All eyes were wide with astonishment as they beheld my Celestial form. Dumba gaped, his eyes round as saucers. "I can't believe it! He truly is the hero who disrupted the gods five hundred years ago. Why didn't he tell us?"
Kwanita chimed in, "I think he learned from past mistakes, when the city we lived in revered him as a deity and began to worship him. If he had revealed himself in this form to you days ago, there's a strong chance you would have worshiped him too. He doesn't want that."
"So it seems. He truly is a noble soul. But I worry now whether he can face Rutfush. His strength is already drained from helping us."
"About that, I can not say either. Let's hope he can."
I observed something unusual about the armor gifted by Gabriel. Cracks marred its surface, and I was unsure of their origin. Could they be the result of Rutfush's earlier assault? I doubted it; if that were the case, I would have been wounded.
Rutfush glared at me, his voice dripping with disdain. "So you are the wretch who troubled my ancestors five centuries ago. I never imagined you still lived. From the rumors I've heard, you are strong enough to take on the Four Great Kings alone. I'm curious to see the extent of your power."
With a flick of his wrist, Rutfush hurled bolts of lightning at me indiscriminately. I dodged them as best as I could. With armor in this state, I doubted I could withstand his onslaught. Mountains and trees were obliterated when his lightning struck.
A whirlwind descended from the heavens, sweeping away the sandy ground before me. Everyone clung to trees, desperately trying to avoid being sucked into the vortex. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck down, hitting me squarely. My armor began to peel away, piece by piece, as it was consumed by the tornado. Damn it! At this rate, my armor would be utterly destroyed.
Before I could catch my breath, a bolt of lightning shot towards Kwanita and the others hiding nearby. With no time to spare, I swiftly intercepted it, deflecting the attack just in time. They were safe, but my armor suffered further damage. Not wanting to take any risks, I unleashed a celestial energy attack from my Blerit Sword towards Rutfush in the sky. He countered with his own lightning barrage. A thunderous explosion echoed in the heavens, sending shockwaves that swept away the sand beneath us. The tornado vanished in the aftermath.
Seizing the opportunity, I launched myself into the sky and struck Rutfush hard in the gut, sending him hurtling through the clouds. He howled in pain as he vanished into the mist. The crowd erupted in cheers, believing I had secured victory. But deep down, I knew my strike had likely left him unharmed.
Suddenly, the clouds shifted to a sickly green hue, Rutfush's aura radiating stronger than before. The once blue lightning transformed into a vibrant green, crackling through the sky. Rutfush descended from the clouds, and I gasped as I saw him encased in dense electrical armor. I had never imagined electricity could serve as a shield. I braced myself for whatever might come next.
Rutfush roared, "you fool! You can't even hurt me. Now I will truly end you! Take this!"
The electric energy enveloping him coalesced into a dense ball of light. It glowed fiercely, a manifestation of his amassed power. Rutfush then shouted, "Gravan!"
He unleashed it, teleporting right in front of me to deliver a devastating blow to my midsection. The moment I took the hit, I felt my body convulse, as if struck by lightning of unimaginable voltage. My armor shattered, raining down upon the ground as I felt my body burn. Sensation faded, and I crumpled into the sand.
"Rhinggamana!" Kwanita screamed in horror at my charred form.
Rutfush descended, his green aura glowing menacingly. He approached me slowly, declaring his victory. "So this is your power? I must say, you haven't even met my expectations. I'm quite disappointed. Are you truly the same one who defied my ancestors five hundred years ago?"
I couldn't respond. I can't even open my eyes, everything just feels numb. All that remained was the cacophony of panicked voices from those watching in the forest as I lay helpless.
Rutfush turned to the trees where Kwanita and the others were hiding, and said, "Now that you're out of the way, I will transform these people back into monsters. Even the woman atop that lotus!"
"I won't let you!" I gripped his leg, summoning the last of my strength to halt his advance toward Kwanita, regardless of the cost to my own life.
Rutfush looked down at me in disgust. "How pathetic. Do you think you can stop me in such a broken state? You embarrass me, Rhinggamana."
He kicked me in the face with his boot, making me lose consciousness completely. The next thing I knew, I was in a dark hallway. A place that was very familiar to me. I could still hear a girl's voice repeatedly calling my name, but I could not recognize her. Was it Kwanita?
In this binding darkness, two beings of light came before me suddenly. Their light provided warmth. I knew these two beings of light very well.
"We meet again, Rhinggamana."
"Michael? Gabriel? Am I dead again?" I asked, bewildered.
But the two celestial beings shook their heads. Gabriel said, "You are not dead, Rhinggamana. We are proud of you. After being punished in the void for five hundred years, you have fulfilled your task upon returning to the mortal realm."
