Chapter 21: Ashen Undead

Athen was not expecting this kind of scenario happening, Charlotte being able to use Anima Pactum - the proof of the bond between human and their Devil.

The Charlotte standing before her is a mixture between human and the Akashic Records. But Charlotte did not say Akashic Records, only Akashic Survive. Athen realized something.

Charlotte... she have the potential to use eight different Anima Pactum...

Athen smiled internally, she did not expect the Devils inside Charlotte to have this much potential. Just like hers.

The mist around Charlotte condensed into weapons, multiple of them, all floating in the sky glowing beautifully in the night. Spears, swords, axes, all kind of weapons ever made by humanity, but strangely, there are no firearms or modern weapon.

All the weapons rushed at Athen at the speed of sound, Charlotte followed behind just by one second. This should be overwhelming for Athen, but she just smiled.

She can handle more than this.

"Aegis."

A golden shield appeared in her hand, followed by the roar of thunders. She raised the shield, most projectile became broke on contact and returned to becoming the strange blue mist.

Charlotte slide under Athen, taking the oppotunity she punched the woman in the stomach. The force of the punch is far stronger than what Athen expected, she felt her internal organs was crushed.

An urge to cough up blood rose up, Athen suppressed it. Charlotte continued her push, sending Athen far away. Losing her posture, the remaining weapons stabbed into Athen then returned to mist. The weapons reformed into weapons shortly after.

All right... this might be more difficult than I thought.

Athen stood back up, her wounds slowly healing while she summoned another equipment.

"Nikiforos."

A suit of dark red skintight clothing enveloped her body. A protection that helped protect against the reformed weapons very well.

Athen was about to summon another weapon, but a chill down her spine stopped that action in it's thought. She felt the ghostly image of Styx, the Goddess of Oath, appeared behind her with a deathly glare.

"This have to do then..."

The weapons tried to penetrate Athen's body, they only broke into blue mist when touched Athen's bodysuit. Not a single damage was done to her. Some aimed for her head, but they were easily blocked by her swordsmanship and shield.

Seeing penetration weapons have no more effect, Charlotte broke the rest of the weapons back into mist. Her eyes still have no emotion, a perfect poker mask.

Charlotte rushed in followed by even more mist created from her body. Athen timed her swing, this speed is nothing for the woman. She swung her sword down at Charlotte, right into the shoulder like butter.

Athen thought she would cleave Charlotte's shoulder off, but something else happened. A stream of blue pellets hit Charlotte in the side, sending her flying and avoiding the full swing of Athen.

Charlotte dug her right hand into the concrete ground, leaving five trails of bloody dent on the ground. Athen got an urge to go by the girl's side and check on her, she yelled.

"Charlotte! Are you okay?!"

Charlotte only stared at Athen without responding. She looked at her right hand for a brief, which already healed. She tilted her head, as if wondering what Athen was talking about.

While Athen was staring at Charlotte, the mist reformed into thousands of pellets. Then all came at Athen like rain, faster than the previous weapons.

Athen only had a split second to protect herself. She was able to raise her shield to protect her head, letting most hitting her body.

The first few hit only cause Athen to flinch a bit. But as time went on she realized the gravity of the situation.

"Oh shit..."

The sheer amount of pellets started to cause rumbles in her body, each hit adding to the one before. She was overwhelmed.

Fuck!! Is this a fucking boss fight?!

Charlotte only stared, looking defenseless. There was only one way to stop this.

"Come here!", Athen shouted and went for it.

For the first time since she transformed, Charlotte spoke with a frown, "No way.", she backed away.

While still shielding her head from the storm of bullets, Athen threw her sword at Charlotte, forgoing her weapon.

Please dodge, please dodge! 

Instead of dodging, Charlotte punched the sword aside, flinging it very far away. Athen saw her sword's figure disappeared from her field of vision.

"Whelp... at least it didn't hit her...", Athen muttered.

"I heard that.", Charlotte coldly replied.

"Ah right, the super hearing thingy."

"Yes.", Charlotte nodded her head, she raised her hand and a gigantic glittering blue staff formed by the blue mist.

