The Holy King floated in mid-air, divine wings spread wide, the Goddess's Sword blazing so intensely it was painful to gaze upon. Below him, the merged golem shrieked, its cannon-barreled arms blazing with raw mana, firing twin beams of annihilation that reduced everything to ash in their path.
The Holy King flew upward, avoiding the beams with godlike agility. His blade glimmered, then divided into four ghostly afterimages, swirling around him.
"Blade Echo – Celestial Mirage."
The four echoes hit simultaneously, cutting through the beams, breaking their momentum. They slammed into the golem's chest, cracks spider webbing its armor. The golem staggered, backing up, wings composed of obsidian blades slicing savagely through the air.
BOOM!
It rushed forward, a fire-rimmed greatsword engulfed in hellfire chains trailing the ground, etching molten wounds across the battlefield. The sword clashed against the Holy King's sacred blade, and the force tore apart the air itself, releasing shockwaves that rent mountains afar.
The Darkslayer Squad could barely stand as the blast threw dust and debris across the field. Albarto grunted, raising his shield to brace the others. Mai's hair flew wildly in the windstorm, her hands raised instinctively, whispering protective incantations.
The merged golem howled and uplifted its cannons once more.
The Holy King drew his eyes closer together.
"Enough."
He ascended into the heavens, shattering the clouds. There came silence. The air grew thick, heavy with expectation.
Then the Holy King lifted his sword to the heavens, and the heavens responded.
Clouds broke apart.
A column of golden light burst from above, so brilliant and expansive it illuminated the whole area for miles, throwing shadows as far as faraway forests and villages.
The voice of the king thundered with divine finality.
"Tear of the Sun!"
A shaft of light—pure, absolute, holy—came down like the anger of the heavens. The golem gazed up and attempted to cover itself with its few remaining arms. But it was useless.
The beam hit.
The world went white.
There was no noise, only blinding light. Earth, rock, steel—everything shattered under the relentless pressure. The ground became molten glass, craters miles deep, and the melted golem… was no more.
When the light dissipated, there was silence.
The battlefield was transformed—a landscape of glimmering heat, twisted metal, and glowing coals. The horizon was a scar, charred and cracked.
And then, gently falling from the heavens, the Holy King descended.
His shining armor dissolved, breaking down into golden dust that was lost on the breeze. He stood in the ruin, breathing softly, still calm.
Kaelith rushed forward, tripping over shattered earth. "Your Majesty! Are you okay?!"
The Holy King smiled at him, nodding. "I am well… Kaelith."
The team came together creakily, limping, gasping. Aria started to heal their cuts with unsteady hands. Brant cleaned blood from his lip. Jin rested against his swords. Even Mai, on unsteady legs, smiled.
And then—
A voice boomed through the devastated air.
"Do you even know what you've done…?"
It was distorted and jagged, spat out with venom and incredulity.
"Do you know how much time, work, and mana it took to make that masterpiece?! And you destroyed it like nothing! I swear… I'll kill you. I'll kill you for sure!!"
The team scanned around, shocked.
The voice went on, taunting and enraged.
"You broke my masterpiece. Fine. But if you want to see the king… then go find him yourself."
The air rippled. A teleportation magic seal formed on the ground for a moment before it disappeared.
"You have twenty-four hours."
Kaelith took a step forward, tone icy. "Twenty-four hours? What are you saying by that?!"
No response. The voice disappeared.
"Did he depart?" Kaelith grumbled.
The eyes of the Holy King narrowed. "Yes. He departed… but left us with a message."
Kaelith paused. "Your Majesty… this is obviously a trap."
The King faced the squad, his jaw set. "I know. But we don't have a choice. let's go."
Kaelith negatively shook his head. "But why you? We go first. Why do you have to risk—"
The King interrupted him, tone iron. "Mount up. Get out of here. We don't have a lot of time."
Kaelith's fists bunched. "Why? Why are you going so far?"
The Holy King glanced upward toward the sky—still charred from his divine blast.
"…I have a debt to pay."
Kaelith was about to open his mouth again, but the King held up his hand.
"No more questions."
And he turned, walking away toward the horizon—toward the dark fortress dimly seen in the distance, shrouded in storm and shadow.
The soldiers thundered over the charred plains, the hooves of their horses beating a war chant on the parched earth. Dust clouds trailed behind them as the Holy King rode at the forefront, his celestial aura a beacon for the righteous and a warning sign to all who would dare defy him.
Kaelith, sitting next to the Holy King, looked back over her shoulder at the Darkslayer Squad. "We've never traveled so quickly, not even when Brant missed paying his bill at the tavern."
Brant laughed, keeping his reins relaxed. "Hey, in my defense, I believed it was free refills. for ale."
They reached the second wall—only to find it bathed in silence. The remains of high-ranking monsters were strewn across the blood-stained field. Their twisted bodies, once fearsome, now lay broken beneath the morning sun.
"They were wiped out." Mai murmured, scanning the field. "But not by us."
"No time to question," the Holy King said, voice low but firm. "We move forward."
As they approached the last wall, tension built up around them. The sky darkened. The wind died out.
And then—they spotted him.
A solitary person sat in the center of the road, crossed legs like he was meditating. or bored to tears. He had on a black coat,and a self-satisfied smirk plastered across his face like he was privy to all the spoilers to the war.
"Stop." The Holy King held up his hand.
Kaelith scrunched up his eyes. "Is he here to stop us?"
Mai laughed. "Alone? What sort of final boss sends one guy to guard the way?"
The Holy King rode down and advanced. "Who are you, and why do you stand in our way?"
The man gazed up indolently. "Ah. At last. Took you long enough." He rose and bowed mockingly. "Name's Tai. Pleasure to meet you. I'm here to escort the Holy King. Our Demon King would like a little. discussion."
The Holy King's eyes narrowed. "If your king wishes to meet, have him come himself."
Tai arched an eyebrow. "Tch. Did your mom not teach you manners? You introduce yourself first when you meet someone."
"Huh?"
Tai huffed and sighed theatrically. "Incomprehensible. I suppose your holy mama forgot to bestow the Tutorial Mode upon you. Don't fret, I shall be your tutor. Now do it again—begin with your name."
The Holy King's face grew cold. "A demon. instructing me in manners? Do you want to die?"
Tai smiled. "You're awfully arrogant for a human who likely scrubs goddess crap off altar floors."
Kaelith's eyes blazed. "You dare—!" He charged forward, sword shining.
Tai didn't even blink. He caught the sword halfway through the swing with his bare hand. "Oh, look. It's the edgy swordsman archetype. I was gonna kill you later, but hey, if you insist."
Kaelith almost didn't even blink before Tai's fist came into contact with his face. A second later, Kaelith was flying—and then splat!—he crashed into a tree, sliding down in a dazed grunt.
"Ugh. Did anyone get the license plate on that demon?" Kaelith groaned.
Brant winced. "That tree's gonna need therapy."
The Holy King drew his sword, divine energy crackling off him. "Take me to your king. After I kill him. I'll take care of you."
Tai licked his lips, obviously excited. "Oh-ho. At last, someone who speaks saucy. I approve of you."
And with a flash of dark light—they disappeared.