The giant machine above the floating island spun in the distance, radiating light as it spun. Whatever had been planned was already in motion.
A warrior clad in black armor watched the events unfolding far beyond the city walls, well past where the fierce storm had begun. His gaze was fixed on the massive structure, which radiated divine magic.
He raised his hand, as if willing the air itself to become a sword. Then, a burst of frenzied energy erupted from the armor, and slowly, a blade materialized from nothingness.
The armored warrior lifted his sword with both hands, ready to strike a vertical blow toward the distant machine. Though kilometers separated them, he was certain he could destroy the divine structure, the island, and everyone who stood as its last line of defense.
And then, the sword descended along with the warrior's roar, determined to destroy everything in its path.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
The earth split apart. A slash of aura shot forward, black energy trailing in its wake, shot forward fiercely. But before it could reach its target — even by hundreds of meters — a figure intercepted the attack. A figure that hadn't been there before.
It was Michael.
But there was something different about him. He looked like a lifeless puppet — a mockery of the human body being controlled.
It wasn't Michael. Something was controlling his body. Yet that divine energy radiating from him was unmistakable. The one pulling the strings was none other than the Sun God himself—determined to protect the island at any cost and crush opposition with absolute authority.
"Your futile attempt to ruin my plans ends here, abomination. Now that I have arrived… DESPAIR AND SUFFER, FOR MY PRESENCE MEANS YOU HAVE ALREADY FAILED!"
The black armor turned its gaze toward the god and shouted:
"I came here to kill you, bastard. You do not know how many years I've rotted in exile dreaming of twisting that arrogant neck of yours."
"Oh, Sun God! Let's see how bright this world shines once I kill you."
The black armor moved at overwhelming speed and swung its sword to strike Michael's body.
The Sun God, now wielding the powers of a level 9 paladin, burst into flames, divine fire engulfing his form.
However, the warrior's sword didn't retreat — not even slightly. He welcomed the flames wrapping around him and landed his attack directly on Michael.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! BLEED, YOU SON OF A BITCH! I WANT TO SEE IF YOUR BLOOD IS RED OR GOLD!"
The warrior tried to pull his sword free to strike again, but it wouldn't move — it was stuck inside the body it had pierced.
Michael spoke.
"Do you know the one thing I've regretted in all my millions of years?"
"I don't give a damn."
"The only thing I regret… is not slaughtering you along with those traitors. But that changes today."
The god raised his hand.
"DISAPPEAR!"
A beam of solar light shot from his palm.
Yet it struck nothing.
The warrior moved swiftly aside, dodging the beam that pierced nearby mountains, leaving gaping holes.
"Activation of Dwarven Emblem."
Those words left his lips, and his sword reappeared in his hands.
"Good."
"Activation of Dragon Emblem."
"Activation of Human Emblem."
After uttering those words, the warrior shot forward again toward the Sun God, who remained motionless, his expression cold, as if everything below him were nothing but ants below him as nothing more than ants.
But his gaze grew heavier.
"Take this, bastard."
The warrior spun midair, lifting his sword once more. This time, black flames consumed the blade.
The Sun God dodged the strike — now taking his opponent far more seriously.
"Void power? Is that your grand plan? I don't understand… You side with those who only seek our destruction. This is humiliating, even for you."
"What would you know, Sun God, of despair and sacrifice? You, who have stood above all your life. You — who can make and unmake at will. You will never understand the pain of mortals."
"What nonsense. So that's what this is all about? You could have lived a quiet life underground… but no, you had to return."
The Sun God sighed.
"Today, I will end you."
He summoned a hammer — the weapon of paladins — and an orb materialized above him.
Then, the god attacked, swinging the hammer as if it were a delicate rapier. It didn't seem like he was moving a heavy weapon, but an extension of his body. Each strike unleashed waves of unbearable heat.
Yet the warrior was no less skilled. Somehow, he dodged each blow at the last instant, while his own sword slashed swiftly at the god's form.
Even so, the shockwaves threw him off balance, preventing him from landing a strike strong enough to dismember the deity.
Then, the glowing orb flared, healing all the god's wounds — and raising the temperature even further.
The warrior pulled back to a safe distance as the surrounding stones melted.
"Activation of Flight Emblem."
Black metallic wings burst from his armor, and the hero soared into the skies.
"How daring — to look down upon a god."
"Know your place… this is my domain, FOR THE SUN REIGNS ABOVE THE HEAVENS!"
The god shot upward — faster, higher than the warrior. Flying above all was his natural state.
"I WILL BRING YOUR END, HERO! HAHAHAHAHA!"
Michael's body shattered into countless pieces, and a colossal form emerged — the true manifestation of the Sun God, as often depicted in his temple.
A being with eight wings, two human arms, and a head with two faces: the front — a woman smiling; the back — a man in eternal serenity. The torso was human halfway down, then divided by the glowing orb that had once floated above him. Lower half was beast-like, with taloned legs. The entire body, except the face, was covered in angelic feathers.
Now towering over a hundred meters in the air, the god lifted his arms as if joyfully awaiting rain — or perhaps a divine gift soon to arrive.
Then, thousands of beams of light rained down from the sky, burning everything they touched.
The warrior dodged gracefully through the barrage, like a small ant escaping the focused beams of countless children with magnifying glasses.
He unleashed his aura, firing slashes of energy toward the god. But the orb healed each wound. Still, the scars that should have vanished instantly remained.
The god then raised his right hand, summoning a colossal sword of fire, nearly his own size.
With terrifying grace for such a massive being, he swung the blade to crush the warrior, who used the air currents to propel himself, displaying masterful control of his wings.
Then the god's head turned. Now, the serene man's face was at the front.
"JUDGMENT! JUDGMENT! TRAITOR, GUILTY!"
The warrior froze in place. Golden threads bound him, locking his movements.
The god guided his sword, readying a precise thrust at the warrior — one that struck with surgical accuracy.
However, when the blade touched the warrior…
"Activation of Dwarven Emblem."
The divine-ranked sword shattered into thousands of pieces, and the warrior, seizing the opening, surged forward faster than ever before.
"Activation of Vampire Emblem."
The golden orb trembled, sending waves of solar energy bursting from the god's body. Yet the warrior didn't stop.
Each time his flesh burned painfully, it regenerated — drawing energy from the divine wounds he inflicted on the Sun God, draining his vitality.
"PURGE!"
The Sun God unleashed the paladin's anti-curse skill, halting the warrior's regeneration and attempting to push his massive form away.
But the warrior was already close enough to touch the orb, enduring the searing burns caused by the god's radiance.
"Let's see if you can withstand this, bastard... void."
The parts of the god's body scorched by the flames of the void reignited and converged toward the orb.
Finally, visible damage appeared.
A colossal explosion roared through the skies, and the gigantic body of the Sun God fractured apart.