The battlefield was swallowed in absolute darkness. Not just the absence of light this was something deeper, something that devoured existence itself. The air grew heavy, the ground beneath them felt as if it were sinking into nothingness.
Seraphina's radiant aura flickered as if struggling against the encroaching void. Alden, his grip tightening on his spear, took a cautious step back.
Then, from within the abyss, Kael's voice echoed. Low, dangerous.
"You wanted judgment?" His figure materialized from the shadows, his eyes now twin voids. "Then let me show you what lies beyond the gods' reach."
Without warning, he moved.
Faster than before. Faster than even Alden's divine senses could track.
Alden barely raised his spear in time before Kael's fist crashed against it, sending a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath them. The sheer force launched Alden backward, his feet carving trenches into the earth as he struggled to remain standing. Seraphina raised her hand, summoning spears of holy energy around her. She sent them all at once—dozens of burning projectiles tearing through the void. Kael didn't dodge. He stood still, letting the first spear reach him. Just as it was about to pierce his chest, it stopped. Suspended in mid-air.
The void around Kael pulsed, and suddenly, the spears began to twist and distort. Their golden glow faded, consumed by darkness, until they crumbled into nothing.
Seraphina's eyes narrowed. "Impossible…"
Kael smirked. "Divine energy? That doesn't work on me anymore."
He raised his hand, and the very shadows beneath her feet rose up, shifting like living creatures. Seraphina reacted instantly, summoning a barrier of pure light, but Kael had already closed the distance.
A hand wreathed in void energy slammed into her barrier—cracks splintered through the divine protection. Another hit. And another. Each impact sent ripples through reality itself.
Seraphina gritted her teeth. He's breaking my barrier? No… he's erasing it.
Then, with one final strike, her defense shattered like fragile glass.
Kael didn't stop. He pressed his palm against her chest—void energy surging through his arm—ready to end this fight.
Seraphina gasped as the overwhelming force threatened to consume her. But before Kael could unleash the final blow, a golden chain shot through the darkness, wrapping around his wrist.
Alden, his aura flaring, pulled with all his strength.
"You're strong," he growled, "but we're not done yet."
Kael's smirk widened. "Good."The darkness pulsed once more. And the battle truly