The explosion had torn the sky open.
Ash drifted like black snow over the scarred canyon, the air shimmering from the residual heat. Seraphine stood amid the devastation, her sword planted into the cracked earth, her chest heaving. Across the ruin, Arretel's molten aura flared again — brighter, hotter, the red glow beneath his fractured skin pulsing like a dying star refusing to fade.
He dragged his blade across the ground, leaving a molten scar in its wake. "You're still standing," he growled, voice echoing through the canyon like distant thunder. "Good. I'd hate for this to end too soon."
Seraphine wiped the blood from her lip, the taste of metal and ozone sharp on her tongue. "You talk too much."
Their energies surged once more — starlight and magma colliding, each shockwave rattling the bones of the earth. From miles away, her team could only watch the storm of power unfolding before them, their visors auto-dimming from the sheer luminosity. They had to move to avoid being caught up in the crossfire.
"By the gods…" Jirru muttered from inside his mech. "Is this really the difference between Star Vein cultivators? No wonder she's our commander."
Veyra, still catching her breath, pressed her hand to her chest. "Remind me to never cross her."
The ground ruptured again.
Arretel thrust his arms forward, molten veins bursting open along his forearms. "Flame Art: Infernal Maelstrom!"
The canyon lit up as rivers of lava spiraled upward, twisting into a storm of molten blades. The air screamed. Even the mech's sensors overloaded from the energy surge.
Seraphine raised her sword, the runes along its edge flickering wildly. Her qi reserves were burning out fast — every breath felt heavier, every heartbeat slower.
But retreat wasn't an option.
Not when her people were watching.
Not when the countdown still echoed in the back of her mind.
Seraphine exhaled, her body trembling as blood streaked down her cheek. Arretel's next strike could shatter mountains — she could feel the air itself being crushed around his charging form. There was no time to dodge. Only one option left.
"Celestial Vein: Astral Reflection — Apex Constellation!"
The world seemed to still. Starlight erupted from her veins, spiraling outward in a cascade of luminous threads. In an instant, the space around her transformed into a dome of shimmering galaxies — a radiant sphere so vast it distorted gravity itself. Every thread of qi became a constellation, every flicker a heartbeat of the cosmos. The ground beneath her vaporized into glass as her energy surged to its peak.
Arretel roared, unleashing his full might — molten qi, crimson and black, crashing against the radiant barrier. The impact cracked the heavens like thunder. The shield pulsed once… twice… then devoured his attack. The stars within the dome flared blindingly as they absorbed every ounce of destructive energy.
Then, like a dying supernova reborn, the Astral Reflection unleashed its fury. His own power was hurled back at him magnified tenfold, compressed into a spear of burning starlight that ripped through the battlefield.
His eyes widened. "No—!"
Arretel's defenses shattered — even his marble-hardened skin fracturing under the returning force.
The brilliance faded slowly, revealing Seraphine on one knee, smoke curling from her armor, the galaxy around her flickering out one star at a time.
Seraphine dropped to one knee, her sword flickering dimly. Her breathing was ragged, but she still forced herself upright.
Across the scorched field, a silhouette moved.
Arretel Zahn, still standing — barely. His body was split by glowing fissures, magma leaking from within. The molten veins across his torso flickered erratically.
He laughed — hoarse, broken. "That… that was beautiful."
He stumbled forward, molten blood dripping from his jaw. "But even you have limits. I will not die here today."
He raised his hand once more, flames igniting along his arm — only for them to sputter out. His body was failing. The reflected energy had burned him from the inside.
Seraphine steadied her sword, her aura dim but steady. "You're right," she said quietly. "But I only need one strike."
Her sword ignited — a thin, pure beam of white light coursing through its edge.
"Celestial Vein: Final Dawn."
She dashed forward — the world blurring in a trail of starlight. In a single motion, her blade cut through his chest, slicing through molten flesh and fractured bone.
For an instant, the canyon fell silent again. Then, with a crackling sigh, Arretel Zahn crumbled — his form collapsing into molten shards that scattered like dying stars.
Seraphine stood amidst the falling embers, her eyes half-lidded, her body trembling from the strain. She could feel her energy slipping away, but she refused to fall until it was over.
Minutes later, her team rushed in.
Jirru dismounted his mech, rushing to her side. "Lady Seraphine! You're hurt!"
"I've been worse," she murmured, though her tone was heavy. "Set up the regen capsules. We can't move until dawn. As much as I would like to keep going, our bodies need rest. Heal up as much as you can."
Seraphine leaned back inside one of the capsules, her armor stripped down to the underlayers, her body marked with glowing fractures that slowly healed under the capsule's field. The pain ebbed away, leaving only exhaustion.
Through the glass, she could see her team sitting nearby, battered but alive — Jirru, Veyra, and the others exchanging quiet laughter and sighs of relief.
Veyra's voice broke the silence. "I swear, after what I just saw… I'll never doubt her again."
Jirru nodded. "She didn't just survive Arretel Zahn. She beat him. From the reports, he was a monster who killed thousands. I don't think any of us could have won."
Another voice added softly, "She carries the will of the stars."
The team rose to their feet, facing the capsule. In unison, they placed their right fists to their hearts.
"For Lady Seraphine," Jirru said. "Till the end of all things."
Even through the haze of healing light, Seraphine smiled faintly. Their loyalty burned brighter than any sun.
She closed her eyes, the capsule's hum lulling her into brief, dreamless rest.
Tomorrow, the real fight would begin.