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As Seraphina floated above the battlefield, her entire body radiating an apocalyptic inferno, the very fabric of the air around her began to ionize. The sheer heat emanating from her Hellfire Cataclysm reached such an unfathomable degree that the molecules in the air were stripped of their electrons, forming a seething cloud of plasma. The space surrounding her shimmered with violent energy, distorting the light and creating an ominous, wavering mirage.
The narrator detailed the unimaginable devastation her power was about to unleash. Hellfire Cataclysm wasn’t just an attack—it was the complete unraveling of everything in its vicinity. The pressure differentials formed from the extreme energy output threatened to generate shockwaves capable of fracturing the very core of the Land of Spade. The ground itself rebelled, the top layers melting into a molten sea, then vaporizing altogether. Matter ceased to exist in its original form as atoms were ripped apart, breaking down into a volatile storm of energy.
The clothing and armor of the five rulers burst into flames in an instant, their enchanted protection proving meaningless against the raw fury of the heat. The very land beneath them melted and liquefied before rapidly becoming plasma. The sky itself, though untouched, dimmed in comparison to the hellish glow of Seraphina’s power—her flames making the sun itself seem cold in comparison.
Before she could unleash the final, irreversible destruction of Hellfire Cataclysm, a single voice cut through the roaring inferno.
“AELIANA!..........I WILL FREE HER!”
Malakar’s voice, raw with something uncharacteristic—desperation?—echoed through the battlefield.
Instantly, Seraphina’s movements stopped, her blazing form pausing mid-air before gently descending onto the molten rock. The intense heat remained, but the impending explosion was halted.
Seraphina’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Malakar. “And how will you do that?”
Malakar exhaled slowly, his body wavering from exhaustion, but his voice held steady. “Bring her… I will undo the curse now, as long as you leave afterward.”
Without hesitation, Seraphina raised her hands into a sign, and in a flash of demonic energy, Elder Aeliana appeared, still confined within the cage. The glow of the prison bars illuminated her unconscious form, her body frozen in time due to the curse that bound her.
Malakar stepped forward, shadows pooling beneath his feet, absorbing the surrounding heat to keep him from incinerating where he stood. His hand hovered over the cage, a foreign, arcane energy gathering in his palm. A strange aura—something older than him, older than the war they fought—pulsated from his fingertips.
With a single whisper, the energy seeped into the cage, shattering the ancient seals that had imprisoned Aeliana. The moment the curse unraveled, the Elder gasped for air, life returning to her as the invisible ethereal chains vanished.
Seraphina wasted no time. She rushed forward, catching Aeliana before she could collapse. Holding her mentor close, a rare, genuine warmth filled Seraphina’s expression. “I told you I would free you.”
Aeliana weakly lifted her hand to touch Seraphina’s face. “You never let me down,” she whispered, her voice trembling but filled with relief.
After a long moment, Seraphina finally turned to the five rulers, who had managed to recover. Their bodies were battered, their clothing scorched, but they were alive. Her gaze was merciless.
“You better thank and beg Malakar for mercy,” she stated coldly, “because if it wasn’t for him, the Main District would have been vaporized.”
Then, she turned back toward Malakar, her crimson eyes burning with resolve. “The next time we cross paths, it will be a fight to the death. I won’t consider this a victory for me because I know you weren’t going all out. I’ll consider this a draw for today… Though, I’m not sure that even if you had gone all out, you would have survived my Hellfire Cataclysm.”
Malakar let out a slow exhale, his expression unreadable. “I have other business to handle, Seraphina,” he said, his tone even. “But surely enough, we will cross paths again… and when we do…” His gaze darkened, filled with a raw, vengeful fire. “It will be revenge for Nyxara.”
Seraphina grinned menacingly, holding onto Aeliana as she transformed into her Demonic Phoenix form. With a single, fiery burst, she ascended into the sky, disappearing into the horizon toward Fort Vigilance.
The battlefield fell into eerie silence in her absence. Malakar remained still for a moment before finally shifting his attention toward the five rulers.
He looked at them with neither gratitude nor hostility—only a lingering, quiet dominance.
“You better be grateful I stopped her,” he said. His voice carried no arrogance, only certainty. “I know your power. And I know you were not capable of blocking that attack. Don’t twist this moment. The only reason I stopped her was because you all possess something of value to me. Once I attain it…” His expression grew cold. “…I will finally see to the destruction of the Six Kingdoms and the Main District.”
King Thornoe’s hands clenched into fists, his pride burning hotter than the flames that had nearly killed him. “You will do no such thing. You think we are at the same level of power as 400 years ago? You are gravely mistaken. And you must be delusional to assume you are going to leave right now. You are coming with us—”
Without warning, King Thornoe stomped his foot into the earth, channeling his energy into the ground.
“Thornbind Dominion!”
Massive, spiked vines erupted from the molten rock, twisting and stretching out like serpents, their wicked barbs aiming straight for Malakar. The vines lunged, seeking to ensnare and drain his energy, but before they could even touch him—
Malakar vanished into a swirling void of darkness.
King Thornoe’s expression contorted in rage. “MALAKAR!!”
The other rulers remained silent, their faces grim. King Ragnarok, still breathing heavily, turned his gaze toward Thornoe. “He’s gone. Let it go.”
King Thornoe took a slow breath, his frustration evident but contained. Then, his voice dropped to a deadly tone.
“When the Five Universes bring their Ten Mightiest Warriors in seven days, we will carry out our original plan.…” His eyes burned with quiet fury. “…We will ensure their death.”
ns 15.158.61.19da2
