Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul 264 WHOM YOU GONNA CALL? GHOST BEATERS!

It's been a while since I last went to Yami and had an Eidolon hunt. These past few months, Eidolons are rarely seen causing a mess in the people's minds. There were some reports that there is a Gate Guardian cleaning the cities, so there is already somebody who's doing our job. 

Less Eidolon kills mean less income for us. However, it is just a small price to pay for a month of peace. I don't regret living normally like the way it should be, but I think I'm getting rusty in battling these otherworldly beings. 

Well, the new recruit will be dealing with the Eidolon this time. We need to see the extent of his fighting capabilities as Jeanne said, so I expect I will not do anything here at all.

Jeanne, Helena, Tiara, and I are here to assess the new recruit's battle status. While Jeanne is busily explaining the mechanics on how we'll be scoring him, Helena and Tiara were there in the background, busily eating with their homemade cookies. I think the two are comparing their baking techniques so I did not disturb them both.

Thirty minutes of patrolling the Heightsburg Suburbs, and we finally saw an Eidolon. It is Level 2, and its appearance is similar to a typical ghost; a floating skeleton without lower body parts and it has its spine as its tail. It is a ghastly figure that wears a bridal headdress.

"EEEEEEEK!!!" The Eidolon shrieked upon seeing us as if it just saw a ghost that made a jumpscare. Its screams made us fall into shivers immediately, so we went to our battle positions and deployed our weapons.

"Here it is!" Jeanne said as she shifted glance to the new recruit. She raised her index finger and explained once more. "Remember, in this battle, you should-"

"Ain't nobody got time for that!" The new recruit said as he bolted forward. His gray hair swayed as he dives into the air. 

"Geez!" Jeanne pouted.

"Guardian Ability Activate: u003cForgeu003e!!!" The gray-haired Gate Guardian said. At that moment, two short swords materialized from his hands. "Haaaaah!"

The two short swords made a cross-slash towards the floating skeleton Eidolon. However, the Eidolon blocked it with its boney hands. The short swords made a small crack on the Eidolon's bones, but the force was not enough to truly damage it.

"A Level 2 Eidolon is nothing for me! Hyaah!" The new recruit jumped back and dematerialized his swords. In a brief moment, he used his u003cForgeu003e ability to create chains from his hand and used it to wrap the ghost-like a burrito. "This is over!"

"EEEEEK!!!" The ghostly Eidolon screamed again. Suddenly, several ghostly Eidolons with the same appearance spawned from the ground! Now there's about twenty of them! It seems that the shrieks of the Eidolon are able to summon its allies!

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!!!" The Eidolons cried in unison like they are divas trying to reach the highest pitch of their voices. 

"There's too many of them! We need to help!" Jeanne said as she immediately materialized her revolvers and converted it to gunblades. "u003cWindbladeu003e Set!"

"L-Leave this to me!" Tiara pumped her fists as she materialized her gauntlets. She charged golden energy from her right fist, ready to unleash u003cShenlong Driveu003e.

"Tiara, don't consume too much prana. We need to have you on top condition in order to sing the u003cSong of Salvationu003e" I warned.

"O-Oh, right!" Tiara said as she disabled the prana concentration on her fist. "I'll just go oraora with them then!"

"What's oraora?" I tilted my head.

"EEEEEK!!!" One of the ghosts charged to Tiara. However, the poor dumb Eidolon got a taste of Tiara's raw power.

"Oraoraoraoraoraoraoraora!!!" Tiara made about ten consecutive jabs straight to Eidolon's head which immediately eliminated the threat. After that, Tiara made a macho pose as she made her cheesy line. "Yare yare daze!"

Oh, so it's a Jojo reference. Great. Now she's applying what she learned from watching anime. I know I'm the one to blame for Tiara for being a weeb since most of our date-at-home involves streaming anime marathons.

"Hyaaah! Horeyah! Heisha!" Helena went on her rampage mode as she swung her buster sword left and right, downward and upward. She's still as strong as ever without a God Core, and she's still terrifying with that yandere smile of hers while she cut the bones of the enemy.

How about me? I'm just here, collecting the Quintessences of the Eidolons that get defeated. Jeanne, Tiara, Helena, and the new recruit seem to be holding on their own, so I think I don't need to fight. I need to collect those Quintessences and exchange those for money once we are finished here.

u003cu003e

"u003cForgeu003e!!!" 

The gray-haired Gate Guardian said as he materialized twin chakrams from his left and right hand. Exerting physical and magical force, he swung the chakrams as soon as he charged towards the enemy ghosts, and four was immediately eliminated.

Now there is only one Eidolon left, and it's up to the new recruit to finish it. He spun around and threw his twin chakrams towards the enemy.

However…

"EEEEEEEEK!!!" The Eidolon screamed again. The sonic wave of its shout repelled the incoming chakrams.

I felt a sudden surge of evil energy from the last enemy. My u003cPresageu003e is acting up as if the ghost is evolving to a much powerful and bigger kind. My prediction was proven right the moment the skull ghost revealed its glowing red eyes from its sockets.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!"

Suddenly, all the white dust remains of its allied Eidolons were magnetized to it as the source. Particles waltzed around the ghost until it all compressed to its body, creating a giant blob of white ghastly slime.

The slime spawns two, four, six skeletal arms from its side. It also molded a giant spinal tail on its lower body. A giant ribcage and a huge skull with menacing red eyes were formed on top of the slime. It is an abomination, and it has a power level similar to a Level 3 Eidolon.

The gigantic ghost spread out its six arms, charging energy on its palms. At that moment, I already knew what move it was going to make thanks to my u003cPresageu003e.

"Everyone, get behind me!" I cried as I surged forward and took the front line. As soon as I felt that everybody had complied with my command, I used the spell that would activate my ultimate form. "u003cAethernusu003e!!!"

A bolt of lightning surged towards me and covered me with platinum knight's armor. Blue circuits flowed through the gaps of my Aether Armor, signaling that it is fully operational.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOHHH!!!"

The gigantic ghost made a huge thunderclap by clasping all of its six arms. Electricity roared as the shockwave rippled around the area. 

To prevent the lightning shockwave from hitting my allies, I expanded my armor and created a time-space vortex. Ice shards spawned from each and every part of u003cAethernusu003e mimicking the opening of a peacock's tail. The ice shards pierced the dimensions, creating molecular black holes to absorb the shockwave and repel any excess friction.

"Wow, that's a cool armor you got there, Alaric!" Helena was amazed. "Nice save!"

"Yeah! That's amazing, Rikkun!" Tiara praised me.

I'm preparing for my ears, waiting for Jeanne's praise. But no. She's just there, staring at the enemy six-meter tall Eidolon.

"Darn, I didn't know it would be this powerful. This might be too much for our recruit."

"I can handle it." It was the voice of the new recruit. He wears this confident smile on his face. "I think this is the time for me to show my true power."

It was too late when I realized that the new member is no longer behind my protection. He is now venturing forward with courage, seemingly unaware of the Eidolon's power. A Level 3 Eidolon of this caliber can never be defeated by normal Gate Guardians.

However, this new recruit is not normal.

He held his chest, and a crimson light emerged.

"u003cGod Core: Hephaestus Ascensionu003e!!!"

Chapter end