"Two Archangels of Fire?"
Khajiit's previously calm face stiffened. His eyes narrowed, alertness sharpening instantly.
He had assumed the twin angels were merely the result of a magic item—a divine summoning scroll perhaps. But seeing them now, standing like sentinels wreathed in holy flame, made him reevaluate.
This… wasn't some external tool.
It was a show of true magical strength.
"Troublesome..." Khajiit's grip on the Orb of Death tightened, the artifact's cold power pulsing in his palm. "So, you've been targeting me from the beginning."
His eyes flicked toward the dark-robed man standing calmly amidst the flickering light cast by the angels. The figure hadn't introduced himself—hadn't needed to.
"Only agents of the Theocracy can summon two fire archangels. Who are you?"
But Minori didn't respond.Instead, he raised one gloved hand and snapped his fingers with cold finality.
"Purge the filth."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Archangels of Fire moved in perfect sync, wings igniting as they surged forward like divine executioners.The low-level undead Khajiit had scattered around the alley were nothing more than dry twigs before a wildfire.
Within seconds, limbs and skulls were flying—undead bodies reduced to smoking ash under the blaze of celestial wrath.
Khajiit winced. The backlash from his obliterated summons coursed through his nervous system, his negative energy briefly disturbed. His bald brow twitched involuntarily.
"Arrogant bastard!"
He raised his staff and snarled."You're not the only one with tricks—! Let me show you what true necromantic power looks like!"
—
A circle of shimmering blue appeared at his feet.
"Third-tier magic: Summon Undead!"
From the circle, a figure began to rise.
Not a shambling corpse.Not a brittle skeleton.
No—this one gleamed faintly. Its bones held a metallic sheen, its posture was straighter, more trained.
A torn blue cloak fluttered from its shoulders, and the creature bore both iron sword and shield with seasoned readiness.
Third-tier undead: Skeleton Warrior.
And then—
"Third-tier magic: Create Undead!"
Black energy like congealed tar slithered around Khajiit's feet, surging into the bodies of lesser undead nearby. Their forms were twisted, broken down, reformed.
A second skeleton warrior rose.
Minori remained motionless. His burning archangels hovered protectively at his flanks, but he didn't issue a command.
He was watching. Evaluating.
—
Khajiit's lips curled upward.
"Still not impressed?"He lifted the Orb of Death.
The dull black gem began to glow with oily, iron-hued light.
"Enhance—Undead Summoning!"
"Enhance—Undead Creation!"
Boom—!
Dark power surged outward, stirring the air itself into a vortex of miasma. The cobblestones cracked beneath his feet.
A third skeleton emerged.
Then a fourth.
All bore the same polished frame, the same soldier-like readiness—undead with combat programming and physical reinforcement.
Now numbering four, the Skeleton Warriors lined up in front of him like an honor guard of the damned.
Minori's brow lifted, just slightly.
"Four third-tier undead at once?"
"Hahahaha!!" Khajiit cackled, madness dancing in his eyes. "Understand now? This is power! You're nothing but a fraud hiding behind light and feathers!"
"Go!" he roared.
The Skeleton Warriors sprang forward.
Two clashed head-on with the Archangels, iron shields raised. Swords sparked against flaming blades.
The other two circled wide, attacking from the flanks. The strategy was sound.
Bang! Bang!
Twin impacts rang out.The Fire Archangels faltered for a moment, flapping backward to escape the coordinated assault.
Khajiit blinked.
They hadn't fallen?
Despite a four-pronged strike?
"They're… stronger than expected…" he muttered.
Still—he wasn't done.
"Lower Tier Enhancement: Strength!"
A blue aura pulsed through the skeletons.
"Armor Reinforcement!"
Another layer of light coated their bones, hardening joints and torso plating.
"Flame of the Dead!"
A sickly white flame crawled along the undead forms—negative energy fire. It burned cold, and it was especially potent against divine summons like angels.
Khajiit grinned wildly.His four warriors now exuded an aura of disciplined malice, fire clinging to their bony frames like war banners.
"Now do you see? This is the strength of a necromancer who's transcended mortal limits!"
—
Minori exhaled slowly. His voice was flat, unimpressed.
"...Impressive."
Khajiit smirked.
"Too late to regret—"
"I meant," Minori cut in, lifting his head slightly, "that this must be your limit."
"What—"
The temperature shifted.
It wasn't heat. It was pressure—divine authority pressing down on the air itself.
Minori's hands, hidden beneath his sleeves, moved through rapid somatic gestures. Rings on his fingers shimmered.
A chorus of celestial tones echoed across the ruined alley.
Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.
Six new lights descended from above.
Six Archangels of Fire.
Where there were once two, now stood eight blazing celestial warriors, each bearing greatswords of flame and eyes of judgment.
The corrupted stench of the undead was washed away in an instant.
Khajiit's expression shattered.
"No—no! That's impossible! That's not how angelic summons work—!"
"Even a specialized necromancer can only control so many summons of the same tier!