Seraphius Corvun sat back in a magnificent, soaring chamber. A large screen, conjured out of dark magic, showed the ongoing, violent battle between Argares and the Saints.
"Each phase of their battle seems to make my brain hurt even more... flooded within me are questions my spirit desperately needs answers to," Corvun mused, his tone utterly calm despite the chaos on the screen.
"These people that call themselves... Saints... how do mere men stand against the ever-constant pressure of destiny and try to defy their own fate? Every world should be engulfed by its true origin: darkness. Standing as a beacon of light to anchor the fate of tomorrow is absurd!" Corvun finished with a slight, intellectual chuckle. "Or what do you think, Nyx?" Corvun questioned, tilting his head sideways.
A woman approached from his side. She possessed an extremely beautiful face framed by purple hair that had little shades of lemon underneath. She had the muscular, toned physique of a true warrior, and her red and black battle attire confirmed her formidable status.
She knelt by Corvun's side. "My King, everyday, I see new reasons why your actions are ever so just. Freedom is a concept too great for the likes of humanity. A race that should be dictated to. The moment they feel free, they start going against the natural order of things, becoming true harbingers of chaos," Nyx declared.
Corvun stood up, his celestial black robe swaying slightly in the self-commanded wind that only blew in his domain. "It truly amazes me. Another being has the ability to create a self-sustainable construct far larger than mine, and yet... the creatures that abode it are given a free will? A world corrupted with Vice and every unthinkable shade of evil... I can't help but wonder... why is it so?" Corvun spoke, genuine perplexity coloring his voice.
"To wield this grimoire, I've already traded memories of whatever childhood I might have. To myself, I'm simply a being who was... one who defines the true concept of balance... To the struggling, I've granted TRUE SALVATION without a second thought. Why would anyone detest such a world, Nyx?" Corvun questioned, his gaze returning to the battle.
"Ingrates deserve punishment worse than death!" Nyx declared, her voice cold. "And as the royal guardian of the Lord of this realm... I can see to it in a heartbeat!"
Corvun laughed mildly. "You should know me more than anyone by now, Nyx. Argares and the child who escaped... if I wanted them, I'd have done so in a single thought," Corvun declared confidently. "I'm more interested in how it all plays out. The tides have changed. Little does that child know that that poor, fragile world can't contain her. Very soon, it'll detest her very existence... and all roads lead back to here!" Corvun chuckled.
"Looking at these so-called Saints fight with the cause of eradicating the darkness... never have I wanted to cause havoc more," Corvun admitted. "But it's just a matter of time... we'll also get caught up in their impact." He added, "Then... they'll watch me burn their world down to pieces! And rebuild it from its ashes!" Corvun finished with a violent grin.
Nyx simply stared at the screen that showed the ongoing battle, while Corvun crossed his legs on his throne, his eyes fixated on Solen. "You're quite the bother, huh?" Corvun chuckled.
Meanwhile, back in the Sanctuary, Father Lucent knelt before a cross, clutching a chaplet with his bandaged hands. "Almighty... give them the grace to persevere!" he prayed wholeheartedly.
The Breaking Point
Clang... clang... clang!
The battle continued. Lucian and Lucen overwhelmed Argares with their insane coordination and movements, their white Senior Saint capes swirling gracefully through the space.
"These two are beasts! I've been constantly regenerating from their hits... but I might be nearing my limits now!" Argares thought, his movements becoming strained.
"Crepitus Tenebrarum!" The demon yelled as multiple chains of darkness burst out from the ground, homing towards Lucian and Lucen. The two countered and avoided as many as they could with their excellent sword mastery and good movements.
"I still haven't recovered from that move earlier, tch! Nonetheless... it's fascinating taking an attack capable of erasing a 654 square miles landscape in a compressed form for more focused destruction... you're nearing your limit too, aren't you?" Argares thought.
"ARGHHH!!!!" The demon yelled as the number of chains increased, finally gripping Lucian and Lucen tight, violently squeezing them with lethal force.
In a blinding flash, the chains broke from their bodies.
"Seraphine Luxora!"
Solen's fist had risen again! With tattered robes and broken bones, he had risen up to see the battle through.
"We started this battle together! And we'll see its end together!" Solen declared, jamming his fists together with a big, fierce smile.
"W-what are these creatures!!" Argares thought in pure disbelief.
"Lancea Caelestis!" Orin threw his spear at Argares, but the demon was able to barely react and dodge the attack. "Lucky you, huh?" Orin spoke, little trails of blood dripping from his mouth.
"Phantom Starfall!" Argares dodged thousands of arrow beams raining from the sky with precise perception and movements. But behind him was Castor. He used his right gauntlet to land three instant, powerful punches on Argares, sending him flying.
"Three punches?! I can quickly recover from this," Argares thought, slightly dizzy.
Castor snapped the fingers of his left gauntlet and said, "Multiply!" The three punches instantly multiplied by seventy times their initial value. Argares was struck with 210 concussive strikes in a split second.
His eyes turned pale white as he fell from the sky. "I see... so that's his ultimate technique... with his right gauntlet he lands as many punches as possible in the first split second... then in the next second he multiplies the number of attacks landed in the first second by snapping his fingers on his left gauntlet," Argares thought as he hit the ground, rendered unconscious.
"He's weak! Let's finish him now!" Lucian yelled.
As the Saints lunged at him with their Divine Weapons, two demonic hands burst out from Argares's chest, weaving the familiar triangular shape of the Illuminati. The shape completed its symbol as a massive, single eye opened on his chest, staring within the triangle.
