Alzwalt and Ferax stood several dozen meters apart, surrounded by the remnants of the mountain range they had already damaged during their earlier exchanges. The atmosphere between them had changed completely. There was no more casual testing, no more half-hearted attacks. Both men had finally decided to fight seriously.
Ferax moved first.
His body disappeared.
"Night Step."
In less than an instant, Ferax appeared directly before Alzwalt, his body already twisting as he brought his right leg down in a powerful axe kick. Alzwalt raised his right hand. The kick collided with his palm. The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, scattering rocks and debris across the ground.
Ferax immediately changed his posture. Rather than allowing Alzwalt to counter, he pushed against the blocked strike and flipped backward through the air. While upside down, he extended both palms toward Alzwalt.
"Amplified Eclipse."
A dark red light erupted from Ferax's palms.
The beam-like attack struck Alzwalt directly. The resulting explosion swallowed the battlefield. Mountains trembled beneath the force as smoke and debris rose into the sky. Then something tore through the smoke.
Alzwalt emerged. His golden hair flowed behind him, and divine light surrounded his right hand. He crossed the distance between them and drove his fist toward Ferax and he crossed both arms. The punch connected and the force launched him backward like a missile.
Ferax flew toward a mountain, but he twisted his body at the last moment and landed sideways against its surface. His feet dug into the rock as he looked ahead.
A gigantic boulder was already flying toward him. Ferax pushed himself away from the mountain. His fist collided with the boulder. The enormous rock shattered. Ferax continued rising through the air. He raised his right hand.
"Spear of Darkness."
The darkness surrounding the battlefield began moving toward his palm.
It gathered in one place, condensing into a long spear formed entirely from darkness. Ferax looked around. The sun had already been divided by Tessandra's earlier battle, leaving Kael'Ar plunged into darkness. A faint smile appeared on Ferax's face. This environment was perfect for him.
The darkness strengthened his power, feeding his Circuit with every moment he remained beneath the darkened sky. Below him, Alzwalt stood calmly on the ground. He looked upward. A smile appeared across his face.
"So this is what you prepared for me, Ferax? I guess I must return the gesture."
Six golden wings suddenly erupted from Alzwalt's back. The surrounding darkness was illuminated by their radiance. His tall golden hair flowed through the wind as divine energy surrounded his body. Then Alzwalt reached his right hand into another dimension.
His fingers disappeared beyond reality. He slowly began pulling his arm back. A strange screeching sound echoed across the battlefield. Golden light began escaping from the dimensional opening. Something was being dragged from beyond the boundary.
For several seconds, the darkness surrounding Kael'Ar disappeared beneath the brilliance pouring from the dimensional rift. Then Alzwalt completely withdrew his hand. The illumination faded. In his right hand was a magnificent sword. Its hilt was golden, while a silver dragon had been embedded into the blade. Alzwalt held it calmly at his side.
"St. Alzwalt Light."
Ferax stared down at him. His expression became slightly amused.
"I smell an archangel."
Alzwalt looked upward.
"And I smell the scent of darkness."
Ferax's smile widened. He threw the Spear of Darkness.
The weapon tore through the air. It broke the sound barrier three times before suddenly disappearing. Alzwalt remained completely still. For a moment, nothing happened. Then his expression changed.
He lowered his body into a stance. His sword rested toward his right. He swung upward. The blade collided with something invisible. A tremendous explosion erupted. The true Spear of Darkness had been there all along.
The first spear had been a decoy, but not merely a normal decoy. The weapon had moved so quickly that it had disappeared from sight and concealed its actual position. Divine light and darkness collided around Alzwalt. The battlefield trembled.
Ferax immediately raised his hand, another Spear of Darkness formed. He threw it. The second spear struck the first and the combined force pushed against Alzwalt. His feet sank into the ground. Alzwalt looked at the two weapons pressing against his sword then he smiled.
"You think this will be enough?"
He swung upward and the two spears were sent flying into the sky..Alzwalt raised St. Alzwalt Light.
"Golden Extinction."
The sky became silent. A golden sphere descended from the heavens.
It fell without producing a sound. Then it touched the ground, a golden wave spread across the battlefield. Everything disappeared beneath the radiance. Mountains, trees and rocks vanished.
The damaged landscape was completely consumed by the golden energy. For several moments, there was nothing but silence. Then the wave receded and battlefield had been cleansed, Alzwalt stood alone at its center. He remained silent for a moment then he spoke calmly.
"Stop fooling around… as if that would permanently kill you."
A dark shadow appeared behind him. Darkness gathered as It twisted together and gradually formed a human shape. Ferax emerged from the darkness completely unharmed he smiled…
"So you're Alzwalt Light, the Prince of Protection and the Angel of Strength and Justice."
Ferax descended from the sky until his feet touched the ground. He looked directly at Alzwalt.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
Alzwalt's smile widened slightly.
"If you're going to call titles, you should call all of them."
His golden wings spread behind him.
"And that includes the Sole Candidate of the God of Heaven."
Ferax's expression changed.
The amusement disappeared from his face because…he understood exactly what those words meant. Alzwalt watched the realization cross Ferax's eyes…then he smiled.
"Pleasure meeting you… Darkness."