Chapter 78: Man vs Starfall

Minutes before the Incursion began, Basil and Plato observed the battlefield one last time.

Paris’ 7th Arrondissement, where the Eiffel Tower was located, was once one of the city’s core administrative districts. Though the monster occupation of the city had damaged them and filled the streets with sand, most buildings were still standing. Basil had an easier time jumping from one roof to the next than walking around corners.

All of the city center’s dungeons were crumbling on themselves. First, Notre-Dame had collapsed into a burnt out husk of its former glory, its neurotower destroyed by Leroy’s program. The Louvre Pyramid had followed soon after. Of the mighty pyramid, only the ruins of the former museum remained. Shellgirl and Leroy had managed to smuggle out a sliver of its wealth before the disaster, but not as much as they would have liked. Thousands of art pieces were now either destroyed or buried under the place.

From what Basil could tell, the Eiffel Tower would share the same fate soon enough. Paris’ last dungeon shone with the energy of harvested souls as earthquakes shook its foundations. Glider-riding demons and flying steam golems danced in the sky above its tip, awaiting Apollyon’s arrival.

So were the Bohens.

The team and their allies had taken positions all around the city in preparation for the lethal battle. Vasi, Zachariel, Leroy, and his remaining loyal monsters flew in the sky above the Arrondissement, ready to charge into the fray the moment Apollyon crossed over. The former Board member still had many soldiers under his thumb, even with the loss of his dungeon: hundreds of sphinxes, undead, and scorpion-like beasts were deployed to deal with the Apocalypse Force and had answered his call to arms.

Kalki, for his part, rode his pet bird right above Basil himself to provide support. His mount carried a loudspeaker in its talons to amplify his master’s bardic music. Bugsy and Shellgirl had returned to the Steamobile to take care of the howitzer near Montparnasse, while Neria Elissalde had taken a position on the hill of Montmartre. Rosemarine and Kalki’s other familiar Ananta lay in wait for an ambush elsewhere near Boulogne, in effect encircling the Eiffel Tower dungeon from three sides with long-range artillery. Fire Seeds hid in ambush all around the city at key junctions.

And then there were the other reinforcements. Basil opened his log and contacted his allies halfway across France.

BASIL: Are you ready for transport?

COLONEL RONALD MCVEGGIE: We await the king’s command!

That was the spirit. “Kalki, I’ll begin summoning!” Basil shouted at his ally. “I need your best performance!”

“At once, my friend!” The bard played a melodious tune on his silver flute, his mount’s loudspeakers amplifying the notes until they carried all across town.

Kalki’s [Song of Rejuvenation] granted you an advanced [Regen+] effect. You will recover 1/16th of your HP and SP per minute so long as you hear the song.

[All for One] spread the effect to your allies.

Now empowered, Basil raised his hand and called upon the cavalry.

“One for All II!” he shouted for all to hear.

His soldiers materialized around the building one after another. Gargoyle warriors, lycan soldiers, and undead armor appeared in a flash of red lightning by the dozens. Although Basil now possessed almost eight hundred SP to spend, he burned through them even faster than Kalki’s regenerative buff could keep up with. His soldiers possessed a level of twenty-five on average, so each squad of them demanded over a hundred points to summon. Basil alternated between using his Perk and drinking potions to keep up with the process.

Within minutes, hundreds of monsters associated with the Homeowners Revenge Association materialized around the building within minutes and spread around the Arrondissement.

“That’s a lot of mooks,” Plato noted as monsters rushed through the sand-covered streets of Paris. Each of them was armed to the teeth with either magical blades or modern firearms, courtesy of the French armed forces’ supply logistics. “How many do we have in store?”

“Around three thousand,” Basil replied. He could only summon a chunk of that number; the rest were needed elsewhere to secure other portals, and Ronald himself had to remain at the Château Muloup dungeon with a token force not to risk it away. The faraway dungeon would serve as a sanctuary for wounded soldiers capable of teleporting back to safety. “The spawn rate of dungeons is… insane.”

“Good thing we blew up many of them,” Plato said grimly. “You think it’ll be enough?”

