The Ascension Of The Celestial Priest

The scene was almost apocalyptic; with heat and fire raining down in droves and a furious golden dome still resisting against the barrage like a pillar of heaven. Lukas f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y stood tall against it all, with beads of sweat matting his long hair, as he summoned from his body deeper reserves of mana he never knew he had.

By now Ulqiorra's followers were beginning to tire, endlessly frustrated at the tortoise like shell their enemies had holed themselves in. If there were facing against a known prodigy elite, they would have resentfully accepted their loss but who knew they would meet their match in some random woods, against a freak like priest with such powerful defense tactics that he could stand on his own against 4 Fire mages from the Tabernacle of Flames.

"Wear his shield down," Ulqiorra ordered them. "While I prepare to end this farce once and for all"

With that he took a deep breath and started acc.u.mulating mana as he uttered incantations in a low cadence that seemed as mesmerizing as the beautiful fire elements that agglomerated around him in a shimmering cloud of red.

Under the increased pressure, with his own sight blinded by the shower of fire and dust, it took all of his will just to maintain his position. Lukas felt as if his body was practically squeezed dry with each passing moment and his mind was pulled apart as he struggled to focus in maintain the same momentum that had sheltered them from the resulting mayhem.

Within a few moments, Ulqiorra was surrounded by a dazzling swirl of fire, a powerful crimson like haze that lingered around him like smoke before he suddenly opened his eyes and leisurely casted.

"Vermillion Suns; Hail of Destruction."

His voice was carried by the dismal wind, resounding throughout the scorched field before the surrounding fire elements condensed themselves into 3 specks that ultimately grew to be 3 large crimson spheres that hovered around him like miniature suns.

More than proud, Ulqiorra took a moment to taste the power coursing all around him before his focus sharpened at Lukas. The Vermillion Suns was one of their supreme spells within the House of Firaun, and it's all because the spell had the potential to grow with their casters. The more powerful the mage, the more orbs that could be summoned, making it a very convenient spell for the descendants of House of Firaun to master.

The resulting spheres were far stronger than any fireball, and they packed such an explosive might that they could render any enemies to pieces before burning them to ashes. As a tier 2 spell, Ulqiorra had used a lot of his resources in mastering the spell and it was supposed to be one of his trump cards against the fire streaked raven if they ever battled against it.

"I have never met a mortal priest so formidable like you" he softly praised, "I have finally witnessed the truth of the rumors that said the defenses of priests of the cathedrals were unparalleled,."

By now his followers had stopped their bombardment and were busy taking a breather. They prudently gave Ulqiorra a wide berth as the 3 floating orbs radiated so much power that it physically warped the air around it. .On their faces though, were plain gazes of admiration at the seemingly limitless power their maestro held within the reach of his hands.

Lukas finally got a moment of respite from their incessant barrage but it was all he could do as he grimly stared at the 3 crimson spheres, hovering around Ulqiorra in the powerful blaze of power. Geoff's face darkened while Moira could only bit her lip, clearly vexed as her incapability to help them out of their current crisis.

"I would have liked to recruit you if possible. It is not every day one gets to witness such powerful defenses especially against fire mages. But now…it's impossible." He glanced at his 3 miniature suns that were fully under his control. "This was a spell specifically meant for the dead beast but take pride for being the very first to experience it."

Almost as if he was toying with them, he only whispered " Go!" And one of the spheres streaked through the fields so fast that it was only a blur in the still air. It heavily clashed against the swirling shield with such momentum that it was accompanied with a huge boom that pulverized the golden dome in a cloud of crimson dust, causing Lukas to experience his worst backlash yet that forced blood to rise to his mouth, making him taste the metallic sheen at the back of his tongue.

The once swirling mass of energy was now suddenly reduced into a shadow of its previous might. That sphere of fire was enough to destroy everything in its wake but somehow Lukas held on. Even as blood escaped his pale lips and he felt like someone punched his guts out, he still kept a link with his shield and so the spell still lingered despite the fact that the once shining dome was so shattered it could barely be called a shield, with shards of its glass-like surface disassembling, before dissociating into motes of light that quickly disappeared into the smoky air.

"Ohh!" Now Ulqiorra was more than surprised. He reckoned that Lukas must be one of the most tenacious priests he had ever encountered especially when he had somehow withstood a direct blow from him, a peak mortal ranked mage.

