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Angelic Seals
Description
A unique enhancement power of the Everlight Clan and its direct, blood-related subsidiary clans. This dates back to an incident when the original Everlight founders (Dale Lionheart, Dietrich Acromus, Minamo Acromus, Shane Arclight, and Yukari Shizu), rescued the Seraphim Winnia, who was captured by the Aurilian Demon Horde. The angel bestowed upon them three levels of Angelic Seals that they and their descendants can unleash when "the time and place is right and just." This became the Everlight's unique, defining power.
The Seals
The Angel Seal
The first of the Angelic Seals that unlocks the Angel Form. Also referred to as the Seal of Purpose. The seal grants the user increased combat abilities by synchronizing mind and body into a single cohesive system. This effectively maxes the physical potential of the user, streamlining and enhancing processes to make their normal abilities that much more effective. A single spirit point is opened at the center of the user's chest, allowing them to more easily harness spiritual powers and energies. It also allows for the signature Purity Flare Crescendo attack to be used.
The seal also bestows upon the user what is referred to as Angel Plate Armor: ethereal, obsidian armor that derives its power from the soul of the user. There are small variations in design from user to user, but the armor generally remains the same in function, covering the torso, shoulders, back, forearms, and waist. Strength value is far above most Antilian-reinforced defensive alloys and is a natural channeler for the user's mana. Additionally, though the armor weakens after the use of a Crescendo attack, it does not shut down like Barrier Skin and provides the user with critical protection after execution of such an attack with such magnitude.
When the user opens their Angel Seal for the first time, the Angel Plate has not formed yet and images itself for several seconds over the user's body before substantiating itself. This is referred to as the "First Casting," in that the user is casting armor from the furnace of their soul.
The Cherubim Seal
The second of the Angelic Seals that unlocks the Cherubim Form. Also referred to as the Seal of Death. Building off of the Angel, this seal grants the user vastly increased combat, regenerative, and defensive abilities by opening more than two dozen spirit points throughout the body. This increases total burst output of not just spirit energy, but normal mana as well. Acting as natural foci of energy, it becomes far more natural and simple to externally cast all forms of energy, even that of the spirit. As such, soul- and spirit-based barriers can be unconsciously formed in a split-second; the defensive abilities of an Antilian in Cherubim Form is considered top-notch.
In addition to these enhancements, the Angel Plate Armor is replaced with a contrasting Cherubim Plate Armor, pure white with faint cerulean blue runes emanating from its surface. It, too, derives its power from the soul of the user, but also reinforces it with spirit energy to enhance defense further. The runes themselves provide the mechanism to use the Divinity Flare Crescendo attacks and their variations.
Like the Angel Plate Armor, the Cherubim Plate Armor is also subject to a "First Casting" upon initial materialization.
The Seraphim Seal
The third and final Angelic Seal, unlocking the Seraphim Form. Also referred to as the Seal of Life. It pushes the potential of an Antilian to the fullest by temporarily dissolving the barriers between the body, mind, soul, and spirit. The user then functions as single, monolithic existence, increasing potential across the board of all attributes. The released Seraphim Seal itself provides the mechanism to use the form's unique Crescendo attack, which Everlights have dubbed Heaven's Voice.
The Seraphim Full Plate Armor is fueled primarily by the soul and spirit and achieves a defensive value unheard of in modern materials. A brilliant cerulean blue that became the hallmark color of the Everlights, carrying the runes of the Cherubim Armor as well as the the Crest of Everlight, legend has it that it provides unlimited, absolute protection. The reality is not that far from the truth: only Crescendo-grade attacks have been known to scratch this bastion of the soul.
The most hallowed of the Seals, the combat potential granted to an Antilian warrior who unlocks this seal is nothing short of exceptional, often pushing warriors above the 100 Rank standard set by the Antilian Order.
Limitations
Unlocking the Seals
Considered the strongest and most potent of bloodlines, even outside of the Everlights, it also is the one with the most limitations and drawbacks associated with it. Standard doctrine has it that a "righteous, selfless mind with a just aim" is needed to unlock the seals, but that is merely a glossing over of a more specific problem.
The principal barrier and key to unlocking of the seals is identity of self. Each of the seals represents a different concept and perspective of that identity. In essence, the seals are more a contract with one's own existence to gain power, as intended by the seraphim that had originally conferred such a power on the Everlight ancestors.
The concept behind the Angel Seal is Purpose,which is the main idea behind the "just aim" part of the standard doctrine. Specifically, the seal can be unlocked only through the discovery of one's purpose in the context of their identity. To put it in another way, given the identity of a person, there is only one general purpose that also fulfills that identity. Given the personal nature of such philosophy, purpose changes from person-to-person and cannot be taught. This is made more individualistic in that those who have unlocked their Angel Seals simply cannot express their purpose accurately with mere words. An incredible obstacle to overcome, this is by far the least difficult of the seals to unlock.
Death is the concept behind the Cherubim Seal, the core idea behind the "selfless mind" part of the doctrine. It relates how the concept of Death relates to one's identity and life. A most difficult concept to even comprehend by itself, most Everlights are never able to unlock the Cherubim Seal. Too, whereas purpose for the Angel Seal had only one true vector originating from one's identity, the key of "death" has proven to be far more varied and mercurial. As such, it has basically been written off as something to be achieved in a miracle epiphany that specifically relates itself to that person.
