The Citadel rang with the aftermath of Arhaan's cry —
a shockwave of living melody that tore through Heaven's ancient foundations.
Angels fell to their knees.
Jinn shielded their eyes.
Even the Divine Annihilator hesitated, its massive blade trembling as if confused by a sound it had never heard.
Arhaan stood in the center of that storm, glowing like a newborn star, white fire streaming from his eyes.
He wasn't just resisting the Arbiter's lie —
he was redefining himself.
---
THE ARBITER RISES
The High Arbiter pushed himself up from the shattered floor, his once-impeccable halo cracked and flickering.
Never had he looked less like a god —
and more like a frightened tyrant.
"You dare…" he whispered, voice trembling with rage, "defy the purpose etched into your very soul?"
Arhaan pointed the Oathbreaker at him.
"I defy you."
The Arbiter roared.
Light exploded from his body, forming jagged wings of pure law.
His voice boomed with the authority of ages:
> "I AM THE FIRST VOICE OF HEAVEN!"
Arhaan stepped forward, fearless.
"No. You're the last echo of a lie."
---
THE FINAL DUEL BEGINS
The Arbiter swung his staff — a beam of law and silence tearing across the throne hall.
Arhaan countered, chains spiraling from his arms like serpents of light.
The clash lit Heaven like a thousand suns.
Kael and Selara shielded the Covenant forces as the shockwaves tore through the Citadel, shattering pillars carved from starstone.
Kael shouted, "That's not a duel — that's creation fighting its own corruption!"
---
ASCENT TO THE THRONE
The Arbiter launched upward into the air, wings blazing.
He soared toward the Throne of Judgment —
a colossal structure of silver fire and celestial gears, rotating endlessly above the chamber.
"THIS is where existence is shaped!" he screamed.
"THIS is where destinies are chained!"
Arhaan followed, ascending on a spiral of golden light, the Song of Creation humming at his back.
Their battle rose through the Citadel, every step destroying centuries of holy architecture.
The Arbiter reached the throne first, slamming his staff into its core.
Silver flames erupted.
Laws rewritten.
Destinies seized.
He snarled, "Kneel, vessel!"
Arhaan didn't stop.
He didn't slow.
He walked through flames meant to erase him.
He walked through the Arbiter's laws as though they were smoke.
And as he approached the Throne, his chains wrapped around his arms, glowing brighter than ever.
---
THE BIRTH OF THE GOD WHO CHOOSES
Arhaan placed one hand on the Throne.
The entire Citadel trembled.
The Arbiter screamed, "STOP—!"
The Throne reacted instantly.
Runes twisted.
Heaven's laws writhed.
Reality shuddered.
Arhaan didn't seize control.
He didn't rewrite destinies.
He didn't claim power.
He sang.
A single note.
Soft.
Pure.
Free.
The Throne cracked.
Then shattered.
Silver fire burst outward like rain.
The Arbiter screamed,
"NO! WITHOUT THE THRONE, HEAVEN CANNOT—"
Arhaan's voice cut him off.
"Heaven was never meant to be a prison built on silence."
He raised the Oathbreaker.
Crimson and gold merged along its blade.
"And today… a prison falls."
He struck.
The blow split the Throne in half.
The explosion shook the cosmos.
The Arbiter was thrown into the air, smashing through ten layers of celestial stone.
The Holy Citadel began to collapse.
---
THE CHAIN REACTION
As the Throne fell, something extraordinary happened:
Angels felt their wills return.
Jinn felt the sky open.
Mortals felt the chains of fate dissolve.
Heaven's light dimmed —
then shone brighter than it ever had.
Alive.
Uncontrolled.
Free.
Kael looked up in awe.
"He… broke destiny."
Selara whispered,
"No… he set it free."