Frozen Village of Elwynd – Twilight
The snow around the burning village steamed and hissed, a hellish contrast to the frigid winds still sweeping down from the mountains. Crimson runes pulsed beneath blackened corpses. Envy, Demon General of the Demon King Lucifer, stood untouched in the center, his emerald eyes gleaming with cold calculation.
Across the square, Rael stood still, sword lowered. The others were reeling—Bjorn clutching his side, Seraphina bleeding from her shoulder, Silas kneeling with a broken blade, and Roric breathing heavily, blood in his hair.
The child they saved earlier sobbed quietly behind Rael, clutching a glowing charm Seraphina had given him.
And then…
The sky cracked.
Rael took a breath—and changed.
---
Second Awakening: Radiant Ascension
Light burst from Rael's form like a dying star flaring to life. His body arched as power surged through him. White-blue flames spiraled from his core, curling up his limbs and into the sky. His hair, once dark, grew long and luminous, floating behind him like a celestial banner. It shimmered like moonlight over silver steel.
His eyes glowed golden-silver, burning with fury and focus.
Solar wings of pure light unfurled behind his back—each feather a blade of divine fire.
The air warped. Time slowed.
> "Ascend."
The sun vanished behind clouds, but the battlefield grew brighter. Rael had become his own sun.
---
Team Reactions
Bjorn staggered back, jaw slack.
> "By the Forge…" he whispered. "That's no spell. That's—"
Seraphina's eyes widened. Her lips parted in awe—and then a thin trickle of blood ran from her nose.
> "Oh no," she mumbled, swaying. "He's—he's way too handsome like this. This isn't fair…"
Silas, usually cool and unreadable, actually gawked.
> "What... the hell are you, Rael?"
Even Roric faltered, his sword lowering a fraction. His narrowed eyes betrayed a mix of frustration and respect.
> "So this… is the real him," he muttered.
---
The Duel Begins – Rael vs Envy
Envy finally broke his silence, lips curling in delight.
> "So… the Goldenblooded awakens. I've waited centuries to test this evolution."
He raised a hand. A serpent of shadow erupted from the ritual circle and lunged.
Rael vanished.
Time Stop – 5 Seconds.
In that moment, all froze—Envy's serpent, the flames, the snow in mid-fall. Only Rael moved, walking calmly through the suspended chaos.
He placed one hand on the serpent's skull. Solar magic flared.
Then—
Time resumed.
The shadow beast detonated in a scream of light, vaporized in an instant.
Envy narrowed his eyes.
> "Interesting…"
He struck. Shadow lances rained down. Rael spun mid-air, parrying one, then two, then eight with sweeping arcs of solar energy. Each clash of magic shattered the air like thunder.
Envy teleported behind him. A clawed hand grazed Rael's side, drawing blood.
> Rael: "You're faster than Pride. But less arrogant."
> Envy: "And you're more polished than the rumors said. No instability. No recoil. You've mastered your form."
They clashed mid-air—solar fire versus emerald shadow. Every impact cracked the sky with waves of raw force. Ground shook. Runes flared and dimmed.
---
Arrival of Gluttony
The clouds tore open with a scream.
Descending from above came another figure—towering, feminine, monstrous.
General Gluttony.
She landed with a tremor, red skin gleaming, mouth stretching unnaturally wide with a grin.
> "Mmmm… so this is the boy causing all the trouble."
Her voice dripped hunger. She held a cleaver nearly as tall as Rael, blackened with dried blood.
> Envy (smiling thinly): "You're late."
> Gluttony: "You were hogging the fun."
She lunged. Rael met her in the air, blades of solar light clashing with her cleaver.
The impact blasted apart nearby houses. Snow evaporated.
---
Teammates Join In
Seeing Rael outnumbered, the others pushed through their pain.
> Bjorn: "Let's go!"
He leapt, hammer raised—and slammed it into the earth. Chains of earth surged up, trying to bind Gluttony.
Silas warped from shadow to shadow, slashing at Envy's back. Seraphina raised a healing ward to keep Rael's aura stable.
Roric spun his blade in a rising arc, light clashing with shadow.
Together—they held their ground.
---
One Swing – One Fall
But Gluttony grew bored.
She roared, muscles bulging with demonic power, and swung her cleaver in a full arc.
One. Single. Strike.
A storm of force erupted from the swing.
Bjorn was blasted into a wall, bloodied and unconscious. Silas hit the ground hard, not moving. Seraphina's barrier cracked—then shattered. She collapsed. Roric fell to one knee, then keeled over.
Rael floated alone above them, panting.
His light flickered—but didn't go out.
---
Final Gambit – Life Force Burn
Rael looked down at his friends—unmoving.
He looked at the child behind the rubble—terrified.
He looked at Envy and Gluttony—smiling.
> "Not again," Rael whispered.
He would not lose another family.
He drew the solar flame inward. It spiraled into his chest, bright as a star, and—
> "Radiant Burst—Third Form."
The world turned white.
Rael's body surged with pure celestial light. His aura stretched into the sky like a second sun rising over the village.
He burned his life force—his very essence—to surpass even his own limit.
---
The Final Blow
Rael dashed between them.
In one instant, he severed Envy's hand.
In the next, he impaled Gluttony through the chest, cleaving her core.
They struck back—claws, shadows, roars—but his speed was untouchable. His form flickered like starlight, existing in and out of time.
> Envy: "No—wait—"
> Gluttony: "I'll eat you—!"
> Rael: "You'll eat nothing ever again."
With one final spin, he crossed both arms and unleashed a double-bladed arc of solar destruction.
> "Solar Epitaph!"
The two Demon Generals were consumed—screaming.
Their forms disintegrated into ash.
---
Collapse
Rael floated for one breath more.
Then fell.
His body hit the snow with a thud, hair dimmed, eyes closed.
His heartbeat slowed.
Around him, silence.
Until—
> Seraphina (groaning): "Rael…?"
She crawled toward him.
Bjorn stirred. Roric gritted his teeth. Silas sat up.
But Rael didn't move.