Idle Mage: Humanity's Strongest Backer-Novel

"Hurry up you useless fools! Break it!" Neon bellowed at top of his lungs, glaring at the army of angels who are clearly doing their best to break the restriction that's barring their way.

The Seraph's expression was one of distress, anxiety, and anger. His calm disposition disappeared entirely the moment he felt the commotion happening down here. Behind him, the rest of the 1st Sphere Angels felt mostly the same.

'God damn it! Why now!? Why now of all days!?' Neon roared within his heart, he was extremely vexed.

How can he not be? Just a few days ago, Apostle Matthew returned to Paradiso to get something that would help them solve the problem that is the White-Cloaked Reaper. But, more importantly, he returned there to sign off the transfer documents for those who were stationed here!

This was a big thing. It had to be known that both the Angels and Demons who were stationed here didn't want to come here in the first place, they were sent here as a punishment. They've longed to come home to Paradiso and resume their regular lives, not spend their time in this desolate world where there's nothing for them but boredom!

They were about to go home! They were so close to going home and never returning to this place ever again! Yet there's this!

Something just 'HAS' to happen just when they're about to leave! How can Neon and his comrades be calm about this? How can they not be curious?

If this were to be another one of the White-Cloaked Reaper's killing spree, it would've been fine. Neon doesn't care if others were killed permanently under the hands of that reaper. So long as he can go home, it was fine. He doesn't care!

But this! This isn't something he can ignore! What's down here was the main purpose of their stay here! This is what they've been guarding. If anything were to happen to this, then Neon and the rest would be fucked! They can kiss their freedom a bitter goodbye!

"Come on, come on! Breakthrough, you idiots! Where's your energy? Are we not feeding you enough? Break this shit! God damn it!" Ulver angrily cursed on the side.

His face was one of irritation too. He's anxious, just like the others were. He prayed in his heart, again and again, for the Dragon Vein to remain the same. All for the sake of them coming home smoothly...

It wasn't just the Angels too...

The Demons were at it as well. They too looked anxious and scared. It's as if someone had taken their most precious someone as a hostage. They too were doing their best to barge inside the pocket dimension to check the status of the Dragon Vein.

In this, they're in the same position as the Angels. If something were to happen with the Dragon Vein, they're fucked.

"Who are you!?"

"What are you doing!?"

"No! Stop him!"

"Foul creature! Stop for me!"

"Pest! Don't you dare!!"

The First Sphere Angels and the Noble Demons were startled when all of a sudden, they heard a loud commotion above the surface.

"Bea, check it out." Neon ordered stiffly.

The Cherub nodded and immediately flew up to the surface using the tunnel they used to come here earlier.

The moment she arrived at the surface, alarm bells suddenly went off in her mind. Instinctively, she took out her sword and defended against an attack that she predicted to land on her.

Clang!!

"Oh, good instincts..." a deep and gritty voice sounded in her ears.

Bea's expression was twisted. Inwardly, she couldn't help but exclaim inwardly: 'Shit! How heavy! Who's this guy?'

It was only now that she had the time to inspect who attacked her.

The wicked edge of a large scythe swam in her vision, its gleam caused palpitations to rise in her heart. Shifting her vision, she saw a silhouette covered in a white cloak, wearing a plain white mask with holes for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

A pair of heterochromatic eyes locked on her, the right eye was blue silver, and the left eye was emerald. That gaze held contempt and a mild amusement in them.

The visuals screamed at Bea, all of it pointed to the mysterious being that had been the subject of their vexation during the last stretch of their sentence here...

"White-Cloaked Reaper?" Bea asked using an incredulous voice.

A crisp and raspy sound of laughter sounded in her ears, causing her to reel back in shock.

"Correct! Sadly, there's no prize for you."

"Shit!"

Bea suddenly felt an exertion of pressure. She was blown back by an invisible force. Whilst in flight, her instincts warned her again.

She focused and saw that the White-Cloaked Reaper held something in his hand and it was pointed at her.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Firearms!?" Bea was alarmed.