“I don’t know.” Basil was an optimist, but a gulf of nearly twenty levels separated them from Apollyon. Tactics and numbers could only do so much to cover that chasm. He had to hope their advantage in buffs, preparation, and technology would prove enough.

Neria Elissalde forwarded him a message from halfway across town.

NERIA: We took positions the best we could, but we’re severely understaffed. We couldn’t get all the CAESAR artillery through the portal in time either. I’ve also been informed that the ISS has positioned itself right above the city.

Basil raised his head and stared at the sky. Although the rift and star circuit occupied most of the space above them, a bright star remained visible high above them. What was the Unity planning?

BASIL: Can it be destroyed if needed?

NERIA: General Leblanc has a missile ready, but as always we can’t tell what consequences will result from the ISS’ destruction. Send a message and we’ll shoot it down.

BASIL: We’ll wait a bit. With luck, the Unity will do our job for us.

NERIA: I doubt that… and is it truly wise to ally with Pluto? I know you said he was considering reforming, but I’ve seen too many repeat offenders to believe him.

BASIL: I think he is sincere. He has burned his bridges with Maxwell, and more to the point, we need all the help we can get. We can’t really afford to be picky today.

NERIA: Perhaps you’re right, but I would feel better if I could trust our new allies not to stab us in the back.

BASIL: He has helped close most portals. I think it counts for good behavior.

NERIA: It does, hence why I’m willing to trust you on this. I’m just skeptical that this alliance will last long.

Neria Elissalde’s next message arrived a few seconds later than expected. Basil could almost imagine her gathering her thoughts before sending it.

NERIA: Basil, if needed… The new code is Zizou1998Petit.

BASIL: What code?

NERIA: The Baguette’s code. If it comes to it, I authorize a first strike.

Basil paused a few seconds as he considered the implications. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t considered using the neutron bomb to bombard Apollyon, but the weapon would devastate everything within a two kilometers radius. Radiation would contaminate the area for years afterward.

Paris might have been a ruin, but it was still the French nation’s capital, the very symbol of their country. Retaking it would give people something they desperately needed in these troubled times: hope that things could improve. More than that, it remained full of unused resources that could turn the tide in Europe. Nuking it would be a tremendous waste.

More to the point, they couldn’t get close enough to the Eiffel Tower to guarantee a close impact. They would have to lure Apollyon to a specific point; a dangerous task, especially since Kalki risked getting caught in the crossfire. Basil wouldn’t have let the bard into the thick of battle if he hadn’t so heavily insisted on participating.

BASIL: Are you sure? You know the consequences.

NERIA: Considering what we’re up ahead… everything goes. Good luck, Basil.

BASIL: Good luck, Neria.

It was a long shot, but a man could always hope.

“It’s almost time, Basil,” Vasi warned from above, riding her broomstick at Kalki’s side. The Incursion countdown had fallen below five minutes. “If you want to use your lotus, it’s now or never.”

“Another time, perhaps,” Basil replied. “As much as I wish to switch Berserker for something else, changing my entire build right before a critical battle is more trouble than it is worth.”

Though he did have four extra levels to assign. Much like with Tamer beforehand, he went all in with the Deathknight of the Sepulchre class. The rush of new power infused his flesh with might and purpose.

Level 6, 7, 8 & 9 Deathknight of the Sepulchre stat gains: +4 STR, +2 AGI, +3 VIT, +4 SKI, +2 MAG, +3 INT, +4 CHA, +4 LCK. You earned 130 HP and 65 SP.

Death’s Banner II (Active): [Support], 10 SP per minute. Your faith empowers your party members, granting them the following benefits as long as they benefit from [Death’s Banner II]: All their attacks gain the [Deadslayer] effect (x3 damage against Undead types); immunity to the [Terror], [Zombie], and [Insta-Death] ailments; they do not take damage from ailments such as [Poison], though it doesn’t cure them of it; and their critical hits will inflict [Insta-Death] on the victims. This replaces [Death’s Banner I].

Lethal Vigil (Passive): Nothing will disturb your vigil. You are immune to all status ailments that would either impede your ability to freely choose your actions (such as [Berserk], [Madness], [Charm]...) or physically acting at all (such as [Paralysis], [Sleep], [Petrification]...). Self-inflicted ailments, such as those activated by your Perks or equipment, will still affect you.

