects in its area. The aura’s intensity and size can be controlled, allowing for strategic use in combat situations.]

Pass. Elania flipped the card away, causing it to dissolve into motes of light. She already had [Demonic Aura] and it provided basically the same effects.

[(Divine Resilience): Gain a significant increase in resistance to both physical and magical attacks. This perk grants a passive boost to your defensive capabilities, making it easier to withstand enemy attacks. The resilience grows stronger as your celestial attunement deepens.]

Okay, that sounded better and maybe worth considering. Elania looked at the next card.

[(Righteous Smite): Unleash a powerful burst of celestial energy that deals devastating damage to enemies within a targeted area. The smite can be channeled for increased power and range, consuming more [Power] in the process. This ability requires a period of rest between uses.]

She flipped it away. She already made energy blasts with [Power] and this didn’t seem to be much different.

Plus the ‘rest’ requirement was horrible. How many times did she get to rest during the battle? Wasting her perk on a one-use skill—not going to happen.

Not without a very compelling reason.

[(Divine Regeneration): Harness celestial energy to rapidly heal wounds and recover from injuries. The regeneration rate is increased when out of combat and can be further enhanced by high [Divinity] or by being within the presence of strong celestial energies.]

Bust.

This one she got rid of immediately. [Regeneration] worked just fine.

[(Angelic Bulwark): Summon a celestial barrier that protects you and nearby allies from harm. The shape and size are determined by the User’s will. The strength and duration of the bulwark depend on your celestial attunement and the amount of [Power] invested in its creation.]

This seemed useful.

So far, she had been using her [Demonic Aura] for the same purposes, but it was limited in what she could do.

Especially over time, since keeping a certain level of [Power] in the aura took constant input to maintain.

[(Divine Mending): Mend the wounds of allies using celestial energy, restoring a portion of their vitality and granting them a temporary regenerative effect. The mending can be cast at a distance and can be empowered to heal more grievous wounds at the cost of increased celestial energy consumption.]

The memory of the wounded guard hit her hard. She’d been lamenting the lack of ability to heal. What if it had been Yolani calling out for water?

She’d have been helpless.

But… it was actually useless for helping her with the fight on her hands.

[Divine Resilience] seemed like the option she needed for that. Her next milestone for a perk point was another 100 levels.

Elania glanced at the cards one last time, her mind racing. She didn’t need to decide right now.

Anton and his paladins charged forward, their weapons flaring with magical energy.

Fighting them was optional, too.

She crouched and then leaped straight up into the air, her wings snapping open. The paladins skidded to a halt, their faces contorted with surprise and anger.

“After her!” Anton roared.

Magic slices whizzed past Elania as she climbed higher, the wind whipping through her hair. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a glowing blue whip that tried to snag her ankle.

[Skill Gained: Aerial Evasion (Rank E)]

The corner of her mouth twitched. She’d finally gained a skill on her own!

She pushed herself to go faster; the attacks growing sparser as she gained altitude.

Elania glanced down at Bannon, still locked in combat with Elder Holt. She could help him, but—

Movement caught her eye. Anton and his paladins were charging down the wall, heading straight for the retreating guards.

“No,” she growled.

She angled her wings and shot forward, determined to reach the chasm first. The guards were vulnerable, exhausted from the battle. They wouldn’t stand a chance against the fresh paladins.

Elania poured [Power] into her wings and even formed a blade in front of her with her aura to streamline the air friction. Her passage left behind a golden trail of light motes.

The chasm loomed ahead in less than a minute.

Elania glanced over her shoulder, realizing there was only one real choice she could make to slow them down. Without engaging them in a fight on their terms.

As soon as she reached the other side of the chasm, she flipped around to face her pursuers. Scattered friendlies remained on the other side, but the paladins were cutting them down without even pausing.

Most had already made it across.

Elania’s gaze locked onto Anton, the wall, and the city watch citadel, all lined up in a perfect shot. She held out her hands, her fingers tingling with anticipation.

[Power] surged through her veins as she drew from her mana shards, this time using seven instead of six. The word ‘exponential’ echoed in the back of her mind.

The energy coalesced into an orb before her, massive and unwieldy. Elania gritted her teeth, struggling to compress the raw power into a manageable form. It fought against her control, threatening to explode in her face.

Finally, the orb relented, transforming into a blinding laser. It tore through the air, as wide as the seraph’s beam had been.

Elania’s muscles strained as she fought to keep the attack from pushing her back, her wings flaring to hold her in position.

The [Power] poured out of her in an unrelenting stream, and she had to consume another mana shard just to maintain her own reserve.

Just when she thought she couldn’t hold on any longer, the laser abated. Elania doubled over, panting heavily as she surveyed the destruction.

The wall, the city guard fortress, everything before her was gone. A gash nearly a hundred meters wide carved through the city and into the cavern wall beyond.

Molten lava seeped into the newly formed chasm, filling the air with an angry hiss of yellow sparks.

Elania’s heart sank as the realization hit her. At this rate, there wouldn’t be much of a city left to save or defend.

A flicker of worry crossed her mind as she remembered Anton’s teleportation magic. A foe like that wouldn’t be felled so easily.

She steeled herself, knowing the battle was far from over.

But for now…

She gained altitude and flew down the line. Enemy attacks had halted, and guards from the Magistry had sallied out from the district to assist with the withdrawal. Cannons from the walls blasted anything that moved.

It seemed that the enemy had finally been bloodied enough to need a breather, despite their numbers.

The retreat was over.

She was too numb to count the survivors.

Her wings flickered slightly.

She just wanted to go back to the tower and Yolani.

To close her eyes and rest.