Michael added, "We have all witnessed your efforts. As a reward for your deeds, I have crafted a new armor for you."
Suddenly, a magnificent silver piece of armor floated before me. It was far more splendid than my previous one.
Michael continued, "This armor is called Aetherium. While it currently appears silver, its form and color will change to match your power. Your old armor shattered because it could not adapt to the strength you gained from the ten demon princes. With Aetherium, you need not fear; it will protect you, regardless of whether your power stems from light or darkness."
In an instant, the armor seamlessly adorned my body. Its silver hue transformed into a brilliant gold. Aetherium was remarkably lighter than my previous armor, enhancing my agility in battle. I felt my strength surge within me.
I knelt before the two celestial beings and said, "Thank you for this gift. I will use it wisely."
"Rise, Rhinggamana Astolfo. The people await your return. Come back to the mortal world and meet the hopes of those who call your name."
With that, Gabriel and Michael faded away.
In the distance, I could hear Kwanita and the others shouting for me through the darkness. As I awakened from my unconscious state, I found myself clad in Aetherium Armor, all the wounds mysteriously healed. Rutfush remained unaware that I had returned, still hovering menacingly over the crowd, channeling a surge of green lightning.
Before he could unleash his attack, I shot forward, blocking his strike.
"Rhinggamana! You're back!" Kwanita cried out.
Dumba and the others cheered with joy, witnessing my resolute stance in my new armor.
I proclaimed. "I will not allow you to repeat your crimes, Rutfush. When I vowed to judge you, I meant every word."
Rutfush's eyes widened in shock. "How did you survive my last attack? Gravan is the ultimate technique of the Bropa race."
"I have died more than once. No matter how often you kill me, if god has not decreed my end, I will never truly die."
"Is that so?" Rutfush retorted, retreating slightly before producing a syringe filled with green liquid. "Then I shall ensure you are sealed away in darkness for an eternity, just as you were five hundred years ago! This will rid us of your presence once and for all."
He injected the liquid into himself, screaming in agony as his aura surged uncontrollably, flickering between brilliance and darkness. Four additional arms sprouted from his sides, while sharp horns jutted from his back. His body and limbs swelled, covered in impenetrable scales. His mouth elongated, filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Having fully transformed, he roared like a beast, shaking the very sky. The surrounding aura blazed brighter than before. In a heartbeat, he lunged at me, delivering a deadly strike. I sprang forward, the ground beneath me cratered as if struck by a meteor.
Yet, I noticed a slight decrease in the speed of his attacks. I attempted to counter from various angles, but his scaled limbs were far too durable. All my strikes were futile. Despite the Blerit Sword drawing power from the hopes of the people, it seemed insufficient to wound this monster.
As I pondered my next move, a punch from his leg suddenly flew and struck me squarely in the face. I was thrown all the way to the side of the mountain. As if he wasn't satisfied, Rutfush jumped back up ready to hit me with another electric fist. I wouldn't let the same attack hit me twice. I jumped forward to roll on the sand before being hit. As a result, Gravan's fist hit a rock instead, turning it to dust in the blink of an eye.
The monster hurled massive rocks my way. I had no choice but to block them, knowing that if I failed, Kwanita and the others behind me would suffer.
"Fight, Rhinggamana! We believe in you! You can do that!"
"That's right! Our fate lies in your hands!"
"You are our only hope!"
The entire Negrida nation behind me shouted their support. Blerit responded to all the wishes they tried to convey. Positive energy instantly flooded my sword into overload. As the sword's radiance grew brighter and brighter, at this stage I could already break through the barrier to reach the next phase of the Blerit Sword's power.
My armor responded to this increase in power from the Blerit Sword. It glowed brighter and brighter, even changing its shape to become simpler but glowing brighter than before. There was a sort of crown on top of my head that became a protective helmet.
The Blerit Sword tried to force me through the second stage. My body was possessed by twice the power of before. I let all that power flow into my body. The bright light spilling out from my body dazzled the monster so that it couldn't see clearly. His stone throwing became more and more indeterminate.
I raised the Blerit Sword high into the sky, absorbing all the sunlight and lightning simultaneously. All the light in the sky became additional energy into my sword, making it shine even brighter. It also increased twice in size.
Without hesitation, I shouted, "Elysium Light Form: Phase Two: Radiant Surge!"
In an instant an invisible energy wave from the Blerit Sword split the mountain and Rutfush at the same time. The mountain where the Negrida were hiding was instantly reduced to a giant mound of rock. Even the forest behind it also became instantly bare as a result of being hit by the wave. Rutfush's six-armed monster body instantly perished, lost in a mound of mountain debris.
Thus, our battle concluded, with me emerging victorious.