Basil couldn’t help but smile mournfully upon seeing these new Perks. If only he had earned Lethal Vigil before encountering the likes of Tamura, it would have spared his team much grief.

“Time to buff, guys!” Basil shouted. “Death’s Banner II!”

“Such a chore,” Plato complained as he empowered Basil with a spell. “Mirage!”

“I’m used to it by now,” Vasi mused before casting her own spell. “Hasten.”

Layers of buffs and empowering effects spread from Basil to his allied monsters. His army became a blur as magic enhanced their speed and cloaked them in illusory veils. All for One was a misnomer; all were one would have been a better term. An entire army acted as a single organism infused with collective strength.

“Anxious, dog?” Plato asked as the countdown neared zero. He unsheathed Joyeuse, the sword glittering in the light of the portal.

“Au contraire,” Basil admitted as he summoned his halberd to one hand and a new laser gun to the other. He glared at Apollyon’s shadowy form in the sky with anticipation. “I’ve never been more ready.”

The countdown hit zero and the Incursion shattered the world.

The giant rift above the city let out a terrible noise, the screeching scream of space itself. Reality itself wailed as magical energies tore open a hole between worlds. All windows in Paris which hadn’t been destroyed yet exploded all at once, throwing glass shards in all directions. An invisible shockwave spread through the air and blew a strong wind into Basil’s face. His flying allies faltered a bit, but held strong. A long time ago, this power would have brought them to their knees, but now their strength and determination allowed them all to stand tall.

The golden circuit of stars above the city glowed brighter as otherworldly energy fueled the rift. A pillar of purple energy descended from it and upon the Eiffel Tower, swallowing it whole until the dungeon became indistinguishable.

“Here they come!” Vasi shouted a warning.

The swarm emerged from the pillar of light by the thousands.

The buzzing noise of numerous Apollyon Drones drowned out Kalki’s song as they entered Earth’s dimension. They came like a flood of locusts, darkening the sky with their numbers. Other monsters emerged from the pillar in their wake: beetles the size of elephants and fielding cannons on their backs; giant red mantis’ with sabers for arms; wasps with lasers for stingers.

Beetle Catapult

Level 28 [Bug/Artificial]

Faction: Apocalypse Force.

Red Mantis Sawdancer

Level 30 [Bug/Demon]

Faction: Apocalypse Force.

Death Wasps

Level 28 [Bug/Artificial]

Faction: Apocalypse Force.

A swarm of mechanized insects invaded Earth… and they were duly welcomed.

“Fire at will!” Basil shouted as loud as his voice could carry.

Neria’s troops fired the first shot from their position halfway across the city. A volley of missiles emerged from the city and carpet-bombed the area around the pillar. The famous Champ de Mars was swallowed in a series of explosions. Artillery projectiles, missiles, and bombs rained down from the skies, blowing out everything in sight.

The Steamobile’s howitzer opened fire as well, blasting the flying drones of Apollyon as they emerged from the rift. Leroy, Vasi, and flying monsters entered the fray. They moved like blurs empowered by their buffs, dogfighting the bugs with showy spells. The drones and flies reacted with dazzling lasers. Basil could hardly keep track of everything. The horizon had become a firestorm as far as the eye could see.

On the ground, Apollyon’s monsters spread in all directions and fired back with mindless zeal. The beetle catapults flattened empty buildings with constant bombardments, while their mantis allies were swiftly intercepted by Basil’s allied monsters in the streets. Chaos reigned, but hopefully, the swarm should remain contained.

“Basil,” Plato whispered in fear. “We’ve got a problem.”

Basil’s eyes widened as Apollyon’s shadow appeared in the pillar, growing larger, growing taller, growing deadlier. The Bohens’ leader had estimated the monster’s size as around a hundred meters beforehand, but as the monster grew closer to entering reality, he realized his guess was wrong by a long shot. The monster kept getting taller.

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NERIA: Basil, the ISS is falling!

