[: 3rd POV :]
"Such big words," Aurelian said coolly, golden eyes narrowing with open disdain, "coming from the mouth of a mortal like you."
His gaze lingered on Daniel as though inspecting something unsanitary.
"But then again," he continued, lips curling faintly, "what should I expect from a low-life world that doesn't even understand its own place in the hierarchy?"
The air felt thinner with every word he spoke.
Not because of pressure, but because reality itself seemed to agree with him.
The golden armada behind him glowed brighter, celestial sigils rotating slowly as if awaiting a command that would unmake continents.
Daniel, however, didn't flinch.
He stood amid the fractured battlefield with one hand in his pocket, posture relaxed, expression calm to the point of indifference.
His gaze was steady, unhurried, like a predator watching a noisy insect struggle to assert dominance.
"But enough of this," Aurelian said, clearly irritated by the lack of reaction.
