The arena trembled beneath Kael's feet.
Marble tiles cracked from pressure alone as the towering figure in front of him stepped forward—The Warden of Trial Two.
Unlike the ethereal elegance of Seraphon, this being radiated weight. Every inch of him shimmered with divine armor forged from star-metal, etched with celestial runes that pulsed with ancient power.
His voice echoed with layered resonance.
> "Trial Two: Duel of the Divine.
You stand before a forged god, Kael Solas. Win… or be erased."
The crowd of glowing spectators surrounding the arena murmured in approval—no faces, just silhouettes pulsing like spirits of judgment.
Kael swallowed.
His body still ached from the last fight. His energy reserves were strained. And now, he was about to face a being forged for war.
> System Notification:
You are entering a divine combat scenario.
Restrictions lifted: Full spark usage permitted.
Warning: Failure results in total disintegration.
Kael rolled his shoulders.
So be it.
---
The Warden moved first.
One moment he was twenty feet away.
The next, his spear was slicing through the air toward Kael's neck.
Kael barely dodged—diving to the left, feeling the gust of wind from the weapon pass by.
He retaliated instantly.
> Command Seal: Soul Chain.
Silver energy whipped toward the Warden, but he didn't even flinch.
The chains shattered upon contact with his divine armor.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "So brute force won't work..."
He circled. The Warden didn't follow. He simply pivoted—spear ready—like a monument that could move.
Kael began forming another seal.
> Command Seal: Void Collapse.
He summoned the same unstable orb that devoured his clone in Trial One, flinging it forward—
But this time, the Warden moved.
Faster than Kael could track.
He drove the spear forward and pierced the orb in midair. It imploded—but the Warden had already blinked backward to safety.
Kael's stomach twisted.
He couldn't even touch him.
---
The Warden finally spoke again.
> "You fight like a mortal wielding divine tools. But gods do not hesitate."
And then he charged.
Kael activated Phase Blink, but the Warden was already there—reading his movement, slamming the back of his armored fist into Kael's side.
Kael crashed across the arena floor, coughing blood.
He staggered to his feet, ribs screaming in pain.
> "You're right," he muttered. "I am mortal."
He wiped blood from his mouth.
> "But I'm not fighting to win. I'm fighting to grow."
---
The Warden paused. "Explain."
Kael smiled despite the pain. "Every blow you land… every move you counter… it teaches me."
> System Alert:
Domain Recognition Sync: +7%
New Ability Unlocked: Destructive Echo – Create aftershocks of previous impact in chosen area.
Kael's body glowed faintly.
> "And I'm a fast learner."
---
Kael stomped the ground.
> Destructive Echo: Activate.
The space behind the Warden—the very spot where Kael had just crashed—exploded, releasing a shockwave that knocked the armored titan off balance for the first time.
Kael charged forward.
> Command Seal: Rift Lance.
He formed a javelin of compressed void energy and hurled it with both hands.
It struck the Warden's left pauldron—cracking it.
The crowd of observers rippled with surprise.
Kael grinned. "You're not invincible after all."
But the Warden didn't speak. He vanished—teleporting directly above Kael.
> "Judgment."
The spear plunged downward like a meteor.
Kael threw everything into defense.
> Celestial Aegis!
Dimensional Veil!
Phase Mirror!
Three layers of shielding—barely enough.
The spear struck, and the world lit up with searing gold. The arena shattered outward in a perfect ring of obliteration.
When the light faded, Kael was on one knee, breathing heavily. His arm was broken. His clothes were scorched. But he was still alive.
---
The Warden lowered his weapon. "You endure well."
Kael grunted. "Thanks. I practiced by… almost dying… a lot."
The Warden tilted his head. "Then let me offer you something new."
He raised one hand, and the sky above the coliseum cracked like glass.
From the rift, a storm poured down—not water, but memories.
Kael's eyes widened.
He saw visions:
Raen's eyes, full of hatred, as he exploded.
His own powerless body crawling through mud.
His mother dying in his arms.
His face reflected in pools of blood, helpless and weak.
The memories invaded him, twisted into phantoms, stabbing his mind like knives.
He dropped to his knees, screaming.
> "This is Trial Two's true test," the Warden said. "Not just your power… but your will."
---
The system flickered. The glyphs on Kael's arms dimmed. His spark pulsed erratically.
He was losing control.
The crowd above him grew silent. Even the shadows watched breathlessly.
Then—
Kael remembered something Seraphon said:
> "The Domain does not choose the worthy. The unworthy are simply consumed."
If he let this storm consume him…
…he'd become a hollow god. Another Raen. Another puppet of destruction.
But Kael wasn't here for that.
---
He clenched his fists and roared into the storm.
> "I am not your victim. I am not your servant. I AM THE GOD WHO REMEMBERS!"
The storm cracked.
Light erupted from his body.
> System Surge: Memory Override – Positive Anchor Located.
Spark stabilized.
New skill acquired: Soul Anchor – Bind your will to a chosen memory, granting resistance to mental effects.
Kael's breathing steadied. The memory he clung to? A small, warm smile—his sister, before everything went wrong.
He stood up—light blazing from his eyes.
The Warden stepped forward again.
But Kael was already moving.
---
This time, Kael didn't fight with desperation.
He fought with clarity.
He parried the spear. Slid inside its arc. Landed a palm against the Warden's chest.
> Command Seal: Destruction Pulse.
A blast of chaotic energy surged point-blank.
The Warden stumbled—his armor cracked along the chest plate.
Kael used the moment.
> Command Seal: Divinity Chain – Bind.
Chains of golden and black light lashed out, binding the Warden's limbs for three seconds.
Kael gathered everything.
Every last drop of divine power.
> Final Technique: Ruin Spiral.
A vortex of spiraling glyphs encased his fist as he launched upward—straight into the Warden's chest.
BOOM.
The sky split.
The Warden flew backward, crashing into the arena wall.
Silence followed.
Then, the voice of the Tribunal echoed from above.
> "Candidate has passed Trial Two. Judgment deferred."
Kael collapsed to one knee.
He did it.
He beat a god.
---
But before he could even breathe—
The arena began to collapse.
The tiles turned to smoke. The walls melted into starlight.
Kael barely looked up in time to see Seraphon hovering above him again.
> "You survive. Impressive."
Kael spat blood. "You could've helped."
Seraphon offered a hand. "It was not permitted."
Kael took it, and Seraphon pulled him up as the realm disintegrated around them.
> "The next phase begins now. You've drawn the attention of the High Tribunal. They will no longer observe. They will act."
Kael's head turned toward the vanishing stars.
"What does that mean?"
Seraphon didn't answer directly.
Instead, he looked Kael in the eyes and whispered—
> "It means… they've sent the Executioner."
---
[TO BE CONTINUED]