Within a quiet courtyard at the heart of the Celestial Hall, morning sunlight filtered through crystal pavilions and marble pillars. The air was still, heavy with a sacred pressure that only the chosen could endure.
At the center of the courtyard, seated on a circular platform of glowing runes, was a woman.
Eyes closed. Back straight. Wings folded in divine stillness.
She radiated order. Righteousness. And not the gentle kind either—the cold, unwavering kind that cut through ambiguity like a sword through mist.
Her name was Seraphiel Dawnveil.
Her features were striking—flawless, but not warm. Beauty carved from celestial ice. Her skin was like pale marble, lips pressed into a faint line that never smiled. A single lock of silver hair hung down the center of her forehead, the rest pulled tightly back and bound by a circlet of glowing jade. Her six-winged halo shimmered faintly behind her—wings pure white, with golden glyphs etched into each feather. They didn't flutter. They judged.
Even while meditating, she looked like a statue erected in honor of divine justice.
Then her jade slip vibrated violently.
Her eyes snapped open.
In the next breath, her hand moved.
A thin jade slip floated into her palm as if summoned by divine right. She pressed two fingers against it, and her consciousness slipped in.
Challenge received.
From: Malikai Doom.
For a brief second, she didn't react.
Then her lip curled—just slightly.
"Asura…" she muttered under her breath, a trace of disgust flickering in her cold gaze.
An Asura. Filthy creatures born of war, sin, and madness. If there was anything angels with Justice Domains detested more than anything, it was Asura demons.
They didn't just bring chaos.
They corrupted.
And corrupted beings tainted others like a disease.
With a flick of her fingers, she tapped her jade slip and sent out a brief transmission.
"I need a report. Who is Malikai Doom?"
Moments later, a calm, younger voice responded through the slip.
"Seraphiel, he's a new registrant from the Doom Clan stationed in Bloodforge City. Peak Core Formation. Recently defeated Virell of the Void Serpent Lineage. Notably, that fight was grueling. He nearly died, but came out on top. No one expected much until then. His battle drew attention because of his physique and regeneration… rumor says he has peak celestial asura bloodline, though we don't know how true that is yet."
Seraphiel's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He dares challenge me? He barely struggled past a Void Serpent with Core Formation combat prowess, Peak Celestial bloodline or not, he is a little too bold, isn't he?" she said coldly.
The subordinate hesitated. "We're unsure if he's overconfident or reckless. But his body cultivation is legitimate. He doesn't seem like someone who acts without reason."
Seraphiel said nothing for a long moment.
Then, a soft chime echoed in her courtyard.
Challenge accepted.
She stood.
"If he wishes to die… then so be it," she said, expression unchanging. "Perhaps I'll do this realm a favor and erase one more abomination."
In truth, few Asuras dared to challenge her.
Justice Domains are special —one that only grew stronger the more righteous she felt. Her moral clarity wasn't a burden—it was a weapon.
Stronger Asuras ignored her. Equal ones avoided her. Weak ones died.
So when news spread that Malikai Doom had challenged Seraphiel Dawnveil, the world didn't laugh.
This time, they paused.
A day until the match.
Bloodforge City – Inner Sect Quarters
Malikai sat cross-legged in silence, eyes closed, body still.
The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of qi swirling around him.
His Knowledge Sea pulsed.
Ever since reaching the Core Formation Realm, something strange had started happening. Even when he wasn't actively cultivating his soul, his knowledge sea grew—passively.
He didn't question it too hard.
What he did know, though, was that his soul had always been his foundation.
His body might be terrifying now, but his soul—his will—had always been terrifying since birth.
He knew that against an angel with a Justice Domain, brute force wouldn't win the fight.
'If ones soul falters facing a justice angel, they lose, he thought. No matter how tough your body is.'
But when he focused inward… when he truly felt the vastness of his knowledge sea…
He smiled.
It's not my weakness. It's my strength.
Time passed.
Eventually, his eyes opened.
Outside, the sky had darkened slightly. A red-orange glow painted the Bloodforge skyline.
Malikai stood, stretching slightly.
Behind him, Iris stood by the doorway, arms folded, a faint frown on her lips.
"You sure about this?" she asked.
He didn't look at her.
Just walked past her, calm and silent.
Only when he reached the doorway did he speak.
"Let's go, i have an angel to kill."