“What?” Basil looked up and blinked in shock. As Neria warned, the light of the ISS was glowing brighter and brighter, enough to be visible through the rift’s eldritch energies. The spatial dungeon was falling off to Earth at incredible speed. “Those bastards…”

The Unity intended to drop the International Space Station on Apollyon the moment he crossed over. No doubt the impact would destroy Paris along the way.

“We need to shoot it down,” Basil said as he opened his Logs folder. “Neria, I–”

The earth trembled before Basil could give the order. The colossal creature beyond the rift finally crossed the pillar of light and made its presence known.

Apollyon entered Paris with a triumphant roar.

The titan reminded Basil of a giant prehistoric insect cyborg. Apollyon was bipedal, his appearance a cross between a bipedal ant and a wingless wasp. Yet Basil couldn’t see any hint of flesh or organic matter. A thick, purple cybernetic exoskeleton covered every inch of the Horseman of Famine’s body. Circuits pulsed on his articulations and four glowing red lamp-eyes shone above deadly mandibles. His two arms and legs ended in claws sharp enough to slice through concrete, while a mighty flexible tail dangled out of its back.

The most prominent part of the monster’s anatomy were a pair of colossal cannons resting on his shoulders. Both were wider than the Steamobile’s howitzer and linked to Apollyon’s head by thick steel gray metal cables. Red energy built up within them, ready to burst out and fire at a moment’s notice.

And more than that, Apollyon was simply colossal. The creature was nearly half or two-thirds the Eiffel Tower’s size, twice more than what Basil had expected. Apollyon loomed taller than any skyscraper in the ruined Paris. His steps shook the earth all the way from Basil’s position as he walked down the Champ de Mars. His insect monsters instinctively moved out of his path to avoid being trampled to death; their unnatural coordination reminded Basil of ants following a routine.

“An encirclement?” Apollyon’s powerful voice carried across the city as if amplified by loudspeakers. His words carried the strength of a monstrous conqueror and destroyer of worlds. “Cunning, but pointless.”

“That’s…” Plato, who was almost never afraid of anything, quietly lowered his sword. His eyes all but budged out of his skull. “That’s a big, big bug…”

“He’s…” Basil found himself at a loss for words. He was no coward, but there was no beating around the bush. Fighting the Horseman of Famine would amount to dueling a mountain. His fingers were longer than Rosemarine herself. “My God…”

Apollyon stood in the middle of the Champ de Mars and raised his head. His four red eyes glared at the falling ISS without fear; only a vague look of annoyance.

“Charge.” The two cannons on Apollyon’s back gathered power in response to his command. Magical energy built up inside the barrels until they glowed like twin suns. Apollyon’s flying drones fled out of their line of fire in anticipation, as did the monsters engaging them in battle. “Gehenna Cannon!”

A red flash swallowed the world and set the clouds on fire.

The light that erupted from Apollyon’s cannons was so blinding, so deadly, that Basil and Plato had to cover their eyes. Two mighty beams of red plasma surged across the sky, vaporizing everything in their path. Allies or foes, it made no difference; any creature too slow to dodge out of the line of fire was summarily annihilated. The two beams continued their course and split the sky in half.

The ISS, which had become a very visible falling star, was hit at the speed of light. Immediately a mighty explosion spread through the heavens above. Apollyon had struck true with a missile’s precision and a nuke’s firepower.

When at last Apollyon ran out of juice, nothing remained of the ISS; nothing but cosmic dust blown away by atmospheric winds. The skies were cleared of life, with not a soul to see.

“Vasi!” Basil checked his party menu in fear, but thankfully his girlfriend remained unharmed. She and the others had probably flown out of range before the Horseman of Famine could open fire.

“Gather our forces in one point to break the encirclement!” Apollyon ordered his troops as more of them emerged from the pillar. “We will secure the portal and scour this city to find the Avatar! I sense his presence! Bring him to me alive and devour everyone else! Cleanse this world of life! A barren wasteland shall be our prize!”

A beam of light hit Apollyon in the back as he finished his speech.

Rosemarine had shown an exceptional aptitude for stealth in Bordeaux in spite of her colossal size. The party had decided to make good use of it by having Plato cast an illusion spell on her. She struck Apollyon with all her might from across a large distance.

