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Tower – Floor 83, Ruins of the Fallen Spire
The world had stopped—for everyone but him.
Rael stood amidst the ruins, fragments of his consciousness still reconnecting. His third body—the most unstable—was fading fast. He could feel its essence cracking, memories leaking into the void.
But one thought kept him grounded.
Lyra.
She was fighting the heavens alone.
> [System Alert: Time Chain active – 12:57 remaining.]
[Combat Sync enabled: All bodies linked.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Phantom Pulse – Soul Echo Manifestation.]
A surge of heat flooded his veins. His fading third body began to shimmer, not vanish.
Rael's fingers curled into fists. His eyes—once hollow—now burned with layered fury.
"…Let's make them regret this."
---
Executioner Sanctum – Outer Perimeter
Selene took the lead. She moved like a blade unsheathed, every step tearing through the divine barrier surrounding the Sanctum. Her spear pulsed with lunar flame, guided by rage and grief.
"Ten minutes," she snapped. "Then the Seraphs return."
Rael nodded. "We won't need ten."
Together, they descended.
Inside, the sanctum was a cathedral of corpses—giant marble statues of past Executioners lined the halls, each with a title carved in ancient divine script.
But they were not alone.
> [Warning: Divine Guardians awakening.]
[Enemies Detected: Arch Executioner Havel, Rank: Seraph-Born.]
A towering man stepped from the shadows, covered in ceremonial gold armor. His face hidden behind a lion-shaped helm. In one hand, a chain of sins. In the other, a halberd forged from dying stars.
"I see the traitor stirs," Havel growled. "Shall we return you to death?"
Rael took a step forward, and something within him cracked open.
---
System Interface
> [Skill Merge Initiated]
[Phantom Pulse + Shadow Clone + Soul Fragment: Combination Skill Created]
[New Skill: Echo Rael – Astral Warlord Form]
---
Rael's body blurred.
Three echoes stepped forward—versions of himself, each glowing differently. One wielded a blade of void, one radiated lightning, and the last… held Lyra's light.
He didn't speak.
He attacked.
---
Battle: Rael vs. Havel
The impact shook the sanctum. Each clone moved with terrifying precision, outmaneuvering Havel's swings. Selene struck from above, driving her spear through golden armor.
Havel roared, unleashing a divine shockwave—but Rael blinked through it.
"Tell the Seraphs," Rael whispered coldly, his blade pressed to Havel's neck. "I'm coming for all of them."
And with a single slash, the Executioner fell.
---
Outside – Celestial Rift
Lyra collapsed, her body burning away into ash.
Her last thought was of Rael's smile.
"I kept my promise…"
> [Time Chain ended.]
[Status: Unknown.]
---