The battlefield was no longer a warzone.
It was a massacre.
The Celestial Guardian staggered, its once-blinding radiance flickering like a dying star. Divine blood dripped from its massive form, tainting the corrupted earth below.
Oscar's abyssal power surged around him, the darkness devouring every last vestige of the light.
The Abyss was winning.
---
A Holy Kingdom in Ruins
Far beyond the battlefield, the Holy Kingdom's capital, Radiantus, stood in silent dread.
Within the grand cathedral, the High Bishop knelt before the sacred altar, trembling.
"Our Guardian is… faltering?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
The cathedral's stained-glass windows, once glowing with divine brilliance, now dimmed. The great bell, which rang only in times of celestial blessings, remained silent.
The people gathered in the streets, their faces filled with fear.
If the Celestial Guardian fell, what hope remained?
---
Aldric's Transformation
On the battlefield, Aldric stood among the corpses of fallen templars, his breath heavy, his abyssal armor pulsing.
General Varkos lay at his feet, his holy blade snapped in half, his once-proud armor corroded by abyssal corruption.
"Finish it," Selene said coldly, watching the last remnants of faith leave Varkos' eyes.
Aldric hesitated.
This man had once been his mentor.
His brother-in-arms.
His friend.
But Aldric was no longer a templar of the Holy Kingdom. He had embraced the Abyss.
He raised his sword, black flames licking its edges.
Varkos looked up at him, lips quivering.
"You were supposed to protect the light…" he whispered.
Aldric's grip tightened.
"No," he said. "I was supposed to find the truth."
With one swift strike—he ended Varkos' life.
And in that moment—
Aldric fully became a Knight of the Abyss.
---
The Celestial Guardian's Last Stand
The Celestial Guardian fell to one knee, its divine wings torn and shredded, golden ichor pouring from its wounds.
It gazed at Oscar, eyes filled with fading light.
"You… are not… invincible…" it gasped.
Oscar tilted his head. "Aren't I?"
With a final burst of strength, the Guardian thrust its spear forward, aiming directly for Oscar's core.
But it never reached him.
The Abyss moved.
Tendrils of darkness shot out, grabbing the spear mid-air, twisting it, devouring its divine energy.
The Guardian's golden light snuffed out like a candle in a storm.
Oscar raised his abyssal blade.
"This world no longer belongs to the Light," he declared.
"It belongs to me."
And with one final strike—
The Celestial Guardian fell.
---
The Abyss Ascends
The world trembled.
With the Celestial Guardian slain, a ripple of darkness spread across the land. The skies above the battlefield darkened, the holy light of the heavens fading as if the gods themselves had turned their backs on the mortal realm.
Oscar stood over the Guardian's corpse, his abyssal core thrumming with stolen divinity. He had consumed a fragment of celestial power, twisting it into something far darker, far greater.
The abyss was evolving.
And soon, nothing would be able to stop it.
---
The Fall of the Holy Kingdom Begins
In Radiantus, the capital of the Holy Kingdom, the people screamed in terror.
The death of the Celestial Guardian was not just a loss—it was an announcement. The gods had forsaken them. The light was dying.
Priests knelt in the grand cathedral, their prayers unanswered. Some wept. Others abandoned their faith entirely.
Within the royal palace, King Alistair gripped the golden throne, his knuckles white.
"It's over," the High Priestess whispered, her voice hollow.
The king's eyes blazed with desperation. "No. We still have one chance."
He turned to the last of his Seraphim Knights—warriors who had once fought alongside the Celestial Guardian.
"Gather the remnants of our army," the king commanded. "Summon the remaining templars. Prepare for a final stand."
"But, Your Majesty…" the High Priestess hesitated. "Without divine protection—"
"Then we will create our own miracles," Alistair growled. "We will forge a new power—one beyond the gods."
For the first time in centuries, the Holy Kingdom prepared to use forbidden magic.
Even if it cost them their humanity.
---
Aldric's First Trial as a Knight of the Abyss
Meanwhile, deep within the corrupted lands, Aldric knelt before Oscar, his abyssal armor now fully infused with dark energy. His transformation was complete.
But there was still one final test.
"The Holy Kingdom will not surrender so easily," Oscar said, his voice calm yet commanding. "They will come with everything they have left."
Aldric's red eyes flickered with understanding. "And you wish for me to lead the charge?"
"No," Oscar replied. "I wish for you to break them."
Selene smirked, stepping forward. "It seems our new knight is finally ready to carve his name into history."
Darius chuckled darkly. "Or die trying."
Aldric met Oscar's gaze. He knew this was more than just a command—this was a test of loyalty.
