The chamber fell into a tense silence. Even the demons, still reeling from the clone reveal, sensed a sudden shift in the air — subtle, yet undeniable.
A voice, deep and commanding, cut through the tumult like a blade:
"Hades…"
It was not a whisper, not a shout — it was the presence itself, the very weight of Heaven condensed into a single syllable.
Hades froze mid-step, the aura around him flickering. His eyes, usually steady and unyielding, widened ever so slightly. The light of his divine form wavered, shadows twitching nervously.
Lucifer's voice continued, calm yet impossibly powerful, echoing inside the throne room as if the very walls of Hell could not contain it:
"You have let the Abyss unravel. Do you still claim dominion?"
The tremor ran through Hades' form. Even his clone had not shown fear, yet now, the real Hades — the god of Hell itself — faltered. Crimson energy surged from Kairo, sensing the sudden shift in balance. The air itself seemed to shiver, the weight of celestial authority pressing down on the pit of Hell.
The demons shivered, whispering among themselves:
"Even he… trembles…"
"The Abyss… is collapsing…"
Hades' voice, usually resonant with command, now wavered:
"L-Lucifer… what is… the meaning of—"
Before he could finish, the air shimmered with unseen energy, and the throne room, already scarred from battle, seemed to bend under the tension. The Red-Eyed One stood poised, Bone Blade ready, chains coiling like living serpents — but even he felt the tremor of a power greater than Hell itself.
This was no longer just a fight against Hades. This was a reckoning — a clash of gods and mortals, of Heaven and the Abyss, with Kairo caught in the storm.