The Light That Cuts
The night sky over Borivali was torn open.
Kaalrath's molten body cracked wider, flames bursting from his wounds like volcanic eruptions. The entire skyline glowed with his fury. Apartment blocks melted, streets split open into rivers of fire.
People miles away could see the crimson storm. Some prayed. Some screamed. And some just stared, frozen, as Mumbai burned.
---
The Demon's Wrath
Kaalrath spread his wings, each beat scattering molten feathers that fell like meteors.
"Your sanctuary weakens, Soul Wielder!" he roared, voice echoing like thunder. "This city shall be my grave gift to humanity!"
He slammed his claws together. The air cracked, molten energy condensing into a burning greatsword formed entirely of lava. Its blade stretched longer than the streets themselves, glowing with heat that warped the horizon.
"Behold," he roared, "the weapon of wrath—Infernal Edge!"
With one swing, the demon carved through skyscrapers. Entire towers collapsed, crashing like dominoes into the streets. Firestorms rose with each impact, turning Borivali into a sea of molten ruin.
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The Soul Wielder's Resolve
Li Wei hovered in the sky, his breathing heavy, his robes scorched at the edges. But his eyes remained unwavering.
He raised his hand. Threads of Soul surged outward, weaving faster, brighter. The constellations around him spun into complex mandalas, their light piercing through the smoke and flames.
"Enough," he whispered.
The word was calm, but it carried like a bell.
Kaalrath's molten eyes narrowed. "What trick now, relic?"
Li Wei's voice grew firm, each syllable resonating like judgment itself.
"You think fire endures. But it consumes itself. Memory endures—because it binds the living to the fallen."
He clasped his hands together, and the mandala threads converged into a colossal blade of light.
"Soul Judgment."
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Clash of Titans
The two blades—Infernal Edge and Soul Judgment—collided in the air.
The impact shook the city. A shockwave exploded outward, flattening buildings for kilometers, shattering every window, tossing cars into the sea.
Civilians screamed as the ground quaked. Rehan leapt forward, his golden aura forming barriers around clusters of survivors. He gritted his teeth, holding back falling debris with both hands.
Ishita, wings ablaze, shielded families with Scarlet fire, tears streaking down her face as the heat scorched her skin. "Stay down! Don't look back!"
Above them, the two giants clashed—light against fire, memory against wrath.
---
The Cracks Deepen
Kaalrath snarled, forcing his molten blade forward. The Infernal Edge seared through the Soul aura, burning threads away.
But as the flames surged, the cracks in his body widened. Each clash sent fragments of molten skin falling, revealing the fragile core within.
And with every fragment, a memory bled through.
A fort's empty granary.
A child coughing, eyes sunken from hunger.
A man's voice screaming to the heavens.
"Why? Why let them starve while the rich feast?!"
Kaalrath staggered, growling in rage. "No… not now…"
Li Wei's eyes narrowed. He had seen this before—demons losing grip on their own twisted souls. He pressed harder.
"This is your truth, Kaalrath. Not wrath. Not fire. Memory."
---
The Strain
The Soul Judgment blade blazed brighter, pushing the Infernal Edge back.
But Li Wei's body shook violently. His aura threads frayed, some snapping completely. Blood dripped from his lips as the force of the clash tore at his very soul.
Rehan shouted up at him. "Li Wei! You'll kill yourself!"
But Li Wei did not waver. His voice cut through the storm.
"If that is the price… then so be it."
---
Foreshadow of the End
The clash reached its peak.
The molten greatsword cracked, flames spilling wildly across the sky. Kaalrath roared, eyes blazing. "You cannot erase me! My wrath is eternal!"
Li Wei's voice rang like thunder, calm but absolute.
"Then let memory erase you."
The Soul Judgment blade shattered the Infernal Edge, light piercing through Kaalrath's chest.
The demon screamed as his molten body cracked open, fissures running deep. His roar shook the heavens—half in rage, half in pain.
And in his molten eyes, the memories blazed brighter. A child's face. A woman's smile. The fort that fell silent.
Raghav Joshi's soul stirred beneath the fire.