This concept of "death" to unlock the Seal proved to be even more difficult for the Everlight prodigy Keito Tsukishiro (whose origin is "Death"), a testament to the complex nature of the seal. For himself, Keito describes his feelings as a need to protect those from death by diving straight into it without fear, a monumental task for a cursed life such as himself.
The final seal, the Seraphim Seal, is ruled by the concept of Life, in contrast to the Cherubim Seal. While some have argued that Life is actually easier to understand than Death in relation to one's self and identity, those who have actually achieved the Seraphim Form (and survived) strongly deny this. Whereas Death is a more universal concept in regards to all life, since all that live must eventually die, Life, in many ways, becomes the opposite, since all life is different from one another on the individual level. It eventually boils down to the famous question "What is the meaning of life?" in relation to one's existence, though that is considered a glossing over of the concept as well.
Combat, Resealing, and the Human Existence
While the Seals grant immense power to their users, it has costly side effects that manifest after both the unsealing and resealing. The primary fuel for keeping a seal unleashed is the user's own mana. Throughout an engagement, the user's mana reserves will be rapidly drained and their mana distribution system increasingly stressed. Once the reserves are gone, any available remaining mana is utilized. Exhausting that mana will cause a shutdown in the system and a forced resealing. While this depends on usage and the user, Seals typically only last for several minutes before their effect is dispelled. Furthermore, the loss of mana and mana reserves will render most combatants excessively weary and unable to fight.
The greatest, most serious, and most dangerous drawback of the Angelic Seals is, for the most part, the bloodline's fatal flaw. Simply put, the Antilian body is unable to fully handle the stress induced by the powers granted by the seals. The key aspects that give each Seal its principal strength backfires because of imperfections. Higher seals inherit the drawbacks of their subordinate seals.
While the Angel Seal turns the physical body into a well-oiled and fine-tuned system, a severely stresses the body's framework and natural energy system, burning through large amounts of nutrients and essential body chemicals. The regenerative and defensive aspects of opening spirit points with the Cherubim Seal causes a backlash where internal organs become severely damaged do the unnatural manipulation and enhancement of their processes. Internal hemorrhaging becomes a very real and life-threatening problem following the collapse of the Cherubim Form, and immediate medical treatment is usually needed. Many users fall unconscious and go into shock; of these users, most do not survive. For that reason, the Cherubim Seal has gained a reputation for "sealing one's fate" and invariably causing death. Its alternate name, the Seal of Death, takes on a more understandable secondary meaning.
The drawbacks of the Seraphim Seal are the most cruel. As to be expected, the breakdown of barriers between the body, mind, soul, and spirit has serious implications. The body is punished to an extreme. Muscles go into convulsions, ripping themselves apart while snapping bones and splitting skin within a matter of seconds. The bodies natural circulatory system become damaged to the point of outright failure. Brain hemorrhaging occurs, usually followed by the user entering a comatose state.
The Seal of Life ironically only promises death.
Common Usage
Most Everlights do not advance beyond the Angel Seal. They mainly use it during important battles or in emergencies. The Seal grants them a good increase to their powers, allowing them to field themselves against superior opponents. However, they usually plan for a withdrawal from battle temporarily in order to make up for their weakened state afterwards.
A few top-tiered warriors are able to release their Cherubim Seals for a short amount of time. These are usually heroes, minor and major, who unleash their seals to single-handedly battle a large threat. Many push themselves beyond safe usage of the Cherubim Seal and do not survive their first use of it. Those who survived become part of a very exclusive cadre of warriors; those that can take on the most dangerous of tasks and come out victorious champions.
Those who can release their Seraphim Seals are considered legendary. There are very few individuals who reach the state of being able to access the Seraphim Seal, and very few of those ever survive. Those few, documented and otherwise, are hallowed as the greatest of heroes and the most powerful of warriors. Of these, Nathaniel Everlight is renowned as the greatest of Seraphim Seal users.
Everlight Crystal
Everlight Crystals were specifically created to ameliorate the problems associated with the Seals. Enhanced gems that resonate with energy at all four levels of existence, helping to give their bearers an unconscious understanding and connection with their own powers. Highly-prized and exceedingly difficult to create, they have become heirlooms of sorts amongst Everlight families. Typically, they are passed on to heirs upon their coming-of-age ceremonies. Throughout the heir's life, a mutual resonance is established with the crystal, gradually giving them a deeper understanding of their astral and spiritual aspects. Upon marriage, husbands usually give their crystal to their wives, which both helps with the child-bearing process and the development of the child while still in the womb. The cycle then repeats, with the mother designating the heir by passing the crystal onto them.
As time went by, common belief and legend would have it that Everlight Crystals were required to unleash the power of the Angelic Seals. This remains untrue and is perhaps fueled by the fact that Everlight Crystals increased in effectiveness as they gained stronger resonances with the Everlight bloodlines themselves over time.
In addition to difficulties unsealing the powers of this bloodline ability, Everlight Crystals serve a second purpose: helping the user deal with the seals' "withdrawal symptoms," so to speak. The Everlight Crystals are capable of deploying what is called a "Degradation Protection Sphere," which eases the transition back into normal body functions by absorbing stray energies and reinforcing the existence structure. Older crystals, having accumulated energies while developing their bloodline resonances, are capable of completely nullifying small amounts of energy while shunting away higher forms, effectively making them defensive amulets.
Known Users
The following Antilians and Terran-Antilians have achieved the various Angelic forms.
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