To prove he had truly forsaken the light.
To prove that he belonged to the Abyss.
He clenched his abyssal blade, the corruption pulsating through his veins.
"As you command," Aldric vowed.
The next time he stepped onto the battlefield, there would be no hesitation.
Only destruction.
---
The Abyss Marches Once More
As the Holy Kingdom clung to its final hope, the Abyss was already moving.
Oscar's legions expanded, corrupted creatures and abyssal soldiers marching forth. The lands twisted beneath their feet, the very fabric of reality bending to the will of the Abyss.
And soon—
The Holy Kingdom would have nowhere left to run.
The Age of Light was ending.
And the Reign of the Abyss was about to begin.
---
The Holy Kingdom's Final Gambit
The world stood at the precipice of annihilation.
The once-proud Holy Kingdom was a shadow of its former self. Its armies lay in ruin, its faith shattered. Yet, within the grand cathedral of Radiantus, King Alistair and the High Priestess stood before an ancient, forbidden relic—a weapon not seen for centuries.
A weapon so powerful, it had been sealed away by the gods themselves.
The Lightforged Ascension Ritual.
---
The Forbidden Ritual
Torches flickered along the walls of the hidden chamber, casting eerie shadows as the priests chanted in unison.
Golden inscriptions glowed on the floor, pulsing with divine energy. In the center, a massive crystal coffin stood, radiating power that had not been felt for an age.
Inside it lay the preserved body of Seraphiel, the First Seraphim Knight—a warrior once considered the left hand of the gods.
"Are you certain about this?" the High Priestess whispered.
King Alistair clenched his fists. "The gods have abandoned us. If they refuse to save us… then we shall become our own gods."
With a single nod, the High Priestess began the ritual.
Holy light erupted from the crystal, searing through the chamber. The priests screamed as their very souls were consumed, their bodies turned to ash in an instant.
A monstrous pulse of divine power exploded outward, shaking the city to its core.
And then—
The crystal shattered.
A blinding figure emerged from the broken relic.
Seraphiel had risen.
But something was different.
The ritual had not merely revived him.
It had transformed him into something more.
Something unnatural.
His once-pure golden armor had become blackened and cracked, leaking unstable divine energy. His wings, once symbols of grace, now twisted and pulsed with chaotic power.
He was no longer just a warrior of the Light.
He was a being of divine destruction.
A Seraphim Revenant.
---
Oscar Senses the Awakening
Far from Radiantus, within the corrupted lands of the Abyss, Oscar stood still.
The air around him trembled.
He felt it.
A power that did not belong in this world.
"A resurrection…" Oscar muttered. His abyssal core pulsed, analyzing the strange energy. "No… this is something far worse."
Selene stepped forward, sensing his unease. "What is it?"
"A mistake," Oscar said simply. "The Holy Kingdom has brought back something that was never meant to rise again."
Darius scowled. "Then we destroy it."
Oscar narrowed his eyes.
"It may not be that simple."
For the first time since his ascension, Oscar felt the presence of something that could threaten even the Abyss itself.
Not because it was strong.
But because it was unstable.
Unpredictable.
And burning with the rage of a fallen god.
---
The War Escalates
As the Abyss continued its march, the Holy Kingdom's final weapon prepared to meet them.
The streets of Radiantus were abandoned, its people either fleeing or watching in silent horror as the Seraphim Revenant floated above the cathedral, its body crackling with golden lightning.
King Alistair stood below, eyes filled with both fear and hope.
"Go forth," he whispered. "Erase the Abyss from existence."
Seraphiel opened his eyes.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
And then—
The sky itself was torn apart.
Blinding pillars of light erupted from the heavens, slamming into the corrupted lands. The impact alone annihilated entire battalions of abyssal creatures, vaporizing them before they could even scream.
Oscar watched as the very landscape began to disintegrate under the sheer power of the attack.
But he did not falter.
Instead, a dark smile played at his lips.
"So… you've finally given me a real challenge."
He extended his hand, and the Abyss responded.
Darkness surged, swallowing the blinding light, twisting it, devouring it.
Oscar's army may have suffered a loss, but the battle was far from over.
The Holy Kingdom had made its final move.
Now, it was time for the Abyss to respond.
And this time—
There would be no kingdom left to save.
---
End of Chapter 21
With the resurrection of Seraphiel, the war reaches its most dangerous point.
But is this newfound power truly the salvation the Holy Kingdom seeks?
Or have they just unleashed something far worse than the Abyss itself?
Prepare for Chapter 22—the battle for dominion is about to begin.