The battlefield was pure chaos. The clash between Asmodeus and Aelion seemed endless—every strike and technique unleashed echoed through the ground, sending debris flying and darkening the skies, as if the universe itself mourned the battle. Aelion, still standing tall, radiated determination, but his body had begun to show signs of exhaustion.
Asmodeus, despite being weakened by the Blades of Gandhāra, laughed with disdain.
- Asmodeus: "Do you really think your endurance is enough, Silvine? You're nothing but a grain of sand before the power of the Abyss!" — he mocked, his eyes glowing with demonic red.
Aelion breathed heavily but kept his energy blade raised.
- Aelion: "I don't fight for myself. I fight for those who believe in something greater than your senseless chaos."
Before he could strike again, at dawn, a black portal tore through the air like a scream of agony. An overwhelming presence emerged, and the field fell into a deathly silence. Asmodeus turned, his look of arrogance quickly giving way to a mix of fear and reverence.
- Asmodeus: "M-Master...!" — he muttered.
Lucifer stepped out of the portal, his imposing figure radiating an aura that made the very air tremble with tension. His voice was cold, sharp as a blade.
- Lucifer: "Asmodeus, your incompetence stains my purpose. Your existence is no longer required."
Before anyone could react, Lucifer raised his hand and, with a snap of his fingers, disintegrated Asmodeus into a whirlwind of ashes. Silence returned—now even more terrifying.
Aelion tried to speak.
- Aelion: "Lucifer...! You can't—"
But there was no time for protests. With a single gesture, Lucifer unleashed a devastating blow, slicing through Aelion, who instantly turned into a statue of stone, having broken the laws of the Axiom Decree. The petrification was immediate, freezing Aelion's determination in his final moment.
Lucifer's portal still pulsed with dark energy when Throk and Elliot emerged from the shadows, Neptune close behind. Throk, with his blazing presence, roared:
- Throk: "How dare a wretched, pathetic creature like you lay a hand on one of us, Lucifer? Don't think you'll get away with this!"
Lucifer smiled—a smile both mocking and threatening.
- Lucifer: "And what will you do, mere wielders of Segens? You cannot defeat me... but I'll give you a chance to entertain me."
He pointed toward the statue of Aelion.
- Lucifer: "Fight me, together. If you give me a worthy spectacle, perhaps I'll spare this poor Silvine's life."
The three heroes exchanged looks. Elliot, his gaze serious, murmured:
- Elliot: "We have no choice. Aelion needs us."
- Throk: "Then let's end this!" — shouted Throk, activating his Solar Form.
Neptune, Throk, and Elliot combined their strengths. The Segens of Sun, Sea, and Gale began to glow intensely, creating a brilliant display of light and energy.
- Narrator: "The Grand Ancestral Deluge is the perfect combination technique between three of the four Segens. Legends say that when used by the Four Seraphins, it can obliterate entire galaxies."
The impact was devastating—a wave of energy that shattered the ground and lit up the heavens. For a brief moment, it seemed the Lord of Darkness had been defeated. But as the dust settled, Lucifer stood, half of his body regenerating rapidly.
- Lucifer: "Impressive, indeed. But... insufficient." — He raised the Jewel of Valhalla, which gleamed brightly, absorbing all the power of the attack. — "You've helped more than you realize. Now, this energy will serve as the key to destroy the Gate of Helheim. And now, I shall destroy this statue."
Throk couldn't accept it.
- Throk: "I won't let you win, miserable creature!" — For the first time before noon, he activated his Big Sun, his power rising by the second, surpassing his limits and elevating his spirit to a new level: this was Ultimate Burst – God Grade (S).
His flames turned blue, and the heat radiating from him made even Lucifer step back.
- Throk: "Solar Vengeance (Bursted)! Solar Prominence (Bursted)! Solar Echo (Bursted)!" — roared Throk, unleashing a devastating flurry of attacks.
The impact was so immense that Lucifer barely managed to regenerate.
- Lucifer (thinking): "This boy... is remarkable... completely driven by rage." — thought the Lord of Darkness, a flicker of respect in his eyes.
But he couldn't allow Throk to continue.
- Lucifer: "That's enough." — Lucifer reactivated the Jewel of Valhalla, draining Throk's energy.
With one final motion, he unleashed the Celestial Flames, striking the hybrid down into a critical state.
Lucifer looked across the ravaged battlefield, his mission partially complete.
- Lucifer (thinking): "You are worthy adversaries... but nothing more than pawns in a far greater game."
He snapped his fingers, undoing Aelion's petrification. Before vanishing, he left one final message:
- Lucifer: "Prepare yourselves. My future conquest—the Staff of Helheim—won't mark the end of this war, but the beginning of something you will never be able to stop."
When Lucifer vanished using Standard-Oôu, leaving the battlefield silent once more, Midoki stepped into the field, surveying his wounded comrades and the destruction around them.
The group was in despair. The threat loomed over them like a shadow, and Lucifer was drawing ever closer to his goals. Still, in Midoki's eyes, there was a glimmer of determination—mixed with the purest hatred.
- Midoki: "This isn't over yet." — he said, his voice firm with conviction.
- Midoki (thinking): "Even so... it seems Lucifer hasn't noticed me. That means he still believes I'm dead."
And with those words, the chapter came to an end, leaving behind a thick atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.