Basil had seen her mighty sunbeam vaporize monsters and torch castles. But compared to Apollyon’s own rays, Rosemarine’s assassination attempt amounted to a candle challenging the sun. The sunbeam burned the Horseman of the Apocalypse’s back without inflicting damage. At best it heated up his armor somewhat.

Missiles and artillery strikes followed in the wake of Rosemarine’s wake, hitting Apollyon without phasing him at all. In fact, he barely seemed to notice the attempts on his life. Projectiles powerful enough to blow up castle walls were as effective as pebbles thrown by children at a fully grown adult. Apollyon was simply too big and his metal armor too thick.

“Basil.” Kalki stopped singing above his friend, his calm face twisted into a grim expression of concern. Even his mount appeared intimidated by Apollyon’s display of overwhelming power. “What is your call?”

We can’t beat this thing conventionally, Basil realized. If artillery strikes couldn’t damage the titan, none of their normal weapons would amount to much. Worse, Apollyon was looking around the horizon searching for the source of the enemy bombardment. That leaves only one option…

After a moment of hesitation, Basil reached his decision. “Kalki, they want to capture you alive. Distract the swarm by luring them to the south.”

“It’s not the swarm I’m worried about.”

“Me neither, Captain Obvious.” Basil gathered his breath. “I’ll lure Apollyon to the Louvre’s ruins in the east and trap him there. Everyone else must evacuate the area.”

Kalki looked at Basil with concern. “You wish to fight him alone?”

“Almost.” Basil glanced at his most beloved companion. “Are you with me, Plato?”

The Rakshasa Kitten looked up at Basil, then at Apollyon, and then back at his best friend. He was clearly more frightened than he had ever been… but a true cat didn’t falter before danger. “I’m right behind you,” he said with a soft voice. “Always.”

Basil and Kalki exchanged one last glance, with the bard giving his friend a short nod. He didn’t agree with the plan, but trusted his ally to pull through. “Good luck, my friend,” Kalki said as he flew away. "Don't die.”

“Same for you,” Basil promised. Afterward, he glared at Apollyon, gathered his breath, and shouted as loud as his throat would allow him. “Fear me, Apollyon! I have a windshield and bug spray!”

Over two kilometers separated Basil from the Horseman of Famine, yet Apollyon proved to have sharp ears. The Horseman of Famine snapped his head in the challenge’s direction, his eyes quickly pinpointing Basil and Plato’s location.

“Bohen!” The insectoid titan’s many mandibles chittered in delight. “I told you I would come for you!”

“I’ve gotta ask!” Basil shouted at the top of his lungs. “Why are you so obsessed with me?! Certainly, I’m not the first person to squash you under my heel!”

“I have seen your kind time and time again on countless worlds.” Apollyon hissed threateningly, his mighty voice echoing across Paris. “Most weaklings are broken by violence, but some… some grow strong from adversity. One day they are larvae and mighty foes the next. If left unattended, they rise from humble beginnings to become heroes and leaders of their people. They become problems.”

He took a step in Basil’s direction, leaving a colossal footprint in his wake.

“And that is why you must die before your time, Bohen!” Apollyon declared with malice. “Because I know exactly what you will grow into if left ignored! I will never allow you to reach your full potential! For the sake of our ambitions, I will cut you down before you can become a threat to us!”

At the core of his argument, underneath the pragmatist, was fear, Apollyon was strong, but afraid that other creatures might rise to challenge him one day.

“So big on the outside!” Basil mocked him. “And yet so small within!”

Apollyon began to run in response.

Basil didn’t think someone so huge could run at all, but he did. And it was terrifying to watch. Apollyon rushed through the closest building in his path, shattering walls and monsters alike underfoot. Neither stone nor steel could stop him. The ground trembled with each step and a cloud of dust gathered around him. His eyes burned with murderous intent, telling Basil that he wouldn’t stop; that this mountain of steel would chase after him until he was dead.

“Now you’ve done it!” Plato complained as the duo rushed to the edge of the roof. Empowered by hasten, they closed the gap with the next building in a single bound. “Run!”

Basil followed the advice and fled across Paris’ roof with death hot on his trail.

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