"Umbrae Discordia!"
A large darkness permeated through space, instantly engulfing them all. All the Saints knelt to the ground, their eyes turning white as they stared blankly at the moon above.
The Core of Vice
Corvun, who had been spectating, was now standing and watching the screen. The fight was simply too intense for him to remain seated. "I see... he used the technique subconsciously to buy him time before he regains consciousness. But unlike a basic technique for buying time, this one could actually kill those Saints once and for all! A truly exceptional strategy!" Corvun commended. "My Lord seems to be enjoying this," Nyx thought, watching his delight.
The Saints were all lost in trances of their past.
Lucian stood at the front of a grave where his mother had died.
Lucen stood in front of the grave where his father had died.
Orin stood in front of a legendary Lance locked away from his access.
The Phalanx twins stood against each other.
Solen stood in front of all the children at the orphanage.
An astral form of Argares came and whispered to each of them:
To Lucian: "Even in her last moment, she was still treated unimportantly like the rag that she is..." Anger welled up within Lucian as he clenched his fists.
To Lucen: "Not only did he pass down a blade to you... he passed down a generational shame to last for eons!"
To Orin: "Your life itself might just be rejection from the heavens, too..."
To Castor: "Look at Pollux... acting all high and mighty... he thinks he's better than you?"
To Pollux: "Look at Castor... thinking less of you as a human simply because you disgrace the family name with such a measly weapon and poor genes."
All the children in Solen's trance shed blood from their eyes and pointed at him. "You did this..."they said in unison. Solen ran away from them as tears poured. "What did I do?!" Solen replied, his voice sober and broken.
As the Saints' anger and self-doubt peaked, demons rose from the graves of Lucian and Lucen's parents. A demon stood in front of Orin, holding a fake version of the spear he had once seen. The Phalanx twins changed their stance, preparing to shed their own blood.
Solen's Breakthrough
Gasp... gasp!
Solen ran into a deep forest, tears still streaming down his eyes as he was chased by the zombie-like children. "You left us to rot!" Oberon screamed, his familiar tone piercing Solen's soul.
Solen hid behind a big tree, crouching with his hand on his head, his heart beating rapidly. "It's not real... it's not real... it's not real!!!" Solen pulled at his hair as tears poured.
Argares had almost fully gained consciousness, staring at the physical bodies of the Saints. Solen was weeping bitterly. Nyx simply stared. "This demonic technique cuts away their perception of the physical world and previous events and lets them believe in another reality... it's truly fascinating," she said.
Solen was shaking bitterly, the worst level of fear gripping his soul. He bit his fingers anxiously as a sobbing voice of Oberon broke the tension: "You said you would protect us!"
Nyx stared at Corvun, who just visibly casted a spell instantaneously while staring at the screen. "He did something just now," Nyx thought.
"I've set up the stakes! How do you fight back!" Corvun said, his eyes fixated on the screen.
Oberon's voice shattered Solen's heart to pieces. He wiped his tears and stood up. "I did promise them I'd protect them... so what am I doing here sulking..." Solen came out of his hiding place, his eyes blazing with conviction. "I'll damn the consequences... let me carry the weight of your sins even to ensure you a bright tomorrow!"
All the children clawed at him, but he stood tall, his fist glowing with golden light. He spread his hands toward the sky and screamed.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!! I'LL SEE TO IT... A TOMORROW WHERE HUMANITY IS SAFE! A TOMORROW WHERE SORROWS AND SINS CAN'T DOMINATE THE WORLD!!!"
A beam of light shot up from him and pierced the heavens. The beam of light engulfed all the children, purging them from their demonic, accusing states.
"SERAPHINE LUXORA!!!!!" Solen screamed, using his full power.
C...c...CRACK!
Solen broke from the illusory reality. He coated his fist in holy energy and punched the Umbrae Discordia symbol formed on Argares's body, breaking the rest of the Saints free from the altered reality.
"You put us in a bout to fight with the demons our imperfections had brought about... knowing fully well that we stand no chance," Solen spoke to Argares, who had gained full consciousness. "But I... have accepted my role in life. Either I stand to protect the world as a divine guardian, or my very breath is taken away from me right now!" Solen added.
Corvun laughed maniacally. "Amazing... truly amazing..."
Argares laughed as he grinned at the Saints. "You all have truly amazed me," he said with a single, dramatic clap. "Please accept my parting gift. Pactum Ignis Aeterni." Argares spoke as a massive ball of fire slowly emerged from the sky.
"This one would destroy everything within this dimension and return it to nothing," Argares added, his body slowly dissipating into dark mist. "I've gone beyond my limits this time... it was worth it in the long run. Perhaps if I didn't waste half my energy the last time, I could have still used this and would have emerged victorious." Argares said with a slight, defeated chuckle.
As his body fully dissipated, the body of Celeste materialized on the ground, unconscious.
The Saints quickly ran to meet her, then stared, frozen, at the massive ball of fire that descended from the sky.
"I guess this is it then..." Lucian said, walking forward, Durandal held ready.
The other Saints looked at him with puzzled expressions.
"Aegis Invictus!" Lucian fused Durandal with himself once more as he prepared to brace an impact that could ultimately cost his life force due to the overwhelming difference between his Wonder energy reserves and that of the attack.
"At least I'll be able to absorb the impact from the attack and protect the rest of you!" Lucian said, his voice resolute, as the rest of the Saints stared at him in awe and admiration.
"Now I'll take my leap! As a true Guardian!"