Athen noticed the rain of pellets has lessen, probably most gathered to create the staff.

With perfect precision, Charlotte threw the staff easily as if it weigh nothing. The staff also fly faster than it should.

Athen lowered herself, sliding down underneath the giant staff. She went to look for Charlotte, but the girl was nowhere to be found. 

"Oof!"

The entire staff crashed into her mid way in the air. Through the half clear staff, Athen could make out the glowing azure eyes of Charlotte. The damage caused by Charlotte was not that much, she was only incapable of moving.

Charlotte slammed down her foot, really trying to kill Athen. In response, Athen recalled her black sword striking the side of the staff making Charlotte's footing slightly off.

Unfortunately for Athen, Charlotte was able to stay on. The girl creates lines of blue pellets, and again they all hit Athen's sides causing internal damages to her organs. Athen wanted to scream because of the pain, but she only let out a squeek instead.

With no other choice, Athen focused herself and channeled her strength into her shield. The round shield glowed a golden color as electricity coming off it. The shield twitches, holding more and more power. 

Noticing the strange occurrence of the shield, Charlotte observed it to find out what it would do. Athen smirked, noticing the focus of the azure gaze shifted.

"Unleash!!"

The shield exploded, knocking Charlotte off the staff as the construct loses it's shape. Athen quickly stood up and moved back, getting a hold of herself as her left arm twitches with electricity and scarred by the blast.

"FUCK!! THAT FUCKING HURTS!!", Athen yelled loudly, getting off all of her frustration. Having enough of holding back, Athen rushed at Charlotte, no shield, no sword, only good old fists.

Seeing this, against her better judgement - Survive - she stopped with the pellets and have them returned to being mist.

Charlotte got the first hit with a straight punch into Athen's breast. Athen winced a bit due to the shockwave sent through her entire body.

"Soft.", Charlotte commented with a frown.

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Athen blushed, gritting her teeth while swung a punch at Charlotte, "Don't be a fucking pervert like Silla!!"

Charlotte casually ducked, getting away with Athen's blow. That was what Charlotte thought, she felt a shock through her body mid way dodging. Athen gave her a good punch to the head, knocking her down to the ground.

Charlotte tried to sweep Athen off the ground. But the experience difference showed, Athen stomped her right foot down into Charlotte's left calf, getting a reaction out of the girl. It only was a winced.

"You messed with the wrong person, Charlotte Silvi!!", she gave her foot more force, cracking Charlotte's calf as it began to bleed under Athen's shoe.

Charlotte created a blade behind Athen's head, launching it at full speed towards the woman in an attempt to stab her. Athen only cracked her neck, letting the blade fly through and came very close to hit Charlotte.

"Even if you have all the survival experience of humanity, I still am the hunter here.", Athen stated sternly, her sword flew back to her, giving her a chance to place the blade next to Charlotte's neck.

Charlotte created a big hammer, smashing the construct into Athen's back as it broke into mist. It resulted in a groan from Athen.

"Fuuuuccckkk!! That fucking hurts like a motherfucking truck!!", she glared at Charlotte with annoyance, "You are so lucky that I was supposed to protect you! Now please surrender, please!!!"

Charlotte tilted her head, her eyes briefly moved from Athen to her leg, then back to Athen. Without a sound, the mist formed a staff and swung by Athen's head. Athen dodged it easily with another neck crack. But another staff was made, smashing into Athen's neck as she cracked it to dodged the first one.

This time it prompted a yelp from the woman, she was knocked off balance and gave Charlotte enough time to run away. 

"Fuuck!!", Athen cursed, glaring angrily at Charlotte, "You are annoying!!"

Athen noticed her sword was gone, it slipped out of her hand. She looked around, to find it ended up in Charlotte's hand. With a huff, Athen summoned her sword back, but Charlotte grabbed onto it for dear life, coming at Athen with what look to be a kick since her leg is extended out.

 

As predicted, Charlotte did went for a kick so Athen grabbed it and crushed her ankle, prompting a flinch from Charlotte. Charlotte tried to grab a hold Athen's windpipe to crush it, without free limbs Athen headbutted Charlotte.

