I perched on the edge of the shattered tower, letting the golden light shimmer across my wings. The streets below were chaos incarnate — the remnants of Behemoth's legion scattered, bodies aflame, shrieks echoing into the open sky. I had already scanned the battlefield enough; further calculations were unnecessary. I knew what had to be done. No more overthinking.
Kael stayed behind the tower, wide-eyed, unsure if he should intervene. I didn't speak. He needed to witness, not participate. Practicality over theory now.
Behemoth's form began to rise from the center of his scattered forces. His vessel's eyes glowed dark crimson, and I could feel the raw malice coiling like a whip around the city. Then, unmistakable — the signature of a planet-obliterating attack. His hand glowed, energy rippling outward, forming a beam of destructive potential capable of leveling Arkion entirely.
Amateurs. I thought, a faint smirk forming on my lips. No more hesitation. No more teaching. Time to act.
I descended smoothly, golden wings unfurling midair as the beam lashed toward the city like a roaring sun. I didn't calculate. I didn't overthink. I acted.
A sword of pure light formed in my right hand, humming with energy that radiated warmth and authority. The moment my blade met the edge of Behemoth's beam, it didn't just block — it cleaved through the raw destruction with a brilliance that burned like the heavens themselves. Sparks of light collided with shadows of hellish fire, tearing reality where the two forces met.
Behemoth snarled, frustration evident in the vessel's face. So it has come to this… His next movement was faster, a swirling barrage of clawed strikes, dark energy pulsating. I sidestepped, parried, struck — all instinct, all flow. Each swing precise, calculated by reflex rather than overanalyzed. The clash of sword against claw and beam echoed across the ruins like a symphony of annihilation.
The human vessel at the core of Behemoth's form screamed as his real power began to manifest fully. Dark energy coalesced into a concentrated, unstoppable beam, the kind that could erase the city in seconds. Buildings trembled and cracked from the sheer resonance.
I didn't flinch. I raised my light sword, letting it hum with divine power, wings spreading wide as my aura flared like a miniature sun.
"Playtime's over." My voice rang across the battlefield, commanding and cold.
I met the death beam head-on. The collision sent shockwaves through the streets, levitating rubble, scattering guardians and surviving demons alike. Every pulse of energy radiated outward, warping the air, turning the sky into gold and white brilliance. My sword absorbed, reflected, and channeled the destructive beam, redirecting its force in a controlled arc. The beam shattered against my will alone — no civilians harmed, no city destroyed.
Behemoth's army, already exhausted, now faced me directly. I took a deep breath, letting the golden light hum through every sinew and circuit within me. No hesitation. No mercy.
A single orb of radiant energy formed above my head, glowing brighter with each heartbeat. I spread my arms wide, letting the air itself bend to the gravity of my command. "Golden Extinction!" I shouted.
The orb fell from the heavens like a miniature sun, crashing into the center of Behemoth's remaining forces. The explosion was instantaneous, engulfing everything in its golden brilliance.
Demons screamed, claws and teeth disintegrating as the light consumed them, purifying the corruption from their forms. Those with hostile intent burned first; others caught in the radius were annihilated alongside them. The shockwave leveled the streets, cracked buildings, and sent shockwaves that reached the horizon.
Behemoth, the archduke himself, managed to withstand the brunt of it — but barely. His human vessel lay battered and broken, gasping, scorched beyond recognition. His true form, separated from the vessel, remained standing — but heavily wounded. Smoke curled from deep fissures in his body, his limbs trembling under the strain.
I stepped forward, golden wings slicing the light across the battlefield. The city trembled under the aftermath of pure divine power.
I approached the human vessel first. It tried to struggle, voice weakly gurgling, eyes filled with terror and disbelief. I didn't hesitate. My blade, now glowing with concentrated sunlight, traced a line along the neck of the vessel.
With a swift, clean motion, it fell. Silence fell immediately over the battlefield — the golden light lingering, bathing the ruins in an ethereal glow.
Behemoth's true form tried to roar, tried to lash out with energy, but I stepped forward again, wings folding back slightly, sword raised high. In one motion — precise, fluid, final — I brought the blade down, severing the Archduke's head from his body. His scream reverberated across both mortal and infernal planes before cutting off, leaving nothing but a faint heat lingering in the air.
The remaining demons, leaderless and broken, cowered or fled. The city itself, scarred and battered, began to settle. Survivors dared to step out from hiding, eyes wide at the golden figure hovering above them.
I landed lightly on the cracked cobblestones, sword retracting into pure light that vanished into my palm. My wings folded, glimmering faintly as I surveyed the battlefield. The boy, Kael, was silent behind me, eyes wide and trembling.
"Do you see now?" I asked him quietly. "Power is not only measured by strength… it is precision, authority, and decisiveness. Hesitation is death. Understanding is survival."
He nodded slowly, not fully comprehending but absorbing every visual imprint, every lesson etched into his memory.
I looked over Arkion, the city still standing — battered but alive. The destruction had been significant, yet it was controlled. Controlled by me. This is balance, I thought. This is justice. This is light descending into ruin.
No one else would truly understand. The Circuit Guardians would analyze, speculate, and marvel, but they would never see the whole picture.
I turned my gaze back to the horizon, wings glinting golden in the lingering light of the destroyed legion. The world was vast. Powerful. And there were more threats coming.
But for now… I had restored order. And I had reminded both mortal and infernal realms exactly why Alzwalt Light was a name to be feared and revered.
The city slowly started to awaken again. Buildings would need rebuilding, rubble clearing, lives mending — yet in the center, amidst the chaos, a figure stood, golden, regal, unwavering. The boy beside me would witness every detail.
And I would continue to forge the future.