The sky burned gold.
Every snowflake turned to ash as divine light swallowed the heavens. The world trembled, and even the strongest of warriors fell to their knees, unable to breathe beneath the weight of absolute divinity.
The Supreme Voice of Heaven descended — a colossal being of pure radiance, neither man nor woman, its form constantly shifting between wings, flame, and celestial script. Its mere presence warped the air, melting steel, freezing time.
Its voice resonated in every mind, soft yet deafening.
"You defied the will of creation, mortal. You raised your hand against eternity. Now you will be unmade."
Arden stood firm amid the roaring light, his cloak whipping in the divine wind. His golden eyes burned brighter than the sky itself.
"Then speak, god," he said coldly. "Let the world hear how Heaven fears a single man."
The Voice moved — not walked, but shifted through existence, each step collapsing the ground into fragments of light.
"Fear? No. I am beyond emotion. You are dust that forgets its place."
It raised its hand.
A pillar of holy flame descended from the heavens, obliterating everything it touched.
Arden vanished.
—CRASH!
The explosion ripped a crater into the earth, sending waves of light across the field. Soldiers from both sides screamed as they were hurled aside by the blast.
But before the smoke cleared, a voice cut through the chaos.
"You missed."
Arden appeared above the Voice, his body wrapped in blazing Qi. He swung Heavenbreaker down with both hands — a strike powerful enough to cleave a mountain.
The sword struck the being's shoulder — and shattered divine light spilled like molten stars.
The Voice turned its faceless gaze toward him. "Impossible. No mortal weapon—"
"This isn't a mortal weapon," Arden growled. "It's a promise."
Above them, Celestia floated, wings trembling, her aura flickering like dying starlight.
She gathered the last of her divine essence, her hands trembling as she pressed them together.
"Light of Creation… lend me your radiance one last time."
A halo formed above her — cracked, dim, yet filled with human warmth.
She spread her arms wide, and a flood of silver light poured down, striking the field around Arden. The light didn't burn — it healed.
The snow that had turned to ash began to glow softly, reforming into a sea of white petals.
The Northern soldiers, once paralyzed, rose to their feet — strength returning to their limbs.
Arden looked up at her, smirking. "Still trying to outshine me, goddess?"
Celestia smiled faintly. "Just reminding you I'm still divine."
The Supreme Voice roared — not in rage, but in rejection.
"You… tainted angel. You forsook your throne for filth. You are no longer light — you are error."
Its form expanded, growing until it towered above the mountains. Runes spiraled from its body, rewriting reality itself.
The world began to bend — mountains collapsing inward, rivers turning into floating ribbons of light.
Celestia screamed as her body flickered. "He's rewriting existence!"
Arden's jaw tightened. "Then we rewrite him."
He slammed his sword into the ground.
The earth split, and a golden seal spread beneath his feet — the culmination of every martial principle, every Qi art he had mastered in both lifetimes.
"Heaven-Sundering Seal — Formation of the Mortal King!"
Energy exploded outward in twelve directions, forming a vast circular sigil that enveloped the Voice's lower body. The divine runes in the air began to distort — overwritten by mortal script.
Celestia landed beside him, placing her hands over his. "Let me add the light."
Silver runes intertwined with his golden Qi, merging divine and mortal essence. The air trembled.
The Voice screamed as cracks spread through its luminous form.
"This… is forbidden! Mortal and divine cannot coexist!"
Arden smirked, blood running down his cheek. "Then consider this a lesson in heresy."
The combined energy erupted upward — a column of gold and silver fire piercing the heavens.
For a brief, blinding moment, everything was light.
Lirian, kneeling in the distance, shielded her eyes. The heat seared her skin, yet her heart raced — not with fear, but awe.
"They… they're fighting the Voice itself…"
Around her, the soldiers of both sides fell silent, watching the two figures standing at the center of that storm — one mortal, one fallen goddess, defying the very foundation of Heaven.
Inside the pillar of light, Arden gritted his teeth, forcing his Qi to its limit. His bones cracked; blood poured from his nose and mouth.
Celestia pressed her forehead to his shoulder, whispering, "Let me bear half of it…"
He shook his head. "You'll die."
Her smile was faint, human. "Then I'll die as your light, not Heaven's."
Their energies intertwined completely — mortal will and divine essence fusing into a single surge.
"Heavenbreaker Art—Final Form!"
Arden raised his sword high, the blade glowing brighter than the sun.
"—Divinity Severing Strike!"
He brought the blade down.
The world exploded.
When the light faded, the battlefield was still.
The Supreme Voice was gone — only fragments of golden dust drifting through the air. The rift in the heavens slowly closed, sealing with a quiet hum.
Arden fell to one knee, exhausted, sword embedded in the ground. His armor was shattered, his breath ragged.
Celestia lay beside him, unconscious — her wings completely gone. Her once-divine aura had vanished.
She was… human.
Lirian approached slowly, her armor scorched, her sword dragging in the snow. She looked at the fallen goddess, then at the kneeling Duke.
"You… won."
Arden shook his head weakly. "No. I just reminded Heaven that mortals can still fight."
She gazed at him for a long moment, then knelt. "Then the world… will follow your defiance."
As dawn returned, the snow began to fall again — soft, pure, untouched.
The armies of both Heaven and man stood in stunned silence. No one spoke. No one cheered.
Only the wind whispered, carrying the words that would one day become legend:
"Heaven fell to a mortal's blade."
Arden looked at the sleeping Celestia, brushing a hand over her cheek. Her skin was warm. Her pulse was human.
He smiled faintly.
"Welcome to our world, Celestia."