CHAPTER 12 — CEDRIC VS. THE HERALD OF AZTARION
Cedric was in the training field, practicing Celestial Devour, when the air temperature dropped suddenly.
His breath fogged.
The sky dimmed.
Arhenos's voice shouted inside him:
"CEDRIC! MOVE!"
Cedric stepped back just as something sharp sliced through the air—
clean, fast, invisible.
A single feather embedded itself into the ground, carving a crater.
Cedric's eyes widened.
That wasn't a feather.
It was a blade.
A figure materialized from the air—
a man with wings made of shadow and light, mask shaped like a bird skull.
The Herald bowed slightly.
"Greetings, Vessel of Arhenos. I am Raviel, Herald of Aztarion. I am here to take your heart."
Cedric's fists clenched.
"Then you're leaving in pieces."
Raviel giggled—an eerie, childlike sound.
"Ah, a brave one. Good. I like breaking the brave."
He vanished.
Cedric activated Pulse Step—
just in time to dodge a spear made of condensed light.
Their clash shook the entire field.
Cedric punched—
Raviel blocked with one wing.
Cedric kicked—
Raviel teleported behind him.
Cedric turned—
Raviel fired a beam of devouring light straight into his chest—
BOOOOOM!
Cedric was blasted across the training grounds, skidding through asphalt and dirt.
Hunters nearby screamed.
"It's a god-kin!"
"Evacuate!"
"Get Director Garcia!"
Cedric stood, coughing blood.
The system flashed warnings.
[ DAMAGE SUSTAINED: MODERATE ]
[ HEART PULSE DESTABILIZING ]
[ RECOMMENDATION: USE CELESTIAL DEVOUR ]
Arhenos whispered sharply:
"DEVOUR HIM, CEDRIC."
Cedric's eyes burned with blue-gold flame.
He extended one hand.
CELESTIAL DEVOUR: ACTIVATED
A vortex of divine energy spiraled from his palm, pulling Raviel's light magic toward him.
Raviel froze, shocked.
"What—!? How are you absorbing divine force!?"
Cedric stepped forward, each step cracking the ground.
"You said you wanted my heart."
He clenched his fist.
"Come take it."
Raviel's mask cracked slightly—
the first sign of fear.
"You… monster!"
He launched a barrage of feathers, each one capable of splitting steel.
Cedric devoured them all.
Raviel tried to teleport.
Cedric moved faster.
Pulse Step (Enhanced).
He appeared behind Raviel and unleashed:
GODBREAKER STRIKE — LV. 2
Cedric's fist connected with Raviel's chest.
A shockwave blasted the Herald through three concrete walls.
Raviel coughed up light—literal shining blood.
He struggled to rise.
"This… strength… impossible… A mortal with divine—"
Cedric appeared in front of him instantly.
And whispered:
"I'm not a mortal anymore."
Raviel screamed.
BOOM.
Cedric's second punch shattered the Herald's mask entirely.
The Herald, broken, trembling, crawled backward.
"You… You're only 1% unsealed… If you reach 10%… Aztarion will—"
Cedric grabbed his throat.
"You won't live to see it."
Raviel's body disintegrated into light fragments—
absorbed straight into Cedric's core.
The system chimed.
[ YOU HAVE DEVOURED A GOD-KIN ]
[ DIVINE CORE ABSORPTION: +2% ]
[ DIVINE CORE — 3% UNSEALED ]
[ NEW PASSIVE UNLOCKED: WINGLESS FLIGHT ]
Cedric's back pulsed—
two invisible wings of pure force flickered behind him.
He rose slowly into the air.
The hunters watching fell silent.
For the first time,
they realized—
Cedric wasn't just strong.
Cedric wasn't human anymore.
He was rising into something else.
End of Chapter 12