Lukas meanwhile swayed on his feet, prompting Geoff to run towards him, allowing his severely weakened body to lean on his hands before Moira joined them, her striking face calm but her eyes venomous.

"It's enough." Geoff gently said to him. "We will take it from here." Moira added but Lukas knew. He knew they stood no hope against such a supreme spell. He had felt its power when he clashed against it and if they tried to stand against the remaining orbs with their weakened strength, they would surely be incinerated on spot. They had much more hope escaping but they knew they couldn't bear to leave Mira behind.

"You can't…" Lukas wheezed." He is too powerful..."

They were just about to say something to placate his fear before Ulqiorra crudely interrupted them with his sarcastic tone.

"This is surely a scene of camaraderie the bards would love to tell in their songs..." he mocked them. "If all of you had just agreed to stand down, it wouldn't have ended this way. One of my suns was enough to reduce him into this state; do you all think you can survive the rest?"

He walked towards them, surrounded by the spheres of fire that revolved around him like a god.

"Do you think I'm unfair my little priest or perhaps that it wasn't supposed to be this way" He seemingly wondered, his robe fluttering in his lackadaisical steps. "But one thing you learn very fast is that it's a Cruel Selfish World out here. This beast's flame is also of a vital importance to me and if I have to push through all of you to get it, then so be it." He plainly told them before his face settled into a mask of determination that sealed their fate.

"Go!"He commanded and the two spheres revolved faster and faster around him before they whizzed towards them in a full throttle that aimed to obliterate them to nothingness.

Lukas watched as the concentrated balls of fire come at him as full speed and for a moment all he could think of was the last words Ulqiorra said. It is a Cruel World indeed and that's was something he had learnt the hard way a lifetime ago. It was something he was forcefully ingrained to accept before he could make something worthwhile out of his previous life.

But would he just lie down and accept his fate? Accept that he could only cower in front of such threats and act like a victim? He had been bullied, oppressed and even humiliated in his past life but he rose every time it happened, no matter how much harder it got, no matter how much tears he had cried, no matter how much lonely he had felt. It was a burden he had carried for trying to live his truest life and even when he faced the life threatening magic that seemed to seek his current life, he didn't allow himself to falter.

He won't back down no matter how much battered he was…it was his inner stubbornness showing itself. The kind that had forced him to adapt into his new world, the kind that had carried him through the day they were ambushed by those rats, the kind that forced him to keep up his hope no matter how dismal it was, that maybe, just maybe that he might find a way back to his old home.

He struggled, raising himself as the shattered dome flickered around him like dying embers. But the moment their eyes crossed through the fields, Ulqiorra saw it for himself. The unyielding will that clearly defied him, Lukas's pale eyes that seemed as if they directly pierced his soul and laid b.a.r.e everything he truly was. It was the first time he felt so b.a.r.e and vulnerable and for some reason it riled him up, almost as if he was jeered at for being so hypocritical.

Caught by a wave of sudden anger, he thrusted his staff making sure his two miniature suns arrived directly into his face. Forget about recruiting him, he would rather he burned that contemptuous look of his in flames, never to be seen again.

Geoff paled but he instinctively raised his shield, a silver glare materializing in front of him while Moira had her staff ready, glimmering icy lights manifesting all around her. Both of them bravely faced the deadly assault without any hesitation and Lukas knew that they were ready to take on that blow for him.

A sharp cold feeling rushed through his tired senses, rejuvenating him long enough to realize what he must do. He couldn't allow them to risk their lives for him and so before they could collect themselves Lukas carried out something he never thought he could accomplish.

Muttering a silent apology, he summoned the last vestiges of his strength before unleashing a powerful psyche wave at them. It was something he had never tried before as he only previously used his psyche directly by moving small objects around or indirectly through mastering some of the most complicated sigils.

Maybe it was because he was at the precipice of life and death but the psyche wave released from him was like an invisible blast that rippled outwards like a tide, taking both Geoff and Moira by surprise as it smashed against them both, f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y carrying them away from him before the 2 orbs arrived just a second later.

BOOM!

The area around Lukas was engulfed in the burning crimson fire. The resulting force blasting both Geoff and Moira even further back, forcing them to sustain some injuries but it was their hearts that plunged into despair when they finally witnessed it happening.

The place Lukas was in was surrounded by flames that rose so high that there were sure there was no way he would have survived. Except unknown to them all, something did happen, something they would have never have imagined in their wildest dreams, something that was destined to never to be forgotten for as long as they lived.