She watched as three streaks of light swiftly caught up to her. She could feel the killing intent behind those bullets, causing her to blanch mildly.

'What a potent killing intent!' She exclaimed.

Pink flames erupted from her sword. She raised her sword and kicked her legs back to stabilize herself, just in time for the bullets to arrive.

She did three slashes, one for each bullet. The sharpness of her sword easily dealt with the bullets, slicing them in half like a hot knife through butter.

But, when she looked at where the White-Cloaked Reaper was, she discovered that he wasn't even paying attention to her.

She watched in horror as the White-Cloaked Reaper swung his scythe diagonally with such strength that space itself was ripped.

A wide diagonal scar could be seen on the battlefield. It caused a suction force that the nearby Angels and Demons were pulled into it, dying miserably without being able to do anything.

"Stop!!!" Bea was horrified.

She could feel her blood running cold after witnessing that strike. And although she tried herself to stop him, even shouting at him using her Holy Voice, it did nothing. The man wasn't even fazed at all.

She could only watch as the blood of the angelic and demonic army stained the land, the majority of it was absorbed by the wicked scythe of the reaper.

Seeing this, Bea was shocked.

"Their blood...no! Their souls too! He's absorbing them into the scythe! Is this how he permanently kills them?"

"You're right again! How smart of you!"

Bea couldn't even react. He's just all of a sudden right in front of her, scythe raised high, amidst in the act of swinging down at her.

In her horror, Bea lost control over her body. Golden light exploded out of her body. Under extreme stress, she was unable to remain in her humanoid form and reverted to her true form.

Head of a swan, the torso of a human, six pairs of pristine white wings lined with pink eyes, her lower body was covered by the bottom pair of her wings, a pink and golden aura covered her entire body as three pairs of ritual swords hovered around her body.

This is Bea's true form as a Cherub.

"Ooh, finally revealed your true ugliness huh? Nice."

The mocking voice of the reaper sounded on her mind this time, causing endless vexation to fill Bea's heart.

As the Darling of Aesthetics, hearing this man refer to her beauty as 'ugliness' might be the most offending insult she could ever receive. One that she could and would not tolerate at all.

"Die for me!!"

Typically, Bea's voice, especially in this form, would sound like honey, an irresistible suggestion that would cause her enemy's will to be greatly shaken. In fact, everything that she does, even her mere presence alone, should've been enough to melt, even the heart, of a battle-hardened warrior.

Sadly, it does not affect Ashton since there's already someone who's occupying his heart. Therefore, her voice to him sounded wretched instead. Which is the ugly truth, anyway.

Ashton snorted. He pulled out the Mortal Reminder and swiftly condensed shot, shooting six times in quick succession, accurately aimed at the swords flying towards him.

Once he was done shooting, he didn't stop. He placed the guns back in the holster, he drew the scythe and immediately charged toward Bea.

As he flew past, the flying swords and bullets clashed. Neutralizing each other and kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured one's vision. This obstruction was of course, not enough to screen Bea's senses.

Unfortunately though, she's nowhere near fast enough.

While she could indeed follow his movements, her body was just a tad bit slower to respond to her commands, which resulted in her failing to guard herself in time.

Shank!

A piercing shriek was violently ripped out of her when the sharp edge of the wicked scythe penetrated her body. A gaping wound appeared on her body, and her golden blood was spilled eagerly, and voraciously drank by the scythe.

She tried to resist but she couldn't. In the dawning horror of her death, she could only say:

"Curse you, White-Cloaked Reaper!! I hope your bloodline withers and you die a very miserable death!!"

Her anguished voice sounded across the entire Chaotic Warzone, even reaching the ears of her comrades who were still down below.

Ashton snorted and ruthlessly yanked his scythe, cleaving the Cherub in half.

The last words Bea heard were...

"This is just the start of our payback, bitch. Now, obediently become nourishment for my scythe."

This battle, is far from over...