Blood coming out of both of their heads, but Athen is doing worse than Charlotte. Between the two it was clear whose healing power is better. And again, between the two, Charlotte is willing to fight much dirtier.

Two needles made of mist came for Athen's eyes, she did not noticed them at first but by the time she saw them it was already too late. They punctured her eyes, blinding Athen.

"Arggh!! Fuck!!", she held onto her face, dropping Charlotte's leg. Athen is pissed now.

Charlotte continued trying to kick Athen in the face. But again, Athen quickly raised her guard and her armor took the blunt of the damage.

"What the fuck is this shit?!", Athen shouted, first time cursing at Charlotte.

"Justice.", Charlotte surprisingly replied while distancing herself from Athen.

Justice?!

"The hell does that mean?!"

"I can access two more Akashic when they are sealed, on top of something... more obvious?", Charlotte tilted her head.

What the fuck does that even mean?!

Charlotte approached Athen with light steps, making not a single sound. She lowered her voice, still speaking as if she did not take a step forward, "Learning."

Charlotte threw a punch at Athen, who sensed the fist incoming but was too late to block it. It hit her right in the face, knocking some teeth out.

Athen tried to swing at Charlotte, she was not at the location she originally was. She took another hit in the back. Then her side. Then her stomach. Then her thigh. Then the other thigh. Without her eyes, and unable to use her other Hell Armaments, Charlotte clearly have the upper hand now.

There is no other choice, is there?

"Alright! Alright! I surrender!!", Athen made her sword vanished, she raised her hand surrendering.

The attack stopped, Athen felt the collar of Styx go away and easier to breathe. 

"Asclepius.", Athen summoned a blue bottle and drank it right away.

Her wounds healed instantly, as well as her sight. With a disgrunted look, Athen stared at Charlotte, who is just standing there. Charlotte got out of the Anima Pactum, waving to the wind as if she was a fragile leaf, it was absolutely not the case, not at all.

And how the fuck did that fucking hat stayed on?!

"Hey Charlotte, how did you... keep your hat on?", Athen asked, pointing at the black fedora, now with a black feather.

"I used Reverie to hold it on.", Charlotte pointed at her head, perhaps at the Reverie she talked about, "Reverie said 'hi'."

"Hi?", Athen replied back with a strange look.

"Now, the prize.", Charlotte smiled, expecting Athen to give her the prize like a child. This is the first time Charlotte act like a child.

"O-Okay... if you say so."

Athen took a step back, far away from Charlotte as possible. Athen took a deep breath.

Alright then, give her a show, partner.

Alright then, Athen!

"I am Athen Argentum, Contractor of the Prince."

The symbol of a red bident formed under Athen, then a trident, to a lightning, a flower, a spear, a mirror, and many, many more symbols.

"Devil of Hell, He who rules the World."

Divine weapons, owned by gods of the Greek pantheon, owned by the Primordials in Greek mythology, owned by heroes of Greece. Not just weapons, but others items too appeared, all scattered throughout the Greek folklore.

"He who inherited the Greek world, sitting on the Throne of Kronos."

All weapons, all items, all turned translucent and merged with Athen's body. Her hair turned to a dark color like the depth of Tartarus, eyes changed color - crimson red like the flame of Hell for the right, and the green of the earthly world for the right.

The bodysuit of the Goddess of Victory, Nike, turned white as it returned to it's original color. A crimson chestplate equiped on Athen, the armor of Ares, the God of War. Other pieces of armor, belonged to Greek gods, too appeared on Athen.

And the crystal crown of Kronos, the God of Harvest and second king of the pantheon, landed on her head, filling her with commands over time.

"Anima Pactum - Zagreus"

Athen smiled, taking steps toward Charlotte. She was far taller than before, just like a god on Earth. Charlotte took a step back, being cautious as this was something she could not beat.

Looking down at the girl, Athen smiled, "My Devil is the Prince of Hades, and the King of Greece, Zagreus."